Given the normal service on the main line is every 30 mins (excluding the TW services), to only run one bus an hour, that takes more than twice as long as the train journey, is unacceptable. As well as point to point journeys, the problems that gives connecting passengers compounds the issue. What happens when a train from London or Bath is delayed? Does the connecting bus wait or go?
There may be multiple buses running in each hour - but as a convoy / on the same schedule on Saturday. I hope so; correspondence for the week has suggested a mixture of low floor buses and coaches from Chippenham to Swindon, with a request noted that at least one vehicle on each run be low floored. The proportion of "classic" disabled wheelchairs - certainly on TransWilts - is not high, but there are so many very young children with their pram / buggy / wheelchairs who are regular user outside the peak; lots of bags, etc. Low floor taxis could be sourced as backup - except that the CabFind system that's being used has only got 2 low floor vehicles registered based in Chippenham (26 in Swindon) according to my data. There
are more if you draw a 10 mile radius circle to look.
Even finding a taxi at Chippenham Station for Rail Replacement duties can be problematic (45 minutes the other week - mid week, mid afternoon, nothing special going on) took 45 minutes for able bodied passengers when the connection from Bristol into the 15:29 to Westbury failed. Taxi drivers at Chippenham try to avoid taking the "white chits" for
GWR▸ journeys; reported to me that it's because payment is a bit slow. Very embarrassing for passengers to be hanging around while the alternative is found (and for readers not familiar, the next train isn't
yet until 17:53)
You'll find I'm writing statements of issues here, and
not providing solutions. Where a carefully worked train timetable (Simon and his team are experts at knitting connections by rail together in the public schedule) has one of its legs replaced by buses with journey times up from 15 minutes to between 40 and 50 minutes, added to which needs to be a change time, it's not going to be the same level of service as normal, and there will be compromises to be made. I do have a number of "what about ... if"s I would ask during an informal chat and if (based on local knowledge) they resulted in some tweaking next time, so much the better.
Here's the official GWR explanation ... asked on Twitter of GWRHelp; reply took 80 minutes which I take to indicate that the answer was researched / thought through rather than being one of those questions for which the answer was easily to hand.
Q: Can you tell me why there is a long wait between bus and train next Saturday - normally through train, 28 minutes.
A: Hi. I don't have the specifics for this I'm afraid but other services are connections are being carefully considered during scheduled works.
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