Weymouth cancellation 23/12

[whole diary]

[phile]

Noticed on Journey Check that 17 07 Weston-super-Mare to Weymouth terminates Bristol TM^▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context) due member of traincrew not available.   Passengers advised to catch the next service.   Is this advice acceptable when the next service is some 3 hours later and arrives Weymouth after 2300 at night ?

[swrural]

My son finishes work at 1800 tomorrow in Bristol and there is no train after that to Dorchester West (except via Southampton and reverse later on.  So we are forced to use the car to go up to fetch him.  After hearing this story, we would not have trusted it anyway.   What a shambles.

[JayMac]

Noticed on Journey Check that 17 07 Weston-super-Mare to Weymouth terminates Bristol TM^▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context) due member of traincrew not available.   Passengers advised to catch the next service.   Is this advice acceptable when the next service is some 3 hours later and arrives Weymouth after 2300 at night ?

I would hope that any passengers for Dorchester, Upwey or Weymouth holding 'Via Yeovil' tickets would have them endorsed to allow travel via Southampton. Those for Pen Mill being allowed to travel via Salisbury to Yeovil Junction (or provided with a taxi) and the rest, to the likes of Frome, Bruton, Castle Cary, Bruton, Maiden Newton and the shacks given a taxi. The passengers I would really be concerned for are those waiting for the train at those unmanned stations. I hope the help point responses are up to scratch and alternative transport is provided with the minimum of fuss.

My son finishes work at 1800 tomorrow in Bristol and there is no train after that to Dorchester West (except via Southampton and reverse later on.  So we are forced to use the car to go up to fetch him.  After hearing this story, we would not have trusted it anyway.   What a shambles.

A not unusual state of affairs on Christmas with the early shutdown. Although on routes where there is already a sparse service it can mean the last train is relatively early in the day. In this case it's 1749. Your son would have been hanging around until 2049 though even if there wasn't the early shutdown. Was there a reason why (other than price) you/he didn't opt for the 1822, change at Southampton for Dorchester South?

[swrural]

Was there a reason why (other than price) you/he didn't opt for the 1822, change at Southampton for Dorchester South?

We saw that one, but simply have no trust in rail to perform.  Plus it's a 25 mile journey to Dorchester.  It was planned to spend Xmas Eve together, not the small hours of Xmas day.

At least we shall have his company from circa 1815 in the car on the way home.

Actually I doubt if he could have made the 1822 anyway from Fishponds without a mad taxi drive to TM^▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context).

Of course we could get stuck in a flood somewhere but the M5 is sound to Taunton, then over the Blackdowns to keep up high (Axminster bypass is on an embankment, being a recently constructed road.

I hate it, I wish it could be otherwise.  I agree with you about the souls on unmanned haltes (note GW^» (Great Western - used as an abbreviation for the area / lines under the Great Western franchise, as opposed to FGW which includes "First", the company operating them too. For tickets - about) spelling).

 

[Brucey]

The entire 1707 service was cancelled in the end.

I'm told that passengers were informed to take the next service (presumably to Westbury) with replacement road transport being sourced to run between Westbury and Weymouth.

[swrural]

I do hope my comments have not been interpreted as 'it's OK for him he has a car (two actually)'.  At least i will be giving a lift tomorrow to an otherwise stranded mate of my son.

We need to reach a point where decent public transport is provided as a right and an economic and environmental benefit.

Today's anecdotes (thanks to providers of them ) have shewn that we are a million miles from that goal.  In fact it isn't a goal.  That's how far away we are.

The 'Heart of Wessex' line is cr*p.  We all know it's cr*p.  Forget the silly slogans and just redouble the line, start building communities around the stations and resurrect what was lost.

That's my Christmas message. 

[grahame]

The entire 1707 service was cancelled in the end.

I'm told that passengers were informed to take the next service (presumably to Westbury) with replacement road transport being sourced to run between Westbury and Weymouth.

No such "luck" today ...

08:41 Gloucester to Weymouth due 12:09 This train will be terminated at Westbury.
This train will no longer call at Frome, Bruton, Castle Cary, Yeovil Pen Mill, Thornford, Yetminster, Chetnole, Maiden Newton, Dorchester West, Upwey and Weymouth.
This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.
No road transport is available due to the poor road conditions in the area.

[WSW Frome]

Some confusion on which day is being discussed here and also perhaps some harsh comments bearing in mind the current conditions.

Several trains were cancelled at/through Westbury around 22.00 on Sunday 23/12 due to crew shortages. This included the 2010 WEY the return working of the 17.07 Weston. Just possibly the crews were out of place/out of hours trying to keep the system (partially) running.

Today on Xmas Eve, the 20.49 BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) terminates at Yeovil PM. This has been practice on the Xmas and NY Eves for several years now. So a service is (potentially) provided but not all the way to WEY.

On a very positive note, I travelled FRO^» (Frome - next trains)-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) on Sunday, out 09.39 back 21.48 with no probs (except catering outward) and even an early arrival at PAD. Congrats to all at FGW^▸ (First Great Western) for a great job under the circumstances. Compliments of the season to all concerned and hope the rain stops soon.           

[grahame]

Some confusion on which day is being discussed here and also perhaps some harsh comments bearing in mind the current conditions.

Sorry if some of my comments came across as harsh - I was questioning and not criticizing.

Last night, 20:00 arrival into WEY did not run beyond Westbury, buses provided to avoid a 3 hour delay

Today,
14:08 arrival did not run beyond Westbury, no buses provided, next train 2 hours later
19:14 arrival into WEY not running beyond Bristol, next train 1 hour later. No statement on alternative
Final train terminating at Yeovil (apparently standard for Christmas Eve)

Where there's a line with an infrequent service, as on the Heart of Wessex on Sundays, a single cancellation can severley inconvenience passengers - good to see the bus provided last night (there is an irony here - probably the same number of staff involved - just different training!) . A two hour gap, no alternative, and on what would have been the "going home" train for people working the morning only today is unfortunate to say the least - 80 passengers, 2 hours each, 160 hours worth and that is a complete week of people's time.

It's my personal view that infrequent services where there is no alternative should be among the last to be cancelled. Better to thin out services on more frequent sections.  Better to add in extra calls to provide services, just slowing down others.