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Title: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: infoman on December 20, 2019, 07:18:49 https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/cuts-to-local-train-services-hitting-some-of-bristols-poorest-communities/?utm_source=Bristol24%2F7&utm_campaign=dbe60c56c6-bristol247_newsletter_20.12.19&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_67a9a4e1bd-dbe60c56c6-38758697&mc_cid=dbe60c56c6&mc_eid=86ae7efe71
Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: Red Squirrel on December 20, 2019, 10:11:04 To expand on infoman's post, Dave Redgewell is pressing for local trains to be restored
Quote CUTS TO LOCAL TRAIN SERVICES HITTING SOME OF BRISTOL’S POOREST COMMUNITIES Source and full article: Bristol247 (https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/cuts-to-local-train-services-hitting-some-of-bristols-poorest-communities/)Some of Bristol’s poorest communities will struggle to access jobs in the north of the city due to train timetable changes, warns a transport campaigner. [...] ...the major changes have also seen a dramatic reduction in trains between some of the city’s smaller stations and Bristol Parkway, a key area for employment. The majority now terminate at Filton Abbeywood in order to free up space for the London service. This means people travelling from Stapleton Road or Lawrence Hill must go to into Temple Meads in order to go back to Bristol Parkway. Commuters travelling from the Weston-super-Mare or Bedminster direction now have to change at Temple Meads, where they used to be able to get a through train. Raising the issue at a full council meeting on Tuesday, Dave Redgewell, a campaigner and member of the mayor’s transport board, said: “I want to raise with you urgently the cuts in the Bristol train service. “We are forced into a situation where local trains that used to cross the city between some of the poorest communities of Bedminster and Parsons Street, through to Lawrence Hill and Stapleton Road and through to the north fringe have now been cut back to run between Weston and Filton, leaving access to jobs and employment around the Bristol Parkway area very difficult for people to access outside of the few peak trains that run. “It’s wonderful for us to have 68 minutes to London Paddington for those who can afford the high fares or can go to London.” [...continues] Meanwhile Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FOSBR) chair Rob Dixon says: Quote To withdraw cross-city services from a city that’s infamous for traffic gridlock seems crazy. The GWR leaflet suggests alternative bus services, but this timetable change may drive people back to their cars. Source: FOSBR (https://fosbr.org.uk/fewer-trains-from-lawrence-hill-and-stapleton-road-to-bristol-parkway/)Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: Red Squirrel on December 20, 2019, 10:14:42 Sorry if this is a bit messy, but here's grahame's earlier reaction to this:
Problem of local trains stopping short of Filton Abbey Wood - update from Bristol shared with me Quote GWR have put the attached leaflet together and are working very closely with Network Rail to resolve, and they also have Meet the Manager events at both stations in the morning peak this week so customers are aware of the change. To help GWR have a ticket easement allowing travel via Bristol Temple Meads, and the leaflet also details bus journeys through to key end destinations from Filton Abbeywood. Apparently the London services and the Crosscountry services which are also an issue here, cannot be moved as they have to fit into tight slots at Paddington and Birmingham. GWR had thought that they could still get their trains through to Bristol Parkway, but when NR System Operator assessed the paths their view was that they would not work. GWR reviewed each train as you can see from the leaflet they have together managed to find paths for several trains which do now go through to Bristol Parkway. There is still an issue, especially in the off peak, but GWR have a ticket easement in place, and they will be happy to hear from customers to help find alternative bus routes to their final destination. Network Rail Wales and Western are working with GWR on the solution and while this is not what either GWR or NR want to deliver in December, they are working hard to have a good solution in place in May. The GWR leaflet is here: https://fosbr.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/20191215_GWR_Stapleton_Road_Lawrence-Hill.pdf Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: ChrisB on December 20, 2019, 10:17:27 With the fare easement, the bit about affecting the poorest is equal to the affect on all ambulent customers....so why make the point about it? Agree it sometimes hits them harder, but not this time.
However, it definitely disadvantages the non-ambulent (in David's case, the wheelchair-bound) by causing a change of train.... Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: Celestial on December 20, 2019, 10:45:09 With the fare easement, the bit about affecting the poorest is equal to the affect on all ambulent customers....so why make the point about it? Agree it sometimes hits them harder, but not this time. I suspect it might be because the communities around Stapleton Road and Lawrence Hill are probably poorer (or maybe I should say less socio-economically advantaged) than many other parts of Bristol, and it is those who are hit hardest by having to double back. That's purely an observation viewed from the train however, so I might be wrong. However, it definitely disadvantages the non-ambulent (in David's case, the wheelchair-bound) by causing a change of train.... Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: Bmblbzzz on December 20, 2019, 10:55:46 Lawrence Hill is statistically the most deprived ward in the southwest of England. That's measured on "multiple scores of deprivation" so not just by income.
Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: ChrisB on December 20, 2019, 12:06:22 My point is that it isn't relevant to this story.
Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: Celestial on December 20, 2019, 12:15:34 The article starts with "Some of Bristol's poorest communities", which given Bmblbzzz's comment does seem relevant. Those economically deprived are more likely to be reliant on public transport, and may not have a car to fall back on, nor the means to purchase one at short notice.
All very well saying they're not affected this time as they can double back via Temple Meads but their journey each way will be increased by up to 20 minutes, have the reliability affected by the need to change and have two trains not one to rely on. Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: Red Squirrel on December 20, 2019, 12:16:55 My point is that it isn't relevant to this story. It's not only relevant, it's the whole point. Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: ChrisB on December 20, 2019, 14:48:39 How? With no additional cost - it'll affect everyone the *same*
Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: Red Squirrel on December 20, 2019, 15:23:08 How? With no additional cost - it'll affect everyone the *same* So the time and inconvenience don't matter? Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: ChrisB on December 20, 2019, 15:25:32 This don't affect the poorest any more than the non-poorest - that's my point. So mentioning the poorest is n't necessary - everyone is similarly affected!
Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: Red Squirrel on December 20, 2019, 15:33:36 This don't affect the poorest any more than the non-poorest - that's my point. So mentioning the poorest is n't necessary - everyone is similarly affected! Except that this is about communities, not people. The communities living around the affected stations are the poorest in Bristol. Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: ChrisB on December 20, 2019, 15:49:37 indeed they are, I don't doubt that.
But if they weren't, they'd still be affected in exactly the same ways....as I say, there's no need to include the word 'poorest' as it makes not the slightest amount of differwence whether those communities are poor or not in this case. Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: Celestial on December 20, 2019, 15:52:42 Also, and I'll admit this is a bit of a generalisation, but the lower socio-economic groups are more likely to work in jobs where there is limited or no flexibility in start times. So the increase in unreliability brought about by having to rely on two trains is more important.
Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: TonyK on December 20, 2019, 15:57:06 I agree, Red Squirrel. In my former occupation, I took a few opportunities to raise the profile of Lawrence Hill and Stapleton Road stations with a number of people looking for work or training around Parkway. This included the manager of the (now closed) Jobcentre in Stapleton Road, who didn't even realise that there was a railway 100 yards down the road, let alone a station, and my own manager, then based in Trowbridge, who found it so much easier to catch the train she had never considered before than drive for her 3-monthly visits to make sure I wasn't dead. This change certainly isn't going to improve matters, and could well have some people who have been using the train regularly turning back to the car.
Another point. Both Lawrence Hill and especially Stapleton Road have seen a large upturn in passengers since the upgrades to services. What will it be like if those pax have to travel to Temple Meads to board the already usually full Cross Country services to get to Parkway? Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: Red Squirrel on December 20, 2019, 16:34:29 indeed they are, I don't doubt that. But if they weren't, they'd still be affected in exactly the same ways....as I say, there's no need to include the word 'poorest' as it makes not the slightest amount of differwence whether those communities are poor or not in this case. That would be true if people from these communities had the same choices available to them as their wealthier neighbours. But they don't. I doubt many of them will just shrug and get an Uber. Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: Noggin on December 20, 2019, 16:40:30 Aren't there supposed to be additional trains coming back in at the next timetable change anyway?
Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: ChrisB on December 20, 2019, 16:45:13 There are - and GWR have put in some trains that do go direct - not many, I agree, but at times that do work for those on fixed times.
Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: TonyK on December 20, 2019, 16:58:31 There are - and GWR have put in some trains that do go direct - not many, I agree, but at times that do work for those on fixed times. So long as their fixed times match the fixed times of the trains, of course. I recall the opening of a transport depot not far from Severn Beach station that had a night shift. A number of people from around Easton started it, knowing that they could get their by train and saying that they would be prepared to wait over an hour after the end of the shift for the first train of the day home. None lasted more than a week when the reality set in. We suggested to the company that if they moved the night shift back an hour, folks could still get there by train, and wouldn't have to wait an hour, so might actually work with them for longer. It wasn't possible because of the knock-on effect on the day shift, they said. The people concerned were keen to work, and the only reason they were going by train is that they didn't own a car or motor bike. Severn Beach has no other transport link bar a twice-daily bus. So the poorer did lose out there, and will do again. Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: Bmblbzzz on December 20, 2019, 21:28:43 This don't affect the poorest any more than the non-poorest - that's my point. So mentioning the poorest is n't necessary - everyone is similarly affected! The better off you are, the more options you have. If the rail commute isn't working, you can drive. If you decide to look for a new job, you're more likely to have savings which tide you over any period of unemployment. And if you decide to move home to be nearer work, you're likely to have a wider choice – because you can afford more – as well as savings to pay for the costs involved. Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: Bmblbzzz on December 20, 2019, 21:33:08 The people concerned were keen to work, and the only reason they were going by train is that they didn't own a car or motor bike. Let's have some music.https://youtu.be/nQfWzKTOE74 Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: TonyK on December 21, 2019, 14:46:12 Let's have some music. https://youtu.be/nQfWzKTOE74 On the stick in the audio thing in my car, despite their obvious support for the Arenal miles away from Arenal Island. I don't play it very often, as it's too mellow for when I'm driving, although "Teardrop" gets a look-in if I'm on time. Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: froome on December 22, 2019, 08:56:02 When we lived in Bristol, Stapleton Road was our local station, and my partner worked near to Filton Abbey Wood. At that time there were no direct trains between the two, and we campaigned for years to get them instated. They were, just as we moved to Bath (but to close to Oldfield Park, which does have direct trains to Filton, and was one of the reasons for our move). It is ironic, as well as sad, that we now have a better service to Filton than for those who live in east Bristol.
Title: Re: Fewer local trains to Bristol Parkway Post by: Red Squirrel on December 22, 2019, 10:21:00 The other irony is that four-tracking of Filton Bank was supposed to be the key that unlocked the door to improved local services...
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