17:36 relief

[whole diary]

[John R]

That timetable would be a major step forward with the current resources.  I notice the 0849 hasn't been brought forward to 0836 though.  Is that still in the "too difficult" box?

[grahame]

That timetable would be a major step forward with the current resources.  I notice the 0849 hasn't been brought forward to 0836 though.  Is that still in the "too difficult" box?

Frankly, I think we've let that slip slightly off the top "issues" list. Still there, but no update / news at our latest meeting which was looking at the building issue of getting people home.

[bbam87]

Many thanks for the explanation, most helpful and understood.

The real benefit for me would be trains from Swindon, via Melksham, continuing via Warminster and not starting/terminating at Westbury. As I currently catch the 07:04 from Westbury and the 17:36 from Swindon. The changeovers at Westbury to get from and to Warminster are quite long for these trains resulting in my driving to Westbury and paying parking which add to my commute. Hopefully this will change soon?

[grahame]

Many thanks for the explanation, most helpful and understood.

The real benefit for me would be trains from Swindon, via Melksham, continuing via Warminster and not starting/terminating at Westbury. As I currently catch the 07:04 from Westbury and the 17:36 from Swindon. The changeovers at Westbury to get from and to Warminster are quite long for these trains resulting in my driving to Westbury and paying parking which add to my commute. Hopefully this will change soon?

1. Funnily enough ... Warminster has cropped up in a couple of "improvement" requests of late.

2. After Melksham , Warminster is the least used town station in terms of passenger journeys per head of population

3. The 15:14 off Swindon was one of our poor performers in 2014.  By 2016 we had asked for (and been granted) a change  to 15:12, meaning faster journey that connect at Westbury, and the train is now full and standing some days for Chippenham

4. Until there is some extra capacity on the 17:36, or some relief capacity that abstracts traffic from it, there is little point in encouraging more traffic onto it.

Fertile scope for positive suggestion ...

[grahame]

Looking at Warminster commutes specifically

The Warminster to Chippenham / Swindon commute via the TransWilts / Monday to Friday

Current state of play

Trains leave WESTBURY at 07:04, 07:33 and 09:48, arriving at Swindon at 07:48, 08:19 and 10:34. Connecting trains leave from Warminster at 06:24, 07:00 and 09:25.  Journey times 84, 79 and 69 minutes.

Return trains from Swindon at 15:12, 17:36 and 19:48, arriving at Westbury at 15:57, 18:21 and 19:31. Connecting trains arrive at Warminster at 16:10, 19:12 and (through train) 19:49.  Journey times 58, 96 and 61 minutes.

Alternative trains available via Bath Spa at higher price and longer travelling time with what can be a more difficult change. However, there are more connection options which often makes the journey quicker.   

With good connections at Westbury, the journey can be completed in an hour from leaving Warminster to arriving in Swindon. Best current achievement is 58 minutes from Swindon (the 15:12) or 59 minutes (the 12:47) and 11:32 and 12:01 from Warminster, both taking 64 minutes to Swindon.

Day return fares. Warminster to Swindon via Melksham - £10.30 (peak), £7.40 (off peak). Any route £18.90 (peak), £15.10 (off peak). One week season - £40.90 (via Melksham), £74.90 (any route).

Potentially practical options to improve, short term

1. The 07:04 from Westbury to Swindon is actually the same train that calls at Warminster at 06:24 ... just that it divides as Westbury and the Swindon section doesn't carry on until 30 minutes later.  This could be split into 2 trains, at 06:02 and 06:30 from Salisbury, calling at Warminster at 06:24 and 06:50, the second train carrying on to Swindon. The first train is required to get stock back to Westbury to provide a connection onwards there (06:33 to 06:38 change) via Bath Spa to Bristol and beyond.  Issues (a) Extra crew cost and potentially line access charges (does a 4 car train cost as much as 2 x 2 car trains in NR^» (Network Rail - home page) fees?) and (b) this is in effect an empty train move at present, bringing the stock from the unit that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) lease from SWT^▸ (South West Trains) into play for the day ... there is not intended as a long term solution to GWR stock issues and SWT / LSWR^▸ (London South Western Railway) want the train back.

2. There is a Warminster starter at 07:23 which arrives at Westbury at 07:32 - a cross platform dash to the 07:33 is usually possible giving a journey time to Swindon of 56 minutes.  However, this is not a guaranteed connection and passengers will arrive in Swindon at 09:04 via Bath, perhaps at an exceed fare depending on their ticket, at 09:04.  If the 07:23 from Warminster carried on to Swindon, and the Bath and Bristol train started at Westbury (at 07:38 as it does at present), full connections would be maintained.  Just while it's one carriage, this would also incur lower access charges for GWR, but it would have negative customer response from Warminster and Dilton Marsh to Bath and beyond passengers who would be required to change at Westbury or Trowbridge.   Alternative is to add a "connection exception" to the timetable saying that the 07:33 may be delayed by up to "x" minutes.  Another alternative is to run the 07:23 from Warminster at 07:19.  Realistically the 07:33 cannot start back at Warminster even though it's the first run on that train of the day, as the headway heading from Westbury to Warminster, and from Warminster back to Westbury, precludes it in sensible times and it will get in the way of things line the 07:01 Westbury to Southampton

3. The 17:36 from Swindon arrives into Westbury at 18:21 and sets off back to Swindon at 18:32.  At first glance, no opportunity to continue to Frome or Warminster.  However,for some time this was the point in the day where the unit was "swapped", with the 18:32 being a new train that had been dropped off a peak train from Bristol, and the incoming train heading back there for servicing somewhat later.   Apart from crew issues (the driver and conductor making a dash between trains!) the service could usefully extend to Warminster, arriving there in less than an hour from Swindon.

Starting the 07:33 from Westbury back at Warminster, and extending the 17:36 to Warminster, would bring potential additional passengers to rail; calling these trains at Dilton Marsh would give that station a logical commuter return to Chippenham and Swindon too. However, as they stand with both trains currently being just a single carriage, could they cope?  They REALLY need to be two carriages.

Potentially practical options to improve, medium and long term

The TransWilts service is heading towards a combination of the Swindon to Westbury service with local services south thereof - and that means a service every hour, in about an hour, from Warminster to Swindon in addition to the hourly service to Bath and Bristol.  Properly arranged, connections off the Swindon train at Westbury would offer 2 trains an hour to Bath and Bristol, and two trains an hour to Southampton, one of which will serve the airport too.