Great Western Coffee Shop

I went down to Melksham Station to collect off the 20:14.   Sunday evening, 9 off and 1 on.    Nothing unusual ... except that we were "bustituted" this weekend, and previous experience is that if buses are running around 80% of the traffic is lost. So - astonished at the numbers.    I can't believe there would have been 50 off a train, so it looks like there's now less loss than was previously the case with bustitution.    Single sample .... no conclusions, but something to watch.

FWIW, took the 16.35 rail relief bus from Chippenham to Bath yesterday and probably no more than 10 people on it.

Not wanting to sound negative.... However a ticket check with rail replacement usually provides interesting results.... I'm grabbing my coat now as this is a can of worms statement

This is indeed a cylindrical tin container of non-arthropod invertebrate animals.

Historically it's been quite difficult sometimes to actually buy a ticket for the replacement bus in our parts - though with TVMs it's now much easier.  Having said which, there was a young lad seriously concerned yesterday that he had bought a train ticket and was worried if it would be valid on the bus.

That's a common concern ... along with i don't need a ticket i have a bus pass and people waiting on the platform for said bus  ::)

I always think it's a bit of a nerve charging the same price for a bus ticket as a rail ticket when the train is bustituted.

Or why not simply have a public transport ticket that's valid on buses or trains?

Think they trailed it in london ... it will never catch on

A while ago I had purchased a 1st class ticket from  Plymouth to London, in between purchasing it and the date of travel bustitution was scheduled due to engineering works (no-one told me, despite having bought the ticket via my FGW account), luckily I checked, so ended up doing half the journey on a rattly, smelly coach with no working toilet or catering facilities.........asked for a partial refund or compensation, was told I was entitled to nothing - so a first class ticket equates to a bus seat in FGW's book .