Bus routes in the GW franchise?

[whole diary]

[grahame]

A throw-away line from another member at yesterday's RailFuture meeting:

"There are 27 bus routes in the existing GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) contract"

And that comment from someone who certainly should know about these things,  but has a good and selective way with words so this isn't necessarily the whole story or what it seems.

Can anybody add flesh to the bones of the comments made?   Is this simply routes that are required to be shown on station departure boards (for example), or is there more to it?

[JayMac]

You could ask them what they meant.

There is no mention of bus routes at all in the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Franchise Agreement or Service Level Commitments.

There are some through ticketing arrangements, combined rail and bus tickets, and PlusBus, but none of the bus services on which those tickets can be used are the responsibility of GWR.

[martyjon]

I think what the 27 routes refers to is the no of routes or destinations that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are obliged to put into their timetables as a bus connection from a railhead like Bodmin Parkway to Wadebridge and Padstow, The Lizard and Bude are other places. Minehead from Taunton is another  'bus link' that springs to mind.

[TonyK]

I think what the 27 routes refers to is the no of routes or destinations that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are obliged to put into their timetables as a bus connection from a railhead like Bodmin Parkway to Wadebridge and Padstow, The Lizard and Bude are other places. Minehead from Taunton is another  'bus link' that springs to mind.

Would that include the Bristol Airport Flyer, which also makes it into Realtime Trains?

[JayMac]

I think what the 27 routes refers to is the no of routes or destinations that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are obliged to put into their timetables as a bus connection from a railhead like Bodmin Parkway to Wadebridge and Padstow, The Lizard and Bude are other places. Minehead from Taunton is another  'bus link' that springs to mind.

There are some details in some timetables. Timetable K1 gives times to Wadebridge/Padstow, Eden Project and Helston. Nothing for the Lizard. D1 gives times for Bude and Exeter Airport. I can see no timetable that provides bus information for Minehead.

There is mention of bus services from Moreton in Marsh in the T6 timetable, but no times, just links to the operators.

Nowhere near details of 27 services across the GWR network. As for an obligation to provide the information, I can find no such requirement in the franchise agreement.

[stuving]

Some franchises do have such clause; the SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) contract includes:

94. Co-operating with other public transport operators
94.1 From the Start Date and throughout the Franchise Term, the Franchisee shall work together with other public transport operators to improve the integration between their services and those of the Franchisee, and the Franchisee shall (as a minimum) implement the following initiatives:
(a) the use of reasonable endeavours to work with local bus operators to improve integration between bus and train services implementing schemes, including measures such as integrated ticketing, provision of real time information and integrated timetable information, for at least five connecting bus services by no later than 31 March 2019, in addition to the Virtual Branch Lines referred to in paragraphs 94.1(c) and (d);
(c) the creation of a Virtual Branch Line between Fareham Station and Gosport (with relevant bus services to be operated by the First Hampshire and Dorset “Eclipse” bus service) by no later than 31 May 2018 and the maintenance of such Virtual Branch Line for the remainder of the Franchise Term. The Franchisee shall enter into an appropriate contract for the delivery of the marketing and integration measures associated with the Virtual Branch Line with a term extending for the duration of the Franchise Term and compliant with the provisions of Clause 14.8 of the Franchise Agreement; and
(d) ensuring that promotions of existing Virtual Branch Lines, (including but not limited to the Virtual Branch Line between Exeter St Davids Station and Exeter Airport Station and between Honiton Station and Sidmouth Station), will continue from the Start Date throughout the Franchise Term and the Franchisee shall use all reasonable endeavours to work with stakeholders to identify new locations for the establishing of new Virtual Branch Lines.

However, there isn't anything similar in the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) franchise contract.

[grahame]

You could ask them what they meant.

Next time I see hi, I will.

The word "routes" was used ... and they can add up quickly.  In D1, there are just two bus timetables (Bude and Exeter Airport) but they cover five routes - 6, 6A, 56, 56A and 56B ...

[LiskeardRich]

I think what the 27 routes refers to is the no of routes or destinations that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are obliged to put into their timetables as a bus connection from a railhead like Bodmin Parkway to Wadebridge and Padstow, The Lizard and Bude are other places. Minehead from Taunton is another  'bus link' that springs to mind.

There are some details in some timetables. Timetable K1 gives times to Wadebridge/Padstow, Eden Project and Helston. Nothing for the Lizard.

The listed Helston buses continues to The Lizard and the return legs start at The lizard, so although not specifically on the timetable it’s a continuation of the listed services