Station information

[whole diary]

[John R]

Having received an email drawing my attention to the station information now available on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website, I thought I would look up my local station.  The staff help for mobility access particularly amused me. Answer "yes" but not on Monday to Friday, Saturday or Sunday.  There are a few other inconsistencies and errors as well, such as the answer "yes" to ticket gates, the lack of sheltered cycle parking (there is) and the tick for lost property, which just gives you a phone line (so hardly specific to the station).


http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Your-journey/At-the-station/Nailsea-and-Backwell

[Chris from Nailsea]

Hmm. 

Accessible ticket machines
No

I'd have said both of our local station ticket vending machines are actually very accessible: it's access to the platforms (particularly 1) that's rather more of a problem! 

[grahame]

I think the use of the word "yes" in certain places means "yes, we have checked this and are providing you the information below" rather than "yes, this is available at this station".  I've taken my local station (Melksham) as my example:

Ticket office opening
Yes
Monday-Sunday Closed
Monday-Friday Closed
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed
There is no ticket office at this station.

Staff help
Yes
Monday-Friday Closed
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed

Wheelchairs
Yes

Ticket gates
Yes

Penalty fares
Yes
Penalty Fares do not apply when travelling from Melksham station.

Sheltered cycle storage
Unknown

Staffing level
No
Unstaffed
Monday-Sunday Closed
Monday-Friday Closed
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed

This use of the word yes for "yes, we have checked" rather than "yes the facility exists" is confusing to me.  The "Penalty fares - Yes" seems calculated to frighten - even though it is contradicted on the next line.   "Wheelchairs - yes" without any qualification could be serious if someone turns up (using the ramp that is also a "yes" ... and happens to be on the train) and finds themselves marooned.

I'm slightly puzzled by the "no" on staffing ... I think that in this case it really does mean "no staff" which is correct.

The maps and bus connection destinations are, I'm afraid, out of date.  A # symbol against Frome - "also direct trains to this destination" hasn't applied (apart from 8 Sundays last summer) since the 2006 timetable change - and even prior to that we had direct trains from Frome but going back you had to change at Westbury.  The bus listing seems riddled with problems (all at least 18 months old).
* 271, 272, 273 do NOT serve Batheaston - they go around the bypass
* 273 no longer serves many of the places listed, neither does the 271.
* I *think* service 72 no longer runs at all
* Flip side of coin - town service 14 calls a considerable number of times during the day at stops shown, and zigzag and other services have taken over the runs of the 271 and 273 to places they no longer go from - err nearish Melksham station.

[Lee]

* 271, 272, 273 do NOT serve Batheaston - they go around the bypass

Interesting that you picked that particular example out...

Those who may be planning a bus trip between Melksham and Batheaston (or vice versa) in the near future need not despair, though. Faresaver X72 runs hourly during Monday-Saturday daytime, and serves Batheaston itself, rather than going round the bypass.