Help needed to smarten up Cotswold Line stations

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

From The Oxford Times:
http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/8779904.Help_needed_to_smarten_up_Cotswold_Line_stations/

Volunteers are needed to help smarten up stations on the Cotswold Line later this year.

Train operator First Great Western wants volunteers to help carry out work at stations in west Oxfordshire at the end of May and start of June, when the line will be closed for a week so engineers can commission four miles of new double track between Charlbury and Ascott-under-Wychwood as part of a ^67m modernsiation scheme on the route between Oxford and Worcester.

Brian Clayton, secretary of the Cotswold Line Promotion Group, said: ^The work will probably involve cleaning, gardening and some painting.^

Volunteers should contact Martin Barnett at First Great Western, 4th Floor, Milford House, Milford Street, Swindon, Wilts, SN1 1HL or call 07590 601374.

[stebbo]

I've just been on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website and I can't see details of the line closure at the end of May. They're still giving details of the 2010 closures. I thought the point ofwebsites was to give up to date info.

(To be fair I've been rightly critiscised before for missing something on the FGW website, so if I'm wrong with this gripe, apologies, but it's not obvious)

[Electric train]

I've just been on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website and I can't see details of the line closure at the end of May. They're still giving details of the 2010 closures. I thought the point ofwebsites was to give up to date info.

(To be fair I've been rightly critiscised before for missing something on the FGW website, so if I'm wrong with this gripe, apologies, but it's not obvious)

Wounder if the PM will be out with his marigolds and feather duster volunteering in this "Big Society" ? or am I just a cynic

[willc]

I've just been on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website and I can't see details of the line closure at the end of May. They're still giving details of the 2010 closures. I thought the point ofwebsites was to give up to date info.

(To be fair I've been rightly critiscised before for missing something on the FGW website, so if I'm wrong with this gripe, apologies, but it's not obvious)

No, you haven't missed anything on the FGW website. The page hasn't been changed since last summer after details of the weekend closures for track renewal at Evesham were deleted. Network Rail's site is better, though it doesn't really make it clear that what's happening at the end of May and in mid-August are full or partial line closures, but it gives the dates. It suggests going to the FGW site to sign up for updates, but that facility has disappeared from the FGW page - and I seem to recall only ever receiving one email update anyway, back in the summer of 2009.

Network Rail are generally making a better fist of telling people what they are up to. This newsletter - which does make the closures clear - has been distributed to stations along the line in the past few days
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/documents/Projects/10995_Cotswold%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf but obviously working out what trains and replacement bus services will be running and letting passengers know about them is not their job.

[stebbo]

Pretty poor if you ask me. I've always believed that if you're an organisation selling goods or services to the public and you have a website you should keep it up to date

[ChrisB]

Hamg on, this is still 3 months away! You cant yet buy advances for the dates of the closure yet either, but no one complains about that, just accepts it.

Any more than 6 weeks and people will forget.

[JayMac]

Hamg on, this is still 3 months away! You cant yet buy advances for the dates of the closure yet either, but no one complains about that, just accepts it.

Advances? On the Cotswold Line??

[ChrisB]

I didnt say just Cotswold! Anywhere on FGW^▸ (First Great Western), doesnt matter....any mire than 4 weeks and people forget. It was mentioned at the last closure, so regulars should have diaryised it already

[willc]

Sorry Chris, but I'm going to have to disagree with you on this issue again.

The closure date at the end of May is fixed. It is posted online on the Network Rail website, it is posted online on the CLPG^» (Cotswold Line Promotion Group - about) website, it is online in assorted news stories I and others have written and on that recent Network Rail newsletter. Pretty much the only place one might expect to find it where there is nothing, beyond the vague note "Spring 2011: Stage 1 complete ^ Charlbury to Ascott-under-wychwood", is the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website.

Fine, FGW may still be finalising replacement buses, etc. That does not stop them putting on a note online that the line will be closed at the end of May, does it? And that FGW web page has not been updated since last autumn. It is still talking about the closures last October - not very helpful to passengers, regulars or not, is it? Should someone have a vague recollection of there being a closure coming up and wanting to check when it is, they will find nothing there of any use. Not good enough, I'm afraid.