Great Western Coffee Shop

Some grim scenes being reported with many PAX left behind and severe overcrowding evident too. Sadly GWR have been caught out badly by this event and its conclusion.

Not sure how this was handled. Surely a better service could have be provided though.

The Red Arrows at Falmouth also was a PR failure too. Queues of up to 120mins at Falmouth Town.  The lack of BTP presence was notable on Wed, frustrations were very vocal.

From GWR  Other train service updates

13:04 Newquay to Plymouth due 15:11
13:04 Newquay to Plymouth due 15:11 will no longer call at Par, Lostwithiel, Bodmin Parkway and Liskeard.
This is due to overcrowding because of an event.
Last Updated:14/08/2017 12:54

3 Other Train Service Updates
11:32 Paignton to London Paddington due 14:54 
15:15 Plymouth to London Paddington due 18:34
An additional train service has been planned to operate as shown 15:15 Plymouth to London Paddington due 18:34.
Last Updated:14/08/2017 14:02
Due   Station   Status
15:15   Plymouth   15:15
16:18   Exeter St Davids   16:18
18:05   Reading   18:05
18:34   London Paddington   18:34

I was on the 1044 from Plymouth to Paddington (started from PNZ), fortunately in 1st class. The platform was several deep 10 minutes before departure and customers were being held in the tunnel at Plymouth to prevent more getting onto the platform. Many unable to board and standard class was about as rammed as I have ever seen on an HST.

Platforms similarly packed at Exeter & not many managed to get on. Train staff were advising people to get off and wait for the next one if they were uncomfortable but few were falling for that one.....we ended up with Mother's having to change baby's nappies on the floor of the 1st class carriage which had been declassified. Truly awful experience and another PR disaster for GWR. It's already being widely covered in the media.

Why are GWR incapable of making the connection between huge events, advertised months in advance & the inevitable greatly increased demand?

Because the HSTs are fully utilised in the AM peak? And with insufficient time to get them bacjk to PLY for 1035.....the organisers ought to put on coach transport rather than relying on a few trains

Passing the buck to the organisers isn't on. If tickets have been sold then provision of extra trains and if necessary coaches is the responsibility of the transport operator. GWR have admitted that over 5,000 tickets reasonably expected to be used today from NQY were sold. The grim weather in Cornwall today hasn't helped.

Reports of poor staffing at Newquay too are unacceptable. GWR have been thoroughly caught out by this.

Absolutely correct.

However, the festival organisers is a well-run festival usually discuss transport issues with the providers *well before* putting tickets on sale. This was obviously not done, and just an assumption made.

However, I do realise that this isn't thr first year of this festival, but maybe the numbers have increased substantially?

http://www.boardmasters.co.uk/tickets/coach-travel-car-share

As you can see the organisers had thought ahead *well before* and arranged coaches from numerous locations and encouraged liftshare and carshare schemes - perhaps it's you that's making the assumptions Chris?

This situation was entirely predictable for GWR simply by looking at ticket sales - in contrast to the organisers, GWR seem to have made little or no additional provision at all.

ok, fair point.

The 10:47 from Penzance is in effect an additional train in that it is formed by an HST and runs through to Paddington in the high summer rather than a two car unit as far as Plymouth.

I was in the proceeding 10:00 and first class was declassified in that and arrangements made to put luggage in both power cars as well as the catering supplies after the Pullman service was cancelled.

That train is always heavily loaded on a Monday in any event.

Articles that TaplowGreen was referring to:
http://www.cornwalllive.com/thousands-stranded-at-newquay-train-station-after-boardmasters-due-to-lack-of-trains/story-30481207-detail/story.html

http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/thousands-stuck-at-station-after-boardmasters-due-to-lack-of-trains/story-30481213-detail/story.html

It wasn't just the rails that were struggling according the BBC:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-devon-40851273

The M5 appeared to be three lanes of very slow moving traffic northbound as my train passed Cullompton.

I'm sure lessons will be learned for next year both by GWR and the organisers. By then there should be a few spare HSTs to hand to help as the 800s will be coming on stream at quite a pace by then.

I certainly think it would be good for a common pool of say 5 or so full length HSTs to be made available to operators to cover big events such as this one once the 800s are in full service on GWR and East Coast. Two or three car DMUs are no use in situations like this.

I can already here ChrisB say 'whooossse gonna pay for it?'  ;)  ;D

Wholly agree about the pooled vehicle idea, as for who pays, the TOCs of course, they're taking the fares and offering what should be an acceptable service in return.

Logic might suggest that passengers travelling on the trains ...  ;D

BBC Spotlight reported on the road and rail problems for fans leaving the event.  They also mentioned concerns about crowd control and safety during the weekend.

Meanwhile at almost the same time BBC Points West were reporting on a lack of buses to get people home from the Bristol Balloon Fiesta.

Gwr had 2000 extra seats from  Newquay this morning. The long single line means little can be done to increase frequency with just one platform at Newquay.
They also had a fleet of coaches direct  running from Newquay to Exeter St Davids. (I imagine quicker than the trains)
The line doesn't have the capacity for several thousand all turning up at once and there is very little gwr can do no matter what they do or plan in advance

It's not for GWR to build but a second operational platform at Newquay would make a significant difference. 

......didn't someone once mention something about "Building a Greater West"?  ::)

Is there not a similar problem with coaches being fully utilised in the peak too?  (maybe not in the school holidays)

Not in the school holidays....

Totally impractical, cost-wise, for infrastructure enhancements for something once a year. Frankly, 50,000 leaving any town/city all at once will cause problems anywhere in the UK.

Especially in Cornwall which is already full of holidaymakers.

50,000 was the total attendance. GWR would only have been expected to move a percentage of that number. No more than 1/3 I'd estimate.

GWR manage tens of thousands at Castle Cary every year for Mr Eavis' little shindig.  Bar the odd fallow year at Worthy Farm.

Yes, doubtless easier at a main line station compared to a terminus on a long branch, but it's not impossible to provide Newquay with strengthened services consisting of HSTs.

GWR need to be more proactive when it comes to events where large numbers can be expected to travel by train using their network. They do a sterling job with Glastonbury and Reading Festivals, have improved their efforts with events in Cardiff and Newbury racecourse. But elsewhere there is much more they could and should do. When properly planned and organised the railways are excellent at moving large crowds to and from events. And yes, CrossCountry should have pitched in too.

I agree the organisers of Boardmasters should also have done more. Particularly when their website for 2017 says this about train travel:



That really is shockingly poor, and hugely out out of date, information. Virgin and Wales & West in Cornwall in 2017? And a link to thetrainline? National Rail Enquiries would be much more appropriate.

 

Indeed they did.... :-) The planned expansion of Newquay, much of which is alongside the branch line, could be a source of further patronage of the line - especially if a halt were constructed in the Trencreek area, providing fast access to the town centre. However, the service would need to be a bit more frequent, which is impossible without a second platform at Newquay.   
https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/3629939/A0-plan-CS4-.pdf

The "Masterplan" actually provides for the construction of a halt.

https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/3629940/Panel-4-MASTERPLAN-FOR-NEWQUAY-GROWTH-AREA.pdf

How did they manage that (the 2,000 extra seats)?

Is the passing loop at Goonbarrow still operational.  And if it is, is it long enough to enable trains of meaningful length to pass.

The Newquay line does appear to be a missed opportunity to serve adequately a market that would benefit from an improved service. There were plans floated a few years ago to reopen the short section of line from St Dennis Jn to the Parkandillack branch.  This would have linked Newquay with St Austell, enabled a faster service to the main line, and more frequent services to operate with one unit.  Sadly nothing came of it, possibly (as well as cost) because the plans would undermine the existing route to Par, and the thorny question of whether to close that route or have the additional costs of a second route was too difficult. 

An HST shuttled between Newquay and Plymouth 3 times, with normal stopping services replaced by buses, so in total it probably was 2000 extra seats across the day rather than just the morning.



I don't see how an extra platform would help much, it's the single line that is the constraint

The passing loop at Goonbarrow is very much operational and easily allows two HSTs to pass.

A second platform would help a little bit as long distance trains must have a 40 minute turnaround at terminal stations. It could allow an additional train to arrive before heading back out.

The problem with the Newquay branch is that it is at the end of a long line that serves relatively small places along it's route. Local trains can do the branch in 50 minutes with HSTs taking slightly longer. It doesn't compare favourably when put next to the Penzance route which takes only 10 minutes longer but serves much bigger places. Putting a HST on the branch for 2.5 hours just for Newquay's benefit isn't economically sensible. The weekday HST to Newquay runs almost empty past Par usually.

Obviously Boardmasters is a different issue. GWR did run additional HSTs as well as coaches from Newquay but the infrastructure on the branch just isn't up to transporting 0000s of additional people. The best you could get out of the branch would be an hourly service but that requires all incoming trains to be locally sourced (to allow 5 minute turnarounds)

When the UEFA cup final was held in Cardiff recently GWR hired in a loco and coaches to cover the Weymouth Wizard whilst the usual HST provided additional Paddington - Cardiff capacity.

For this event why couldn't GWR ;

1.  hire in that set or equivalent again with locos at each end and work as a push- pull set calling at all stations on the line with passengers at wayside stations boarding and leaving the train through the guard/train managers door only;

2.  startback the last HST off Laira depot for the daily Plymouth - London diagrams at Newquay;

3.  have the hired in loco and coaches run to Goonbarrow Loop and wait for the 2 above to clear the single line Newquay to Goonbarrow;

4.  run the loco and coaches Goonbarrow - Newquay, embark passengers and return to Par;

5.  return the loco and coaches to Newquay, embark passengers and return to Par, thence Plymouth passing 6 below at Goonbarrow;

6.  divert the 1st or 2nd London - Penzance service of the day to Newquay with passengers transferring at Par to the unit that would normally provide the Newquay service but on this occasion would be spare. This unit would also provide the return working of the diverted Penzance service from Penzance to Par/Plymouth;

7.  return 6 above from Newquay passing the daily London - Newquay at Goonbarrow and then to London;

8.  Return the daily Newquay - London as normal;

9.  return the loco and coaches from Plymouth to Par and thence Newquay using this set to cover the Newquay diagram until about 1800 hrs when the normal unit which would cover the Newquay diagram should be back at Par from Plymouth and thus available for the usual Newquay diagram.

Easy with a bit of thought.

The problem with re-instating a 2nd platform at Newquay is the single line. Network Rail would have to install a single line token instrument at Newquay, plus a ground frame unlocked by the single line staff and operated by a train crew member.

The last time I travelled to Newquay the infrastrusture still had a number of coach stabling sidngs which contained stock used on local services and two rakes of coaches which were for the Summer Saturdays only services terminating at Newquay and stabled there until the next Saturday, local services still ran from Newquay to Goonhaven, Perranporth, St. Agnes thence either Chacewater to Truro or Scorrier, Redruth and onto Penzance but Beeching put paid to all that local traffic.                                                                                                                     

How many additional seats, on top of the 2000 or so extra ones GWR provided anyway, would your plan have provided, martyjon?  Also, are there any restrictions on top and tailed locomotives hauled trains on the branch?

If the railways can't cope with this type of event, then they must limit ticket sales instead of just irresponsibly continuing to sell tickets for capacity which doesn't exist.

GWR are happy to continue to take the money whenever these events occur irrespective of the extreme overcrowding, discomfort, danger, delays etc which occur.

If you sell a ticket for a product or service, people have every right to expect it to be provided. If you are unable to provide it in an acceptable, reasonable and timely manner, don't sell it - manage expectations up front about what will be provided and sell tickets accordingly.

How do you limit ticket sales made on the day, bearing in mind they will be being made at stations, TVMs and on trains up and down the country?

Martyjon, great ideas but not feasible due to the line capacity. Regarding diverting Penzance services, these are also carrying far too many passengers for a unit.
The most obvious is extending Plymouth terminator but that would require at least 3 additional hst sets to be magic up.

Realistically, maximum capacity is one train every 80 minutes from Newquay, which would have added one or two extras onto what ran. A couple of the runners were times as 15x units, so overall the "extra 2000 seats" advertised could perhaps have risen perhaps to "extra 3000 seats".   

I note from the realtime trains timings that the "rules of the road" for Newquay, hinted at being a turn around of just over half an hour there for long distance trains were adhered to.  Typically such rules are sensible in order to avoid early delays carrying on all day and "reflecting" between directions.   You really don't want passengers to be stuck on a train at Goonbarrow for too long.

Stock?  For Cheltenham and for Glastonbury, the Paddington to Cardiff 2nd service in the hour is sometimes canned ...

GWR did "quite a bit" ... didn't just leave the normal service in place.  I don't know how much more would have been worth doing to get that extra 1,000 seats, nor how easy it was / would have been to know at what particular time they were needed (bearing in mind issues like weather changing people's travel plans).

When I posted last night on this topic I only originally intended to suggest that GWR could have hired in a top and tailed rake of coaches for use on the Newquay diagram on Monday but got carried away as my nightcap, the level beer in the bottle went down and the displaced beer gradually entered my system.

I was surprised to see that a number of members commented on that post so if they read this post please feel free to comment on my suggestion as above.

As stated in my post the last time I visited Newquay was also the first time. It was in the late 60's and was the destination of a Mystery Tour from Bristol on a summer Sunday behind a class 47.

As regards the branch being capable of supporting a top 'n tail movement, what is an HST set to Newquay but a top 'n tailed working although engine weights may differ engineering trains on the branch are, as a matter of course, top 'n tailed and there have been enthusiast specials on the line in recent years, steam one end diesel the other.

Just finished tonight's beer nightcap so I'll finish now before I get carried away again.

Uts been reported this morning that amidst this passenger chaos an alleged rape of a 15yr old girl happened on a train leaving the festival. 

Now revised to a 17 year old. Fortunately for the young lady in question, not raped but touched inappropriately, still nasty enough though and probably quite scary.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-41001782 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-41001782)

I think that the service concerned was the 20.45 (Sat) Newquay to Plymouth unit.

   If it was a unit then video evidence should be available?

Just to say on Boardmasters, that I saw a piece in the local paper talking about the thankfully few Police issues to do with the festival that there were 10,000 extra people there this year.

For the Champions League final in Cardiff earlier in the year GWR made all Cardiff bound passengers require a reservation. Sure it was a pain, but they did it. And no reason why they couldn't have done that here too (hell it would have probably been easier than Cardiff due to the nature of it being a branch line).

I am not sure if that would actually help or not, but it certainly isn't impossible as you seem to suggest.

That's a fair point,but I think it is recognised that the logistical preparation (and nod out cost) for the Champions League final was beyond exceptional. The publicity was widespread too so other passengers were warned to avoid services on that day.

Boardmasters, 2018 - this weekend at Newquay.

4 arrivals today (8.8.18) from Paddington, 3 tomorrow. 7 departures to Paddington next Monday (13.8.18).

What happened last year: http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=18576.0

Looks like improvements have been made to provide a better service.

From GWR.com (https://www.gwr.com/destinations-and-events/festivals-and-events/boardmasters-festival)

There's a bus operating between Par and Newquay serving the intermediate stations on the route. 

To be clear - there are boarding controls at Paddington/Reading and all tickets are being checked?

And at Exeter, Plymouth and Par.

Good!

Question elsewhere - "where is the stock coming from"  Notice at Chippenham advising of three cancellations today and tomorrow, and 7 on Monday.  13:36 and 17:42 PAD to CNM and 16:20 CMN to PAD today.  Won't show on journey check because they have been planned for a few days (T -12??)

One of the HSTs arriving at Newquay today then runs back empty to Paddington, another goes empty to St Philip' Marsh (Bristol).

Buses at 16:44 from Gloucester to Swindon, non-stop and all station stops with 18:52 return workings from Swindon

I know on Monday Westbury and Pewsey lose their mid evening service to London as the usual train runs limited stop.

Just goes to show they can do it when they want to.....perhaps similar on next Maundy Thursday.....I'm on the Royal Duchy heading for Plymouth, busy but not overly so....some poor chap got taken off by paramedics at Reading, didn't look too good.......lots of people moaning as there's no Pullman on this service today.

I take it you decided to go by train and risk it because its a weekday and not a weekend?

Indeed. Coming back by road on Sunday though, I'm afraid I don't trust GWR at the weekends. TM has just announced that service is full and standing throughout 2nd class so my earlier comment about it being not overly crowded was overly optimistic!

I'm heading west tomorrow lunchtime and back on Sunday night.  I'll be on the last service up so should run or an alternative be offered.  The alternative would be to come back Monday along with all the surfers.

On balance I think Sunday is the better option!

Good luck with that. Your nightmare scenario of course is the (now) usual collapse of the service on Sunday & GWR encouraging everyone to travel on Monday instead.....with all the surfers too that would be cosy!

As for today's 12:03, it was originally diagrammed to be seven coaches with a kitchen suitable for a Pullman but was swapped to an eight coach train with a smaller kitchen.  Sensible decision in the circumstances.

Are you not getting the wetsuit out and taking your board to hang ten and shoot some tubes then, dude?

Might be a better option than what I am doing.  Stuffing 1,000 envelopes with various items, sticking stamps on and then filling every postbox within a one mile radius.

Would you rather key in 1000 e-mail addresses, identify a few attachments to each address and press the send key, it would be cheaper no envelopes to pay for and stamps to purchase.

Without going too far off topic - yes I'd love to but it isn't practical in this case. 

It would quite a sight seeing BobM on his surfboard cresting the Atlantic Rollers. ::)

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/00/de/15/00de15365b9f6b5f9b31653efcba4df8.jpg

Not on a surf board but you get the gist !....

Noting the Pilning URL ... railhead for riding the Severn Bore?

The above referred to yesterday (8/8), but there is also an ECS (5C92) running Newquay back to Paddington today, leaving at around 1230. It's shown as non-stop between Plymouth and Reading in 2hrs 38 mins!

Mission accomplished

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/mailout18.jpg)

And I think I made the right decision to come home Sunday night.

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/2004hst.JPG)

Except that the buffet is closed so no ale or three!

There is “an all you can eat and drink” option instead.  ;D

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/buffet.JPG)

A literal buffet then. Help yourself.

Unless you are on a service out of Paddington near peak, and a family of four “helps themselves” to lots of it  ;)

Suspect you are probably correct. 

This service started at Plymouth and I did have a quick look as I got off at Swindon and there was still quite a bit left despite the train manager making announcements about the lack of catering staff and telling passengers there was water and light snacks available.

Good to hear people practicing restraint and only taking what they would consume so others can have something further into the train's journey.

'Leave it on show, expect it to go.'   ::)

Wish that worked for waistlines.

If only.

Oh you mean it doesn't?

Did the Boardmasters event pass without major incident this year?  If so, well done GWR for providing a suitable enhanced service.

Well, unrelated to the transport provision, there was another serious sexual assault at the event this year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-45168559

Almost made it  - just this:-

18:55 Newquay to London Paddington due 00:02 

18:55 Newquay to London Paddington due 00:02 will be terminated at Taunton.
It will no longer call at Reading and London Paddington.
This is due to a fault on this train.

Last Updated:13/08/2018 21:48

Local services to Bristol Temple Meads and then what? Or wait for the sleeper!

Not sure if I should (or should not) have added this to the diary ... I guess the train is an excellent way for spectators to travel to Newquay.   A search for "Boardmasters by train" came up with last years's page (https://www.gwr.com/about-us/media-centre/news/2018/july/extra-trains-for-boardmasters-festival-but-reservations-must-be-made-to-travel)


It will be ... interesting ... to see what happens this year now that the HSTs are gone (except they're not gone in the west - just shrunk and renamed) and the new trains are allergic to surfboards.  I hope thought has been given (and necessary plans implemented) to allow people to enjoy the event and get to and from it without hiccoughs ... whether there travel needs are met by road, rail or air.

Now from Cornwall Live (https://www.cornwalllive.com/whats-on/whats-on-news/thousands-extra-train-seats-added-3159310)

Or you could fly!...(if there's availability), the site is almost next to Newquay Airport. 4 flights a day from Heathrow, as well as daily (or lesser frequencies) from many other points around the UK at this time of year.

And take a surf board on the flight!

How are the compulsory reservations/luggage limits going to be enforced?

Queuing, I suspect & being checked....

It would appear so. Interesting, they can do it when they want to.

I wonder how many stations they will do so - just Paddington & Reading or more further West too? Could get quite lively.

Are there plans for other trains to be cancelled to provide the extras heading for Newquay?

Same as last year I think - some local stations having a replacement bus for some services.

I understand compulsory reservations are only on trains departing Newquay on Monday. The advise is to arrive a minimum of an hour before your booked train to pass through border control!

Boarder control, surely?  ;)

I think in the past the clever dicky's got an earlier train to Reading and then boarded the Newquay bound train at Reading

EVENT CANCELLED TONIGHT due weather conditions forecast ...

https://twitter.com/boardmasters/status/1158863243261153281

Tomorrows news ?

The organisers of the Newquay Boardmasters Festival has called in the Receivers.

You may jest ... but you remind me that event organisers these days need to have a safety net in place in case something like this goes wrong.  "Even" the Melksham Rail User Group (http://www.mrug.org.uk) has operational and financial fallbacks in place to cover if Santa's reindeer are sick on the day and can't travel or if the railway is closed by snow.

People tweeting GWR about refunds with an announcement due first thing this morning.

Feel for those who were due to attend the event but the weather forecast for the next few days is awful so the right decision has had to be made.

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife/boardmasters-cancelled-people-tears-festival-3182559

From Journey Check, the Newquay to Paddington will be 5 coaches instead of 9!  Oops, not the best day to short form......

Music festival now cancelled on fears of bad weather.

From the BBC (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-49259812):

From GWR website

It is the music festival that is cancelled. The surfing event is still on.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-49259812

Edit: didn’t spot page 2!!

If GWR has any compassion they would offer a full refund foregoing any administration fee.

Whether festival goers will get a refund on their festival tickets is another matter.

What about all the small traders having bought in stock for this event, might a new Cornish deliciousey arise out of this, Roll, Bap, Butter, Burger, Sausage and Pasty Pudding ?

………….this won't help the mood.....wonder how they will manage the "compulsory reservations" in these circumstances?

09:03 London Paddington to Newquay due 14:30


Facilities on the 09:03 London Paddington to Newquay due 14:30.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9.

If the event is cancelled then the vast majority won’t be travelling down to Cornwall today surely?

True - but the significant number of folk already there will presumably want to return home.

Yes, that’s where the problems are more likely to surface, though some, especially those who’ve booked accommodation, will presumably stay there now they’ve made the effort to get down there?

GWR have announced that people who now want to return earlier from Newquay could do so from 9:30 today.

…………..on the return working....


15:07 Newquay to London Paddington due 20:37


Facilities on the 15:07 Newquay to London Paddington due 20:37.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9.

Off that BBC webpage...

Now saying all unused tickets can be refunded.

There's now also an additional 9-car IET running Newquay to Plymouth at 12:27.

Excellent news regarding the tickets.  Great customer service.

Indeed, there'll be costs to GWR involved, like additional staff overtime & leasing costs of the additional stock (IETs)

Indeed - some of the reaction from people on social media to the cancellation of the music festival is ridiculous - it has been gently pointed out to them that being on a Cornish cliff in a 50mph+ gale and torrential rain is not exactly the optimal location for stacked PA systems, let alone tents...…………...the line "have you ever seen a beach?" comes to mind looking at their locations (Nottingham, Birmingham etc)

I wondered if that would run.  It was originally planned as an ECS move back to Paddington for the stock from the 06:36 special this morning.

Interesting, yesterday, according to the GWR website, through services from Newquay to Paddington for Monday 12th August were thus:

Newquay 07.28 13.22 Pad (Additonal service)
Newquay 10.53 16.21 Pad (Additonal service)
Newquay 12.40 18.38 Pad (Additonal service)
Newquay 15.07 20.37 Pad (Normal scheduled service (Atlantic Coast Express))
Newquay 17.12 23.12 Pad (Additional service)

The same search today results in only the 15.07 showing as a through train for Monday 12th (and no trains at all until the 10.13am to Par).


KM

So a normal Monday service from Newquay.   Amazingly, that 10:13 is the first weekday departure ... no trains at all for normal "9 to 5" commuters in or out of the town!

I can think of a similar sized town that’s already had 5 departures by then!  ;)

JourneyCheck has not caught up / though I suppose it's right to flag trains that people had booked on that are no longer running, even though the reason for them running had gone away.  A few people may have travelled an stayed in Newquay, intending to catch those trains back.


But surely undercrowding because of the lack of an event?

JourneyCheck is currently reporting 17 cancellations across the networK


All of these are due to "overcrowding because of an event". But then a lot of the same trains appear in the 'Other Train Service Updates' as additional trains that will be running.

Very confusing.

Journeycheck is a shambles these days.

I can see why it’s happened like that.  All the additions from Newquay and a few other alterations as a result are now cancelled and a ‘normal’ weekday service is running.  A sensible decision.

For example the 09:54 Great Malvern to Reading usually goes to Paddington of course, but the plan today saw it terminate at Reading and form a Reading to Bedwyn (instead of the usual Paddington to Bedwyn) to release a set for the Newquay specials.  With that not needed, those trains are listed as cancelled and ‘additional’ trains are listed at 09:54 from Great Malvern to Paddington and 12:06 from Paddington to Bedwyn which simply reinstates the normal timetable.

Agreed that it makes it look bloody confusing on JourneyCheck though!  Perhaps one entry just saying a normal weekday service now applies would be much more customer friendly?

Agreed - in the "Line Update" section.  Even if all the individual trains are still there, a line update might have been a useful summary

The description for the cancelled trains has now been updated

When a train has been cancelled, such as those affected by the Boardmasters, and been re-instated it has to be shown as an additional STP because the system thinks it has been cancelled.    This can, of course, baffle the public although it is internal processing of data.

I suspect that this will lead to more (genuine) cancellations in the area;

Cancellations to services between Taunton and Exeter St Davids
Due to a person being hit by a train between Taunton and Exeter St Davids all lines are blocked.
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 60 minutes or diverted. Disruption is expected until 16:00 12/08.
Further Information

MUCH better.  Probably the best of the standard clauses and an extra line of free text to confirm. Thank you to whoever made the change!

From the GWR website:

To better serve customers for Falmouth Week and Boardmasters in
Newquay, we have made a number of changes to our train service.
Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 August
• All trains between Par and Newquay from 0818 to 1914 are replaced by buses
• 4 extra trains will run from Plymouth and Par to Newquay
• On 11 August only, 0637 London Paddington to Penzance terminate at
Plymouth. This connects with an additional 0945 Plymouth to Penzance
• 0904 London Paddington to Plymouth no longer calls at Totnes
• 1004 London Paddington to Penzance terminate at Plymouth
• 1736 London Paddington to Plymouth does not run
• 1804 London Paddington to Penzance calls additionally at Castle Cary
• 1412 Paignton to London Paddington starts earlier from Paignton at 1336
• 1215 Penzance to London Paddington terminates at Plymouth. This connects
with an additional 1415 Plymouth to London Paddington
• 1615 Penzance to London Paddington starts at Par at 1717
• On 11 August only, Falmouth Town station is closed all day. Customers should
use Falmouth Docks instead
Friday 13 August
• All trains between Par and Newquay from 0818 to 1719 are replaced by buses
• 3 extra trains will run from Plymouth and Par to Newquay
• 0904 London Paddington to Plymouth no longer calls at Totnes
• 1736 London Paddington to Plymouth does not run
• 1804 London Paddignton to Penzance calls additionally at Castle Cary
• 1412 Paignton to London Paddington starts earlier from Paignton at 1336
Monday 16 August
• All trains between Par and Newquay from 0712 to 2021 are replaced by buses
• Additional trains run from Newquay to London Paddington at 0835, 1032,
1231, 1419 and 1631. An additional train also runs to Plymouth at 1758
• 0457 Plymouth to Gunnislake is replaced with a bus
• 0540 Plymouth to Penzance does not run
• 0542 Gunnislake to Plymouth is replaced with a bus
• 0637, 0804 and 1004 London Paddington to Penzance all terminate
at Plymouth
• 0712 Plymouth to Penzance is replaced by an additional 0715 train run by
CrossCountry and runs non-stop Plymouth to Liskeard
• 0815, 1015, 1215, 1415 and 1615 Penzance to London Paddington do not run.
Alternative services run from Penzance to Plymouth, where customers can
change into direct services to London Paddington
• 0945 Plymouth to Penzance runs additionally
• 1030 Penzance to Plymouth is an additional train run by CrossCountry
• 1225 Penzance to Par runs additionally
• 1404 Par to Penzance runs additionally
• 1515 Penzance to Plymouth departs at 1520 and terminates at Par
• 1615 Penzance to Plymouth runs additionally
Other service changes may be made at short notice

Which of these will accept boards???

It's a round figure  ::)

Does it strike you as ironic that the usual trains running to Newquay, on which surfboards can be carried, are replaced by trains that they are not allowed onto for the main arrival and departure times for Boardmasters?

Ironic is one word for it.

As soon as I read that I just knew what was to follow ...................just like my local Barclays........"to provide a better service, we are closing this branch".

As the late Eric Morecambe would have said "it's the way you tell them"

This must take a prize for failing to communicate clearly. It starts by saying that they are trying to serve two popular events and then seems to largely be a list of cancellations!

How many would get no further than , assuming that the line has been closed, and you cannot get to Newquay by train?

Then there's  . Extra above what? You have just told the confused punters that there are no trains between Par and Newquay. Presumably what they mean to say is that trains will be running all the way from Plymouth to Newquay instead of just starting at Par. For heaven's sake say so, and why not give the departure times as well. It looks like a classic case of railway industry mentality "ooh, no Newquay branch trains today" was clearly at the front of the mind of the person who put this together without giving a moment's thought to how what they had just written looks to the uninitiated in the context of a revised service. 

And presumably those trains will go back from Newquay to Plymouth? It's not clear, and not something either the infrequent or  experienced traveller could be confident about.

Then there's the confusing list of alterations between Penzance and Plymouth. Surely a simple statement that a number of through services to and from Penzance will be replaced by services between London and Plymouth and between Plymouth and Penzance might give some re-assurance to passengers that this is not a butchery of the time table.

And why are random announcements about a Paignton train and buses replacing trains to Gunnislake buried in the middle of these Boardmaster and Falmouth related changes? 

"We're running all the right trains, but not necessarily in the right order..."

Ah ... do you remember "We've only run half the trains today [one], but it was twice the normal length so I don't know what you're complaining about".     To note - historic; don't see that reason being seen as reasonable by the GWR team today!

That was my thought as well and I checked the wording on the GWR site in case the wording was a spoof.

Presumably the Plymouth to Newquay services aren’t serving the intermediate stations? So cancelled at those stations?

It becomes clearer - for those of us who are used to reading operational stuff - via Real Time Trains.  For next Monday, for example:

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/nqy_20210816.jpg)

It looks like through London to Penzance trains are terminating for the most part at Plymouth, passengers having to transfer I suspect to 4 car trains which would normally be running Cardiff - Plymouth - Penzance services.   There's a couple of trains saved there with the cut back to Bristol at the moment.

I think that some of our members who feel that a five carriage train is too short for long distance journeys may be even less happy with a four car train, but in the great scheme of things those four carriage thingummies are quite nice.

Is there some big event at Luxulyan next week?

The route will be interesting, I wonder if it's an amphibious bus?!

Btw for those interested, the Cornwall Railway Society website is reporting that the 06.20 Plymouth - Penzance and 09.25 Penzance - Edinburgh has been a Cross Country HST all week instead of the usual Voyager.

Appears to be two buses - Plymouth to Calstock via Gunnislake and Plymouth to Bere Ferrers via Bere Alston, same in reverse.  Intermediate traffic probably light.

Friday:

So Castle Cary has an additional stop in the 1804 in lieu of the cancelled train... but Pewsey and Westbury do not.

Never mind, there's the 1J93 Paddington-Frome... except that's also cancelled.
The best offer seems to be the 1C93 Paddington-Plymouth, which, surprisingly, stops at Hungerford and Bedwyn in addition to Pewsey and Westbury. (not a special for this week only).

Gunnislake is always 2 small buses. 1 for gunnislake and Calstock. The other for Bere Alston and Bere Ferrers. Oakleys coaches were covering the evening runs recently with  small Optare Solos

I'm wondering what happens with the Plymouth suburban stations, that the train would have called at?
The timings must be interesting (and presumably fairly longer than by train), Bere Ferrers to Plymouth is fairly circuitous in order to get over the River Tavy, likewise Calstock to Plymouth is fairly circuitous in order to get over the Tamar. I imagine you would need to bear that in mind especially if connecting into other services.

BTW re Boardmasters, the 10.32 Newquay to Paddington and 12.31 Newquay to Paddington were both 9 car IETs on Monday and apparently very well filled! I don't know about the 08.37, 14.19 or 16.20 NQY - PADs.

The buses don’t serve the suburban stations. Not sure if an alternative arrangement is made

Passenger numbers at Dockyard, Keyham and St Budeaux are very low and I doubt there are (m)any for those early trains / buses.  The outbound  train is express to St Budeaux Victoria Road anyway.  Inbound, the train has a historic use for people working in Plymouth including at the dockyard, but passenger number figures would suggest this is now little used for that purpose - OR there's a quirk in the data, for example with everyone using Plymouth tickets and leaving / joining short.

Devonport figures are higher; the big flow there is to and from schools ... so not August and not this early in the day.

I accept that footfall for the Plymouth suburban stations may not be that high, but surely if you cancel a train and say it's being replaced by a bus/buses, but don't tell people that the bus doesn't serve all the stations that the train would have, then surely that's a bit misleading, and could cause significant inconvenience?!

I see that Boardmasters is causing a massive spike in Covid numbers in Newquay! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58257323 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58257323)

Sadly, not at all surprising.

I think it’s across the board* with Devon and Cornwall having some of the highest covid rates in the UK. Can’t think why  ::)

*No pun intended  ;)

Grockles and emmets? More people in confined area or at a festival and bound to happen. Even if double vaccinated one can still carry as much contagion of the Delta variant as anyone else

We should all be thankful for the benevolence of GWR in limiting access to this event, by means of closing stations  and bustitution and in refusing to convey surfboards, thereby limiting the risks to innocent people.

"Innocent" people?

Part of the picture but not all.

Boardmasters was an outdoor festival, with PCR checks to enter, etc.
Newquay town is also over-run with visitors, going into indoor venues with no PCR checks.  Just a request to wear masks, and admissions open to all.
Nightclubs, pubs, shops, etc.
Falmouth & St Ives are also on a high since before the G7 (in case anyone is going to go that far back).
Too many people in too small a space.

Whilst the infection rates are very high, hospital admissions are way down fortunately.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58318695

The cases around us in West Dorset are now higher than they were in the January peak.

Let’s remember this time of year, and festivals in particular have always been a super spreader for viruses and sniffles. We’ve just got a high profile virus which aids the media agenda this year.
Infections may be high but nearly all with minor symptoms no worse than a cold or other viral infection. Hospitalisation and death rate is low. There is nothing really to report worse than any other year.

Very optimistic.  High profile because there were 502 deaths with Covid mentioned on the death certificate in week ending 6th August in England. There were 875 excess deaths in the same week so no this is not just high profile it is killing people of all ages.  The covid dashboard indicates an average of 75 deaths per day.  Lets continue to take care of each other. 

https://www.gwr.com/stations-and-destinations/travel-inspiration/festivals-and-events/boardmasters-festival (https://www.gwr.com/stations-and-destinations/travel-inspiration/festivals-and-events/boardmasters-festival)

Interesting collision of 'It couldn't be easier' with 'There's disruption from industrial action, and remember we don't accept surfboards.'

I wonder how many surfboards would fit in an IEP kitchen? :-)

Mark

There does seem to be a degree of making it up as they go along to deal with a specific problem for this event.  It's perhaps surprising that they don't apply more restrictions for travel to Glastonbury Festival as the amount some people carry must really slow down loading and unloading and overload the luggage racks.  The general National Rail rules refer to an additional charge for "Each article exceeding one metre in any dimension that can be carried by one person"; GWR seem prepared to accept longer articles at no charge on some trains but a fuller explanation of how to work out which trains do take surfboards would have been useful for the target audience.  Most trains to Newquay are local trains, surely, so it's the mainline leg that's the problem.  Ironically the "Castle" HSTs probably come under the local train description.
 
London Underground incidentally is normally happy to allow objects up to 2 metres long according to its Conditions of Carriage.

Indeed - it COULD be easier if, for example, there was no industrial action, no ban on surfboards on some trains but not others, and if a walkup ticket valid for the route and day could be used to walk up and travel the route that day.

Even I had some trouble working out how I would travel from London with my surfboard. "From London, passengers with surfboards should travel from Waterloo via Salisbury to Exeter, and change there into a train that starts at Exeter or comes from the Bristol direction.   If that's too slow or awkward, why not drive?"   Sorry - GWR - your web page smacks of 1984 doublespeak and 38 years after that, it feels like time to put all the customers and the environment ahead of cherry picking the business.   The railway as a common carrier of people and the luggage they can reasonably carry.

How long until carriage of surfboards on Waterloo to Exeter services is prohibited ?
Or perhaps it would be simpler to prohibit surfboards on all trains.
Drive instead, the climate emergency is now very last year.

Other accompanied luggage aside, how else would people be expected to transport double basses.

Mark

Next Monday I’m on standby 0800-2000 with a coach at Newquay rail station, so appears some contingencies have been planned by GWR.

A colleague's daughter plays the double bass in an orchestra who perform internationally and you would not believe (well, you probably would!) the hassle involved.

Day before Boardmasters starts, outstanding!

Cancellations on the branch too.


09:04 London Paddington to Newquay due 14:17 was terminated at Plymouth.
It will no longer call at Saltash, St Germans, Liskeard, Bodmin Parkway, Par and Newquay.
This is due to a points failure.

From Devon Live (https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/stacked-boardmasters-trains-mean-festival-7448243)

Appalling service, even those with booked seats being turned away. We have long known that bookings are automatically voided on half length trains, it would appear that this now applies to popular events also.

Some film footage was shown on the BBC Spotlight local news for the south west of England on Wednesday.

It appears as if if they were checking tickets on leaving the station.

Same story every year.

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/stacked-boardmasters-trains-mean-festival-7448243

The Newquay branch. I don't know it. Is it a 20 mile single line with no passing places and a single terminating platform? To a town of 20,000, but one that can see 80,000 visitors at a time?

That's a recipe for unending pain, why is the railway bothering? (Or rather, why are the politicians pretending that  that's ok, 'cos the Newquay branch sounds to be a 1960s slash-and-burn relic.)

TSNO, the four letter acronym for 'Train Service in Name Only'.

Mark

Almost - there is a passing place at Goonbarrow Junction, and it may be double (not sure) first couple of miles from Par to St Blazey.

The midCornwall Metro is looking at adding another loop and a second platform at Newquay. So perhaps the political types are NOT pretending it's OK

You're right about the two-track section from Par to St Blazey

Capacity on the branch is severely constrained by the (lack of) infrastructure.  Reduction of Newquay to  a single platform in 1987 and abolition of St Dennis Junction as a passing loop (1982??) are cutbacks that have proved costly during the summer months in terms of operations, and which really could do with being reversed

Some views of the out of use second platform at Newquay over the years.

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/nqyplat.jpg)

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/nqyplat2.jpg)

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/nqyplat3.jpg)

It doesn't look as though the existing platform at Newquay was built out and the track slewed when the second one was taken out of use.   That's not to say it won't be expensive to re-instate it!

Here is what was done on summer Saturdays in the late 1960s ...

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/nqy_68_a.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/nqy_68_b.jpg)

Thanks for digging that out. The timetable notes are particularly rewarding.

Mark

The platform currently in use as a dead-end has two faces, iirc.  I know it's not easy, but it wouldn't be an insoluble challenge to have track on both sides.  Control of the pointwork would be the most tricky question, I suspect

Absolutely, Graham, in fact no-one ("political types" or railway) is pretending the Newquay line is OK as it is now, hence, as you say, the Mid Cornwall Metro project which Cornwall Council have been pursuing for more than ten years.  As mentioned in the thread specifically about it, things are looking positive with two good looking routes to the funding - Restoring Your Railway and Levelling Up Funds.

It's only three-quarters of a mile from Par to St Blazey.

I know the GWR team who plan GWR's response to special events.  They are very experienced and do their absolute best with the resources and capacity (train and physical) available.  Hopefully the rest of Boardmasters rail-wise will go better than yesterday.    Always tough though when trains between London and Cornwall are very, very busy already.

As I understand it, Bob, the plan is to reinstate the other side of the operational platform if the funding comes through.

1N78 and 1A94 discovered on Wednesday that two 9 cars IETs can’t fit past each other in one of the passing loops. Resulted in 1N78 reversing back off the branch and 45 min late arrivals

All the more reason to double the line between Tregoss Moor and St Dennis Junction, which I believe is planned,

Speechless.

Mark

Hitachi say a 9 car Azuma train is 234m long.  The current version of the Sectional Appendix says the length of the crossing loop at Goonbarrow Jcn is 224m.  Ooops.

Goonbarrow Junction crossing loop used to be shown as 42 wagons + engine and van, which I reckon would convert to over 270m, so there has been some shrinkage since the 1970s

Was it Goonbarrow?  I'd heard it was at St Blazey.

Seems to have been on the double line between Par and St Blazey.
9 car IET EDMUs are scheduled on occasions  to cross at Goonbarrow Jn.

Possibly the NR local MOM (whose regular photos appear on the Cornwall Rly Soc. website and Twitter etc might in due course give an update.

No doubt all will become clear in time.  Apologies for jumping the gun

Real Time Trains suggests they were scheduled to pass each other between Par and St Blazey.

1A94 left Newquay on time at 14:55, and indeed Goonbarrow, on time but picked up a delay of well over half an hour between there are St Blazey where it called at 16:15 / 16:16 versus a schedule of 15:37 / 15:38

1N78 left Par on time at 15:31, but didn't call at St Blazey until 16:11 to 16:17, versus a schedule of 15:33 / 15:39. It trailed into Newquay 44 minutes late at 17:06.   It set off back at 17:25 (versus a 16:50 schedule) ...

At the time 1N78 departed Par, 1A94 had already entered the single-line section, but had not had time to reach St Blazey signal box. So the question must be where did 1N78 advance to to await 1A94, and why did wherever it ended up prevent 1A94 passing it?

Obviously no one could have foreseen that.

Shows the state our railways are in. Too much talk and not enough practical people.

Just 4 departures from Newquay today.

Tomorrow ...
Buses to Luxulyan at 07:12, 09:15, 13:10 and 17:19
Trains to Paddington at 07:40, 09:19, 11:18, 13:19, 14:55 and 18:04. 
Trains to Par at 19:45 and 21:34

We’ve at least 4 coaches on standby at Newquay rail station tomorrow too.

So what's the answer to this now annual problem? Using Par and/or Bodmin Parkway as a staging point for Boardmasters and using road transport for the rest of the journey to/from the Festival? It's clear now that the NQY line isn't robust enough to cope, at least until the Mid Cornwall Metro work is completed.

Sounds like a good idea.

The roads don’t sound robust enough to cope either:  https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/boardmasters-road-chaos-starts-music-7445532.amp

Not great news for anyone who'd stayed on in an attempt to avoid the inevitable Sunday/Monday chaos...

11:18 Newquay to London Paddington due 16:29 was terminated at Par and restarted from Plymouth.

It will no longer call at Lostwithiel, Bodmin Parkway, Liskeard, St Germans and Saltash.
This is due to a broken down train.

Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 10.

According to Realtime Trains, the 11:18 from Newquay reached Par at 15:37, some 213 late.

The 09:04 Paddington - Newquay had to wait at Goonbarrow for the 11:18 departure, and reached Newquay at 15:50, some 93 late.

It is now on the return journey, the 14:55 departure from Newquay, but 60 late.

Given the late running of the 11:18 I am surprised the 09:04 was sent onto the branch and not held at Par.

<lifted from a Facebook post.....>
802011 (1A86 11:18 Newquay to Paddington) failed shortly after departure from Newquay.
802114, which was working 1C72 08:04 Paddington to Penzance was terminated at Par and formed 1Z99 to run up the branch and rescue 802011. The combined units then formed 1A86, which was then terminated at Par 213 late. 

There was no problem with the rail. There was 10 53 seater coaches on Standby, I was one of them. Every 9 car IeT cleared the queue. 1000 or so people queuing with all their camping kit made the queue look huge.

Bodmin parkway is a no go for road transport in general. Of the 10 coaches on standby yesterday, only 1 of them would fit under the low bridge. PSVAR coaches are typically taller than their non PSVAR cousins. I had a Mk2 Scania Levante (ex national express) and it was marked 12’9. Par is not the best place due to lack of off Road space for coaches to park so we’d end up blocking the road.

Had we been used GWR had suggested they’d send us to Tiverton or Exeter to spread the load and give the options of Paignton and Exeter originating trains

GWR's first 14 coach IET service?

Nice to hear a report from someone actually 'on the ground'.

Cornwall live have posted loads of **** all week.
I’ve been on the ground in the bus operations the entire festival.
Queues for shuttle buses reported bad… we had a 85 or 105 seat double decker running every 60-90 seconds. We were loading and going. It would be impossible to go any more frequent. Most of the time we were loading two buses at a time. The main bus stop in use in town can only physically fit two buses at once. We had buses queued up 30 seconds away ready to pounce as soon as a space on the stop became available

Perhaps the organising commitees of Boardmasters and the Brizzle Bloon Fester could actually talk to each other about NOT holding their events on the same weekend in future years. Then there mght be a fairer share of buses all round.
It was a shame the surfers didnt hang on one more day. The streets of Newquay were awash on Monday!

..and now the beach is taking the brunt.  According to the BBC it is one of those where the overflow from the sewage system has been allowed to run into the sea.

I have a childhood memory of Newquay being a whiffy and unpleasant place.  So much so that I’ve not been back since!

Been there a few times recently.  I don't remember an aroma but you have to pick your pubs carefully.

Winter - Rain
Spring - Paint
Summer - Chip fat & sun tan lotion
Autumn - Petrichor & Lavender (grey season)

Wednesday 9th August to Sunday 13th August due to the board masters event taking place at Watergate Bay and Fistral beach