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Title: Chippenham - facilities, improvements, parking, events and incidents - merged posts Post by: James158 on June 11, 2010, 18:01:19 Line problem at Chippenham.
Train services are being disrupted due to signalling problems at Chippenham. Engineers are working as fast as possible to restore services to normal. Delays of up to 20 minutes can be expected. This is not affecting train services too badly as of yet. Title: Chippenham - facilities, improvements, parking, events and incidents - merged posts Post by: Timmer on October 01, 2010, 10:08:27 From FGW website:
Services between Swindon and Bristol Temple Meads are being disrupted due to signalling problems in the Chippeham area.Train servicves are unable to call at Chippenham. Alternative road transport is in operation between Swindon, Chippenham and Bath Spa in both directions. Altered services as at 10am: 05:40 Plymouth to London Paddington due 10:14 This train has been revised.It will no longer call at: Bath Spa and Chippenham. 07:30 London Paddington to Penzance due 13:16 This train has been revised.It will no longer call at: Chippenham and Bath Spa. 07:40 Paignton to London Paddington due 11:38 This train has been revised.It will no longer call at: Chippenham and Swindon. 08:30 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 10:15 This train has been revised.It will no longer call at: Chippenham and Bath Spa. 09:00 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 10:39 This train has been revised.It will no longer call at: Chippenham and Swindon. 09:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 10:38 This train has been revised.It will no longer call at: Swindon and Chippenham. 09:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 11:14 This train has been revised.It will no longer call at: Bath Spa and Chippenham. 09:30 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 11:15 This train has been revised.It will no longer call at: Chippenham and Bath Spa. 10:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 12:14 This train has been revised.It will no longer call at: Bath Spa and Chippenham. 10:30 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 12:15 This train has been revised.It will no longer call at: Chippenham and Bath Spa. Title: Re: Singalling problems in Chippenham area 1/10 Post by: SDS on October 01, 2010, 17:27:10 Cable Theft again it is rumoured to have been.
Title: Re: Singalling problems in Chippenham area 1/10 Post by: JayMac on October 01, 2010, 21:37:18 From The Bath Chronicle (http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/news/Trains-chaos-signal-fault/article-2711174-detail/article.html) (01/10/2010):
Quote Trains get back to normal after signal fault causes chaos Rail services to and from Bath were getting back to normal today after being thrown into chaos by signalling problems. Scores of passengers were left temporarily stranded at Bath Spa station by a fault to the west of Chippenham which disrupted trains between Swindon and Bristol Temple Meads. Officials at Network Rail are investigating whether the fault was caused by the latest of a spate of copper thefts affecting railway lines up and down the country. Trains were unable to call at Chippenham and First Great Western organised buses to replace services between Swindon, Chippenham and Bath Spa in both directions. It has diverted some services via Westbury and Bristol Parkway but services were restored by the end of the morning. One traveller trying to get from Bath to Swindon earlier this morning had said: ^It^s absolute chaos. All the trains have been cancelled and they don^t know when there^s going to be a coach to Swindon.^ Network Rail has set up a taskforce to deal with incidents that have seen ^35 million worth of copper stripped from its infrastructure since 2006 as the cost of the metal has soared. The logistics of replacing train services were complicated by an incident near Membury services which led to long queues on the M4. Title: Chippenham - facilities, improvements, parking, events and incidents - merged posts Post by: grahame on March 07, 2011, 08:40:43 Chippenham Station ... Saturday. It might not have been much, but the waiting room did used to keep us slightly warm. However:
(http://www.wellho.net/pix/chiprenew.jpg) Glad to read that it's not a permanent loss of facilities and indeed we should get back facilities better than they were: (http://www.wellho.net/pix/chipne2.jpg) Questions asked by someone I was with on the platform. I think I know the answers, but it would be nice to have quotable confirmation, and the poster does not claim to have given us a complete list of improvements ... 1. Is it true they're putting in a lift too? 2. Will there be ticket barriers when the works have been completed Title: Re: Chippenham stations - improvement works Post by: Brucey on March 07, 2011, 17:41:49 Afraid I can't answer your questions Graham, but since when did redecoration become a noun? Also the irregular full stops are bothering me. :D
Title: Re: Chippenham stations - improvement works Post by: inspector_blakey on March 07, 2011, 19:01:36 It's always been a noun, the question is when it became a proper noun ;)
At least I didn't notice any obvious mis-spelling on that notice, but someone does need to look up how to punctuate lists. There must be people working at FGW towers who are perfectly competent in the use of English, so it's a bit of a mystery to me why no-one ever bothers to run these signs past a proof reader who knows what they're doing. Title: Re: Chippenham stations - improvement works Post by: Phil on March 07, 2011, 20:49:52 I suspect there will be no much-needed lifts or barriers.
I distinctly remember there was a perfectly good "barrier" system in place at Chippenham 30 years ago: the station entrance was in the same place as it is now, but what is now a window to the privately run internet cafe contained a friendly fellow who checked that everyone passing had a ticket - and sold platform tickets to anyone who was seeing off a friend or relation. Not a soul passed him without having business on the station. I still think there's a place for platform tickets today. At least the TOC would get SOME money out of the fare dodgers. I realize I'm probably in a minority of one in that line of thinking though.... Title: Re: Chippenham stations - improvement works Post by: philipgreg on April 11, 2011, 18:44:46 Does nayone know what is going on with the dissused platform. They have taken up the edge at the Bath end for about 50ft I guess. This is the part that curves in towards the line and reduces the available width, maybe they are going to straighten it to allow the reinstatement of track to that platform?
Title: Re: Chippenham stations - improvement works Post by: Chris from Nailsea on April 11, 2011, 19:34:40 Welcome to the Coffee Shop forum, philipgreg, and thank you for posing that very interesting question!
I don't have an answer, obviously - but we do happen to have a few members here, who may be able to offer further information! ;D Title: Re: Chippenham stations - improvement works Post by: thetrout on April 12, 2011, 11:20:09 I believe there was talk about in the Great Western Route Utilization (sp?) Strategy...?? But if they have actually taken that up... I know not...
It's about time the toilets there were refurbished... They are in a bit of a state. But nowhere near as bad as some of the Spanish Railway Station Bogs I've used over the past 10 days........ ::) :-\ :-X Title: Chippenham - facilities, improvements, parking, events and incidents - merged posts Post by: grahame on January 29, 2012, 19:18:59 Do you know how - on Google - the majority of people will follow and find what they want on the front page. How does that work for Ticket Vending Machines?
I travelled up from Chippenham to London last Thursday afternoon. Long queue at the one of three counters open, so I used the TVM. Front page offers me London tickets - peak and offpeak, and with and without various London Underground Travel Card options. Now - I happened to know that there's something called a super offpeak which is cheaper than any of the options which was offered on the front page, and I managed to find a "please give me more options" button and navigated my way to the ticket I wanted. I would have thought that there was quite a heavy super-off peak traffic at that time of day. My question - how is it decided what goes on the front "splash" page? Does it seem a little naughty to be offering peak tickets at a time of day that they're unlikely to be needed, and yet not offering the best deal for the mid-afternoon? I suggest that many occasional travellers aren't aware of "super offpeak", and would probably have assumed that they needed the offpeak ticket, at a higher price than they needed to pay. Title: Re: Ticket Vending Machine at Chippenham - choice of front page options Post by: ellendune on January 29, 2012, 22:00:41 I used a TVM at Cologne Hbf a couple of years ago. First it asked where I wanted to go and when(default being now!). Then it listed the trains and gave fares for each. Then I selected a train and it sold me a ticket. easy! It took a couple on minutes.
Why can't TVM's here be so easy. Title: Re: Ticket Vending Machine at Chippenham - choice of front page options Post by: Chris from Nailsea on January 29, 2012, 22:11:26 Probably the same ticket machines - Scheidt and Bachmann hardware (German efficiency) - but let down by cheap ATOC software here in the UK versions?
Title: Re: Ticket Vending Machine at Chippenham - choice of front page options Post by: thetrout on January 30, 2012, 02:17:08 Maybe they assume people will return during the Evening Peak so hence displaying more flexible tickets.
Also AFAIK the ticket machines at Chippenham (Except the one in the London side Car Park) are the ones from the days of Great Western Trains ;) Title: Re: Ticket Vending Machine at Chippenham - choice of front page options Post by: grahame on January 30, 2012, 07:51:14 Maybe they assume people will return during the Evening Peak so hence displaying more flexible tickets. Maybe .. but there are 23 super-offpeak trains from Chippenham to London per day, 3 offpeak and 8 peak. In the reverse direction, there are 10 peak, 8 offpeak and 16 super offpeak. And if you go to London late in the afternoon so you can't leave on your return before 5 p.m., you have a choice of 5 peak services, 6 super offpeak and just ONE offpeak at 19:00. But the whole "which services are peak?" question from Chippenham was sufficiently frustrating for us to draw up a chart: http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=9506.msg98941#msg98941 From 08:00 to 09:55 in the morning on a Monday to Friday, there is every reason to offer off peak on the front page. from then until around lunchtime, you could argue that it should be offered for people returning before the eveing peak (trains between 15:30 and 16:30 back from Paddington). Later in the day, it looks like someone's trying to hide the cheapest fare that many people will want for an evening out and mislead them into paying more than they need - sorry, but to much of Jo Public it is misleading. I may have asked before and got a "no", but has anyone done any analysis on the tickets that people have bought and are travelling on, and worked out how many are on the most appropriate (i.e. best value) tickets and how many have spent more than they need? P.S. - I'm not suggesting that the Open (should that be capitalised?) return shouldn't always be on the front page - with Chippenham tickets valid for a month after purchase, there will always be quite a few people who may come back on these 10 busiest services, even another day. It also gives people the knowledge of the open fare to help them make the buying decision that's right for them. Title: Re: Ticket Vending Machine at Chippenham - choice of front page options Post by: thetrout on January 30, 2012, 21:54:49 I agree it is definitely misleading!
I'm wondering if it's the software on those machines. Because the TVM's at Bath Spa do display Super Off-Peak Tickets to Paddington on the front screen to London, however they don't show you the considerably cheaper option via Salisbury >:( Further to that, if you ask for the Cheapest ticket to London, you'll be sold a Super Off-Peak Ticket to Paddington. They won't offer the via Salisbury option unless you specifically ask for it! Title: Re: Ticket Vending Machine at Chippenham - choice of front page options Post by: JayMac on January 30, 2012, 22:13:18 Further to that, if you ask for the Cheapest ticket to London, you'll be sold a Super Off-Peak Ticket to Paddington. They won't offer the via Salisbury option unless you specifically ask for it! Yep. I've asked a similar question of staff at Bristol Temple Meads. I knew what ticket I was after but thought I'd see what was offered when asking, "Cheapest day return fare to London please". I, too was offered a Super Off Peak Return, route 'Any Permitted'. This goes against the impartial retailing rules, but I fully understand why I wasn't offered the cheaper route. It's unlikely that the incorrect fare is being offered deliberately. More a case that the fares structure is so complex that even the best trained staff will make mistakes. Of course I know that it's even cheaper to ask for an origin station on the Severn Beach Line, or (as I recently learned) Bristol Parkway or Yate, when wishing to travel to London via Salisbury. This is true of all origin stations from the Bristol area, Bath, Trowbridge, Westbury, Salisbury and Andover and all shacks in between ;) Title: Chippenham - facilities, improvements, parking, events and incidents - merged posts Post by: Chris from Nailsea on April 14, 2013, 23:58:27 From the Wiltshire Gazette & Herald (http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/headlines/10348634._/?):
Quote (http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/resources/images/2404923.jpg?type=articleLandscape) PCSOs Elizabeth Duncan and Sarah Hardwidge are advising parents to make sure their children know the dangers of the railway line Police are warning of the dangers of foolish behaviour on railway tracks after two incidents involving children on the Chippenham line over the Easter holidays. On one occasion all approaching trains had to be stopped after police received a report of group of eight youths throwing stones at trains. The youths, aged mainly 15 with one 16-year-old boy, were seen crossing the tracks between Marshfield Road and Ivy Lane on the bridge next to Bewley House. Police had to advise Network Rail to stop all trains as they could not enter the tracks while they were still live. They also informed the British Transport Police and sent letters to the parents warning them of their children^s anti-social behaviour. They are appealing to all parents to make sure their children know the dangers of playing near the railway. PCSO Sarah Hardwidge said: ^If you are in the way, the train won^t stop ^ the driver will not see you until it is too late.^ A week before, on Good Friday, a separate group of youths was caught trespassing on the railway line at Kington Langley. Three trainspotters standing on the branch line called police at 2.45pm after seeing a 13-year-old and two 14-year-olds crossing the tracks. All three teenagers admitted trespassing and were escorted home by police. PCSO Hardwidge said: ^Not only is this an offence, it causes a huge amount of disruption. It endangers the train driver and passengers, and puts the lives of police officers at risk while they look for the youngsters. The youngsters don^t seem to realise how busy Chippenham station is. You^ve constantly got trains coming in from Bristol and Swindon. Some London trains can get up to 125mph and can take over a mile to stop.^ In 2011, 50 people were killed after trespassing on the railway, and there were more than 400 near misses. Title: Re: Warning as teens play on rail tracks at Chippenham over the Easter holiday Post by: trainer on April 15, 2013, 08:34:29 Some years back I was travelling back to Bristol from Salisbury and as the train passed over the avoiding lines behind Westbury (Wilts) station I saw three children aged about 14 sauntering in the up direction on the Up Fast (125mph limit?) line. I made a 999 call (to some stirring in the seats around me when I said the word 'Police') and tried to explain carefully where they were. As we were approaching Bathampton Junc (20 mins or so later), I had a call back to say that BTP had arrived at Westbury Station but couldn't find the children. Clearly they had long gone and my description of their location had been lost in translation. I'm glad I did something though: seeing a report on the local news later of a tragedy would have been hard to live with.
I think PCSOs have been invented since then, but even so, the BTP cannot be expected to save every youngster from their own folly and schools and parents need to be pro-active in re-enforcing the message and firm, publicised action taken against those caught for everyone's sake. Title: Chippenham - facilities, improvements, parking, events and incidents - merged posts Post by: grahame on July 16, 2013, 16:45:14 Wiltshire Council will be surveying passengers joining trains at CHIPPENHAM station one morning next week.
The purpose of this survey is to learn about where people travel from to get to the station, what means of transport they use, and why they choose to travel that way ... as well as linking that data to their destination station. Such information is not easily available through Passenger Focus or Office of Rail regulator statistics, but will provide important input into tuning for future service to Chippenham as well as other stations within local travel distance thereof. Are you a regular commuter from Chippenham? Could you help Wiltshire Council, and the TransWilts community Rail Partnership who are helping gather this information, by collecting the survey forms on your regular train? Instruction will be given (a short briefing and a sheet explaining who's collecting the data, and why), and you'll be asked to sign a short form acknowledging that you'll take care for the paper questionnaires ^ keep them secure, not lose or copy any part; not use any information from them for purposes other than the intended. Although we're volunteers doing this, we'll be doing it in a professional manner; I personally know many members of the forum, and many guests, and would love your assistance. Please send me a personal message, or email me (graham@wellho.net) if you would like to be involved. For members who are not regular users of these services - we would love to have your help if you're available - if you work in Chippenham or Melksham, you should be back there on most of the rotas we've worked out by 10 a.m., and I'm sure your employer would be happy to help you help tune the local rail and associated services by letting you be an hour late. And you won't be left out of pocket over rail tickets either. Graham Ellis - graham@atrebatia.info Press and publicity, TransWilts Community Rail Partnership TransWilts CRP, 48, Spa Road, Melksham, Wilts, SN12 7NY http://atrebatia.info - 0845 459 0153 For the people with whom I'm already in touch, I've got paperwork to hand and will be getting in touch overnight when it's cooler and I can think straight. And please feel free to pass on a link to this thread to mutually known / trusted friends. Title: Re: Paging commuters from Chippenham Post by: grahame on July 18, 2013, 07:42:27 I'm in touch with many people individually ... but would still appreciate a few more volunteers. If you're new to this - not a problem as it looks like there will be 2 people per rota to support each other, and I'm doing it so that one is experienced in each case. Standard letter follows - PLEASE email or p.m. me if you fancy a different start next Tuesday!
Quote Dear Supporter, On Tuesday of next week, Wiltshire Council assisted by Atkins will be surveying passenegers joining peak trains from Chippenham station, to learn more about people's starting place ("where they live" in most cases), how they get to the station, and where they then travel to. Such work helps evaluate aspirations and flows within the Chippenham station catchment area, which we already know is very wide indeed. You have indicated your willingness to help / Or you have been mentioned as a name who may be wiling to help. This is a very useful survey indeed, being undertaken to help inform what could be pivotal decisions, and a great opportunity for the community and vounteers to work with, and to be seen working with the Council and the Rail industry. Are you [still] available next Tuesday - 23rd July 2013. I have put the complete set of rotas at the end of this letter, and at the top I will paste a specific rota that I would like YOU to cover. * The work (rotas 1 to 6 and 9) involves travelling on the train with an official collecting bag for questionaires, and badge, at no cost to yourself. You will also be provided with a short desciption of the survey, and who's organising it, to inform passengers who ask. Whilst we'll wish you to collect as many responses as you can, there will can be no requirement on people to respond. * Can you be at Chippenham station 15 minutes before the departure time of your first service? Each train will involve travel to Didcot or Reading (eastwards) or Bristol (westwards), collecting forms handed out at Chippenham station by Atkins. Rotas 7 and 8 will collect at the barriers at Bath Spa and Swindon, as our volunteers will not have time to collect all reponses on the journey from Chippenham to Bath / Swindon. * I am hoping to have two people on each rota, so that it won't be lone work * I can help for some people to arrange transport / give lifts to Chippenham * You will be asked to keep the data collected confidential, not copy it, hand it completed to the survey team on your final return to Chippenham. Data that's anonymised (i.e. cannot be identified as being a particular individual) will be available to the TransWilts team and LSTF implementation team in due course. Form attached to sign for this OR we'll have copies at Chippenham Station * Rotas 7 and 8 are for collecting data at Swindon and Bath stations. I'll make individual arrangements to get the collecting bags and information to you over the weekend / on Monday, and to get the data back. * For organisation on the day, I would like permission to pass your email address and mobile phone number to Kevin Bishop of Atkins, and David Philips of Wiltshire Council. Trains sometimes *do* get delayed or cancelled, and we need the ability to get in touch if that happens! Attachements ... emergency contact details form, registration form, data protacton form, data protection statement. The safety briefing will be brief (and can be over the phone for Bath / Swindon teams) but it's paramount in what we do. Any question - please email / phone (01225 708225 most days) me. MANY thanks for your help with this - we're really moving forward on transport in Wiltshire with co-operation between all parties including passengers and the community, for the good of the area / people as w whole. Graham Graham Ellis - graham@atrebatia.info Press and publicity, TransWilts Community Rail Partnership TransWilts CRP, 48, Spa Road, Melksham, Wilts, SN12 7NY http://atrebatia.info - 0845 459 0153 ----------- Rotas - 23rd July 2013 / Chippenham Station Passenger Survey 1. 05:55 Chippenham to Didcot (06:29) 07:12 Didcot 07:43 Chippenham to Bristol (08:17) (Back at 08:55 or see extension below) 2. 06:25 Chippenham to Didcot (06:58) 07:12 Didcot 07:43 Chippenham to Bristol (08:17) (Back at 08:55 or see extension below) 3. 06:55 Chippenham to Didcot (07:28) 07:43 Didcot 08:14 Chippenham to Bristol (08:45) (Back at 09:25) 4. 06:55 Chippenham to Reading (07:43) 07:57 Reading 08:42 Chippenham to Bristol (09:10) (Back at 09:55) 5. 07:25 Chippenham to Didcot (08:01) (Back at 09:13 or see extension below) 6. 06:38 Chippenham to Bristol (07:07) 07:30 Bristol 07:55 Chippenham to Didcot (08:28) (Back at 09:13) 7. Bath Station Collection first train arrives 06:52; final train at 08:55 or 09:29 8. Swindon Station Collection first train arrives 06:10 (!); final train at 08:10 or 09:10 -------- The following extras are subject to availability of people (first to be dropped; other trains through the morning will be surveryed with reply paid envelopes, but that results in far fewer responses, so much less good data ---------- 9. 06:28 Chippenham to Trowbridge (06:48) 07:10 Trob. 07:30 Chippenham to Swindon (07:48) 08:01 Swind. 08:14 Chippenham 08:25 Chippenham to Didcot (08:58) (Back at 09:43) 1 or 2 - get off at 07:57 at Bath and add 08:30 Bath 08:45 Chippenham to Swindon (09:04) (Back at 09:43) 5 - add 08:41 Didcot 09:13 Chippenham to Bristol (09:45) (Back at 10:25) Title: Re: Paging commuters from Chippenham Post by: Chris from Nailsea on July 18, 2013, 23:31:56 I'm in touch with many people individually ... but would still appreciate a few more volunteers. If you're new to this - not a problem as it looks like there will be 2 people per rota to support each other, and I'm doing it so that one is experienced in each case. Standard letter follows - PLEASE email or p.m. me if you fancy a different start next Tuesday! Unfortunately, I'm not available to help with this particular passenger survey, but it has my full moral support and I'd like to endorse grahame's plea for any more volunteers to please step forward! :D Title: Re: Paging commuters from Chippenham Post by: grahame on July 20, 2013, 09:03:15 I'm in touch with many people individually ... but would still appreciate a few more volunteers. If you're new to this - not a problem as it looks like there will be 2 people per rota to support each other, and I'm doing it so that one is experienced in each case. Standard letter follows - PLEASE email or p.m. me if you fancy a different start next Tuesday! Unfortunately, I'm not available to help with this particular passenger survey, but it has my full moral support and I'd like to endorse grahame's plea for any more volunteers to please step forward! :D Thanks, Chris ... we have most rotas covered, but it would be really good to be able to "double up" as these are long trains that get to their first stop after Chippenham very quickly! Title: Re: Paging commuters from Chippenham Post by: grahame on July 24, 2013, 12:53:28 "Afterwards report" at http://www.wellho.net/mouth/4142_Passenger-survey-at-Chippenham-report-and-pictures.html
In summary - what a fantastic team of volunteers - THANK YOU one and all. Lots of very useful data gathered at what may turn out to be a vital time, and a real learning experience too. Big thanks to all the First staff at Chippenham, and on the trains. All very positive, all very helpful. Similar reports too from our outbases at Bath Spa and Swindon. Title: Chippenham - facilities, improvements, parking, events and incidents - merged posts Post by: JayMac on February 02, 2015, 17:51:07 From the Wiltshire Times (http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/11764760.115_year_old_railway_bridge_comes_down_as_part_of___3m_access_scheme/):
Quote The 115-year-old footbridge at Chippenham railway station has been demolished to pave the way for disabled access onto the platform as part of a scheme costing nearly ^3 million. Elated members of the Community Access to Rail Travel (CART) group went along to see the cranes as they moved in on Saturday, January 24, to remove part of the bridge at the west end, which was built in 1899. The rest was removed on Saturday. People with disabilities and those using pushchairs have been waiting years for promised easier access to railway platforms. In June, two lifts will be put in to give access from the Cocklebury Road side, though funding does not stretch to provide access to the Hathaway Retail Park side. CART chairman Maureen Lloyd said: ^We have lift off to the journey of advantage for all. "I cannot put in words the elation I feel after almost 20 years of campaigning for step access, to finally see it nearing fruition.^ Network Rail said the work was done on Saturday nights, when no trains run, to minimise the impact on travellers. A spokesman said: "We are due to complete the work in the summer. We plan to open the footbridge before the end of the work though (no specific date as yet), as we can carry out the work while enabling people to use the new footbridge." (Edited to fix " ^3m access scheme at Chippenham" Title: Re: Chippenham Station Footbridge Post by: grahame on February 02, 2015, 18:06:52 From the Wiltshire Times (http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/11764760): Quote CART chairman Maureen Lloyd said: ^We have lift off to the journey of advantage for all. "I cannot put in words the elation I feel after almost 20 years of campaigning for step access, to finally see it nearing fruition.^ Did she really say that, or did the Wiltshire times miss the word free? ;D Title: Chippenham station car park becomes a campsite Post by: Timmer on February 15, 2015, 18:45:30 Tweet from FGW:
Travellers have put in 8 day claim at Chippenham car park so parking will be restricted. Northside bridge also down with restricted parking. Title: Re: Chippenham station car park becomes a campsite Post by: JayMac on February 15, 2015, 19:41:50 There's a well know line which is used several times in the film 'Snatch'.
Decorum prevents me from quoting it or providing a YouTube clip link. ;) Title: Re: Chippenham station car park becomes a campsite Post by: TaplowGreen on February 16, 2015, 12:25:22 ............I trust all the usual enforcement procedures will be in place, ie tickets if they haven't paid, followed by towing if necessary, as would happen for any normal person? (sorry I mean "member of the settled community"!)
Wouldn't want there to be any unequal treatment! ;) Title: Re: Chippenham station car park becomes a campsite Post by: JayMac on February 16, 2015, 12:44:41 From the Western Daily Press (http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/RAIL-Chippenham-station-car-park-restricted/story-26032803-detail/story.html):
Quote Chippenham station car park restricted due to travellers Car parking will be restricted at Chippenham car park due to travellers setting up camp this morning. First Great Western tweeted about the issue this morning, warning commuters if they decide to bring their cars to the station. The service said the travellers have put in an 'eight day claim' at Chippenham car park. Title: Re: Chippenham station car park becomes a campsite Post by: TaplowGreen on February 16, 2015, 12:59:08 ............one rule for some........ >:(
Title: Re: Chippenham station car park becomes a campsite Post by: grahame on February 16, 2015, 13:30:51 I note that third rail electrification has come to Chippenham
Title: Re: Chippenham station car park becomes a campsite Post by: JayMac on February 16, 2015, 13:35:41 Got some nice new canopies as well. Just like the ones at London Bridge. ;)
Title: Re: Chippenham station car park becomes a campsite Post by: grahame on February 16, 2015, 13:52:03 I'm using the opportunity of limited car parking to remind people in Melksham / Trowbridge / Westbury that they don't have to drive to Chippenham any more - https://www.facebook.com/TransWilts/posts/618739234892789
Title: Re: Chippenham station car park becomes a campsite Post by: JayMac on February 16, 2015, 13:59:59 I'm using the opportunity of limited car parking to remind people in Melksham / Trowbridge / Westbury that they don't have to drive to Chippenham any more - https://www.facebook.com/TransWilts/posts/618739234892789 Every cloud... ;D Title: Re: Chippenham station car park becomes a campsite Post by: TaplowGreen on February 16, 2015, 14:45:31 I note that third rail electrification has come to Chippenham ......if that's the case, keep a close eye on all that copper wire for the next 8 days!!! ;D Title: Re: Chippenham station car park becomes a campsite Post by: grahame on February 18, 2015, 15:11:33 Understand they've moved on ... and my Facebook post to recommend the use of the TransWilts has been viewed by 4,604 people resulting in 194 actions including 45 likes, 16 shares and 8 comments. Great opportunity to remind people about the TransWilts - https://www.facebook.com/TransWilts/posts/618739234892789
Title: Re: Chippenham station car park becomes a campsite Post by: phile on February 18, 2015, 18:39:38 Understand they've moved on ... and my Facebook post to recommend the use of the TransWilts has been viewed by 4,604 people resulting in 194 actions including 45 likes, 16 shares and 8 comments. Great opportunity to remind people about the TransWilts - https://www.facebook.com/TransWilts/posts/618739234892789 Did they leave the usual mess to be cleared up ? Title: Re: Chippenham Station Footbridge Post by: NickF on March 24, 2015, 14:14:02 A few miles down the line here is an article about a Footbridge at Corsham being replaced and a timelapse video:
http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/11874351.VIDEO__Stunning_footage_shows_how_Network_Rails___orange_army__replaced_Corsham_footbridge/?ref=mr Title: Re: Chippenham Station Footbridge Post by: NickF on August 13, 2015, 10:57:20 Chippenham railway station pedestrian bridge behind schedule:
http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/13593735.Chippenham_railway_station_pedestrian_bridge_behind_schedule/ Title: Re: Chippenham Station Footbridge Post by: grahame on January 13, 2016, 17:04:00 Chippenham Station - new footbridge to be opened on Friday of next week.
https://www.facebook.com/TransWilts/posts/739813139452064 The bridge reopens the public right of way from south to north across the station, and now connects down to the island platform too. Lifts are provided on the south side and in the centre, but not on the north side which is steps only. Title: Re: Chippenham Station Footbridge Post by: grahame on January 22, 2016, 18:32:16 http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/better-travelling-experience-for-passengers-as-new-footbridge-and-lifts-open-at-chippenham-station?
Quote Passengers travelling to and from Chippenham station will now find their journey a much easier experience after a new footbridge and lifts were officially opened by Network Rail today, Friday 22 January, as part of the company^s Railway Upgrade Plan. The new bridge and lifts greatly improve accessibility at Chippenham by providing, for the first time, a step-free route from the station^s main entrance to both platforms, without the need for staff assistance. This will not only be of benefit to passengers with reduced mobility, but also those travelling with children or heavy luggage or those who simply find stairs a struggle. An end - thank goodness - to the use of the barrow crossing to get wheelchairs onto the platform. Lift available all day, every day - right up to the midnight-plus train to Cardiff. It has been a really really long job to get this bridge and the lifts in - with the issues of being around a listed building coming sharply against the need to provide access for all. The three staircase, 2 lift project is now - however - complete. Next stage - ticket gates? (http://www.wellho.net/pix/cmpbr001.jpg) (http://www.wellho.net/pix/cmpbr002.jpg) (http://www.wellho.net/pix/cmpbr003.jpg) Title: Re: Chippenham Station Footbridge Post by: bobm on January 22, 2016, 18:40:17 Bit tied up at the moment, but will post some pictures later.
Slightly disappointed to note that the new footbridge is open to elements. Fully appreciate it gives better access for those who cannot, or chose not to, use the stairs but the lack of a roof, while accepting the cost implications, is a bit of a shame to be honest. What is the future for the original footbridge? Title: Re: Chippenham Station Footbridge Post by: grahame on January 22, 2016, 18:43:49 Slightly disappointed to note that the new footbridge is open to elements. Fully appreciate it gives better access for those who cannot, or chose not to, use the stairs but the lack of a roof, while accepting the cost implications, is a bit of a shame to be honest. 3 million pound project as it is! What is the future for the original footbridge? It remains ... and I think it will be needed to avoid serious gateline queues on evening arrivals. It will be interesting to see how they do that ... until it happens (said to be very soon) there will remain strong revenue protection at Chippenham. Title: Re: Chippenham Station Footbridge Post by: bobm on January 22, 2016, 18:47:04 As I say - the big benefit is it gives access for those who couldn't make the trip between the front of the station and the platforms independently before but a bit of cover would have been nice - unless the original covered way is remaining?
Title: Re: Chippenham Station Footbridge Post by: NickF on August 30, 2016, 08:12:38 Perhaps a roof was needed after all ???
http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/14709377.New_railway_station_bridge_in___3m_revamp_needs_work_after_just_8_months/ Title: Re: Chippenham Station Footbridge Post by: TaplowGreen on August 30, 2016, 08:25:57 Perhaps a roof was needed after all ??? http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/14709377.New_railway_station_bridge_in___3m_revamp_needs_work_after_just_8_months/ I wonder how much that will add to the original £3 million? Title: Re: Chippenham Station Footbridge Post by: ChrisB on August 30, 2016, 08:38:15 Surely a design fault? Hence needing to get repairs done while the supplier would be responsible?
Title: Re: Chippenham Station Footbridge Post by: TaplowGreen on August 30, 2016, 09:12:44 Surely a design fault? Hence needing to get repairs done while the supplier would be responsible? You would hope so - but remember this is public sector procurement, wouldn't be the first time that someone has forgotten to include something as bizarre as the fact that it occasionally rains in the UK in the specification. Title: Re: Chippenham Station Footbridge Post by: bobm on August 30, 2016, 09:21:39 Something certainly needs doing. This was the situation at the beginning of this month after some moderate rain the night before. I dread to think what it was like after the deluge on Saturday.
(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/chipftb1.jpg) (http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/chipftb2.jpg) Title: Re: Chippenham Station Footbridge Post by: Worcester_Passenger on August 31, 2016, 13:01:08 Meanwhile, here's another roofless footbridge. In Pontypridd, well-known for the lack of rain.
Title: Chippenham - facilities, improvements, parking, events and incidents - merged posts Post by: grahame on June 21, 2017, 08:16:22 In answer to a press enquiry ..
Dear Jessica, I believe you’re correct in your assertion that there is no rail user group dedicated to Chippenham Station. Which is a bit of a surprise as (mile for mile) peak Chippenham to London fares are amongst the most expensive in the UK, and engineeringworkwise it’s just about the most prone to weekend changes of any station. Full credit to the GWR staff team at Chippenham who do an excellent job of looking after passenger; user groups tend to be set up where the local community feels disconnected from the railway serving it. Engineering works at weekends are nothing new. What’s new for Chippenham is a 9 day closure of the line from Chippenham to Swindon which includes the week of Monday 11th to Friday 14th July. Over those five days, trains will be running from Chippenham to Bath and Bristol, and from Chippenham to Westbury - the most direct route to London all the way by train will be via Westbury, the most frequent by dogleg via Bath Spa. And extra buses will be running direct from Chippenham Station to Swindon Station, accepting rail tickets and much faster that Stagecoach service 55. I’m waiting to here from GWR as to whether these will be low floor buses that can take wheelchairs; there’s no legal requirement on them to do so, as they’re not a public scheduled bus service, and I really hope that any passengers with mobility problems don’t get put on the slower 55! There is an excellent case for a user group for Chippenham - not in protest in any way, but to help in the provision of feedback to the train operator, and perhaps too to assist with volunteers helping (for example) with making the station even more welcoming; I was there for a meeting the other day, and we were asked “wouldn’t it look good with hanging baskets” on the spare platform. At TransWilts, we have responsibilities for the occasional (up to 9 trains per day) services that leave Chippenham for Melksham, Trowbridge and Westbury - and that became official a couple of months back when the minister for rail visited us to confirm this as a “designated service”. The designation doe not include the express trains which call at Chippenham 4 times an hour - however, they are very much on the TranWilts radar as our constitution describes “journeys to, from and within Wiltshire” as our area of operation. Our designation does include Chippenham Station as a “designated station” so we are probably best placed to looking to set up such a group; we already have very strong ties with the Melksham Rail User Group - indeed I am vice chair as I live in the town - so we have some experience to go on. I would very much hope to be back in tough with you about helping set up a user group (including sponsoring a meeting) soon after the summer holidays - in the meantime, I would welcome people getting in touch so I can keep them informed. I have taken an arbitrary date of Thursday, 14th September for people to “pencil in” and will add that as an event date on the TransWilts Facebook page. I’m away this week at a training session … (travelled by train, of course) …. I will try to call you during the day / during a break to fill you in further / answer any questions Graham Graham Ellis - grahamellis@transwilts.org Community Rail Officer, TransWilts Community Rail Partnership A division of the TransWilts Community Interest Company (CIC) http://www.transwilts.org - 0845 459 0153 / 01225 708225 Any members who would like to help setting up a Chippenham group, please let me know! Title: Re: Rail User Group, Chippenham Post by: ChrisB on June 21, 2017, 12:06:15 Just had a meeting with GWR re accessible transport for the Oxford blockade, so asked the Q for you by email for Chippenham. Unsure as to response time as my contact starts a leave period tomorrow, but am hopeful
Title: Chippenham - facilities, improvements, parking, events and incidents - merged posts Post by: grahame on September 02, 2017, 16:23:45 Chippenham station is one of two (the other is Melksham) that's included with the TransWilts service designation. And on 21st September, we're holding an open meeting to see if there's interest in forming a Chippenham Rail Users Group, Station Adoption group, or equivalent. This is a placeholder for your diaries at the moment - I'll be moving this thread to public view midweek, once I have literature and after a letting the station team know more details too (excellent staff at Chippenham!).
Please feel free to add to this thread with issues you consider especially relevant to Chippenham - help me "seed" the meeting. Yes, we do have some ideas of the issues that might be of interest • Only two trains per day to Salisbury and Southampton • Proposals for development around the station • Installation of ticket gates • No late evening services from Bristol, Bath or Westbury • Peak fares to London • Connections for journeys to Midlands and the North • Electrification and new trains • Pick up and bus access only available via Station Hill • Planned 40% increase in car parking • Low cost fares and best routes • Leisure fares and destinations P.S. If you wondered what happened to "our" other three stations at TransWilts, Westbury and Trowbridge stations are designated to Heart of Wessex, and Swindon's considered to big a dog for our tail to wag it. Expect a through service to and from Salisbury and beyond to be the pre-cursor of designation for stations at Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Wilton, with 2020 vision. Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: ChrisB on September 02, 2017, 20:28:03 Late evening? How late? I use the 2230 off BRI regularly after nights out there to get back north of OXF....if its late enough for me....
Similarly, BRI is what? 20mins away by HST? Connnections there into notthbound XC services. How would you improve that? Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: grahame on September 02, 2017, 21:51:18 Late evening? How late? I use the 2230 off BRI regularly after nights out there to get back north of OXF....if its late enough for me.... Similarly, BRI is what? 20mins away by HST? Connnections there into notthbound XC services. How would you improve that? In my summer 1990 timetable, there's a 22:35 WSM to SWI that leaves BRI at 23:25, BTH at 23:47 and CPM at 00:04, terminates 00:26 at SWI. Friday only. That's a similar time to the last Bristol to Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge, Westbury and Frome runs now - and that train is HEAVING, unlike the one an hour earlier. So I suspect the case needs to be reconsidered. There's an impressive online petition looking for this. 25 minutes Chippenham to Bristol, then 20 minutes connection time at Temple Meads ... so about an hour after leaving Chippenham you're still in Bristol (Parkway) and only just starting to head up north ... probably further from Birmingham as the crow flies than Chippenham is when you work it out! Edit to add - http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=18512.0 - discussion on later train from Bristol Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: ChrisB on September 03, 2017, 08:38:44 Now do the same exercise via SWI, DID & OXF to pick up XC and what time to get to say BHM? Bet its slower than via BRI.
Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: grahame on September 03, 2017, 17:10:18 Now do the same exercise via SWI, DID & OXF to pick up XC and what time to get to say BHM? Bet its slower than via BRI. As far as the passenger is concerned, it doesn't matter if he does via Bristol, Didcot or Tipperary. Chippenham to Birmingham (for The North) is about 70 miles, and he wants a decent speed for that journey - say at least 40 m.p.h. average from his train pulling out of Chippenham to his train pulling in to Birmingham - that's 1 hour 45 minutes. Let's take a look at that 70 miles: (http://www.wellho.net/pix/b70.jpg) Here are some train times from places near the edge of that green circle to Birmingham (New Street) - taken for a date without engineering works. The times are "fastest clockface" - not fastest all day, but rather fastest you'll get in a typical off peak hour. 1:03 Sheffield 1:26 Bristol 1:26 Manchester 1:27 Chepstow 1:33 Reading 1:43 Chester 1:46 Peterborough 2:15 Lincoln 2:23 Chippenham Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: ChrisB on September 03, 2017, 20:51:54 So, how do youbpropose to speed it up, getting good value, from the current rail network? Bearing in mind current service usage and using vacant paths?
Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: John R on September 03, 2017, 21:00:16 Unfortunately the railway geography is always going to mean that journeys like Chippenham northwards are going to be relatively slow.
With a half hour service to BRI, and a half hourly service north from BRI, the issue you raised is the relatively long connection time of around 20 mins. In reality, are you really going to try and rejig two major timetables, to suit the needs of CPM? And if you did, what would your optimal connection time be, that doesn't start to run the risk of a late train resulting in the connection being missed, particularly for mobility impaired customers? Putting in the journey I get typical fastest hourly services of 2:07 southbound and 2:13 northbound after the current engineering work. Still not great, but not quite as bleak as you paint. Also, the AA is showing a fastest route of 105 miles and 1 hr 58 mins, which is probably a better comparator than the 70 miles as the crow flies. Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: grahame on September 03, 2017, 21:24:57 So, how do youbpropose to speed it up, getting good value, from the current rail network? Bearing in mind current service usage and using vacant paths? The list that the thread started with is concerns from passengers and potential passengers spoken to / read in the press or online / heard on the radio from Chippenham. The answer / comment to them may well be "look - there's no lines in the right places to take you more directly any longer". Yet I do wonder where we would be if history had been a bit different and Virgin Cross Country had established their Swindon - Stroud - Cheltenham Spa - Birmingham New Street service, or if Bristol to Oxford via Didcot West Curve still ran. Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: ChrisB on September 03, 2017, 21:28:30 There's good reason neither do. The Usergroup might consider whether there is a business case to somehow improve either route to enable a viable case, and then find the rolling stock to be able to do so.
I suspect the answer won't take many hours deliberation Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: grahame on September 03, 2017, 23:47:07 There's good reason neither do. Hmmm ... the decisions against those services were made between 10 and 15 years ago. I could give you a couple of other negative decisions from around that time that have been reversed since, and been successful. Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: ChrisB on September 04, 2017, 10:06:32 Stock required for XC to be able to run the first , paths required to run the second. Still both valid problems, methinks
Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: John R on September 04, 2017, 10:36:48 Maybe not the second, given the many lumbering coal trains to Didcot no longer run. And certainly would not have been if electrification to Bristol and Oxford had been completed, as 110mph emus would mean pathing would be easy.
Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: grahame on September 10, 2017, 11:54:04 Event flyer at http://atrebatia.info/chrug_launch.pdf
[quote]Chippenham Station is used by thousands of rail passengers every week - but there is not ... yet ... an established group through which passengers can talk with the train operator. TransWilts (Swindon to Westbury) is a recently designated service and Chippenham Station comes within its remit. There are user groups at most stations in Wiltshire, with the exception of Chippenham and Pewsey The purpose of holding an "inaugural meeting" in September is to see if one should be setup, if there are people to do so, and what shape it would take. Rail user and station friends groups cover the majority of UK stations. They differ widely from group to group, but all provide a way for local rail users (and potential rail users) to get together, to talk with the train operator, and to learn more about what's going on. Many provide opportunities to get involved in volunteer activities and take a pride in their station too. They are generally regarded as positive by the train operators, who get co-ordinated inputs and suggestions they might not have thought of (after all, GWR have 210 stations to look after), and by the passengers who end up being better informed locally. At TransWilts, most of the work is voluntary (over and above the call of paid duty!) - we're a community organisation with very close links to both the train operators and council; our suggestions have helped get improvements for local conditions, and our volunteer team has helped in many ways, including marketing and surveys - helping us keep the trial service from Chippenham to Westbury - and understand the detail of why it’s working and how it should progress in the future. That's good for users and operators alike. Some issues that you may want to give us your views on include: • Only two trains per day to Salisbury and Southampton • Proposals for development around the station • Installation of ticket gates • No late evening services from Bristol, Bath or Westbury • Peak fares to London • Connections for journeys to Midlands and the North • Electrification and new trains • Pick up and bus access only available via Station Hill • Planned 40% increase in car parking • Low cost fares and best routes • Leisure fares and destinations Come along and see how you may be able to make a difference![/quote] Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: IndustryInsider on September 10, 2017, 12:55:25 Stock required for XC to be able to run the first , paths required to run the second. Still both valid problems, methinks Maybe not the second, given the many lumbering coal trains to Didcot no longer run. And certainly would not have been if electrification to Bristol and Oxford had been completed, as 110mph emus would mean pathing would be easy. Looking at the map Graham posted it struck me how pleasing the arc created by running a long distance regional route from Bristol via Bath to Swindon, Oxford and Milton Keynes/Bedford and (eventually) Cambridge looks. I still think there would be great merit in East-West Rail (or XC) running that service rather than running their trains just to Didcot or Reading. So many markets would be much better served as a result, both shorter and longer distance, and even without electrification I'm sure paths for 100mph DMUs, or even better Bi-Mode's at 125mph, could be found west of Didcot. Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: ChrisB on September 10, 2017, 20:24:30 Once EWR is open, yes, then I think a ross country service is very likely. 110mph needed dor the DID-SWI section at least.
Not sure whether EWR is still getting the wires. Even better if its still in the project as electric trains ciuld be used once GWR electrification is completed as currently projected and will allow a BRI/CDF - Milton Keynes and eventually Cambridge. But I think patience is required for the works/lines to be completed Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: John R on September 10, 2017, 21:04:43 Sadly DfT recently stated that EWR will not be electrified. A real shame, as it must be so much cheaper to do it at outset.
Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: Adelante_CCT on September 11, 2017, 05:13:31 I agree, I think it would be better for EWR to head West rather than East from Didcot, if the plan was to go further South than Oxford. Besides, Network Rail have stated a plan to have an extra hourly XC service from Basingstoke to Manchester via EW, assuming this called at Milton Keynes then that should suppress any demand for those heading to/from Reading.
Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: froome on September 11, 2017, 08:05:31 I've only just seen this thread. Referring to the discussion earlier on about connections from Chippenham to Birmingham and the north, why do most of the trains from Swindon to Stroud and Gloucester appear to leave Swindon just a couple of minutes before the train from Bath Spa and Chippenham arrives in Swindon (and onto an adjacent platform)? It makes what should be a short journey from Bath or Chippenham to Stroud into a long journey because of the frustrating wait. As it happens, I had hoped to do a journey up through Birmingham from Bath tomorrow avoiding the diversion around Bristol Parkway by going via Swindon instead, but it doesn't even appear to be a permissable route, despite being the shortest (instead I will be travelling via Reading and then back through Oxford, which seems ridiculous to me).
Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: grahame on September 11, 2017, 08:16:41 I've only just seen this thread. Referring to the discussion earlier on about connections from Chippenham to Birmingham and the north, why do most of the trains from Swindon to Stroud and Gloucester appear to leave Swindon just a couple of minutes before the train from Bath Spa and Chippenham arrives in Swindon (and onto an adjacent platform)? It makes what should be a short journey from Bath or Chippenham to Stroud into a long journey because of the frustrating wait. As it happens, I had hoped to do a journey up through Birmingham from Bath tomorrow avoiding the diversion around Bristol Parkway by going via Swindon instead, but it doesn't even appear to be a permissable route, despite being the shortest (instead I will be travelling via Reading and then back through Oxford, which seems ridiculous to me). There are some weird and wonderful things on permitted routes from Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge to the Midlands and North. I would need to check my facts before I post for definite, but as I recall, journeys to Cheltenham Spa have a wider range of routings allowed than journeys via Cheltenham Spa. Much of the history of connections up the Golden Valley is a hark back to the days when the line was single from Swindon to Kemble - worth adding that to the "connections to be considered" list, I think. Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: ChrisB on September 11, 2017, 10:29:52 Besides, Network Rail have stated a plan to have an extra hourly XC service from Basingstoke to Manchester via EW, assuming this called at Milton Keynes then that should suppress any demand for those heading to/from Reading. It wouldn't be NR, as they don't plan services, they run the infrastructure. My understanding of this however, and it's XC suggesting it, is to run one of the two services from Reading from Oxford up the EWR to the West Coast and onto Birmingham. I would expect the service that runs direct from Leamington to Birmingham. Thus both their hourly services serve Birmingham airport. I've only just seen this thread. Referring to the discussion earlier on about connections from Chippenham to Birmingham and the north, why do most of the trains from Swindon to Stroud and Gloucester appear to leave Swindon just a couple of minutes before the train from Bath Spa and Chippenham arrives in Swindon (and onto an adjacent platform)? It makes what should be a short journey from Bath or Chippenham to Stroud into a long journey because of the frustrating wait. As it happens, I had hoped to do a journey up through Birmingham from Bath tomorrow avoiding the diversion around Bristol Parkway by going via Swindon instead, but it doesn't even appear to be a permissable route, despite being the shortest (instead I will be travelling via Reading and then back through Oxford, which seems ridiculous to me). How many trains pass through Swindon each hour? How do you suggest the STroud train connects with all of these trains? How do you choose which ones it will connect with? The strength of the flow will definitely be one - and I suspect those coming from PAD far exceed those from Chippenham & Bath. I understood that the shortest journey between any two stations was *always* a permitted route. Are you sure that this is? Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: grahame on September 11, 2017, 10:50:30 I understood that the shortest journey between any two stations was *always* a permitted route. Are you sure that this is? Only on an "any permitted" ticket. The shortest route from Swindon to Cheltenham Spa using railway lines with regular passenger trains on them is Swindon - Kemble - Stroud - Stonehouse - Cheltenham Spa. The problem with using that for routing is that all the trains from Stonehouse run via Gloucester where they reverse before carrying on to Cheltenham Spa. There's a routing easement that we talked about quite recently in relation to allowing travel via Westbury rather than via the shorter Westbury avoider - perhaps there is (or should be?) similar for Gloucester? I understand, by the way, that Trowbridge to Cheltenham Spa is slightly shorter via Bristol Temple Meads than via Swindon - shorter (even) would be via the Rhubarb loop. As "through trains are always allowed" on any permitted, this is why Trowbridge to Cheltenham via Swindon is fine, but Trowbridge to Birmingham via Swindon and Cheltenham is not. Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: ChrisB on September 11, 2017, 11:02:22 'Reversing' at Gloucester doesn't actually involve very much, if any of the line in from the south to go north.
Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: paul7575 on September 11, 2017, 11:46:54 It wouldn't be NR, as they don't plan services, they run the infrastructure. My understanding of this however, and it's XC suggesting it, is to run one of the two services from Reading from Oxford up the EWR to the West Coast and onto Birmingham. I would expect the service that runs direct from Leamington to Birmingham. Thus both their hourly services serve Birmingham airport. It is the Western Route Study (pub. NR, Sep 2015) that mentions an additional 'cross country' service from Manchester to Basingstoke, it is clear that it would provide a third service between Reading and Oxford: Quote C2: Additional cross-country service The Western Route Study 2019 ITSS anticipates an additional crosscountry service on the Reading – Basingstoke Route Section to create 3tph. This service is anticipated to run between Basingstoke and Manchester Piccadilly via the East West Rail route, offering a significant improvement in journey time between Reading, Oxford and Manchester. However, it would further add to capacity utilisation between Southcote Junction and Oxford Road Junction and at Reading Station I'm sure that references to the proposed service that appear elsewhere also refer to it running via the Trent Valley, i.e. missing Birmingham. Surely Oxford > Milton Keynes > Coventry > Birmingham via EWR is a significant time penalty to existing XC users? Obviously a lot may have changed since 2015 - not least the delays to EWR - but I don't think it is fair to squash the concept. NR are supposed to consult the industry and DfT on Route Study proposals after all. Paul Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: ChrisB on September 11, 2017, 11:51:06 ok, agreed - except that XC would need to find the stock (I think we've been here on other threads,.....)
Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: grahame on September 11, 2017, 11:55:54 ok, agreed - except that XC would need to find the stock (I think we've been here on other threads,.....) I think we've been via alternatives such as open access on other threads too. ;D Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: ChrisB on September 11, 2017, 12:08:58 Franchisees aren't able to use open access
Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: paul7575 on September 11, 2017, 12:09:41 ok, agreed - except that XC would need to find the stock (I think we've been here on other threads,.....) It wouldn't need to be operated by the current XC franchise though. Especially if it didn't go via New St. Back in 2015, with wiring plans being what they were then, it may have been reasonably assumed to be 110 mph EMU operated. "Cross Country" and "cross country" may have subtly different meanings... Paul Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: grahame on September 11, 2017, 12:12:59 'Reversing' at Gloucester doesn't actually involve very much, if any of the line in from the south to go north. Considerable difference from a passenger viewpoint, of course. Looking forward to when the Bristol Parkway work are completed ... 1L58 at 12:36 from Cheltenham Spa. Calls at Gloucester. Passes Standish Junction 13:02. 26 minutes 1V52 at 13:00 from Cheltenham Spa. Avoids Glouester. Passes Standish Junction 13:12. 12 minutes Add quarter of an hour's gain if Swindon to Cheltenham Spa had direct services and perhaps quarter of an hour saved at a Swindon change, and you've knocked 30 minutes off Chippenham to Birmingham. Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: froome on September 11, 2017, 18:09:45 I've only just seen this thread. Referring to the discussion earlier on about connections from Chippenham to Birmingham and the north, why do most of the trains from Swindon to Stroud and Gloucester appear to leave Swindon just a couple of minutes before the train from Bath Spa and Chippenham arrives in Swindon (and onto an adjacent platform)? It makes what should be a short journey from Bath or Chippenham to Stroud into a long journey because of the frustrating wait. As it happens, I had hoped to do a journey up through Birmingham from Bath tomorrow avoiding the diversion around Bristol Parkway by going via Swindon instead, but it doesn't even appear to be a permissable route, despite being the shortest (instead I will be travelling via Reading and then back through Oxford, which seems ridiculous to me). How many trains pass through Swindon each hour? How do you suggest the STroud train connects with all of these trains? How do you choose which ones it will connect with? The strength of the flow will definitely be one - and I suspect those coming from PAD far exceed those from Chippenham & Bath. I understood that the shortest journey between any two stations was *always* a permitted route. Are you sure that this is? Having looked at the map, you may be right that it isn't quite the shortest route between Bath and Cheltenham, although it feels like it should be when travelling. However, in terms of strength of flow, Paddington to Stroud already has one direct train every hour along this route, so there isn't such a need for the service that starts at Swindon to also meet this need, whereas there are no direct services from Bath and Chippenham to Stroud, Gloucester and Cheltenham. Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: froome on September 11, 2017, 18:12:41 Having posted the above, I've just realised that there are of course direct services on the Great Malvern route from Bath (though this is a slow service for the length of journey), but not to Stroud.
Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: grahame on September 14, 2017, 17:31:43 This topic seems to have generated a lot of talk and interest ... perhaps an indication that a Chippenham Rail User Group will have some things to talk about!
1. I and a couple of others will be handing out flyers for the event tomorrow and / or Monday, afternoon and early evening. Asking anyone here in "Frequent Posters" if you can help ... planning to adjourn for a curry (on the house) mid evening 2. Anyone like to come along on 21st? Flyer for 21st at http://atrebatia.info/chrug_launch.pdf Leafletting details and draft agenda at http://atrebatia.info/chrug_setup.pdf Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: grahame on September 15, 2017, 13:03:34 Updated agenda (printable) at http://www.transwilts.org/chrug_agenda.pdf
Quote 17:00 onward – informal discussions with passenger dropping in 19:00 - Intro and who are TransWilts / Peter Blackburn (TransWilts CIC) 19:05 - GWR at and via Chippenham / Dan Okey (GWR) 19:10 - Current topics we know about at Chippenham / Graham Ellis 19:15 – Local Council involvements / David Phillips (Wiltshire Council) 19:20 - Looking forward at Chippenham / Paul Johnson 19:25 - Setting up Rail User Groups and Friends / Bob Morrison 19:30 - Wider Wiltshire and South West context / Graham Ellis 19:35 - Initial Question Panel (General Issues) 19:45 - Where do we go from here? Volunteers / setup / admin / next meeting 20:00 - Formal close Then informal discussions Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: grahame on September 20, 2017, 07:11:23 Holding page (with links to various useful places) - http://www.chrug.org.uk
Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: grahame on September 21, 2017, 05:30:09 Early issues raised with us prior to tonight's meeting noted at
http://www.chrug.org.uk/earlyissues.pdf May be on the breakfast show on BBC Wiltshire too (yeah, up early to prepare!) Look forward to seeing anyone who can join us this evening - or indeed who comes to the 07:30 radio interview / live broadcast at Chippenham Station Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: bobm on September 21, 2017, 06:49:44 Come and join us tonight!
(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/postcpm2.jpg) Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: ChrisB on September 21, 2017, 10:14:00 Early issues raised with us prior to tonight's meeting noted at http://www.chrug.org.uk/earlyissues.pdf Quote the switch on will continue in stages as far as Thingley Junction to the west of Chippenham. Isn't Thingley Junction to the East of Chippenham? Where the line joins the main line west of Swindon? Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: bobm on September 21, 2017, 10:20:13 Sorry definitely to the west..
(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/thingley.png) Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: ChrisB on September 21, 2017, 10:43:52 oh, I'm confusing Wooten Bassett with Thingley....
Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: grahame on September 22, 2017, 10:29:34 Good meeting ... writeup to follow
Key issues raised on the evening ... 1. Development plans around station and effect on passenger access and flows 2. Lack of backup to access platform in wheelchair if lift fails late at night 3. Commute to Bath and Bristol / late return - extended hours needed on London-centric service 4. What's needed in the next franchise. Also desire of a good proportion of attendees to be involved / set up group. I'm personally delighted to see an interest in some of the long term stuff as well as the current daily; looks good for long term working of community and rail for mutually sensible development! Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: ChrisB on September 22, 2017, 10:59:32 2 - assuming a help point is situated correctly, contact using that & a taxi would be supplied, either to final destination or nearest station that wiuld allow connection into service required.
For the number of likely users, that is likely to be sufficuent provision Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: grahame on September 22, 2017, 16:06:25 2 - assuming a help point is situated correctly, contact using that & a taxi would be supplied, either to final destination or nearest station that wiuld allow connection into service required. For the number of likely users, that is likely to be sufficuent provision There is a help point at Chippenham. Not sure how said taxi would collect a passenger dropped off the train and stuck on the island platform if the lift was broken though, which was the concern being expressed, now that the barrow crossing isn't available. Taxi solution semi-works for people catching late night trains out; I believe there are 2 available in the Chippenham area on Cabfind, though anyone being put into a taxi because they can't board a late night train will find they're later than intended at wherever the can takes them - so if they're catching the last London train, a drop off at Swindon could well be after the last London train has left there ... Frankly, the solution is to keep the lift in order; the issue causing the concern was if (1) the lift and failed and (2) the train manager failed to realise this as he helped the wheelchair off the train. So it's remote. The risk of harm to a wheelchair user dropped off (but still able to use the help point, unless you have a third failure) isn't a danger, but a risk of irritation - so the overall answer to a risk evaluation is "be aware, don't panic, reassure the customer" and not "lets spend a lot more money on a backup system of some sort". Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: ChrisB on September 26, 2017, 09:57:11 Lift failure will be he sort of thing that TMs are told about via text or tablet....ther solution is to be collected by the next train,. taken to a station suitable for exit & put in a cab from there to home. Well late, so suitable comp would follow. Hopefully, the original TM would discuss beforehand with the pax & deal accordingly on their initial journey. So Swindon/Bath & a taxi off the original train & a taxi home.
Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: grahame on September 30, 2017, 15:43:13 Request for input on late / early train aspirations - written up at http://atrebatia.info/next_cpm.pdf ... comments welcome in next 48 hours.
Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group Post by: grahame on October 11, 2017, 23:43:20 http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/15564871.Chippenham_to_get_their_own_rail_users_group/
Title: Chippenham - facilities, improvements, parking, events and incidents - merged posts Post by: grahame on August 30, 2018, 15:43:26 Chippenham Borough Lands Charity, Jubilee Buildings
32 Market Place, Chippenham, SN15 3HP from 19:00, all welcome Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group - 11th October 2018 Post by: grahame on October 11, 2018, 14:14:00 Agenda
CHRUG Meeting 11th October 2018 7pm to 9pm Chippenham Borough Lands, Ground Floor Meeting Room, 32 Market Place , Chippenham, SN15 3HP 1. Welcome and register of attending, any apologies 2. Introduction of new members 3. Minutes of previous meeting points arising and corrections 4. Update from TransWilts Community Rail. 5. Update from Town Council (NM) 6. Discussion future agenda items, • Operational issues • Bus/train links • Passenger survey • Chippenham rail publication/brochure • Speaker programme • Membership campaign • Committee formation 7. Next Meeting Thursday 10th January 2019, 7pm at Borough Lands Meeting Room. Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group - 11th October 2018, 10th January 2019 Post by: Lee on October 12, 2018, 09:56:50 Anyone attend last night, and have any meeting notes/minutes to share?
Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group - 11th October 2018, 10th January 2019 Post by: grahame on October 12, 2018, 13:30:09 Anyone attend last night, and have any meeting notes/minutes to share? I attended and can write up a few notes; two meetings today though - so will need to wait for this evening. Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group - 11th October 2018, 10th January 2019 Post by: Lee on October 12, 2018, 13:31:01 Many thanks :)
Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group - 11th October 2018, 10th January 2019 Post by: grahame on October 12, 2018, 17:34:04 Anyone attend last night, and have any meeting notes/minutes to share? I attended and can write up a few notes; two meetings today though - so will need to wait for this evening. Done for me - here are the minutes Quote Minutes Chippenham Rail Users Group 11th October 2018 Held at Chippenham Borough Lands Ground Floor Room 1. Present: David Long, Robin Summerhill, Steve Puddy, Gail Delahaye, Paul Johnson, Graham Ellis, John Scragg 2. Apologises – Horace Prickett, (Dr Nick Murray at Chippenham Sadlers Mead Councillors meeting) 3. Minutes previous meeting accepted as true record and any points arising were included in the meeting Agenda. 4. Update from TransWilts CRP (Paul Johnson and GrahamEllis) • Introduction of 2019 timetable further delayed until stability of railway secured - likely to be delayed to December 2019 to May 2019. • Overcrowding on Cardiff to Portsmouth as new trains can’t yet run on whole route. • Engineering disruptions and staffing difficulties continue to seriously affect the performance on the TransWilts line. • Newbury engineering closures. The last closure ends this week 12th October 2018, rest of electrification works will be conducted at night and at weekends. • Christmas Closures. Westbury Station closed from 23rd December to 4th January. Paddington closed 23rd - 26th December and 30th/31st Dec reopens 2nd January. North Downs Gatwick line closed Christmas to 30th December. • Fare consultation closed in September with no clear outcome • Result of GW route consultation is reflected in some welcome changes in the published outcome. Splitting of the franchise cancelled. • Scale of disruption on TransWilts line led to cancellation of planned carers trip to Weymouth as being too risky on Sunday connections. (If had operated would have been 60 minutes arriving at Weymouth) • New Sadlers Mead Car Parking presentation to councillors was also on 11th October with a multi storey car park at the Olympiad site as part of the Chippenham Hub Scheme for additional car parking. The meeting again discussed the need for a solution to the North side of Chippenham station, car parking and access. • North side lift. Paul Johnson confirmed he had put in a “back stop” request for funding to the GWR Accessibility fund. However it is still expected that the north side lift will be an early delivery from the Station Hub project. • Robin Sumerhill reported continued problems with north side ticket machine and the problem with re-entry to the station from cigarette breaks. • Fares. Rail card options are difficult to access via the ticket machine. How to organise split tickets? • Paul Johnson reported that the use of mobile phone tickets was working well. Questions arose regarding the use of multiple tickets on one phone, for example passengers on a group save ticket. To be followed up for a response from GWR. • Gail Delahaye raised the issue of mobility impaired passengers accessing lifts and toilets, Current requirement is return to the ticket office entrance, which is a distance penalty compared to on-platform exit gate. • GWR Direct Award extension to 2020 with a potential further 2 or 4 years. The latter extension provides the opportunity to incorporate some franchise responses in the specification. • Signage. There is a lack of signage regarding exit to town and lack of brochure information. It was noted the lift internal signage display is faulty. • Cycling capacity is in short supply and the intended additional capacity in the Station Hub project to be clarified. 5. Future Agenda items were discussed and the suggested priorities were • Operational Issues and performance as a permanent agenda item. Robin Summerhill provided an interesting and useful summary of train performance during his recent travels. Graham Ellis requested the detail by email to share with his “coffee shop” members for further analysis. • A station survey campaign combined with CHRUG membership campaign brochure. • Need for a station poster point and brochure rack for rail/ town information brochures. - seek funding • A station manager or deputy to speak at a later meeting (April) • Next meeting (Jan) to discuss committee formation. 6. Meeting Closed 8.30 pm 7. Next meeting 10th January 2019 at Chippenham Borough Lands, Ground Floor Room, 32 Market Place, SN15 3HP at 7pm to 9pm. 8. 2019 calendar of meetings : 10 January, 11 April, 11 July, 10 October 2019 Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group - 11th October 2018, 10th January 2019 Post by: Lee on October 13, 2018, 10:08:21 Thanks grahame
7. Next meeting 10th January 2019 at Chippenham Borough Lands, Ground Floor Room, 32 Market Place, SN15 3HP at 7pm to 9pm. 8. 2019 calendar of meetings : 10 January, 11 April, 11 July, 10 October 2019 That's an "ambitious" meeting schedule isn't it? You'll have forgotten what each other looks like by the time the next one comes around! Why such a long gap between meetings? Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group - 11th October 2018, 10th January 2019 Post by: ChrisB on October 24, 2018, 10:02:47 quarterly?....about right?
Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group - 11th October 2018, 10th January 2019 Post by: grahame on January 05, 2019, 08:39:55 Note different venue for next week's Chippenham Rail User Group meeting. "Paul" is Paul Johnson, Chair of TransWilts - contact details at https://www.transwilts.org/contact-us .
Quote Dear All Firstly a Happy New Year to you all. Our next meeting is on Thursday 10th January at 7pm. Note the venue will be the Town Hall as we will be having a presentation and stakeholder consultation from GWR on the proposed enhancement scheme at Chippenham Station. This is an important opportunity to see the station proposals and ask questions. I would encourage you and your Chippenham colleagues to attend - it is a public meeting. best regards Paul Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group - 11th October 2018, 10th January 2019 Post by: grahame on January 07, 2019, 14:40:26 Chippenham Town Council advertising this on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/chipptowncouncil/photos/a.814520281974597/2071754949584451 Quote Have your say on our local train station facilities by attending the TransWilts Chippenham Rail Users Group meeting at the Town Hall on Thursday 10th January at 7pm. Title: Chippenham - facilities, improvements, parking, events and incidents - merged posts Post by: grahame on January 25, 2019, 07:39:19 Call for volunteers from TransWilts via https://www.facebook.com/TransWilts/posts/1734956723271029
Quote TransWilts January 23 at 9:33 PM · 👍👍✔✔🔔🔔✔✔🔔🔔✔✔🛎🛎🛎🛎 Fancy making a difference to your Wiltshire community!?......... We are organising a survey over several days at Chippenham Station to provide evidence of the issues and to provide data on the usage at Chippenham including passenger destinations, transport used to the station and frequency of travel. We will supply questionnaires and brochures for the survey. We're seeking volunteers who can be on a rota to attend at the station and count passengers at exits and entrances or issue/collect questionnaires. The larger volunteer force we have - the less work for each individual. We will be at the station from Mon 28th to Thu 31st Jan and Sat 2nd Feb (3 shifts a day). The station has several entrances and exits so to be effective we will need small teams working together. Hopefully by participating you will enjoy meeting other volunteers, meeting staff and have some fun as well. Plus the lovely station cafe (Hearty Hare) will provide you with a free hot drink and sarnie and we will cover £10 parking fee. If you would be happy to volunteer on at least one day or one shift please let me know. The more the merrier......👍👍🧐 Please contact me at Sophie@TransWilts.org ✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅ There will also be a much smaller survey at Melksham the following week organised by the Melksham Rail User Group - separate post to follow. Title: Re: 28th January to 2nd Feb - Survey at Chippenham Station Post by: eXPassenger on January 25, 2019, 13:59:33 I note that they are covering the parking fee for a rail travel event. No mention of a train fare.
Title: Re: 28th January to 2nd Feb - Survey at Chippenham Station Post by: grahame on January 25, 2019, 14:13:14 I note that they are covering the parking fee for a rail travel event. No mention of a train fare. Travel arrangements are being / have been made with Great Western so that anyone travelling to assist by train will be given a letter of authority to travel; you will NOT be expected to pay GWR for travel on one of their trains to assist in the survey that's designed to help them. I suspect that eyebrows might be raised if volunteers for really distant places sign up - best check with Sophie. Title: Re: 28th January to 2nd Feb - Survey at Chippenham Station Post by: grahame on February 16, 2019, 12:12:07 Late follow up ... factors such as poor weather, and Chippenham Station having four sets of barriers, made this a difficult survey to conducts, to the extent that the number of sessions was significantly reduced. I now understand (from a TransWilts director) that data was being gathered for GWR and only the briefest of summaries is available (as yet?). I've lost the tweet that told me the number of passengers counted in total and number of survey completed - think it was approaching 200 and around 6,000.
I hope that those of us who froze our butts off to help gather the data will get a little more feedback than "commercial in confidence" at some point ... I feel if the data's being gathered for purely commercial purposes and not for wider information, then perhaps it should be gathered by people who are being paid commercially to gather it! Edit to add - Thank you to the member who found the tweet for me ... 4 days, 6,721 entries and exits, 196 surveys, 13 great community rail volunteers. And it does include "A huge thank you everyone" ;D Title: Chippenham - facilities, improvements, parking, events and incidents - merged posts Post by: grahame on March 01, 2019, 06:58:02 From The Gazette and Herald (https://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/17467036.repairs-to-brunels-railway-arches-will-finish-in-spring/)
Quote THE Grade II listed Chippenham railway arches are undergoing major repairs as part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan. Repairs to Brunel's railway arches will finish in spring. The viaduct, where New Road meets Marshfield Road, is one of the town’s best-known landmarks and has been partly fenced while work is underway. A spokesman from Network Rail said: “The natural deterioration of the Bath stonework and original brick construction is such that some parts of the structure are crumbling, which in some instances has required the closure of adjacent roads and footpaths. These works will address those areas that are most in need of repair.” The work, which will be finish in spring, includes the removal of vegetation, the replacement or repair of damaged bricks and Bath stone, and the repair of cracks through the structure. The nine-arch viaduct, which has limestone on the north side and brick on the south, was built in 1841 to carry Brunel’s Great Western Railway over the town. Title: Re: Brunel's Viaduct over Chippenham - major repairs Post by: SandTEngineer on March 01, 2019, 10:08:17 ...now, I wonder who let the vegetation grow to cause the problems in the first place..... ::) :P
Title: Re: Brunel's Viaduct over Chippenham - major repairs Post by: Red Squirrel on March 01, 2019, 12:25:37 Quote ...as part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan... Shouldn't this be covered by the Raliway Maintenance Plan? Wossat? Oh, I see... Title: Re: Brunel's Viaduct over Chippenham - major repairs Post by: GBM on March 03, 2019, 11:13:43 "Not us guv. Blame our cutbacks on our paymaster" ;D
Title: Re: Brunel's Viaduct over Chippenham - major repairs Post by: TonyK on March 03, 2019, 16:41:10 For it to have lasted for over 170 years is testament to the strength of the design. I shall doff my stovepipe hat in deference. With modern methods of fixing it, it should be good for another 20 years or so. ;D
Title: Re: Brunel's Viaduct over Chippenham - major repairs Post by: grahame on March 03, 2019, 16:57:34 ...now, I wonder who let the vegetation grow to cause the problems in the first place..... ::) :P Doesn't it rather depend on who let it get into the state such the vegetation could take hold For it to have lasted for over 170 years is testament to the strength of the design. I shall doff my stovepipe hat in deference. With modern methods of fixing it, it should be good for another 20 years or so. ;D Prior to 1948, it was the responsibility of GWR who owned the track as well as the trains from then until 1994, it was British Railways for the next 8 years - to 2002, it was Railtrack and in the recent past it has been Network Rail As I understand it, some (but perhaps not enough) people and expertise has been passed down, so that each acquiring body in turn really shouldn't have been walking in with any doubt as to what they were taking on. Title: Re: Brunel's Viaduct over Chippenham - major repairs Post by: SandTEngineer on March 03, 2019, 17:27:48 Having worked for three of those companies (no, not the first one ::)) I could tell you from frontline experience where it was allowed to go to pot, but I'll let you guess..... :P
Title: Re: Brunel's Viaduct over Chippenham - major repairs Post by: SandTEngineer on March 07, 2019, 21:28:31 Now then I wasn't aware of this (but might have missed it if we discussed it elsewhere):
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/network-rail-vegetation-management-review-valuing-nature-a-railway-for-people-and-wildlife Title: Re: Brunel's Viaduct over Chippenham - major repairs Post by: grahame on March 07, 2019, 21:41:45 Now then I wasn't aware of this (but might have missed it if we discussed it elsewhere): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/network-rail-vegetation-management-review-valuing-nature-a-railway-for-people-and-wildlife More of a weekend read than a bedtime one. Railways and canals are certainly nature corridors as well as train an boat ones ... a subject I've seen before, but nor sure if we have a thread ... best I could come up with was http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14268.msg157553#msg157553. But there are community rail groups encouraging bee keeping on (suburban / inner city? ) platforms to use the corridors. Title: Chippenham - facilities, improvements, parking, events and incidents - merged posts Post by: grahame on April 10, 2019, 15:31:35 See https://twitter.com/TransWiltsCIC/status/1115974495217623040
(http://www.wellho.net/pix/chrug_20190418_3.jpg) Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group meeting - 18th April 2019 Post by: Robin Summerhill on April 11, 2019, 10:56:19 Spot of luck you posted that - I've been all set to go to the Jubilee Building tonight! ;D
Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group meeting - 18th April 2019 Post by: bradshaw on April 20, 2019, 09:03:39 https://twitter.com/ecologyminded/status/1119153897673592832?s=21 Quote Good news from Chippenham Rail Users Group. GWR have commissioned preliminary design options for regenerating Chippenham Station. ChRUG are adopting and will become Friends of the Station, joining Community Rail initiatives round the UK, affiliating to @ACoRPOffice Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group meeting - 11th July 2019 Post by: grahame on July 05, 2019, 16:11:41 Next meeting of Chippenham Rail User Group - 11th July. See TransWilts Event Calendar (https://transwilts.org/2019/04/23/events-calendar/).
Title: Re: Chippenham Rail User Group meeting - 2019 meetings Post by: grahame on July 08, 2019, 15:00:55 And from TransWilts Twitter feed this morning.
Quote Our next CHRUG/FOCS 'Friends of Chippenham Station' will be held at @ChipBoroughLC this Thurs 11th July from 7pm. We very much hope to see you there. 🌞😀👌 #communityrail #FOCS Title: Chippenham - facilities, improvements, parking, events and incidents - merged posts Post by: grahame on March 06, 2020, 10:28:07 From Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157909655328286&set=a.10150696375613286&type=3&theater)
(http://www.wellho.net/pix/focs_20200311.jpg) Title: Re: 11th March 2020 - Friends of Chippenham Station, public meeting Post by: SandTEngineer on March 06, 2020, 10:37:48 How about electrifying onwards to Bristol....... ::)
Title: Re: 11th March 2020 - Friends of Chippenham Station, public meeting Post by: grahame on March 07, 2020, 06:53:58 How about electrifying onwards to Bristol....... ::) As a local input, very welcome I suspect. As a job for volunteers, I suspect not. Title: Re: 11th March 2020 - Friends of Chippenham Station, public meeting Post by: SandTEngineer on March 07, 2020, 20:52:50 How about electrifying onwards to Bristol....... ::) As a local input, very welcome I suspect. As a job for volunteers, I suspect not. I was thinking more along the lines of persuading those who oppose the station footbridge being altered, to allow the electrification to be extend onwards westwards...... Title: Re: 11th March 2020 - Friends of Chippenham Station, public meeting Post by: Robin Summerhill on March 08, 2020, 15:04:25 I'm not sure that anybody is opposing the alterations to the footbridge (I am on the committe of FOCS so I should know if someone has)
As understand it, it is simply a case of not worth spending the money on it until electrification is authorised through to Bath Title: Chippenham - facilities, improvements, parking, events and incidents - merged posts Post by: Robin Summerhill on May 05, 2020, 10:49:09 A query has arisen elsewhere over when the old down main platform at Chippenham was taken out of use.
I have always been under the impression that it happened at the same time as the Multiple Aspect Signalling programme was being carried out in 1970/71 (this was at the time when the then new Bristol Panel box was opened). Others are of the opinion that the old down main platform was still in use until 1976, and the track to the current down main platform (currently platform 1) had previously beeen lifted. My theory is not evidenced relying solely on memory, and theirs appear to rely on newspaper articles, neither of which could be said to be 100% reliable! It did strike me that if the "1976 theory" was correct that would probably have involved changes to signalling, and not just a simple case of slewing the track from one platform to another. Do any of the learned and wise on the foum know what actually happened? Title: Re: Chippenham station and track layout Post by: bradshaw on May 05, 2020, 12:26:05 According to R A Cooke's Track Layout Diagrams Section 21 Bath and Westbury p12 the down line was SLEWED to the island platform on 1st February 1976.
See attached image Title: Re: Chippenham station and track layout Post by: Zoe on May 05, 2020, 12:33:52 I have always been under the impression that it happened at the same time as the Multiple Aspect Signalling programme was being carried out in 1970/71 (this was at the time when the then new Bristol Panel box was opened). Chippenham would have been resignalled a little earlier than that (as part of the late 1960s Swindon MAS scheme).Title: Re: Chippenham station and track layout Post by: IndustryInsider on May 05, 2020, 12:35:08 According to R A Cooke's Track Layout Diagrams Section 21 Bath and Westbury p12 the down line was SLEWED to the island platform on 1st February 1976. Presumably as part of the HST introduction allowing for higher linespeeds? Interesting to see that it doesn't look like there were ever three through platforms as I had always assumed. Title: Re: Chippenham station and track layout Post by: Robin Summerhill on May 05, 2020, 12:48:11 Thanks for the information.
I will be very useful indeed as the Friends of Chippenham Station are putting together a display to commemorate the 180th anniversary of the station in 2021. Its always important to get the facts right in such things because somebody will soon point out any errors when it goes up in the Waiting Room! Title: Re: Chippenham station and track layout Post by: bradshaw on May 05, 2020, 14:07:48 We lived in Chippenham c1950, the house was on New Road just up from the station. Still have hazy memories of seeing the gas turbine at the station and a trip to Calne. We left in 1951, moving to Crewkerne.
Title: Re: Chippenham station and track layout Post by: grahame on May 05, 2020, 14:33:58 According to R A Cooke's Track Layout Diagrams Section 21 Bath and Westbury p12 the down line was SLEWED to the island platform on 1st February 1976. Presumably as part of the HST introduction allowing for higher linespeeds? Interesting to see that it doesn't look like there were ever three through platforms as I had always assumed. I think you need to go back further (http://www.wellho.net/pix/veryoldcpm.jpg) A query has arisen elsewhere over when the old down main platform at Chippenham was taken out of use. I have always been under the impression that it happened at the same time as the Multiple Aspect Signalling programme was being carried out in 1970/71 (this was at the time when the then new Bristol Panel box was opened). Others are of the opinion that the old down main platform was still in use until 1976, and the track to the current down main platform (currently platform 1) had previously beeen lifted. Do any of the learned and wise on the forum know what actually happened? My understanding is that prior to the HSTs coming in as the major service providers, Bristol bound trains called at what is now the empty platform by the booking office. There were basically two bays (ending in what are now back to back buffer stops) at what is now the platform for trains to Bristol ... at some point an extra inset on the London end of that provided a further bay and you can still see that in the canopy. Come the HSTs, the double-bay stuff was taken out, the platform widened at the Bath Spa end and the through track re-aligned to allow for HSTs to go through very fast - after all, there will never be a time that all trains call at Chippenham, will there? The re-alignment and widening of the platform means there is no longer room for two independent tracks once you get towards the end of the platform, but I believe it would be possible to put in a local platform for a three car local train. There's even a yellow line for you to stand behind already provided, and a useful gate to allow access to the local train from inside or outside the "passenger only" area depending on how 'selective door' is used! Title: Re: Chippenham station and track layout Post by: RA on May 05, 2020, 16:41:50 Chippenham station has seen numerous alterations over the course of its history. The original station, opened in 1841 and built in an Italianate style, was heavily altered after the completion of the route to Weymouth and Salisbury in the 1850s. An island platform was built, creating a down direction bay and a train shed was provided. A bay for Calne services was provided at the up end of the island platform. The train shed was removed in the early 1900s and replaced with the canopies that are still there today. At the turn of the century, the down bay platform was converted to a through line, however being controlled by both West and East signal boxes required special working arrangements. To negate this, the bay was soon re-established by the erection of back-to-back buffer stops, with the line to the east of the buffers becoming a siding with the curious name of 'New Found Out' (NFO).
The excellent post by Bradshaw shows the dates for the closure of the various sections of infrastructure at Chippenham. Chippenham was resignalled with Multiple Aspect Signalling, coming under the control of Swindon PSB as part of Stage 2 (Wootton Bassett to Thingley) of the Swindon resignalling scheme in December 1966. The slewing of the track to the island platform required the demolition of a wooden station building. A refreshment room stood behind the buffer stops of the Calne bay, adjacent to what would have been the NFO siding. This was demolished in 1975. This allowed the former Calne bay to be completely infilled, as it had already been partially infilled with a ramp down to a barrow crossing leading to the east end of the original down main platform following the Calne branch closure. This allowed the down main line to be slewed across to the island platform, allowing a complete HST formation to be accommodated at the platform. What is now the down main line is, to the west of the original footbridge, the location of the down bay. East of the footbridge is the location of the NFO siding. For anyone who may be interested, the location of the demolished wooden building is easily identifiable today. The canopy at the eastern end of the current down platform stops abruptly and retreats away at a right angle away from the edge of the down platform. This was where the building was situated. The filled in Calne bay is also identifiable for the same reason with the canopy only covering half of the island platform at the eastern end of the station. The former Fish Dock and the former Parcels Dock are also still extant at the east end of the station near the current taxi rank. Title: Re: Chippenham station and track layout Post by: Zoe on May 05, 2020, 16:56:07 Chippenham was resignalled with Multiple Aspect Signalling, coming under the control of Swindon PSB as part of Stage 2 (Wootton Bassett to Thingley) of the Swindon resignalling scheme in December 1966. I don't have the notice to hand, but seeing as Swindon PSB (and the associated Chippenham remoted interlocking) were not comissioned until 1968, presumably the new signals were initially controlled more locally (possibly by Thingley Junction)?Title: Re: Chippenham station and track layout Post by: RA on May 05, 2020, 17:03:57 Chippenham was resignalled with Multiple Aspect Signalling, coming under the control of Swindon PSB as part of Stage 2 (Wootton Bassett to Thingley) of the Swindon resignalling scheme in December 1966. I don't have the notice to hand, but seeing as Swindon PSB (and the associated Chippenham remoted interlocking) were not comissioned until 1968, presumably the new signals were initially controlled more locally (possibly by Thingley Junction)?Well spotted. Should say stage 6 (Hay Lane to Thingley and Hullavington) March 1968 instead. I had a pile of notices in front of me and read the date from the wrong one. D'oh! Stage two was the abolition of Chippenham East SB and the closure of Langley Crossing box. Title: Re: Chippenham station and track layout Post by: MalcolmFromChipp on January 03, 2021, 11:19:54 I am new to this and may have just issued a reply in the wrong way! Anyway, here it is. Sorry if it appears multiple times.
Only just spotted this and I imagine you have all the info you need, but I?ll still add my contribution. The track was indeed slewed across on 01 February 1976; I was there in person to watch it. Here is some background information. The work was undertaken in order to iron out a tight reverse curve on the Down Main line at the west end of the station. This reverse curve caused a speed limit of 90mph. With the introduction of the new HST, 125mph was required and so the solution was to slide the track across. This removed the problem and allowed the full line speed to be realised. This was the only reason for the work; the former platform 1 having already been extended through the site of the old West signal box in order to accommodate 12 coach trains. Incidentally, the platform extension was achieved by reusing prefabricated concrete platform sections recovered from Box Mill Lane Halt. These were removed from Chippenham within weeks of the track slew taking place. The line through Chippenham (Wootton Basset to Box) was resignalled for the coming of the HST; signals re-spaced for the higher speeds, additional signals provided to shorten long block sections, and bi-directional signalling provided for additional flexibility. Some of this was installed prior to the track slew while the remainder was completed a while afterwards. Because Chippenham had already been significantly rationalised before anyone thought about the track slew, the track slew itself didn?t require any signalling alterations except for three relatively simple adjustments. The bay platforms and associated connections had already been removed a few years before, leaving only a simple ground frame controlled connection to the down side yard. When the track was slewed, this connection was abolished and so the ground frame circuitry had to be removed from the signalling system. The next signalling adjustment was to a signal at the west end of platform 1. This colourlight repeater signal (SN72R) had been provided only a couple of years (or so) before, in readiness for the overall signalling upgrade. When the track was slewed, this signal was moved sideways to follow the track. This signal was later to become a full stop signal and renumbered SN70 as part of the completion of the signalling work. The third signalling alteration involved the relocation of the barrow crossing and the associated white light indicators. As the lights were driven by the signalling system, moving them from the east end of platform 1 to the west end caused a change to the track circuit (train detection) sections that controlled them. Much of the platform face wall of the old Weymouth bay (which became the new Down platform) had to be rebuilt as a new concrete block wall, located further out to meet the new track alignment. This made the island platform noticeably wider at the west end. Only a short section of original red brick platform wall remains visible, located under the platform canopy. The east end, as already noted by others, was widened due to the infilling of the Calne bay and the removal of the old up-side buildings. Finally, the two footbridges were raised by a couple of feet in order to increase headroom, the new track was slightly higher, greater aerodynamic clearance was required, and unobstructed sighting of the new signal at the west end was necessary. Overall, it seemed to be a lot of work just to raise the speed limit but in those days two out of three trains ran through Chippenham non-stop and so it made complete sense. Also, dozens of these speed raising projects were undertaken between Paddington and Bristol (including the Badminton line), and lots of seemingly minor speed improvements added-up to a considerable time saving overall. Title: Re: Chippenham station and track layout Post by: bobm on January 03, 2021, 11:24:23 Thank you very much for that information - it increased my knowledge of the station area.
Welcome to the forum! Title: Re: Chippenham station and track layout Post by: MalcolmFromChipp on January 03, 2021, 15:12:10 Thank you for letting me join. I hope my info will be useful.
Title: Re: Chippenham station and track layout Post by: grahame on January 03, 2021, 15:15:34 Thank you for letting me join. I hope my info will be useful. Fascinatingly useful - thank YOU and welcome. Please join in with other topics too (or start some if you wish) - we're a friendly bunch for the most part, and our backroom team happy to hep with questions you may have of us. Title: Chippenham - facilities, improvements, parking, events and incidents - merged posts Post by: infoman on December 08, 2021, 07:45:35 https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Chippenham-Station-106794530948472/
Title: Chippenham - facilities, improvements, parking, events and incidents - merged posts Post by: infoman on March 20, 2022, 16:42:58 https://apis.mail.aol.com/ws/v3/mailboxes/@.id==VjN-kHxcT7Lr79Afg-YynCw7NFFN9OVv3DYkeQSCszoMgiFBU0uGUzy2cFnLF8xPqhp-c02QivdEszpNeFeA8CLsZg/messages/@.id==ABr8hKgWaw5uYjc6uwuFOBbQeJg/content/parts/@.id==2.2/thumbnail?appid=aolwebmail&downloadWhenThumbnailFails=true&pid=2.2
Title: Re: wanna take part in a Chippenham litter pick? Post by: grahame on March 20, 2022, 16:52:08 Sorry - need an AOL account to follow that link ... and you quote a bit please (or someone with an AOL account tell me more)
Is this the one that was postponed last month at the station? https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Chippenham-Station-106794530948472 15th March, they wrote Quote Coming soon - a date for our rescheduled litter pick. Keep in touch so you can come and join us. Title: Re: wanna take part in a Chippenham litter pick? Post by: bobm on March 20, 2022, 17:14:36 (http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/chiplit.jpg)
Title: Re: wanna take part in a Chippenham litter pick? Post by: grahame on March 20, 2022, 17:21:08 Thanks, Bob
Title: Re: wanna take part in a Chippenham litter pick? Post by: infoman on March 20, 2022, 18:16:36 Sorry Grahame,did not know that the AOL account did not allow the links.
Thanks to bobm for putting up the link. Lets hope for a good turnout Title: Chippenham - facilities, improvements, parking - merged posts Post by: grahame on September 18, 2023, 14:12:44 From Rail Advent (https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2023/09/28-electric-vehicle-chargers-installed-at-wiltshire-railway-station.html)
Quote 28 new EV charging stations have been installed at the Cocklebury Road car park at Chippenham Station in Wiltshire, bringing to about 500 EV charging stations available at Network Rail's key commuter stations. The chargers were installed by APCOA and Network Rail working in partnership with Compleo, which is one of Europe's leading, full-service providers of EV charging technology, and Network Rail's contractor AmcoGiffen. All 28 chargers are Compleo's eBOX Professional chargers and are rated at 22kW. Chippenham station is centrally located in the town, and as well as the chargers being available to railway passengers, they are also available for use by the town's shoppers and visitors, and visitors to the nearby Wiltshire College. Title: Re: New chargers at Chippenham Station Post by: CyclingSid on September 19, 2023, 06:50:24 Be interesting to know how their charging prices compare with other public charging points. I know that there is a wide range of pricing.
Title: Re: New chargers at Chippenham Station Post by: ChrisB on September 19, 2023, 08:03:22 Presumably on top of paying the car park charge? So rather expsnsive for those not using the railway too?
Title: Dropping off fine, Chippenham Station Car Park Post by: grahame on October 16, 2023, 08:19:41 Behind a paywall at the Gazette and Herald (https://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/23854481.driver-fined-chippenham-train-station-short-stay-car-park/)
Quote Driver fined at Chippenham train station short-stay car park A Wiltshire couple were left “fuming” after being slapped with a parking fine for dropping their son off at a railway station. and backed up by a picture of them standing in front of a "Pick up and Drop off only - 20 minute limit" sign. Title: Re: Dropping off fine, Chippenham Station Car Park Post by: ellendune on October 16, 2023, 14:03:13 ....and backed up by a picture of them standing in front of a "Pick up and Drop off only - 20 minute limit" sign. Yes, but they did not spend 14 hours there as alleged, they visited twice. on both occasions for less than 20 minutes. The car park company refused the appeal. I know someone who had the same issue elsewhere and had to get her employer to certify that she had been at work in the intervening period before the rail company concerned backed down! Title: Re: Dropping off fine, Chippenham Station Car Park Post by: Ralph Ayres on October 16, 2023, 16:52:30 Off topic, but it's the first time I've come across a local news website with a paywall. They're normally desperate for you to visit so they can swamp your screen with ads and clickbait to more ads.
Back on topic, a local retail park has a "No return within 3 (or similar - I forget the detail!) hours" rule for parking. Not quite sure what they're trying to achieve, but it makes it difficult to drop someone off to pick up later, or nip back 'cos you've forgotten something or the thing you bought is faulty, without the risk of having to fend off attempts to levy a (probably unenforceable) penalty. Title: Re: Dropping off fine, Chippenham Station Car Park Post by: Timmer on October 16, 2023, 17:14:20 And how many people just pay up not wanting to risk the fine doubling after 14 days or the hoops you have to jump through to appeal to get it reversed?
If you were to carry out a survey, I suspect you’ll find many motorists have been caught out by these private parking companies at some point. After all their cameras cover: Airports Hotels Railway stations Pubs/Restaurants Hospitals Shopping Centres Service stations Supermarkets Easy money once you’ve stuck a couple of cameras up and leave it to a computer system start issuing the fines. Title: Re: Dropping off fine, Chippenham Station Car Park Post by: ellendune on October 16, 2023, 17:54:33 Back on topic, a local retail park has a "No return within 3 (or similar - I forget the detail!) hours" rule for parking. Not quite sure what they're trying to achieve, but it makes it difficult to drop someone off to pick up later, or nip back 'cos you've forgotten something or the thing you bought is faulty, without the risk of having to fend off attempts to levy a (probably unenforceable) penalty. I think the idea is to allow for the parking enforcement, who cannot be there full time, a reasonable time to come round between visits. Otherwise someone could say they had left and returned after 5 minutes. This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. Views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |