Great Western Coffee Shop

Our Coffee Shop special meeting where all are welcome to discuss the current consultations takes place on Sunday, 7th January 2018 at All Saints Youth and Community Hall, which is 10 minutes walk from Didcot Station (map below) - arrival from 12:30 for a 13:00 start.  We plan brief sessions (no more than 10 minutes each) on the future direction of the Coffee Shop and on the Community Rail consultation - the rest of the time being given to the GW Franchise

Our keynote speaker is Paul Johnson.  After a career at Knorr Bremse (where he rose to chair) and as chair of the Rail Industry Association, Paul spent three years leading the Swindon and Wiltshire LEP (local enterprise partnership) in the formative days of the LEPs, helping to set their agenda for the development of the local economy through infrastructure and other projects.  Paul is now the chair of the TransWilts CIC, where he takes the strategic portfolio - leading the organisation as it looks to medium and long term development while others in the team concentrate on the more traditional Community Rail development roles.   Paul will share some of his thoughts on where the GW Franchise area's public transport may go in the next decade(s), and how respondents to the consultation should marshall their thoughts to make their inputs far sighted and effective.

After an overview of the consultations, we're anticipating that the majority of the time will be given over to discussions / groups under each of the question headlines in the consultation (links on each of the following to the individual section).   It's anticipated that all attendees will be able to choose up to four areas, and each group will run for at least 20 minutes - some areas running multiple times.   Can I please ask regular members of the forum to indicate which areas they would especially like to be involved with discussing - even if they're not actually able to make it on the day - so that we can get the metrics right.

GWRF2020-01 Franchise Objectives for the 2020s (*) (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19038.0)
GWRF2020-02 Splitting the current franchise area into two franchises (*) (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19039.0)
GWRF2020-03 Future homes for Greenford and Brighton services (*) (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19040.0)
GWRF2020-04 Relationship between Network Rail and train operator (*) (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19041.0)
GWRF2020-05 Timetable improvements (*) (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19042.0)
GWRF2020-06 New Stations or lines for the next franchise (beyond 2022) (*) (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19043.0)
GWRF2020-07 Reducing journey times by reducing intermediate stops (*) (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19044.0)
GWRF2020-08 Direct (through train) service provision (*) (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19045.0)
GWRF2020-09 Seasonal and special event services (*) (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19046.0)
GWRF2020-10 Other service enhancements (*) (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19047.0)
GWRF2020-11 Freight expectations sought (*) (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19048.0)
GWRF2020-12 Rolling Stock and provision therein (*) (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19049.0)
GWRF2020-13 Accessibility (*) (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19050.0)
GWRF2020-14 Stations (*) (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19051.0)
GWRF2020-15 Fares and ticketing (*) (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19052.0)
GWRF2020-16 Community Rail (*) (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19053.0)
GWRF2020-17 Investment in workforce and skills (*) (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19054.0)
GWRF2020-18 Any Other Business (*) (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19055.0)

The final session will be "what now"?   Do we (as a forum) put in our own response, or simply help others?  How do we take discussions forward?   The main purpose of the day is to inform us - and you.  But there are valuable corollaries that will help set us forward for the future too.

ALL welcome.  But it would be appreciated if as many people as possible let me know if they're coming so I can plan. This Coffee Shop event is free to attend and is not externally sponsored (deliberately so!).  I will have a donation box there on the day and would suggest that £5 a person will allow me to cover what are my personal costs of hiring the room.  If I end up making a loss, I'll call that my donation. Any excess will be donated to TransWilts to assist with our ongoing work with public transport in our area.

P.S. Yes - we do intent to provide coffees ;-)

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

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

I have voted for "seasonal and special event services" This in my view is neglected beyond the standard "we cant lease extra trains for infrequent events"
Whilst it is obviously unreasonable to obtain extra stock for use once a year, I maintain that there are sufficient events over a year to justify extra stock.
Christmas
Easter
Other bank holidays
Half term
Beginning and end of university terms
Major sporting events
Reading festival
Glastonbury
Strikes and breakdowns within OTHER TOCs such as cross country and SWR, that result in extra passengers on GWR services.

I have also voted for "fares and ticketing" Whilst a general reduction in fares would be welcome it would be unaffordable. What could be done however is a great simplification, I have previously suggested this in more detail, but put simply I would propose only three fares for any journey.
Fare to be determined by how busy the train is expected to be, and NOT when the ticket is purchased.
I see no merit whatsoever is selling discounted advance tickets for trains known to be overcrowded, nor do I see any merit in punitively high fares for walk up travel on lightly loaded services.

Under "any other business" I urge attention be given to improving the resilience of the railway to adverse weather.
Any reasonable person would accept disruption in truly extreme conditions that also affect roads and airlines.
However in recent years we seem to have a "fair weather only" railway that descends into chaos during only slightly adverse weather during which roads and airlines operate as normal.

I will be there.  I have voted for Investment in Workforce and Skills (a subject that has been close to me all throughout my career in the railway industry).  We seem to be slowly losing those skills and its foundation knowledge.

I will be attending and have registered my votes

I hope to attend and have registered votes.

Splitting franchise:  Against West country too small even with London IC traffic.
Time table improvements. 2 tph to Marlow off peak. also requires double junction at Bourne End. Shorter journey Taplow Padd although that now Crossrail but share tracks with FGW.

Season and Special events as per Broadgauge

Freight expectations More freight.

Rollingstock and provision. In order to cater for special events I would suggest two extra HST sets (or 802s) as they probably have the highest route availability, driver traction and route  knowledge. However. to be integrated into the normal diagrams. This will hit utilisation figures but it will give more time for maintenance of units during the day and provide cover for failures. Will need some clevr diagramming to have the spare units available at short notice like that. Extra ses for the DMU fleet is probably a No.

Fare and ticketing also like Broadgauge's suggestion of only 3 fares per train.

Poll on the top of this thread still OPEN

Still happy that we'll have plenty of space on SUNDAY at DIDCOT for anyone who wants to join us.

Email / further details including thank you / confirmation to group lead and group schedules (I will work out gtousp tonight but tell leads privately in case I need to do last minute re-arrangement

Noting how BUSY the forum has been over the last couple of days - a lot to talk about and work out what we would like to suggest for the future franchise / management plan.

With GWR, TpE and EC all operating IET'S.  Surely it would be feasible to have, a number of spare units that aren't allocated to an operator to cater for large events that can be hired out on a as required basis?  Would also provide cover should one set become damaged in any kind of incident.

Talk to & pay Hitachi to keep them on standby. Sure Hitachi could play ball for a fee....obvious question though....

The TARA (in its orignal form; the delivery dates have been altered and other things may have been) gave the numbers as:
Overall fleet: 36 800s, 21 801s
Available to TOC: 32 800s, 18 801s.

I'm not sure why that fleet size is there - surely that's for Agility to decide depending on their idea (at the time, before reality happened) of reliability and appetite for risk. Anyway, there are also words (lots of them) about TOCs asking for extra sets if they can be made available ("Ad-hoc availability"), or booking out a set for a "Traffic Spare Diagram".

Thank you everyone for your votes.  As the voting has concluded, we have looked at the subjects you want to talk about and arranged them into groups to give you good input and discussion opportunities.  The resultant agenda is below.   I am duplicating the agenda at  http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19134.0 and LOCKING THIS THREAD - this thread was a poll that's concluded so logic is to go ahead and discuss on the calendar event thread

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AGENDA for Sunday 7th January ... All Saints Youth and Community Hall, Didcot.

Public meeting arranged by the Coffee Shop Forum's admin

"Making effective forward looking responses to the Great Western Franchise Consultation"

Question to me: Is there any point consulting on a future franchise when it seems that FirstGroup are just going to keep getting extensions to the current one?

Answer: Even for the cynic, yes there is, as you / we / they (DfT) can help shape what First (or a. n. other) are required to do

From 12:30 - arrive for 13:00 start; sign in, set up, etc.  No entrance charge, but a donation box will be available if you want to help defray my costs for the hall hire. Any shortfall I will make up, any excess (!) will help our ongoing work.

13:00 Intro, bookkeeping etc, then 5 mins each on
   Coffee Shop update
   Community Rail Consultation
   GWRF Consultation
   Rest of day plan

13:25 Paul Johnson / keynote

14:00 First Groups  (Groups defined below, based on questions in the franchise and forum votes)
   A   What does the franchise want to achieve?
   C   What and we do trains go?
   D   Fares and ticketing

14:25 Second Groups
   B   Admin and structure of the businesses
   C   What and we do trains go?
   F   The Passenger Experience

14:50 Third Groups
   C   What and we do trains go?
   D   Fares and ticketing
   E   Building for the further future

15:15 Fourth Groups
   D   Fares and ticketing
   G   The wider community

15:40 Summarise and where from here

16:00 Close - we may adjourn to a local hostelry.

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Groups of topics - numbers in brackets represent votes cast for the coverage at this meeting of each topic


Section A - Where do we start?
GWRF2020-01 Franchise Objectives for the 2020s (6)

Section B - Administration and Structure
GWRF2020-02 Splitting the current franchise area into two franchises (9)
GWRF2020-04 Relationship between Network Rail and train operator (6)
GWRF2020-11 Freight expectations sought (0)

Section C - What and when do the trains go?
GWRF2020-05 Timetable improvements (15)
GWRF2020-08 Direct (through train) service provision (6)
GWRF2020-07 Reducing journey times by reducing intermediate stops (7)
GWRF2020-09 Seasonal and special event services (6)
GWRF2020-03 Future homes for Greenford and Brighton services (2)
GWRF2020-10 Other service enhancements (6)

Section D - Fares and tickets
GWRF2020-15 Fares and ticketing (15)

Section E - Building for the further future
GWRF2020-06 New Stations or lines for the next franchise (beyond 2022) (9)

Section F - The Passenger experience
GWRF2020-14 Stations (4)
GWRF2020-12 Rolling Stock and provision therein (9)
GWRF2020-13 Accessibility (0)

Section G - The wider community
GWRF2020-16 Community Rail (3)
GWRF2020-17 Investment in workforce and skills (4)
GWRF2020-18 Any Other Business (0)

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Relevan threads:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19037.0
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19164.0
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19134.0