Bank Holiday Traffic levels

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Good Friday - so some statistics which won't translate to any other day.  Except that they tell us a bit about Bank Holiday days before the summer and marketing kick in ;-)

09:15 (Southbound) at Melksham. 8 on into Melksham. None off and 4 on. 12 users on Chippenham - Trowbridge section. 3 connecting to Weymouth, 1 headed for Westbury.

10:04 (Northbound) at Melksham. 15 on into Melksham. 4 off and 11 on. 26 users on Trowbridge - Chippenham section. Destinations included Chippenham and Swindon; not time to talk to everyone

11:15 (Southbound) at Melksham. 6 on into Melksham, none off and 11 joined. 17 users on Chippenham - Trowbridge section. 4 to Bath, 2 to Weymouth or Weston (stall had to decide as they got on the train), 1 to Westbury, 3 to Trowbridge, 1 no data.

12:04 (Northbound) at Melksham. 11 on into Melksham. 1 off and 12 on making 23 users on the Trowbridge - Chippenham section.  Travelled on this train to Swindon; 12 off and 3 on at Chippenham.

18:04 (Southbound) at Melksham.  10 on into CHIPPENHAM; 11 joined there making 21 into Melksham. 8 got off, 2 more got on making 23 on the Chippenham - Trowbridge section.

Interesting witnessing revenue protection at work ... on the 15:55 Swindon to Bristol and then on the platform at Chippenham. No further comment at the moment, in case it becomes a case.

Report that no fewer than 18 got off the 15:14 Swindon to Westbury at Melksham, but I don't have through passenger of joining counts for the "official log"

[grahame]

11:01 at Melksham to Swindon.  12 on the train into Melksham, 1 off and 6 on, so 18 users of the Trowbridge to Chippenham section.  Destinations included Swindon, Bath Spa and Preston. Got chatting to a couple of the folks so didn't have time to talk to everyone 

[grahame]

Saturday 3rd May

10:36 ex Swindon, 8 Passengers. +8 at Chippenham, -5 + 4 at Melksham, -12 + 1 at Trowbridge
= 20 using service between Chippenham and Trowbridge

11:48 at Melksham ... 11 on from Westbury; grew to 18 at Trowbridge. 1 off and 29 on at Melksham
= 47 using service between Trowbridge and Chippenham

Earlier services reported to be busy with Rugby fans heading for Twickenham; part of busyness on 11:48 (but not by any means all of the traffic) was to Swindon for football.

[grahame]

Saturday 3rd May

11:48 at Melksham ... 11 on from Westbury; grew to 18 at Trowbridge. 1 off and 29 on at Melksham
= 47 using service between Trowbridge and Chippenham

Sunday 4th May

10:05 at Melksham ... 0 on from Trowbridge. 0 off and 5 on at Melksham on way to Chippenham
= 5 using the rail replacement bus service between Trowbridge and Chippenham

[grahame]

I understand the coach was quite a "treat" for coach buffs too - the driver tells me it's a unique vehicle, manufactured in Spain and the only one of the sort they've made that's right had drive.   I only go so far as saying "nice looking coach" ...

Station has rail replacement timetable on display.  Web info point says BUS on the three services showing so far. Everyone knew it was a bus not a train.  Good ... looks like the right infos out there ...

[John R]

Saturday 3rd May

11:48 at Melksham ... 11 on from Westbury; grew to 18 at Trowbridge. 1 off and 29 on at Melksham
= 47 using service between Trowbridge and Chippenham

That's the second time that service has been noted as having 46 pax north of Melksham. And the 29 on at Melksham is the highest since records began (as they say in weather forecasting), beating the 23 that the same train saw on the Saturday before Xmas.

Out of interest, I understand the line is blocked Sun/Mon between Chippenham and Wootton Bassett for demolition of Dauntsey Lock Bridge, but could the services have run as far as Chippenham this weekend. Or even, could one or more units have run Westbury, Chippenham, Bath Spa, to provide a rail connection between Bath and Chippenham? Maybe there's other work whilst the line is blocked that precludes this?

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Dauntsey railway bridge prepared for demolition


The upgraded railway bridge at Dauntsey Lock on the B4069 will re-open in August

Engineers have begun preparing to demolish a railway bridge in Wiltshire in a ^45m rail electrification project.

The bridge on the B4069 at Dauntsey Lock has been closed for an upgrade as part of Network Rail's electrification of the Great Western railway line.

Nigel Fenn from Network Rail said: "We will plan to drop the centre span of the bridge in the very early hours of tomorrow morning."

The bridge has been closed for two months and is set to re-open in August.

Since the bridge closed, residents and businesses have complained to the rail operator and council about the disruption it has caused.

"Once we've cleared the rubble and made our preparations, we'll then start to replace the centre span and that work will go on to the very early hours of Tuesday morning," added Mr Fenn.

He also confirmed the project was running on schedule, with the bridge set to re-open on 7 August.

Concerns had been raised by people living nearby who believed it would take up to a year to complete.

Since March, engineers have been working to divert telephone lines and utilities such as gas and water pipes off the bridge.

Mr Fenn added: "It is an old structure, 100-plus years old, and significant pre-works are required until we can remove the centre of the bridge and then start to replace and reinstate it."

[grahame]

Out of interest, I understand the line is blocked Sun/Mon between Chippenham and Wootton Bassett for demolition of Dauntsey Lock Bridge, but could the services have run as far as Chippenham this weekend. Or even, could one or more units have run Westbury, Chippenham, Bath Spa, to provide a rail connection between Bath and Chippenham? Maybe there's other work whilst the line is blocked that precludes this?

I don't know what else was going on - or indeed if the lines were needed into and in Chippenham Station for trains to take the rubble from the demolished bridge away.  But a couple of general comments.

The works are sufficiently 'severe' for them to remove the main line services from Chippenham, not just the TransWilts.  I'm aware that this isn't unusual - I think someone said that Chippenham is the most bustituted station in FGW^▸ (First Great Western) land - due to the network layout.

We were prewarned in good time and have gone easy on publicity this weekend;  all five passengers this a.m. knew it was a bus ahead of time, so the message got through.  And we know that this no train period is expected but yet turning out to be less common than we thought it would be.

If the blockage was between RWB and Chippenham only, there's logic in running London - Bristol services alternately via Badminton and via the Berks and Hants, Transwilts and Chippenham.  Today is an odd Sunday (that's why it was chosen, I'm sure) ... usually Sundays are packed, and if you're looking for an innovative solution, for Chippenham and Bath, run all London Bristols via Swindon / Badminton, and add in a service from Reading to Bristol with the same frequency;  can't go to London because of the need to be able to run on 2 tracks on Sunday Reading to London, but express from Theale to Newbury, all stations via Westbury and Chippenham to Bath, then fast to Bristol. Logical motive power is a 180.  I'm dreaming - but if it was going to be for a number of weekends, such a thing would make some sense.

[grahame]

Two further reports from a reliable source:

Saturday, 3rd May 2014. 08.22 Westbury to Swindon.
Joined the train at Trowbridge, 16 on, plus 1 Bike, 1 off, 29 total on train.
Melksham  2 on, 1 off.
Chippenham  6 on, 2 off plus 1 Bike.
Swindon  34 off.
= 31 users on Trowbridge to Chippenham section
                             
17.36 Swindon to Westbury.
Swindon, 52 on, mainly football supporters
Chippenham, 10 on, 15 off.
Melksham,  11 on, 20 off, mainly football supporters. Most of the eleven boarding were going to Bristol via Trowbridge, more convenient times than going via Chippenham.
Trowbridge, 8 on, 15 off.
= 58 users on Chippenham to Trowbridge section

Many thanks for report such as these ... you are helping our eyes and ears!

[John R]

I don't know what else was going on - or indeed if the lines were needed into and in Chippenham Station for trains to take the rubble from the demolished bridge away.  But a couple of general comments.

There was also a bridge demolition on the main line just west of Thingley Junction, so the main line was indeed blocked between Bathampton and RWB. Impressive that they can demolish the main arch and have the replacement span all in place in one weekend.