Great Western Coffee Shop

A very useful stakeholder meeting yesterday evening, with Mark, Tom and Daryn from GWR taking questions during a 75 minute Zoom session.   Thank you to them for the invite, and for all who took part.   I've copious notes, some screen captures, including some of the chat questions but went straight into a working group budget meeting for the evening so just picking up now.   Comments from members who were there VERY welcome.

It's a busy season for interaction - last week, at the request of the WWRUG committee, we had an area meeting at Swindon - interesting; last night, very informative, this evening - 29th November 2023 - GWR at the West Wiltshire Rail User Group in Trowbridge, 19:00 for 19:30 - all welcome / it's a public meeting. Then on 8th December we have the 10 year celebrations on the improves Swindon to Westbury train service from which I will post.

What do I "take" from all of this.   First, GWR engaging with the customer base (or, rather, with its knoweledabe community advocates who are variously connected) - and THANK YOU, GWR if you are reading this.  I see frustrations showing through from GWR on tight rolling stock, the lack of reliability to supply working infrastructure by Network Rail, the lack of a route to settling with ASLEF, the uncoupling of costs and revenue, the move to a one year business plan with the government, and the upcoming disctuptions for years at Old Oak as HS2 is built to terminate there.   I appreciate the explanations of each of these and what GWR are doing, yet at the same time the rail industry and government department ought all work seamlessly as far as the travelling public is concerned - and, let's be fair, to a great extent they do and we are privelidged to be sharing in background information with our train operator.

See some of you this evening, I hope!

Grahame were you able to ask,when problems occur Chippenham/Bath Bristol,could the IET from London be turned round at Chippenham and start/terminate at Chippenham.

Some slides from last night in the member area (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/28191)

Question not asked - however, that would be an unusual scenario.   Technically possible I believe though you would have either two long single tracks from Wootton Bassett OR need to run the train beyond Thingley East Junction and cross over there - may be an issue with 5+5 as driver could not walk through.

Chippenham to Bath via Box is typically pretty reliable (I hope that is not famous last words!) and trains can be turned at Bradfiord Junction, Bathampton Junction (not sure about IETs) and at Bath Spa Station.   Much more useful and used at Chippenham is turning trains arriving from the west.