Members - what do your summer travel plans look like?

[whole diary]

[Henry]

 Recently 'semi-retired' and now in the possesion of a bus pass.
  Journey times obviously take longer but the stops are more convenient
  for my final destination.
  Obviously can only travel 'off-peak', but sometimes feel the need to give up my seat to
  fare paying passenger's.
  Surprised to find buses no longer run by Devon General.
 
 

[grahame]

No figures for Cross-Country, the Reading - Bournemouth yesterday was a 4-car cattle truck.

When comparing with pre-pandemic you also need to look at:
1. How frequent is the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) service south from Reading now?
2. How frequent was that service three years ago?
3. How many carriages was the nearest equivalent service three years ago?

[TaplowGreen]

An article in i newspaper
https://inews.co.uk/news/how-railways-are-driving-a-new-british-seaside-boom-1735085
on the increase in summer leisure traffic on the railways
St Ives up 45%
Newquay up 33%
Bournemouth 50%

No figures from Southern but estimate of 20% increase on Saturdays.

No figures for Cross-Country, the Reading - Bournemouth yesterday was a 4-car cattle truck.

That's good news for the railways but they need to up their game if they wish to sustain it - yesterday saw one of the very few direct Newquay services cancelled and today, for those who have had a weekend away.......

13:30 Newquay to London Paddington due 18:24

13:30 Newquay to London Paddington due 18:24 will be terminated at Plymouth.
It will no longer call at Totnes, Newton Abbot, Exeter St Davids, Tiverton Parkway, Taunton, Reading and London Paddington.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.

[grahame]

Recently 'semi-retired' and now in the possesion of a bus pass.
Journey times obviously take longer but the stops are more convenient for my source and final destination.
Obviously can only travel 'off-peak' ...

Ditto ... but I have modified your text

1. Some journeys don't take longer - home to Bath is quicker by bus than by train - especially if I look at frequency of daytime weekday services and have to be in Bath for an appointment and don't want to hang around waiting because the train is infrequent and inconveniently timed.

2. I have added "source and" - the bus stop is literally outside our home, whereas the train station is a 20 minute walk, no buses call there and no free parking at the station any longer so if driving I may as well "railhead" at Chippenham, Trowbridge or Westbury and save myself a change, and on return save myself a potentially long wait.

3. Even though I have a senior bus card, I can use the bus at any time - I just have to pay as I do with the train. Locally at present, there's an arrangement for this to be at a child's fare

In addition, buses from Melksham to neighbouring towns are far more reliable that trains at present.  Heading to Bristol?  Far better to railhead at Bath where, even if some trains to Bristol are cancelled, there will be another one along within the half hour than end up hanging around at a station with no train for ages.   Heading toward Brighton?  If there's any doubt about the train, far better to get the bus to Trowbridge where the train runs direct at least as far as Cosham.

[grahame]

That's good news for the railways but they need to up their game if they wish to sustain it - yesterday saw one of the very few direct Newquay services cancelled and today, for those who have had a weekend away.......

13:30 Newquay to London Paddington due 18:24

13:30 Newquay to London Paddington due 18:24 will be terminated at Plymouth.
It will no longer call at Totnes, Newton Abbot, Exeter St Davids, Tiverton Parkway, Taunton, Reading and London Paddington.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Putting that into a context ...

It's due to arrive into Plymouth at 15:01.   

There is a London departure at 14:56 (I wonder if it will be held?) calling at most of the same stations (not Totnes or Tiverton Parkway) and additionally at Bridgwater, Bristol Temple Meads, Bath Spa, Chippenham and Swindon.  The 14:56 is 9 carriages and leaves from the adjacent track (so it does mean a need to use the subway). It's scheduled into London just 12 minutes after the cancelled train, though I suspect it would be running 10 to 15 minutes late because of the "hold".

A service at 15:47 serves all the stations the cancelled train was due to call at as far as Taunton, and some others too.

The following London departure is 16:15 and that does serve Totnes and Tiverton Parkway.

[TaplowGreen]

That's good news for the railways but they need to up their game if they wish to sustain it - yesterday saw one of the very few direct Newquay services cancelled and today, for those who have had a weekend away.......

13:30 Newquay to London Paddington due 18:24

13:30 Newquay to London Paddington due 18:24 will be terminated at Plymouth.
It will no longer call at Totnes, Newton Abbot, Exeter St Davids, Tiverton Parkway, Taunton, Reading and London Paddington.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Putting that into a context ...

It's due to arrive into Plymouth at 15:01.   

There is a London departure at 14:56 (I wonder if it will be held?) calling at most of the same stations (not Totnes or Tiverton Parkway) and additionally at Bridgwater, Bristol Temple Meads, Bath Spa, Chippenham and Swindon.  The 14:56 is 9 carriages and leaves from the adjacent track (so it does mean a need to use the subway). It's scheduled into London just 12 minutes after the cancelled train, though I suspect it would be running 10 to 15 minutes late because of the "hold".

A service at 15:47 serves all the stations the cancelled train was due to call at as far as Taunton, and some others too.

The following London departure is 16:15 and that does serve Totnes and Tiverton Parkway.

Anyone who travels from the South West towards London on a Sunday afternoon will know how busy those trains are (even on the rare occasions when they all run) - so with the best will in the world, your context doesn't provide much comfort stacked up against 2 trainloads cramming onto one train, and I don't need our esteemed fellow forum member's crystal ball to know that it won't be a pleasant experience.

[LiskeardRich]

Recently 'semi-retired' and now in the possesion of a bus pass.
Journey times obviously take longer but the stops are more convenient for my source and final destination.
Obviously can only travel 'off-peak' ...

Ditto ... but I have modified your text

1. Some journeys don't take longer - home to Bath is quicker by bus than by train - especially if I look at frequency of daytime weekday services and have to be in Bath for an appointment and don't want to hang around waiting because the train is infrequent and inconveniently timed.

2. I have added "source and" - the bus stop is literally outside our home, whereas the train station is a 20 minute walk, no buses call there and no free parking at the station any longer so if driving I may as well "railhead" at Chippenham, Trowbridge or Westbury and save myself a change, and on return save myself a potentially long wait.

3. Even though I have a senior bus card, I can use the bus at any time - I just have to pay as I do with the train. Locally at present, there's an arrangement for this to be at a child's fare

In addition, buses from Melksham to neighbouring towns are far more reliable that trains at present.  Heading to Bristol?  Far better to railhead at Bath where, even if some trains to Bristol are cancelled, there will be another one along within the half hour than end up hanging around at a station with no train for ages.   Heading toward Brighton?  If there's any doubt about the train, far better to get the bus to Trowbridge where the train runs direct at least as far as Cosham.

Also add to point 3, some local authorities have removed time restrictions for concession pass holders to be used for free. Others have relaxed their timings.

Cornwall is one example within the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) area where no time Restrictions exist for using concession passes and they can be used 24/7

[GBM]

Also add to point 3, some local authorities have removed time restrictions for concession pass holders to be used for free. Others have relaxed their timings.

Cornwall is one example within the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) area where no time Restrictions exist for using concession passes and they can be used 24/7

Also Cornwall has the cheap/cheaper bus fare initiative.
https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/council-news/transport-streets-and-waste/great-value-bus-travel-is-coming-to-cornwall-as-council-leads-the-way-with-pioneering-trial/
Residents will pay significantly less to travel by bus from next week under a new pilot scheme led by Cornwall Council to encourage more people to travel by bus.

The reduced bus fares pilot scheme is a first for a local authority and follows a successful bid by the Council for £23.5m funded by UK^▸ (United Kingdom) Government.

It will mean adult bus passengers will, on average, pay one-third less for their fares when new summer timetables are introduced on Sunday, April 10.  ...........(continues)....

[didcotdean]

No figures for Cross-Country, the Reading - Bournemouth yesterday was a 4-car cattle truck.

When comparing with pre-pandemic you also need to look at:
1. How frequent is the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) service south from Reading now?
2. How frequent was that service three years ago?
3. How many carriages was the nearest equivalent service three years ago?

If you look at the 2019 Summer Saturday timetable there was one service an hour to Bournemouth but also one as far as Southampton on the other half of the hour. These would have been both single units, ie 4 or 5 carriages.

Presently there is only one service every two hours to Bournemouth. Most comprise a doubled unit of 9/10 coaches but certain ones are only 4/5.

This is a significant reduction of capacity south of Reading.

[grahame]

That's good news for the railways but they need to up their game if they wish to sustain it - yesterday saw one of the very few direct Newquay services cancelled and today, for those who have had a weekend away.......

13:30 Newquay to London Paddington due 18:24

13:30 Newquay to London Paddington due 18:24 will be terminated at Plymouth.
It will no longer call at Totnes, Newton Abbot, Exeter St Davids, Tiverton Parkway, Taunton, Reading and London Paddington.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Putting that into a context ...

It's due to arrive into Plymouth at 15:01.   

There is a London departure at 14:56 (I wonder if it will be held?) calling at most of the same stations (not Totnes or Tiverton Parkway) and additionally at Bridgwater, Bristol Temple Meads, Bath Spa, Chippenham and Swindon.  The 14:56 is 9 carriages and leaves from the adjacent track (so it does mean a need to use the subway). It's scheduled into London just 12 minutes after the cancelled train, though I suspect it would be running 10 to 15 minutes late because of the "hold".

A service at 15:47 serves all the stations the cancelled train was due to call at as far as Taunton, and some others too.

The following London departure is 16:15 and that does serve Totnes and Tiverton Parkway.

Looks like an even more sensible solution found ... the train from Newquay terminated at Plymouth and appears to have continued on as a delayed London via Bristol service. Putting the overcrowding issues to one side, sensible, very sensible.

[FarWestJohn]

£5 an adult for a day on any bus with any company in the whole of Cornwall and £10 for a family. Real bargain. £5 is almost half a gallon of petrol!!

[Timmer]

Looks like an even more sensible solution found ... the train from Newquay terminated at Plymouth and appears to have continued on as a delayed London via Bristol service. Putting the overcrowding issues to one side, sensible, very sensible.

I had a feeling that would happen. Control at Swindon are often creative when they can be in trying to minimise disruption for passengers when services are either cancelled or are running short.

[grahame]

I never did follow up when this poll closed - sorry ...

I plan to travel by train less than normal this summer   - 51.7%
I plan to travel by train about the same as normal this summer   - 27.6%
I don't yet know how it will turn out   - 10.3%
I plan to travel by train more than normal this summer   - 6.9%
I don't know how to define normal   - 3.4%
I never travel by train anyway   - 0%

I find that pretty depressing. In a summer when we might have expected the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) to be re-opening, the majority of us still plan to travel by train "less than normal".  And that's not a small majority either - it's more than half the votes cast.  I wonder why - new poll at http://www.passenger.chat/26633

[lbraine]

For longer distance trains my plans over the summer have not changed much (strikes withstanding). Where my travelling habits have changed is use of the train for “local” journeys in and around Reading/TV.

And not because of the ticket prices - which I think are competitive given the current price of fuel.

I am put off using the train because of the cost of using APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area) managed station car parks. An off-peak day ticket has *doubled* in the last two years at my local station. It now costs more to park the car at the station than it does to buys a peak return ticket into Reading !

This associated price rises does not get the press it deserves.

How can this type of pricing behaviour promote the use of trains. When people talk about being ‘priced off’ using the railways - the *entire* associated costs needs to be factored in. It’s not just about the tickets.

Oh ! And my local once full by 8:30 station car park is now, at most, 1/3 full by midday.
Indicative measure of the issues facing the rail companies.