Great Western Coffee Shop

First have launced Greyhound UK www.greyhounduk.com  (http://www.greyhounduk.com) link should now work!

I've removed my correction, vacman.

looks like an interesting proposition for Hampshire folk. Compares very favourably with the SWT/Southern offerings, though maybe not on frequency.....

Oh, hang on though....on the hour every hour (Pompey-Smoke) from 6am to 6pm.

If it makes SWT speed up trains and remove slack - good!

Goodness me, do you not realise that we are in a recession and that would simply be catastrophic to the balance books if the slightest incident occurred on a train! Delay minutes cost a lot....

Lost revenue costs a lot as well!!!

Extra slack does not necessarily mean better performance. If they tightened up operations, there is no reason why the slack can't be removed back to BR timings. (except perhaps in the Clapham area where the lines are full to capacity)

In "BR Days"

*Speed limits were taken with a pinch of salt
*Train doors did not involve guards shutting all doors then local door
*Trains in general called at fewer places
*OTMR equipment was not installed, so drivers could be more "enthusiastic" with the power/brake handle...


Shall I continue?

Isn't this an arguement for NR easing some of the limits upwards now that they are strictly observed.   I've always thought that a sustained campaign to shave odd minutes off here and there (better acceleration, raising line speeds, closing level crossings and perhaps the odd bit of line straightening and or short stretches of Hs line round bottle necks) makes far more sense and benefits far more people accross the country than does building a new HS line.  Our towns are too close together to make speeds of greater than 140/150 mph worthwhile, but there are still sections of the GWML with 100 and 110 mph limits that could be gradually raised to 115 or 125 without too much disruption and with significant journey time benefits over long distances.  This is much closer to the German concept of HS rail where lines are upgraded and TGV speeds are not achieved but significnat improvements still made. 

If we need to build a new line to the North for capacity reasons then lets make it a large-loading gauge freight line (with 75/85 speeds) to clear some of the slower trains off the existing network which has teh huge advantage of already having lots of stations in the centres of our towns. 

I don't doubt you - I'm sure you've done your research - but I must confess I find this particular statement quite surprising.

Could you perhaps give some evidence to support this? And which period of BR's reign in particular are you referring to, just out of interest?

One example I can think of is - In BR days Chippenham didn't get a stop on all BTM-Paddington services.  Now every train stops and more also stop at Didcot than they used to (and the am Bristolian stops at Reading which it never used to do).  Extra stop might be less of a problem with the promised electrification and IEP becaus eof better acceleration (and automatic doors).   

BR used to run a much less standardised stopping pattern than it does now. There were some trains out of Paddington in the 1980s that would be first stop Bristol Parkway/Bath Spa/Exeter St Davids (depending on route). I have an old BR timetable for the winter of 1991/92 which shows that one afternoon Portsmouth-Cardiff train ran non-stop from Salisbury to Bath.

It's not just FGW either - the off-peak hourly Waterloo-Weymouth train back then ran non-stop to Southampton Parkway and also missed out Hamworthy and Upwey for a journey time of 2h30m. Intercity Crosscountry's 'Cornishman' from Penzance to Dundee only stopped at Exeter, Taunton and Bristol TM between Plymouth and Birmingham. The clockface stopping pattern now used on most routes has tended to ensure more stations get regular services.

Elsewhere in the country, I can certainly remember travelling from King's Cross ... first stop places like York.  Now, it's Peterborough, Doncaster, York.    Similar things on the West Coast too.  And Charing Cross -> Hastings trains would NEVER dain to stop at Orpington or Hildenborough.   I wasn't living in this neck of the woods in those days, but I think that a far lower proportion of trains stopped (or would stop) at Bradford-on-Avon, Avoncliff and Freshford, and weren't there trains until quite recently that went through Westbury and Salisbury without stopping on their way from The Principality to Waterloo?   Such trains skipped Newport too, didn't they, and there was more than one a day skipping Temple Meads.



Certainly some of the speed limits - in days long ago - used to be taken with a whole bucket of salt. There was an unfortunate accident at Salisbury, where a train no scheduled to stop ran through at about twice the authorised speed.  Informed sources say it was a regular thing, but because the particular loco had a higher center of gravity it rolled over, the train piled up, and there were significant casualties.   But of course there are no "runthrough"s at Salisbury any more - my original point  ;)

I'm sure there is a case for reviewing speed limits based on the fact that only (say) 10% margin is needed rather than 25% - I would have thought that a profession such as the railways would have had mechanisms in place to do that. But then I would have throught they would have also had mechanisms in place to ensure a sensible service timing and level on lines like the TransWilts, and they haven't!  :-\

Yes, but I can also remember when Paddington trains to the west used to routinely stop at Slough - and it's not so long ago that round here places like Box and Corsham had stations as well.

Ah but something I have noticed - slough seems to be the black sheep

In the peak and with peak flows there seems to be more RDG - Maidenhead - PAD stoppers than there are RDG - Slough - PAD stoppers

It was noticeable yesterday (yes - I'm no longer suffering extreme irritation (this is a male dominated board - you would not understand! LOL) and being pissed off by notwork rail) that more trains were advertising extra stops at maidenhead and not slough - looking at the FGW website.

Sp why does Slough only seem to get regular fasts AGAINST the peak flow?

I remember even a couple of years ago some of the all station stopper were RDG - Twyford - Maidenhead - Slough - PAD - which seems eminently sensible for 2 trains an hour

And dont blither on about the taplows/burnhams etc etc - they are close enough to other stations if they REALLY have to gor on the stopper they can get there - but given there are about four an hour in the peaks - what is 15 minutes?

Beyond Hayes you have heathrow connect filling in the gaps

I suspect this will be moved but over the last few months - the dirth of slough fasts has been a source of irritation - I dont expect the intercities to stop there - before someone throws up the cotswolds villages argument - Reading to slough is a world of difference in terms of frequency, population etc than oxford to Worcester!

Try telling FGW that!

Launched today: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8254969.stm

When I came back from the Isle of Wight, they were giving out leaflets at West Cowes Red Jet terminal. Most ended up in the bin... (NOT mine!)

A few points: despite the fact that the leaflets and new report say "under 2 hours", the Southampton - London service takes 2 hours 19 minutes. The Portsmouth service takes 1 hour 59 minutes; in practice I expect these will take much longer, even off peak. The journey times do not look realistic: the rush hour services are given no extra minutes at all!

Ok, "fare" enough it's cheap, but I thought SWT's service was very good, an airy and fast train, (seats a bit hard and that Celia Drummond woman giving me a headache - Desiros have verbal diarrhoea!) and fares start from ^1 on Megatrain anyway. The journey time is well under 2 hours. There is no scope of journey time reductions due to the volume of trains and they probably want to make sure the train arrives at the Woking bottleneck dead on time.

If I decide to go to Southampton Uni, this looks very attractive. Coaches look very comfortable and wi-fi is excellent. SWT Desiros aren't that great. Celia babbling on is enough to drive anybody mad, let alone the price of train travel on SWT.

Couple of weeks back, they had Greyhound 'touts' all over the up side foyer at Southampton Central.  :o Haven't seen any since though...

Paul

Wifi is a plus point, and the Desiro seats are very hard - like FGW's HSTs.

As for Celia, she needs to be exterminated......... from train announcments. An MP is already campaigning against her intrusions. Sorry, it needs saying - SWT need Phil as the onboard announcer. Do any TOCs have him?

Exterminate:

^verb (used with object), -nat⋅ed, -nat⋅ing.
to get rid of by destroying; destroy totally; extirpate: to exterminate an enemy; to exterminate insects.

Slightly harsh one might say.


It really doesn't need saying imo.

I only said she needed exterminating from train announcements! Sorry should have used a "smiley". :o [slaps wrist]

Sorry, what do you mean by "doesn't need saying". Is that meant to be a pun on Phil SAYER? ???

The issue on SWT is the number of announcements the system is programmed to make, compounded by frequent stops on many of their services.

Whoever the voice is making these announcements (and quite frankly, I'd rather have the dulcet tones of Celia Drummond rather than the infernally irritating Shouty Phil), it's their sheer frequency that is extremely grating.

I personally find Celia irritating, and Phil not so. BUt that's just opinion.

THe thing I HATE about Celia is her pronunciations - which are often wrong - and her exaggerated posh voice - not needed.

Funny, I have a vague feeling you may have mentioned that before somewhere...  ;)

Anyway, they're not wrong per se, any more than pronunciation with a regional accent can be considered wrong. Presumably you don't have a froth attack if you hear a train manager with a west country accent pronounce "Bath" with the local "aa" sound rather than the so-called standard English (rhymes with "hearth"). This ain't any different. Pleeease change the record Btline  :)

You said "it needs saying that SWT should have Phil", I was just disagreeing.  You don't need to get all defensive about your beloved Phil... ;)

I (and most on here) get it, you love Phil, you don't like Celia. I on the other hand prefer Celia's voice, but then I like posh girls  ;D... let's move back to Greyhound buses....>>>>>

I have a posh voice! And I rather like Celia too.

You're right though - let's get back to the business of Greyhound buses ;)

It's nothing about being posh or well spoken etc. It's just that she exaggerates the poshness. Just listen to her saying London Euston; it could be from a black and white film from the 50s. That's why I prefer Phil - normal, non exaggerated (the exception is when he says London Midland).

But I better stop barking on about Phil! I'm making myself bored, and many others by the sound of it! :-X :-\ 8)

A voluntary moratorium on mentioning Phil Sayer would be splendid, thank you!  ;) :)

And now back to a well-known brand of long-distance bus newly introduced to the UK...

Anyone in coffee shop land availed themselves of this new service yet? Are there any pre-recorded on-board announcements?!?

You beat me to it! ;D :P

Chippenham certainly got a stop on many services between Bristol and London Paddington in BR days.   In the early days though it certainly wasn't as frequent as nowadays.    Looking at the 1978 timetable for example during the off-peak daytimes(between 11am and 3pm) it was as few as one train every two hours to London.  Before and after those  hours trains were a little more frequent.    By the 1994 timetable things had improved for Chippenham, with pretty much an hourly service during the day.  Whilst at peak morning and evening times there was an approximately half hour service in each direction.     Also back in BR days some trains stopped at Chippenham and didn't stop at Swindon.

 

Could we have a Greyhound Exeter - London?

After just over three years in operation, First have announced that they are ending the London-South Coast Greyhound services due to low passenger demand. Another First Group road transport division bites the dust.

The South Wales services between Cardiff and Swansea are however continuing.

From greyhounduk.com (http://www.greyhounduk.com/news/20121118/greyhound-solent-closure/):

Also to note  that First are planning a Cardiff - Bristol Airport greyhound service according to information given to members of staff.

Too be fair to First I think they were always going to struggle  running an express coach service from Portsmouth/Southampton - London especially when there is a good number of rail services and also the area is well served by National express.

It isn't a surprise that the south wales service has done well however since it has always been a profitable route seeing as it provdes a direct link from Cardiff/Swansea to Mc Arthur Glen.

Indeed SWT's Megatrain services included both their routes for those looking for bargain prices.  I wonder if (as far as Portsmouth is concerned) they had just been giving it a year to see if it could take advantage of the new Hindhead tunnel on the A3 - or did the Greyhounds run via Fareham/Southampton - another damaging increase in journey time?

Paul

I've always searched for Greyhound prices on my Portsmouth to London journeys, but rail has always come out cheaper.

Last Wednesday, to London in the morning peak, returning mid-afternoon.  ^20 cheaper for an anytime return on the train (without a railcard), plus the return journey was more flexible.

On the odd occasion I have used National Express, the coaches appear to be 1/3 to 1/2 loaded.

I see Greyhound coaches on the A3(M) near Waterlooville, so I assume they use the A3 into London.

This is a shame. As much as I can see why they're pulling out due to the competition.

They do offer Free WiFi, Power Sockets and Toilets. Of which the train offers Power Sockets in First Class and Toilets, I guess there is the advantages of refreshments also. But SWT don't (Yet) have WiFi which seems to be very popular on other train services.

National Express - Some Coaches do have WiFi provided by T-Mobile and it does work, but you'll often see the "Over Usage Limit" Error. It still works but can be restricted majorly over other Cell Users. They also have Loo's but not Power Sockets.

So I can see how it would've been attractive but perhaps they were too slow/unreliable or not well advertised? Or maybe in the case of Melksham and in occasions Frome, Perhaps nobody wants to travel as the times aren't suitable or the drop off/pickup points too awkward to get to?

As a completely different topic (I do this a lot don't I :P ). Has anyone used the new(ish) Bristol Flyer Buses? I have very briefly as I boarded at BRI and went to Parson Street as their were no trains, but the vast majority have WiFi (Didn't try it myself) and also Power Sockets! They also accept Bus Passes until 4AM I believe ;D

National Express tried the Rapide service back in the 80's. However, no matter how fast you can get to Outer London it's snail pace thereafter much of the time.

I worked with a chap who takes the NE coach to London once a month but now jumps off at Heathrow, buys a Travelcard and catches the tube into the City. He's not supposed to (Heathrow tickets are more expensive than London) but he told me the delays were often horrendous, and the drivers usually turn a blind eye.