Great Western Coffee Shop

From Save The Train (link below.)
http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2057.msg4904#msg4904

So, how do I get to work today?

I can either drive to Westbury or I can wait and get the 08.05 that will get me in to Swindon for 09.42, if I'm lucky. Unfortunately this one's consistently late as it has to wait at Castle Cary for an HST to go through first ! Is this the shape of things to come...? 

    Train Times for Frome (FRO)

Trains    Last updated: 20/04/2007 06:39:43
From    Timetabled
Arrival    Expected
Arrival    To    Timetabled
Departure    Expected
Departure    Operator
Frome              Cardiff Central    0647    Cancelled    First Great Western
Weymouth    0652    No report*    Filton Abbey Wood    0652    No report*    First Great Western              Actually cancelled see below
Westbury    0652    Cancelled    Filton Abbey Wood    0652    Cancelled    First Great Western
Bristol Temple Meads    0701    0710    Weymouth    0701    0711    First Great Western
Weymouth    0805    No report    Cardiff Central    0805    No report    First Great Western

After reading the post, it would apper you ment Friday 20th April ;)

Ah...the joys of being a Global Moderator......

OR:

1. Drive
2. Get the 234 bus
3. Get a taxi
4. Work from home

I post up certain alternatives to show you that First don't have a monopoly.   I'm not sure if I WANT to point that out, as I think First may want to get rid of a lot of their ex-Wessex business - "Only brings in 4% of our revenue but takes up a LOT more of our time" according to one of their managers, explaining at the timw why they can't put more resources in but could also show why they don't want it.  I think First actually asked if they could bid for the new FGW frachise excluding the ex-Wessex services but were told that it was all or nothing.

A serious matter ... I know of at least one person who has given up working thanks to FGW.  Yet somehow the economics of having someone on the dole don't get weighed into th ecost justifications for a decent train service.

I was in Finland last week - a fast and efficient public transport system, in use by th emajority of people, and at about a third to a quarter of the cost around here.  What a pleasure.

Whoops, you're right, I think I was still half asleep. Thanks Lee for amending that.  :)

Forthcoming timetable changes to trains running through Frome have been condemned by commuters (link below.)
http://thisissomerset.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=147472&command=displayContent&sourceNode=242195&contentPK=19170359&folderPk=113662&pNodeId=251478

John Leach , chairman of the Frome Public Transport Users' Association , said the new timetable will be a nightmare for commuters , who already have to put up with consistently late trains.

He said: "As chairman of the association, I listen to commuters who come to me with their concerns over this service."

"The new timetable will have a knock-on effect for all commuters in this area, from Frome right through to Weymouth."

The current morning train is 7.05am from Frome and arrives in Weymouth at 8.23am , but the new train time will run 13 minutes earlier , at 6.48am.

Commuters will arrive nearly an hour before most people have to start work , at 8.05am , which Mr Leach believes will have people hanging around in the cold.

They are also unhappy at losing the direct service to Cardiff , and that there will be a later day service to Weymouth , leaving at 10.46am , meaning that half the day will be gone by the time rail users get to seaside town at noon.

Mr Leach said :

"All this has happened so the Westbury to Bath service can run every half an hour. Frome commuters all have to suffer to accommodate this."

"The trouble with First Great Western is it doesn't listen to its customers, it's like banging our heads against a brick wall,"

"All we want is a regular, on-time service that suits the community it is supposed to serve."

Andrew Griffiths said: "We are aware of a number of issues with the new timetable on the Weymouth line, through Frome."

"These issues will be addressed on the next timetable, which will be available in May."

"We are also looking at adding more trains to go through Frome to make the service as effective as possible."

"Though we try, it is impossible to keep everybody happy when a new timetable is implemented and hope we can resolve any issues by the middle of next year."

Having stoppers following trains from Westbury - Bath is silly though!

I work between Frome and Warminster and have a choice most times to catch the bus from Frome or Warminster back to Oldfield Park. Frome is as little easier to get to and there's higher chance I can get back to Oldfield pk, but the sheer frequency of trains is almost enough to put me off. It's clear to me that 1 train every 2 hours is grossly inadequate for this large town (even at peak!) and it needs at least a hourly service both ways. I'd suggest either a new Westbury - Yeovil service or just make some semifast London-Exeter services call there.

Included in the proposals put forward in May 2007 (and revealed to use under FOI), Frome was to get an additional three trains a day.  It didn't happen ... neither did the extra three trains a day from Westbury to Swindon.  Not sure exactly why the proposal that seemed to have First's full support, and was working along lines encouraged (though NOT financially) by the council failed. The unit that would have made a "major improvement for wiltshire" is - as from Monday - running a "spoiler" service a few minutes ahead or or behind SWT's new Salisbury - Southampton - Romsey train.

I'm looking for sense in services like FGW's 13:02 arrival in Southampton - what's wrong with the 12:40 arrival or the 13:08 arrival?   This is a genuine question - the only reason I can see is that if FGW run a higher proportion of the trains they're entitled to a higher proportion of the revenues, irrespective of how each train loads.

By the way, Graz .... there are other options.   How about a 2-hourly Weymouth to Swindon via Frome (crossplatform change at Westbury for Bristol) with the alternate hour being Frome to Bristol direct?   I'm looking to provide an improved service for Melksham - population very similar to that of Frome but with an appalling service at the moment.  And Weymouth - Swindon is a natural straight route / old main line with Frome becoming more and more a commuter town for the Bath / Bristol  and Chippenham / Swindon areas.

First's proposal , along with some interesting background info , can be found in the link below.
http://www.wellho.net/wccfoi/wccfgw3.pdf

It should be noted that one of the reasons that FGW will run "spoiler" services to Southampton is because they are specified by the DfT. In order to implement the Melksham / Frome proposal , FGW will need to obtain a derogation / change to the specification. One of the reasons that this is unlikely to happen is because the 0809 arrival into Southampton is likely to be very useful to Salisbury / Romsey commuters.


As you can see from the link below , we looked into a similiar option as part of our background work on Gateway To The Future.
http://www.shinewithstyle.co.uk/literature/Suggested%20Weymouth%20-%20Severn%20Beach%20timetable.pdf

I'm not an expert but surely more people from Weymouth and Frome want to travel direct to Bristol than Melksham/Swindon?  ::)

If you qualify that with "at present and by train", yes, I agree. You'll note my suggestion still has a two-hourly Frome to Bristol and an additional hourly service with a crossplatform change at Westbury.   

And the overall travel requirement from Trowbridge / Westbury / Frome is much more evenly split that you would guess between the Bristol/Bath and the Chippenham/Swindon directions.   Listen to the local estate agents (who are far more experts than I) and they'll put Swindon ahead in terms of commuter destinations, but Bristol and Bath ahead in terms of leaisure trip destinations.  And look at Ruth Kelly's sustainable transport report of 30th October and the congestion map and you'll see that it too shows "via Bath" and "via Chippneham" roads both very much of a muchness.

It's also interesting to note that the journey as the crow flies from Frome to Bath is 11 miles, whereas the journey as the 150 meanders is 22 miles.  Still the "Great Way Round" and I wonder if that enourages a skew towards cars and buses far more on the Bath run than on the Swindon run if you should provide a balanced train service.

I tell you what-- this would have been ESPECIALLY useful today. My train (18:38) was almost 45 minutes late into Frome with no explanation given. Should there have been an extra train to Westbury this would have especially been useful as I indeed could have changed there. Or, if all trains from Westbury-Bristol were delayed (as what seemed to be the case today) - a change at Chippenham would have been just as good!

I also strongly believe that a Frome/Yeovil to Swindon service would be highly beneficial. A change at Bath is currently too inconvenient to do this, especially with the Weymouth line's poor services. The alternatives aren't much use- a fairly slow bus to Chippenham with a change or travelling along the congested and indirect A36/A361/A4631. Neither are a viable option, but the train would be. Just imagine the economic potential and convenience it would bring to all places along the route and the potential of high usage- which I'm sure would be the case after a while. It's high time places like Frome and Melksham started getting a service that they deserve.

Slightly different "tack" on Frome, so new thread.

An I reading the timetable right for SATURDAY trains from Frome to Bath ... there's an 06:37, then an 07:55 which sits and waits for 30 minutes in Westbury, then an 09:25.  Pity the poor person who has to commute to work from Frome at normal times on a Saturday, or have I missed something?

[Came a cross this when working on a new minitimetable for the Melksham Tourist Information Centre]

Looks like its not an error!

They've also made the evening connections at Bath Spa even tighter than they used to be. At peak times trying to connect with the Weymouth train from the direction of Swindon/Chippenham, we now have an advertised connection time of just 7 minutes (previously 10 minutes). Therefore, the only sensible thing to do now is catch an earlier train to Bath leaving you with a connection time of 35-40 minutes which is all well and good but not very convenient for those of us trying to work our contracted hours and get home at a sensible time.
People living in Frome do want to work in Chippenham and Swindon but unfortunately the changes to the timetable over the last 2 years have caused at least 2 people I know to drive and at least 1 other person now drives to Trowbridge to get the train from there rather than Frome.

Outward journey: Tuesday 11 December 2007 Station    Arr    Dep    Travel by    Service Provider
 SWINDON                                                                      16:31  Train        FIRST GREAT WESTERN
 BATH SPA                                                             17:00     17:07  Train              FIRST GREAT WESTERN
 FROME                                                              17:47                      


Outward journey: Tuesday 11 December 2007 Station    Arr    Dep    Travel by    Service Provider
 SWINDON                                                                      17:31  Train      FIRST GREAT WESTERN
 BATH SPA                                                              18:00  18:07     Train            FIRST GREAT WESTERN
 FROME                                                               18:45        

Welcome ruthg :)

The case for a direct Frome - Swindon service seems almost too obvious now, with the poor connections at Bath Spa. It's so clear the benefits it would bring- more travel oppertunities to Chippenham/Swindon, connections at Swindon for London, much-needed services for Melksham, relief on the pressure at Bath Spa and the Cardiff-Portsmouth services because less people will be changing, and extra connections at Westbury for Bath/Bristol. The case for this service should be made a top priority.

Yes, another Frome topic I'm afraid, but I feel this is a very valid point.

As I've said I work close to Frome, and currently have to travel from Bath to Warminster and catch the bus, or catch a bus from Bath to Frome and then get another. The first option is best as I get in to Warminster for 8:10-ish and it's a 15 min wait for the bus to get to the office for 8:45. Annoyingly though, it's more expensive on the train AND bus to get to Warminster than Frome.

Getting the bus from Bath in to Frome is OK- but I end up getting in the office at 9:20ish which is a bit too late, plus there's a complication that the earliest bus is a Faresaver, but the last Faresaver bus leaves Frome at 5:25. That's really too early though and the bus from my office doesn't connect with that one well at all. The earliest First morning bus would get me in past 10am- far too late.

The trains to Frome in the morning are polarised, to say the least. Passengers between Bristol, Swindon and Westbury can get from Westbury to Frome the 6:25, 6:39...or 9:28. Why's there a gap of nearly 3 hours at peak? 6:39 is far too early from Westbury let alone Bath, 9:28 is far too late. There needs to be a train arriving Frome around 8:30, preferably one also arriving about 7:30 to connect with the 7:40 bus.

The evening is better, but rather annoying as the evening commuter service doesn't leave till 18:27 which is a tad late and again, doesn't connect well with the bus. A train at 17:45 to Westbury would be very welcome.

So my question is...why isn't there trains into Frome from Westbury that serve commuters better? There are none in the morning that are any use whatsoever, and the evening timings leave a lot to be desired. This could be a potentially untapped market as there are people who live north of Frome but want to work there. They currently have no option but to take the car- a massive drawback for many like me.

Graham, this in danger of turning into a Grahams (plural) topic  ;D

First HAVE indeed noted a relative sparsity of services at times into Frome and indeed had plans last May to correct the situation from last December.  The idea was that when the Westbury - Southampton shuttle was withdrawn in favour of SWT's Romsey - Salisbury service, the remaining FGW workings that run beyond Salisbury but not beyond Southampton, within a few minutes of the SWT service in each case, would provide an additional 3 Salisbury - Swindon (and back) services each day.  Note that would have created extra trains calling at Warminster and , crucially, Dilton Marsh, where they would have provided part of the minimum service required by the DfT.

That plan was still-born (anyone who knows the real reason, please let me know; I don't) and as a result some of the Malvern / Worcester area to Westbury services that First were hoping to extend to Frome in excess of the franchise spec, but as a huge piece of common sense, are actually continuing of from Westbury to Warminster and providing the minimum service needed at Dilton Marsh.

Anyone else is welcome to join in to break up the Graham-centricity! ;)

The service from Swindon to Salisbury would have been a win-win situation! Who knows why the idea never made it as it would have a very positive knock-on effect by solving more than one serious problem:

Inadequate services to/from Frome,
Most southbound services from Dilton Marsh only going as far as Warminster (limited journey oppertunities - too inconvenient to go any further south)
Inadequate services to/from Swindon and Westbury

My only suggestion would be that the services (from Frome and Salisbury) could connect well with each other, arriving Westbury roughly the same time or 30 mins apart, so Frome passengers are able to get to Swindon and Salisbury and Warminster passengers to Avoncliff/Freshford/Oldfield/Keynsham and beyond. I'm not sure how easy that would be, but then again that's not really my 'department', so to speak! :)

One thing to note is that currently, the only viable way to get to Warminster in the morning is using a Portsmouth service so should the timetable change, a new morning peak-time service or two from Westbury to Frome would still be needed.

In relation to the direct Swindon trains, on my journeys back from work I've often heard passengers asking for singles to Chippenham or Swindon from Westbury and Trowbridge, their only option changing at Bath.

The problem is, the peak flow is to Bath, and the people who campaign the most are going to Bath, thus people like yourself loose out. A bit like comuting from Soton-Weymouth really, all the trains that get in early in to Weymouth are all stoppers.

It is worth noting that there is a plan on the table aimed at addressing these issues (link below.)
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/jan08/salyeoswin2.xls

That certainly would :)

A crazy idea I just had would be...would it be possible to run PPM services to and from Westbury and Frome as a shuttle? 1 would be enough to provide a 1/2 hour service. It seems like a good idea to me because all the connections you would need are to/from Westbury and it could plug big gaps in Frome's timetable relatively easily. The only problem I've thought of would be platform availability at Westbury...

Interesting idea in principle, but I just wonder whether a half hourly Westbury-Frome PPM service would conflict with main line and mendip stone trains.

I was under the impression there were a number of "issues" preventing PPM's operating on lines at the same time as conventional trains...

So i can't see that happening!

There are issues, and swlines provided some useful info regarding this recently :


So it could be possible to resolve such issues, but 2 PPM services each way per hour running on the main line between Westbury-Frome and then past the Whatley Quarry line junction off the Frome line itself could cause pathing conflicts.

That's good news PPMs should be able to use the same line. Also bearing in mind the journey time from Westbury to Frome is 14 minutes, 1 train an hour may be adequate to begin with which should only require 1 unit. It would still be triple the amount of trains which call at Frome now :)

Any idea how often the Whatley Quarry trains pass along the Frome line? I think Paddington-Taunton trains are hourly in each direction, so that shouldn't be too much trouble...

If only it were possible to build another line just for the PPM trains!

There are around 20 Whatley Quarry trains per day. Also, dont forget the freight trains that operate on the main line for part of their journey to/from Merehead and points further west.

While I think that a half hourly PPM service would be unrealistic, I believe that with good train planning, an hourly conventional Frome service (ideally running beyond Westbury, and from Frome southwards) should be possible, and that would be my preference over PPM.

Trains running on the Bristol-Weymouth line will not be calling at Frome over the Easter holiday period due to engineering work. Replacement buses will be in operation.

Revised timetables can be found on the following page:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=2259

There is an additional call at Frome in the new timetable on a High Speed service.

1218 London Paddington
1247 Reading
1255 Theale
1304 Thatcham
1310 Newbury
1320 Hungerford
1330 Bedwyn
1339 Pewsey
1358 Westbury
1408 Frome
1422 Castle Cary
1444 Taunton

In turn, the return journey also calls at Frome:

1519 Taunton
1540 Castle Cary
1555 Frome
1607 Westbury
1627 Pewsey
1641 Hungerford
1651 Newbury
1657 Thatcham
1706 Theale
1718 Reading
1732 Slough
1753 London Paddington

Booked to arrive in Taunton 1 minute EARLIER yet the Frome call will loose around 4mins!

An unexpected but welcome addition. I note that they will also call on Saturdays but not until from Sept 13 although the up train departs 19 minutes later at 1614.

The down train also provides an additional connection at Westbury off the 1310 Bristol Waterloo service (Bath dep 1322), which at long last plugs the 3 hour gap that currently exists in the early afternoon.

There are also changes in the other direction for Frome, with there no longer being a 3-hour gap in the morning and a longer gap in the early evening (around 2 and a half hours compared to around 2 hours.)

Peak morning arrival from the Frome direction at Weymouth is changed - 0820 (currently 0805.)

Peak evening departure from Weymouth towards Frome is changed - 1730 (currently 1711.)

FGW timetable link.
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Documents/Custom/DC%20MAY%202008%20TIMETABLE/Bristol%20to%20Weymouth.pdf

See also link below.
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=2465.msg18488#msg18488

From the FGW website :

09:35 Frome to Bristol Temple Meads due 10:43

This train will be started from Westbury.It will no longer call at: Frome.This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.

Similar to yesterdays Torbay Express (0920 PGN-PAD via BRI Hardly Express!)

Which wait for it...

Started at Newton Abbot. A clever move considering everybody is going home after half term.

I think NOT!

Yes, thinking about it, that defeats the whole object of the service. There were others yesterday. The Pembroke Dock and Tenby to Paddington service was shown as starting at Carmarthen, so unless they bussed people to Carmarthen, passengers would have had an hour and a half wait, and a 2 hour later arrival west of Swansea, arriving London at 2231.

Can't imagine anyone inconvenienced by that will use the service again.

You are correct, defeats the whole object of the bloody service  :(

Late off the depot apparently, whats the harm in running it late? Run it via the B&H if they had to make the time up!

I was intending to use the Pembroke Dock - Paddington train - there seemed to be a minibus serving the less busy part of the line beyond Tenby - presumably supplemented by a coach or two from Tenby. I imagine it's better/cheaper for FGW to provide replacement transport than pay out the refunds for the delay caused by waiting for the next train (over 1 hour's delay, and two for London and similar flows - full refund) - plus I don't think everyone would have fitted onto the pair of 153s forming the next train! When I got home Live Departure Boards were saying the train had started at Swansea.

This seems to have happened at least once a year in recent years on this train, often on the key bank holiday weekends - not a good advert for the one-off travellers, families etc who might be using it! Is there a problem with too few drivers having route knowledge - I guess not all FGW Swansea drivers sign it, and they probably need refreshing each year, and swapping drivers at last minute could mean cancelling one of the hourly SWA-PAD trains, whcih in the big picture is probably less desirable.

Hafren, even if the replacement transport that FGW offer lead to arrival at your final destination longer than 1 hour late - you can still claim for compensation against FGW.

"Compensation is based on how long it took the next train (or alternative transport provided by us) to arrive at your intended First Great Western destination."

True, but I assume a bus would make a significant difference to the total loss by keeping arrivals at least as far as Swansea within the hour, and Newport (along with Manchester-direction connections) if the bus made the 17xx off Carms, and halving the value of London claims...

(Edited a bit - hopefully clearer :-))

Sorry, I interpreted you as saying that instead of paying out refunds that they provide alternative transport...

From the FGW website :

06:56 Worcester Shrub Hill to Weymouth due 10:54
This train has been revised.It will no longer call at: Frome.This is due to an earlier train fault.

British Transport Police would like to speak to a young woman who they believe can help with an inquiry into a public order incident (link below.)
http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/news/Woman-train-sought-police/article-350308-detail/article.html

The incident happened at Frome railway station on September 6, at about 5.30pm.

A Frome environmental group is asking commuters to contact them about Frome's bus and train service (link below.)
http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/news/Travel-service-gaps-survey/article-360513-detail/article.html

Sustainable Frome's transport sub-committee is concerned about the gaps in the bus and train services and wants to hear views from residents.

A database will be compiled and then the group plans to put pressure on the authorities to combat the problem.

I've just sent an e-mail regarding trains. I also put in a note about the TransWilts :)

Two trains have collided on a quarry rail line at about 5pm today (link below.)
http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/news/Train-crash-quarry/article-378976-detail/article.html

The incident, which happened close to Great Elm pond, near Frome, involved a locomotive carrying stone and an empty train, which was entering the quarry.

Emergency crews at the scene said the driver of the incoming train was shaken, but no other injuries had been reported.

Both locomotives, owned by Hanson, were extensively damaged in the incident.

An investigation is under way into the crash (link below.)
http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/news/Investigations-underway-tain-crash/article-387888-detail/article.html

It is believed one of the locomotives had left the depot and was on its way to Westbury when it was hit from behind by a "runaway" train carrying five trucks of stone, just past a bridge in a place known as Bedlam, on the Whatley branch line.

Locomotives are being diverted to other depots in the area, including Aggregate Industries, Tytherington, in North Bristol, and Machen, in South Wales.

The driver of the runaway train had to throw himself to safety (link below.)
http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/news/Driver-runaway-train-jump-cab/article-406344-detail/article.html

Brake failure looks to be the likely cause.

The line reopened on Tuesday.

Did the 06:10 really run? This update from the FGW site was posted 06:09, but the live train departures showed it as Frome:cancelled Westbury:on time (actual).

Only service to serve Frome today? Is it that bad in Frome, or is this a planned "timetable simplification" of the TT?

Clearly a mistake there as trains from Weymouth were running ok, I was on what was the 0802 off Frome albeit I caught it at BTM.

0610 didn't run Frome- Westbury

 :-[ :-[

Too many assumtions on my part there as it managed to get to Trowbridge, forgetting that it would probably miss out Frome altogether. I've not seen anything but is it the same today given the attrocious conditions.

Frome station is currently closed due to an earlier fatality.  It involved a Weymouth bound unit, which stuck a person near the station.  The train obviously came out of service, and road transport was provided to Weymouth.

Hi,
i was on this train. I'm still thinking about this person. i hope they have found peace.

Hi, portwine, and a rather sombre welcome to this forum.  :(

Looking around other topics here, you will see that there are unfortunately many cases of people choosing to find their own peace in such a way.

As always in such incidents, our thoughts are with the train driver and crew, and the family and friends of the deceased.

Thank you for your comments.

From the BTP press release (http://www.btp.presscentre.com/Media-Releases/BRITISH-TRANSPORT-POLICE-ISSUE-CCTV-IMAGES-FOLLOWING-THEFT-OF-PASSENGER-S-HANDBAG-SOMERSET-WILTSHIRE-f16.aspx):

A thought has occured to me. It's all well and good BTP putting these details on their website, but would it not be better, and perhaps more likely to identify the miscreants, if posters displaying these pictures were put up at stations along the routes where incidents are alledged to have happened?

Agreed, bignosemac - and I think it would be helpful if more local newspapers picked up these stories and published the details - and pictures - as well!  ::)

i think there should be a group on facebook offering rewards, not saying that i personally would want a reward for passing on info but it would get peoples attention

Also posters on the train would help as people might actually spot the offender whilst they are travelling (or at least discourage him from doing it again after seeing himself on a poster)!

I catch the 08:02 service from Frome now most days since starting a new job 5 weeks ago ;D

I would say on most of the days i've caught it, this service has been late. This is incredibly irritating >:( as I have a connecting bus service at 08:25 - admittedly a tight connection, but I have made it by a brisk walk! On the face of it though, it's not that tight a connection as the train is ment to arrive at 08:13 at Westbury which leaves ample time to walk to the bus stop!

This morning and yesterday morning the service was 20 minutes late upon arrival into Westbury. I am now ^15 lighter due to paying for a taxi. Admittedly my own choice as I could have waited for the 09:00 264 but decided against waiting in the cold and the rain for 35 minutes ;)

So my question is, why is this train consistantly late?? and if this is going to be a regular occurance, would I be better off booking a contract taxi to work...?? (I get a significant discount with a certain firm ;D )

Rant over ;) :D :P

08:02 log
Headcode: 2D05 UID: P11851 26/10/2010 0640 Weymouth [WEY] to Bristol Parkway [BPW]
This Train is operated by First Great Western.

    [Refresh]
Location    FD    Scheduled Arrival    Scheduled Departure    Expected Arrival    Expected Departure    Pl    Lateness    DR
Weymouth [WEY]             0640        0640    1    On time    
Upwey [UPW]        0645   0645   0644   0646    1   1    
DRCHJN        Pass   0651   Pass   No log              
Dorchester West [DCW]        0652   0653   0654   0655    1   2    
Maiden Newton [MDN]        0703   0705   No log   0708        3    
Chetnole [CNO]        0713   0713   No log   No log              
Yetminster [YET]        0716   0716   No log   No log              
Thornford [THO]        0718   0718   No log   No log              
Yeovil Pen Mill [YVP]        0726   0730   0731   0743   1   13    
Castle Cary [CLC]        0743   0744   0756   0758    3   14    
Bruton [BRU]        0749   0749   0802   0804    1   15    
ESTSOMJ        Pass   0755   Pass   0810        15    
BLBGJN        Pass   0759   Pass   0816        17    
Frome [FRO]        0802   0802   0817   0819        17    
FROMNSB        Pass   0803   Pass   No log              
CLNKRDJ        Pass   0804   Pass   0821        17    
FRWDJN        Pass   0809   Pass   0824        15    
Westbury [WSB]        0813   0817   0827   0828    3   11    
HWKRJN        Pass   0818   Pass   No log              
Trowbridge [TRO]        0822   0823   0833   0835        12    
BRDFDJN        Pass   0825   Pass   0837        12    
Bradford-on-Avon [BOA]        0828   0829   0840   No log    1   12    
Avoncliff [AVF]        0831   0831   No log   0846   1   15    
Freshford [FFD]        0834   0834   No log   0849   1   15    
BTHMPTJ        Pass   0842   Pass   0854        12    
Bath Spa [BTH]        0845   0847   0900   0901    1   14    
Oldfield Park [OLF]        0849   0849   No log   0905        16    
Keynsham [KYN]        0856   0857   0912   0913        16    
NSMRSTJ        Pass   0902   Pass   0918        16    
BRSTLEJ        Pass   0903   Pass   No log              
Bristol Temple Meads [BRI]        0905   0910   0923   0925    1   15    
BRSTLEJ        Pass   0911   Pass   No log              
DRDAYSJ        Pass   0911   Pass   0927        16    
Lawrence Hill [LWH]        0913   0913   No log   No log    1         
Stapleton Road [SRD]        0915   0915   0930   0931    1   16    
STPLNAR        Pass   0917   Pass   0931        14    
Filton Abbey Wood [FIT]        0921   0922   0935   0936    2   14    
Bristol Parkway [BPW]        0928        0940         4   12    
    [Refresh]

This morning it was 11 late according to systems.
Lost time between Maiden Newton and Yeovil.

Without looking at TRUST I cant give you an exact reason for the original lateness. I would guess the later delays would be due to the train having lost its slot on the GWML.

Consistently late and always full and standing, it should really be 4 car from Westbury.

think you will find there is a speed restriction on the Weymouth line imposed due to condition of track also leaf fall season dosent help

Power failure at Yeovil pen mill (IE)
Non maintain of a flail strip (?) (JP)
Regulated (YO)
 signal failure (IA)
Regulated at BRI (YA)

Sorry for codes will update codes later, rushing to post this.

It is a 4-car from Westbury

So that's where all the stock is going, the aliens are grabbing 2 of them between Westbury and Trowbridge as the 08.23ish d. TRO is 2 cars AFAIK when (if) it turns up. It certainly still was according to a colleague who managed to squeeze on this morning.

Stopped using it many months ago.

Sorry - that was me being dense.

It's the 0540 that's the 4-car from Westbury.

Apologies!

You get up early in the West Country!

Thanks for this dog box ;)

I seem to be plagued with delays on this route, another train that is normally a few minutes behind is the 17:28 Trowbridge - Weymouth service. But this doesn't normally affect me too much as I either take the bus to Frome as it takes me closer to where I live

As much is prefer trains, I may have to start taking the Bus to work... :'( :-[ oh the delights of the 234......... ::) :-[ :-X

This trains delays seem to get dumped down to either a signal failure or non maintenance of a flail strip.
What the hell is a flail strip?

Appears to be something used in trimming back vegetation... http://www.gesgkft.hu/eng_railway_chemical_weed_control.html (http://www.gesgkft.hu/eng_railway_chemical_weed_control.html). So at a bit of a guess, maybe there was a yellow machine doing a spot of lineside topiary that expired and got in the way?

http://www.homegrowntimber.com/indexrailways.html (http://www.homegrowntimber.com/indexrailways.html)

_{Edited by Inspector H Blakey to make the linky-winky work ;) Apologies for the unusual frivolity, normal service will be resumed in the morning when i'm sober again}

Not that I wish to go on about this... But the 18:28 Trowbridge - Weymouth was delayed by 45 minutes today >:( >:( Any other day I wouldn't have been bothered, it was the fact that it was COLD and RAINING!!

But that's not what I was concerned about... I was desperately trying to not make eye contact with the local pond life... who seemed to think that messing around with the Help Points, Cycling on the platform with their BMX bikes, smoking in the waiting shelters or trying to break the glass in the telephone box on Platform 2 was acceptable... >:( ::) :-X

If it's any consolation, thetrout, I had the unenviable displeasure of witnessing a hopeless drunk taking a p*ss no more than 10ft away from me at Montpelier this morning.

Now, going up to the end of the platform to micturate is just about acceptable, but to evacuate ones bladder in full view of a dozen or so people is, in my humble opinion, a tad unacceptable. Particularly as he decided not to face away from the gathered awaiting pax. At 10am as well!!!

I can go one better than that one BNM i'm afraid...! :-\

I was with my friend a couple of months back, we decided to go out to a nightclub in Bristol and catch the 05:30 back to Bath...! Whilst we were down near the Hippodrome (sp?) about 3:00AM having a veggie burger and chips ;D We spotted a complete and utter fool dropping his trousers against a wall when he was less than 10 metres away from a Portaloo... :-X :-\ >:( Just what you want to see when you're eating...! ::) :o

Some people... Jeez...

An area of up to 5 metres from the running rail which is clear of foliage (so it doesn't "flail" any services passing through that area). This is distinct from "gauge", which (I believe) is more to do with hard structures.

Somehow, I wouldn't want to be flailed by a bridge.  :)

Quite a few problems, incl cancellations on Fri steming from I've been told cable theft in the Tunnel Junction area.

I boared the 08:02 at Frome this morning. The train was on time ;D :o

However it was a 2 car 158. Except the rear coach had no lighting... As Frome station has a canopy this made being able to see rather awkward. But this isn't my concern.

The 08:02 starts at Weymouth. So would have started it's journey during the hours of darkness (This morning it was still dark at 07:30 when I left home). Surely this is a safety issue?!

Interestingly enough I didn't think it was a train fault as you could see the light was on in the rear cab as you could see it shining through the bottom of the cab door as I got on. However when the guard who was at the front of the train came to the rear coach and completed a "Tickets from Frome" check, they switched on the lighting just before arrival into Westbury ;D

So by the sound of it the guard was in the front coach.  When he came to the back coach he found the lights had gone off so he turned them back on again.  If you feel this was a safety issue may I suggest next time you find the guard and tell them about it ?

You're right super tm, I could have got the guard who was indeed at the front of the train. I'm probably a little OTT on the safety side of things (It's something i've had hammered into me since a young age, as my Dad is a Safety Director) and for that I apologise.

But I was more worried at the fact a stepped on some poor sod's foot as I couldn't see what I was doing properly - hence my comment :o :-X

And if I had the need and had to squat?

Sorry - its double standards

From the Frome Times (http://www.frometimes.co.uk/2013/11/05/frome-fights-plans-to-withdraw-funding-for-regional-rail-partnership/):

From the Somerset Standard (http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Fight-rail-funding/story-20076728-detail/story.html):

From the Frome Standard (http://www.fromestandard.co.uk/Frome-Railway-Station-refurbishment-celebration/story-20658080-detail/story.html):

[cynic]
Couldn't the Frome Standard have got their 'before' and 'after' pictures from the same end of the trainshed? Who's to say that the paint job encompasses both ends.
[/cynic]

 :P

<rant>
If the building had had no maintenance in 164 years, it would at best resemble a pile of compost by now.

Buildings that are properly maintained do not significantly deteriorate.

The problem here was that it had not been properly maintained. So rather than congratulating themselves on bringing a listed building back from the brink, maybe Network Rail should invest in some paint and procedures - much cheaper in the long run!
</rant>

Now that the the station looks respectable again, do we finally have a Frome with a view?

These things take time.  Frome wasn't built in a day...

Paul

Just for everyone's peace of mind I can confirm that both ends have indeed been painted - as witnessed today.  ;D

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/frome1.jpg)(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/frome2.jpg)

Brilliant! Just as long as you ain't pronouncing 'Frome' to rhyme with the Italian capital. That annoys me.

I sent a snotty email to ITV Sport a few years ago, chastising their F1 team for constantly getting the pronunciation of Jenson Button's home town wrong.

The TransWilts timetable changes this May - a Monday to Friday run is extended to and from Frome (arrive 13:43, leave 14:04), and the Sunday TransWilts service is recast.   Both are excellent moves, both for the improvements they provide and showing an integrattion of the current trial service on the TransWilts with other services (the Sunday changes) and lines (the Monday to Friday extension).  See http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=15401.0 for more detailed post.

The question arises "so - can there be any other similiar gains" and I take a look at the possibility of starting the 07:33 from Westbury back at Frome at 07:23 - this would give an extra peak train from Frome in the 07:04 to 08:02 gap, and give an extra (connectional) arrival into Bristol at 08:29 - between the 08:06 and 09:06.   Coming the other way, extending the 17:36 from Swindon to give a Frome arrival at 18:31 would fill their 17:49 to 18:49 gap, giving an extra Bristol departure at 17:23 (by connection) between the 16:49 and 17:49.

A quick glance at the timetable shows the 17:36 from Swindon arriving into Westbury at 18:21, and an 18:32 departure back to Swindon.  However, this is the time of day at which the "unit switch" for the TransWilts service is made, so it is not the same train.

I'm straying a little out of my county asking this question, but there is a significant commuter flow from Frome to various places beyond Westbury, including some to Swindon, and a peak through train would, I suspect, generate extra traffic and use a unit that's available at the time.  What do others think? Is this a suggestion worth making, or a silly idea?

Edit to correct typo

Frome is out on a limb a little bit, but my experience is that the little station provides plenty of passengers for each train, and plugging gaps in the service (such as that that will be plugged around the 2pm mark) only makes the station more attractive to its residents.  Minor tweaks leading to quick wins can be as important as more comprehensive changes sometimes!

The changes you suggest, sound, in principle, excellent ideas - especially the morning tweak.  Though that one would require an alteration to the drivers diagram (and maybe the guards as well?) as they are currently having their PNB (Physical Needs Break - in other words their break!) at the earlier time they would have to be taking the set off of Westbury depot.  That might not be too difficult to change, but it does show that it's not always as easy as just having a train and a path.

I've attached the relevant drivers diagram, so you can see what I mean:

Much appreciate that feedback and insight - I'm aware of the break issues in principle, but staff rotas are more difficult to deduce than train rotas so at best it's an educated guess.   Another guess (on that same rota) suggests to me that moving the 08:49 ex Swindon to 08:36 would also be a break issue  :-[ - pity, as that's another "small change, big improvement" candidate as it would make southbound commuting more attractive, and (as I'm posting in Heart of Wessex) also provide a connection onward to Frome and stations to Weymouth which would be greatly used in summer!

Do Gloucester crews work all the Trans-Wilts or are not Westbury involved at all.

Westbury & Gloucester both sign the Melksham branch.

Yes, and if breaks are tight they'd be nothing stopping one of the Westbury drivers being rostered to bring the train off the depot and take it to Frome and back to Westbury to be relieved by the Gloucester driver to take it on to Swindon.  That's if there's any slack in the Westbury drivers allocations at that time of the morning of course.  I guess my point was that whilst shuffling round the guards and drivers is probably not an insurmountable task, it does need to be considered.

Does that mean that Gloucester drivers are actually diagrammed to all services via Melksham rather than shared with Westbury ?

No, as ReWind said both Gloucester and Westbury depots have drivers that sign the route through Melksham.

They may sign it but not actually have booked worked over it, just in case of diversions etc.? Although there would probably need to be alot of route learning services to allow the other group to refresh their route knowledge if that was the case.

Both Westbury and Gloucester drivers and guards both have booked work over the Melksham line.

Thanks for the reply I was looking for.  Cleared it up now.

The prospective candidate for the Somerton & Frome seat David Warburton has been talking about the local railway.

http://www.fromestandard.co.uk/Candidate-raises-possibility-second-rail-line/story-26081873-detail/story.html?

What also doesn't help is Frome being one of the Oldest Railway Stations in the Country has made it a listed building.

I have personally met with Mr Warburton in Routes Youth Cafe and he does seem a rather switched on chap. However I feel he may have severely underestimated the requirements needed to double track Frome Station.

What would probably build the case for double track any renewal works taking place in the Westbury area which means the InterCity services would use Frome for bustitution to Westbury and continue forward to Pewsey/Newbury etc. This has been done before on several occasions - particularly Sundays and when points have failed in the Westbury Area.

So it can be done on 1 Track already however it takes 15 minutes for a HST to take the Frome Branch line and to call there. So the risks to punctuality must be considered. Not to mention we all know what Westbury Signallers are like... That also doesn't take into account the Stone Trains to Whatley via Frome North Junction. Finally the few trains that terminate and reverse there - or sit in the Platform for 10 minutes!

Don't get me wrong I'd love to see more services through Frome. But the current layout of the station offers little prospect; particularly for anything of InterCity standard.

There is also consideration for South West Trains to run services via Frome. Also very welcome and I hope FGW allow them to fill in the huge 3 hour service gaps in the timetable we have. Heck it might even open more journey oppertunities for FGW by passengers using SWT to Westbury / Castle Cary to connect to FGW from there... Albeit probably embarrassing FGW ::) Oh and we then might have some genuine competition for rail travel.

I should also mention that the 2 current London Paddington trains from Frome per day take longer than the other options to change trains at Bath Spa, Swindon and/or Westbury.

But we still have the generation of Fromies who insist that changing trains from Diesel to Electric traction at Westbury or Newbury is too much trouble... Yet for 90% of journeys to London... We kinda have to do that anyway ::) :-X :o

All in all if SWT get permissions to run trains through Frome in addition to anything further that FGW apply to their existing offering... I would probably call this out as a bad thing due to the congestion that it would probably cause. However this very hypothetical disruption could build a solid case... But ultimately we need people to use the trains...

Finally... It's farcical that Avoncliff gets a better service than Frome does however ::) >:( :-X

Agree mostly with all the timetable points here... But there are some considerations to be made in terms of the existing offering.


I could see this causing problems for 2 reasons.

the 19:06 Frome - Bristol Temple Meads train is booked to arrive at 19:00 and sit in the station for 6 minutes. This allows an UP London Paddington train the chance to overtake IIRC.

The 18:49 Frome - Weymouth is a peak time train from Bath Spa & Bristol Temple Meads and is usually a few minutes late...

This leaves the risk possible for an 18:31 arrival being say 10 minutes late. You then have another 2 trains, 1 each in opposite directions all wanting a path in Frome in addition to anything InterCity grade on the avoiding lines. So what do you do to prevent that 19:06 from hogging the UP line thus meaning the InterCity service needs to slow down or stop completely around the Witham Friary area?

We know that what should happen is allow the 19:06 into the station and get the 18:31 and 18:49s to sit at the signals in the branch lines... The 18:49 also connects at Castle Cary for an Exeter St Davids / Plymouth* train so delay to this is bad news for anyone wanting to go anywhere near Penzance ::)

I don't think it's a silly idea. But I could see FGW having some justified concerns to the punctuality of their Long Distance services. Perhaps for the more insidious reasons that trains through Frome aren't well known for their timekeeping except a small handful of trains which are either on time or cancelled in full ::)

Been a long time writing this - writ before the reply from thetrout, hence some duplication?

Quoting for critical review ...


and


And that review:

I wouldn't care to say whether this is an early feasibility suggestion, something that's well researched, or indeed electioneering.  In my view, the current service at Frome is sparse; any town of over 20,000 in the BaNES / West Wilts / North Wilts / Mendip economic area with a station could really do with an hourly service, and a gap from 09:35 to 15:01 on winter Sundays is dire, with 2-hour gaps during the day on weekdays being something that could do with infilling up to an hourly service.   But I'm not convinced that an hourly service would need a second track.  An examination of upcoming timetables sees scheduled trains at 13:44, 14:03, 14:41, 14:50, 14:59, 15:31, 15:47 and 15:55 on Mondays to Fridays, and it would seem to my (perhaps simple) mind that it's trains not tracks through the station that are needed.

Here are some things which might allow dramatic improvements at Frome:
* Re-arranging other local Westbury terminators and local trains passing through Westbury to and from the south to provide a more even service and better stock use for everyone
* 2 extra trains each way per day with re-diagramming of South West trains, London to Yeovil
* Provision of additional carriages / trains
* Updating of signalling and layout between Frome and Clink Road Junction to avoid freight blockage pinch points
* Relay existing track at Westbury Station platform 0 to allow robustness of operation there
* Resignalling of onward routes beyond Westbury to allow better than 35 minute headway.

Does this cause much of a problem? I mean, OK, if English Heritage get involved they may ask NR to reinstate the broad guage tracks...

Truth be told, I have absolutely no idea. But I vaguely recall some time ago that there were issues regarding the colour of the station building when it came to painting it...

I also agree with grahame that no Westbury bound trains between 09:35 and 15:01 on a winter Sunday is pathetic!

With regards to the 2 hour gaps in the timetable. I am very conscious of the bus services to Bath and Trowbridge of which there are 2 and 3 per hour retrospectively.

Faresaver run their X34 service to Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham upwards of every 30 minutes. It's a reliable and punctual service. However to Chippenham takes forever. Their 267 service is also hourly and takes around 40 minutes to complete the journey depending on traffic.

First Bus offer a 234 and 267 service both running hourly and taking slightly longer routes via Rode. Also a reliable and punctual service.

Really? 1J99 is an HST that is timetabled to do Blatchbridge Jn to Clink Road Jn in 6^ minutes. It is, after all, less than two miles plus a stop. So the gain from doubling would be small.

If you were concerned about even that time, it might be because a train running late could cause another to wait on the main line. In that case surely you would be better advised to reinstate the other platform.

But that is where the historic status might rear up and bite you - you'd need a footbridge plus plus lifts for access (on both equality and safety grounds). I can only suggest making both platforms as long as the space available, which looks to be a 10-car IEP or thereabouts. Then you can put even an unsightly footbridge so far away it can't easily be seen at the same time as the station building.

It seems that I cannot count. You are quite right stuving - my apologies.

From the Frome Standard (http://www.fromestandard.co.uk/Lift-Share-Initiative-Frome-Commuters/story-27493027-detail/story.html):

Nice idea, but how many people can you realistically get in a tractor?  ;)

From the Frome Standard (http://www.fromestandard.co.uk/pound-15k-windfall-create-better-transport-links/story-29062260-detail/story.html):

Points to note are that some progress is already apparent in Frome. We have had an additional (all year) Sunday service for a while - in from WSB and out to BRI at around 11.40. The Summer Sunday service has started at Easter this year, ca 7 weeks earlier. Every little helps.

Frome Town Council have plans to improve access to the station mainly from Housing Developer-provided funds. This will mainly be improved pedestrian links/signs/crossings. Doubtful whether bus connections will be improved as most bus services are in decline in Frome and elsewhere. First did try extending the 234 service at the station for a while but that obviously did not work very well.

Improved timetabling, rolling stock availability and perhaps track layout improvements towards Clink Road Junction are the only likely ways forward. SW Trains may also provide more but they will wish to review after 1-2 seasons.

Yesterday we joined the 16.29 FRO-BRI at Frome on time. The train then stopped almost immediately at Frome North Junction. We were advised that there was a points problem at Clink Road and that the train would now reverse - all the way to East Somerset Goods Loop (at Witham Friary). This was done efficiently and we then set off for WSB directly arriving about 20 mins down. The train then proceeded fast to Bath arriving about 10 mins down. So all this was quite an efficient recovery. Passengers for Trowbridge and Bradford were catered for by the immediate following train. Avoncliff and Freshford passengers "may" not have fared so well.

Such a lengthy reversal always seems a bit bizarre but no doubt necessary to make a "permitted" signalled movement. Points failures on the Frome loop are not uncommon so why cannot the problem be "properly" fixed?? The immediate problem was fixed for later in the evening. Although this was a minor event it just adds to the raft of signalling problems occurring every day now.

From JourneyCheck:

Buses running from Frome to stations towards Weymouth. Love the explanation as to what a set of points does  :D

.....or in the case of the recent derailment in Long Rock Depot, what they don't do..... ::) :P

The current train running towards Westbury and Bath is just showing as delayed. However, I'm assuming once that train can get through, trains will run from Weymouth to Westbury missing out Frome without too much delay. A friend of mine is due on a later train this afternoon, so just checking if that is the case.

If a train booked to call at Frome skips it via the avoider it will show as delayed between Blatchbridge and Clink Road junctions as the system "loses" the train when it diverts from its booked route.   It will also show as delayed if the system detects it hasn't moved for 10 minutes or so.  In the later case it stops the automated announcements going off every 60 seconds as another minute is added to the delay.

Thanks. My friend actually arrived ok with little delay, so I'm guessing this incident has been resolved.

It has.

Original problem caused by a freight or engineering train running through the points.

I got somewhat carried away answering a Facebook post based on a Frome Times (http://www.frometimes.co.uk/2018/09/25/frome-calls-for-better-rail-services/) Article


I'm not sure whether Somerset County Council are the best or only people to lobby but anyhow I wrote:

On Monday, trains leave Frome with final destinations of London Paddington. Cardiff, Filton Abbey Wood, Weymouth, Bristol Temple Meads, Swindon, Warminster and Yeovil Pen Mill.  Trains arrive also from London Waterloo and Yeovil Junction, but there are no direct trains from Frome to either of those. Looking across a whole week (and at times that engineering works are not reducing train runs), there are also trains or from Bristol Parkway, Weston-super-mare, Gloucester, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street and Great Malvern. Ironically, the only place not served by a direct train whe it could be is the county town of Taunton.  Many of the services are slow. None of them is frequent.  And chances are that if there's an outbound one that suits you down to the ground, the return service won't be so perfect and you may need to change trains.   Fares are at best erratic - there are some excellent / sensible fares, and some that will make you squeal in horror - but it's not all that easy to see the wood for the trees, in other words to discover how you can change your plans a little to save a lot using the fares that the railway markets - so (in theory) wants you to use.

Is this situation right / appropriate for the residents and businesses of Frome, and for people wanting to visit the town?  If not, can it be improved? 

I live in Melksham and visit Frome from time to time - so I'm not unaquainted with the town, and travelling to and from there.  Melksham is broadly comparable in population to Frome but (can you believe) five years ago we had just two trains each way per day.   Miss the 07:20 to Swindon and the next train was 19:47, miss the 06:38 to Westbury and the next train was 19:15. We have managed to have our service improved - it must be admitted only up to about the level that Frome enjoys - but we are seriously talking with the parties involved in specifying and providing the service about the next steps. It can be done. Key for us has been singleness of purpose - we have been specific in routes and requests, and co-ordinated around the town. We have worked closely with our council even though they have been budget constrained and not always as rail aware as we would wish.  We have worked with other towns up and down the route and indeed beyond to help put forward united suggestion that mean that one train serves multiple flows - not all of them Melksham. And we now have an established track record of improvements on which to build further.

South Western Railway under its new franchise that started last year was required to report to the Department for Transport on what to do about the Yeovil to Bristol corridor - and they ran a consultation looking for inputs in January.  I hope you made your views known. But if not, don't worry; things don't change overnight and if the town gets consistently lined up behind enhancement proposals they have a better chance.  Do your groups all work with the Heart of Wessex CRP which has a mandate for your line and station?  Are you members of TravelWatch SouthWest - the region's campaign and partnership co-ordination group?  If not ... timing is perfect as their general meeting is next Saturday in Taunton. http://travelwatchsouthwest.org

---

Members thoughts here (and signups for Taunton  ;D ) most welcome

Incremental improvements are needed,  after all, Frome wasn’t built in a day...
 ;D
Paul

A very good analysis, grahame.  The service for Frome is a bit like the Severn Beach was in the Olden Days, where you had to work some pretty unusual hours to be able to commute. That got mended, but Frome might be a bit more awkward, being on that loop. All roads do not, alas, lead to Frome.

For the sake of completing the normal and wide destination list from Frome. The 17.24 FRO continues to WAT via WSB. The 15.06 FRO after arriving at Yeovil Pen Mill continues swiftly to the Junction and WAT. Another destination is SOU on Saturdays (06.49) and on many Bank Holiday Mondays!

For the anti-clockwise SWR services, the electronic systems tend to show the destination as WSB, when in fact they all continue to SAL or WAT. The services receive a new reporting number at WSB so never mind the customers!

The article in the "Frome Times" was a little strange. This may reflect journalistic licence or alternatively some aspect of the actual meeting held at Somerset County Council. Having participated in the Somerset Travel Consultation exercise, I noted that it contained some rather strange aspirations especially with budgets very constrained. For rail, priorities included some wilder re-openings and the "Race to the West" saving a very few minutes. However, there were other positives.

I hope to speak to the representatives from Frome Town Council to find out exactly what happened.

Problem being lack of passenger facilities at Heywood Road Junction  ;D ;D


So that's "catch the train 77 minutes later" at Trowbridge.  But good on JourneyCheck for giving that specific information. What is the advise for people who would have started at 09:49 at Trowbridge?

TransWilts is bustituted again today - finishing off works at Westbury ... I would have hoped that 12 13 days would have been enough!

Set booked to stable at Frome overnight. Unfortunately the set had to run empty back to Westbury sidings as Frome station was under an engineering possession. This would have been fine if the lines through Westbury weren't in another engineering possession all day Sunday! ::)

I have a request for a leaflet to hand out this Saturday to promote services from FROME.    It seems to be in B10, B1 and T7 from GWR and table 20 from SWR.   No Heart of Wessex line guide this year as I understand it.  Any suggestions?   Surely I have missed something!

Grahame, when I showed you a A4 leaflet on yellow paper, black print, you said you had one. This was in connection with a previous statement regarding the non production of a Heart Of Wessex Line Guide this summer. Would that cover the request made to your goodself.

Sounds like the Bradford-on-Avon sheet.  An excellent local timetable for that station.   

If I or someone had the time ... a black and white print on a pastel paper document could be produced - estimate volunteer work time 1 day - good thought that you lead me towards.   Problem to ensure accuracy.   Seen too many cases of inaccurate leaflets that are a laughing stock and worse, even with "E&OE" on them.

Been mucking about ... http://www.passenger.chat/frometrains.pdf ... difficult bit is how to automatically cover intermediate stations!

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

You could make it a lot more use by including arrival times at the destinations you have listed.

One of the most common queries is "I know what time I want to be where....but what time do I need to catch a train to get there then?"

Totally agreed.  And sadly I could take a 20 minute automatic exercise forward into a whole day's project ....

Just quickly plotting sources and destinations is interesting ... shows what a presentation nightmare Frome is. The exercise is based on a fairly casual enquiry - I can take it further should it be further encouraged, otherwise I have plenty to do!   But IMHO, Frome does need a good local sheet - to include details at far end and at key stations for all services - Westbury, Trowbridge, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Filton Abbey Wood, Bristol Parkway, Cheltenham Spa, Yeovil Pen Mill, Dorchester West, Reading.

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

Is there an A-Z destination sheet(s) at Frome? If so, start off by taking a phone photo of it/them & using that data?

I'm not sure if there currently is - the issue of information for Frome station arose in the good old days when Catherine was the HoW CRO, I did the job on TransWilts, NR was station manager at Westbury and AM was in publicity at GWR; we got together to produce the first A-Z for Frome; a small station for such as sheet but one of a handful of special cases where it's logical.

I did wonder about seeing if there's still a sheet available - but scale is an issue and there never was a corresponding Z-A (there or anywhere).  Really something for the people who have taken over from all four names listed above to do, or decide that it's not a good use of their resource to do.

Hi All

I volunteer my services at the "Discover Frome Information Point" (ie tourist office run by Frome Town Council FTC) on certain days. There is currently no timetable summary for Frome available and we are obliged to hand out the B1 booklet. As many know this does have a BRI-WEY summary in the rear but as I advise my enquirers this is not the complete service from FRO which is only shown in the main table. Hardly user friendly but does show all the FRO extras.

FTC previously produced a summary leaflet for all BUS services from Frome but this has now been discontinued. So they will not be doing one for trains.

On the positive side there is indeed still a current A-Z table on display at FRO. This is a single poster size display. I will attempt a photo after my arrival on the anticipated 20.07 tomorrow and send it to Graham if it might be of use. I do a fairly regular trip from Leatherhead to FRO on many Thursdays but last time the FRO direct got cancelled (due to crew shortage!).

It does sounds that public transport use in and from Frome could be encouraged by the provision of better easy to understand data.  Elements of that have been provided in the past - but either decisions have been taken to discontinue so doing, or they have simply fallen by the wayside.  Not sure that it's anyone's "responsibility" or even that all transport operators would be required to co-operate; at least 2 train and 3 bus to my knowledge, and I may have overlooked some.


For the immediate request for this Saturday - thank you, but not enough time to produce anything. For the longer term (release for December 2019 timetable change??) would be useful to know what destinations are currently shown - whether it's been changed from the original a couple of years back.

On Frome buses - also note that the D2 changes from next Monday - with alternate buses going each way round Frome and known as D2A.   This has caused disquiet as certain timetable sources show D2 reduced from every 30 minutes to every 60 minutes ... until the reader realises there's a new table D2A.

Ref Heart of Wessex

WEST DORSET WESTERN AREA TRANSPORT ACTION GROUP (WATAG)
Extract from September meeting

https://transportactiongroup.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/111-sept19.pdf

Does anyone know anything about this?

A little.  The Heart of Wessex CRP is changing after the retirement of Catherine Phillips. The subject of how any Community Rail activities on Weymouth - Westbury - Bristol that it was undertaking are continued and in what form, funded by whom and organised / administered by whom were discussed.   Attendees were invited from, I believe, the other CRPs who operate (anywhere) in Wiltshire, GWR, and local government interested parties.   Not a public meeting by any stretch of the imagination (quite an exclusive group?) so not added to the forum diaries. With no Catherine around, I'm not sure who represented ongoing HoW CRP interests for station groups, etc.

featured on ITV West on wednesday 9th March approx 18:18pm
available on plus one at 19:18pm

Accidentally cycled to Frome. Thankfully I'd checked the timetable, because after the 16:24, Frome has a 2 1/2 hour gap before the next train.

An hour before the train to Gloucester, there's one in the Weymouth direction, so a few people for that, after which Frome station, well maintained, spotless, was deserted. At one point, the sound of a train horn, nearby, suggested that something had just left the line from the quarry.

The cafe-in-a-shed across the road was closed (it's a tiny business, it closes at 3) and the bakery/food/drinks place had closed at three too, 'cos bakers are up early. Neither of the DIY sheds at the station has a cafe so a bit of a gap there given that the station approach if not the station itself remained busy as it's the location for a cluster of small businesses.

Cometh the hour, cometh the people and five minutes before the train was due the platform was reasonably busy, as was the train when it arrived.

The journey worked well, though not as well as returning from Avonmouth with a bike the other week. The Avonmouth train had a pretty flexible space for luggage and cycles. The Frome train was a 166, space for just 2 bikes and with a notice on the trains exterior to that effect. The official cycle capacity of 2 bikes was immediately full at Frome with myself and another who was heading for Trowbridge. The train's two bike cycle space was just too short for my bog standard touring bike, the other cycle person sat on the luggage rack and constrained his machine beneath that - and any more people travelling with bikes would have been testing whether the train manager had a pragmatic attitude to things.

Class 166s, even idling, are fantastically noisy from the platform, and Frome, with its overall roof, is a particularly good place to appreciate this aspect of their design. The racket they make isn't brilliant from within the train either it has to be said.

Once on the train, there was something that might have been a sobering continuation of something from the cycle ride. From Bath to Frome I'd used the Sustains path from Radstock much of which is on the old railway. Somehow, it shares the railway with the track, which has not been lifted, but after the weather of the last few years the installation is a monument to the flexibility of earthworks and indeed railway track. The track itself has in many places slowly moved itself - particularly to the inside of curves on embankments, where it now teeters on the edge of the earthwork. Turning to the cycle path surface, it appears to have been laid without a membrane beneath it - which can help mitigate earth movements - and the surface is in many places torn longitudinally as the earthwork has settled and spread. In the forty years or so since the line has seen a train, several of the under bridges now preserve the original trackbed levels while to either side the trackbed has dropped a few inches.

Which brings me back to the return on the train, and experiencing the same issue but on a live railway line. Between Westbury and Trowbridge there were a couple of places where the train rolled and spiralled noticeably giving the impression that we were on a piece of track with, thanks to this summer's heat and drought, a issue of subsidence and sideways displacement.

Mark

Lots of routes have very poor track quality at the moment thanks to the extremely dry summer.

I can’t remember a time since the aftermath of the Hatfield crash and the ‘cyclic top’ chaos when there have been more TSR’s across the network.  It makes keeping time so much more difficult so is impacting on performance. 

And if there’s no TSR needed it’s a still a rocky and bumpy ride in places…though a good excuse to try and blame ‘the new trains’ for ride quality I suppose!

I've never been to Frome on the train but riding alongside the old track still, more or less, in place, is one of the best aspects of that particular path.

It does, and I'm trying to think of another example. Some of the over bridges on the line from Radstock are quality constructions too.

It's curious that if we count the moribund track on the line to Radstock, what was the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth railway network, despite its occasionally poorly sited stations, has retained track over practically its entire length.

I didn't realise that the Frome avoiding line was opened as late as 1933. It's not even seen its centenary, let alone any catenary.

Mark

I like the phrase
I presume like when the other half asks where I am going on the bike, "I am following the front wheel". Potential for seeing some where different, or differently.

My first thought on reading that was Frank Spencer ...

Due to a fault with the signalling system at Frome fewer trains are able to run on some lines.
Impact:
Train services running through this station will be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 07:30 01/04.
Customer Advice:
Due to a track circuit failure at Blatchbridge Junction , some trains from Frome maybe cancelled or delayed. GWR apologies for any delay to your journey today.
GWR apologises for an delay to your journey that this may cause you.
If you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR train was delayed or cancelled, you can claim Delay Repay compensation.
https://www.gwr.com/help-and-support/refunds-and-compensation/delay-repay

ALSO problems between Swansea and Cardiff due a power supply issue.

Journey chech shows a Westbury -Frome shuttle is in place this morning, while the Weymouth services travel via the avoiding line
Sounds like a good idea

Cancellations to services at Frome
Due to a fault with the signalling system at Frome fewer trains are able to run on some lines.
Train services running through this station will be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 10:00 01/04.
Customers at Frome heading towards Bristol Temple Meads and London Paddington are advised to travel onwards to Westbury, where there is a shuttle train service operating between Westbury and Frome. The same advice applies to any customers at Frome looking to travel South towards Weymouth of Portsmouth.

So it seems that trains can run on the Avoiding Lines, but not through the station on the Main

There tie ping could benifit from a bit of spill chucking, tho  ::)