TransWilts - now and in the coming years

[whole diary]

[grahame]

There's an awful lot of Melksham to Bath (and back) traffic as well, I suspect. Including commuters (I did it myself for almost 20 years)

I agree, Phil .... I just added nine more flows to the end-to-end one that was suggested.  We could keep on going.   And with many of these journeys too, the transit time improvement would be astronomical!

[JayMac]

The fares and routeing permissions between Swindon and Salisbury are something that really needs looking into should a decent TransWilts service come to pass.

It is scandalous that a train operator can charge over ^50 for a single journey between two towns in the same historic county. 57 miles by rail on a direct service for ^56? Rip off. The routeings need changing at the very least to allow for a 'via Melksham' fare.

Of course I'd never pay that ^56, seeing as there is a split that would reduce the cost to around ^19. A split that even beats the 'via Bath' Anytime single......

[ellendune]

I see what you mean.

There is obviously to fare via Trwobridge so for the 6:12 it gives the via Basingstoke which is, presumably, the any permmitted route. 

You are right this nonsense needs fixing!

[ellendune]

For Swindon to Salisbury you can always do a split ticket at Trowbridge.  That would be ^31.80 return.  It would save you ^80.20 on the official fare or just ^1 on the fare via Bath.

[grahame]

The various community groups working on / with the line made quite a difference last year - TransWilts Rail and that work took a summer sunday service which in previous years consisted of three single journeys carrying with an estimated 40 passenger journeys in total and in co-operation with First, Wilthshire Council, the Chambers of Commerce and sponsors raised that to five single journeys (66% increase) carrying between them an average of over 500 passenger journeys (1150% increase).  Not bad - done using a train in "marginal time" which had been sitting in a siding waiting for its diagram.

In December, the Melksham Railway Development Group's Santa train conveyed 150 each way - a pretty well loaded 3 car train by the time that you consider 20 or 30 members of the public who weren't with the group.

In both these cases, local publicity and community support resulted in strong loadings - indeed, both were so successful that we had to restrict further advertising (in the summer) and stop selling tickets to see Santa, turning people away (in December) - and we can do so again and on a much heavier scale with trains that make round trips possible.

It had been intended to formalise the constitution of the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership around now, but with an open question as to who will be operating the services in summer 2013, and with the strong desire on the community's part to put the only logical case for the next franchise, which involves a significant increase in services, we've concluded it's better to leave it informal until after the franchise has been let, but provide a strong draft constitution as part of the case to indicate how the community is ready and prepared to support the new service.

The draft constitution is at http://atrebatia.info/admin.html - comments welcomed / fine tuning possible. The draft constitution (version 0.2) was produced by representatives of / with major inputs from:
^ Chambers of Commerce
^ Railway Development Group (Melksham)
^ Current service user
^ Train Operating Company
^ Members of neighbouring Community Rail Partnerships
^ Wiltshire Council
We are fortunate to have a strong team of informal partners, willing to provide help / advise and each with skills in multiple areas.

[eightf48544]

I wish the Transwilts Community Rail Partnership every success.

You certainly make a strong and cogent case for for a "proper" service on the line. It certainly seems that like other lines either newly reopened or with  extra services that passengers will follow and use an improved service. You've only to look at Ebbw Vale and the Falmouth branch to see what happens.

Hopefully the "bean counters" will see the merits of your argument, so that soon you will be posting "Doubling or Loop for Thingley Jn to Trowbridge and maybe even Reopen Bradford North curve".

Good Luck.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Wiltshire Times:

Demand for more local rail services for Wiltshire

Improved rail services between towns in west Wiltshire are being called for by passengers and politicians, in a consultation on the future of the Great Western franchise.

Run by First Group as First Great Western since 2006, the franchise for the next 15 years will be awarded in December to one of four shortlisted companies.

Stagecoach, National Express and the German Deutsche Bahn are also vying for the role of providing rail services across the west of England and Wales.

One of the priorities identified by West Wilts Rail Users Group in its response to the consultation is the improvement of services between Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, Warminster and Salisbury.

Its chairman, Roger Newman, said: ^First Great Western started out badly, but since they changed their management a few years ago they have improved a great deal. We would like to see extra units put on between Swindon and Salisbury, and Westbury and Weymouth, but a lot of the problems are infrastructure issues, like a lack of platform capacity.

^I won^t be holding my breath about these proposals being enacted. The fares are also very high here, but that is to do with whatever the franchise holder works out with the Government. Then again, the Government is investing in infrastructure via Network Rail, so perhaps we will see some improvements.^



South West Wiltshire MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) Andrew Murrison has added his name to a joint response by Western MPs, also calling for further development of TransWilts services. In their response, the MPs point out that, in some areas, demand for rail journeys in the South West has increased by more than 90 per cent in 10 years, with further increases predicted. In addition, the price ^ 79p a mile ^ of journeys made on trains locally is among the highest in the world.

Dr Murrison added: ^It is important that, as substantial sums are spent on the High Speed Rail project linking London, the Midlands and the North, we are not left behind as the poor country cousins of the rail network.^

[grahame]

Thanks for posting that, Chris.  To my knowledge, there have been quite a number responses to the consultation from all across Wiltshire (and beyond) asking for an improvement of services Swindon -> Westbury -> Salisbury, and I'm not aware of responses that took a different view on this topic.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From This Is Wiltshire:

Number of rail bidders whittled down

The Department for Transport has narrowed down the number of companies bidding to run Wiltshire^s railways to just four.

FirstGroup, Stagecoach, National Express and German company Deutsche Bahn are all still possibilities, but Spanish company Renfe has been dropped as an option.

The new Great Western franchise will begin in April 2013, based on the services currently operated by First Great Western (FGW^▸ (First Great Western)).

First Great Western, which was awarded the franchise in 2005, does not want to take up the option to extend its contract, wanting instead to negotiate a longer-term deal, which it would then bid for.

Roger Newman, who chairs West Wilts Rail Users Group, said: ^The company that is successful will be announced in December. FGW were not performing very well for some time. However, they changed their manangement a few years ago and have since made considerable improvements. I would favour FGW being awarded a second contract.^

Chippenham MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) Duncan Hames said: ^I hope those bidding are serious about improving performance, addressing overcrowding and sustaining a restored TransWilts service through Melksham and an Oxford to Bristol service through Corsham and Chippenham.^

Network Rail already has plans for a complete upgrade of the Great Western Main Line route between London and Cardiff by 2025 as part of a ^4billion project.

Changes will include the electrification from Paddington to Bristol, Cardiff, Oxford and Newbury, provision of an electric suburban fleet, and redevelopment of Reading station.

A consultation on the contract closed at the end of March and the new franchise is due to begin in April 2013.

However, Mr Newman said he was worried that services not running to and from London were being neglected. He said: ^The Cardiff to Portsmouth service has just three carriages per train. Those using the service feel there is a real demand for four or five carriages.^

[anthony215]

Good lets hope First retain the franchise and perhaps come 2015 get hold of some  additional class 158's if Scotrail release them and operate 4 carriage trains on the Cardiff - Portsmouth route.

[paul7575]

From This Is Wiltshire:

First Great Western, which was awarded the franchise in 2005, does not want to take up the option to extend its contract, wanting instead to negotiate a longer-term deal, which it would then bid for.

Putting the cart before the horse there aren't they?   

Paul

[paul7575]

Good lets hope First retain the franchise and perhaps come 2015 get hold of some  additional class 158's if Scotrail release them and operate 4 carriage trains on the Cardiff - Portsmouth route.

Why would First retaining the contract make obtaining ex Scotrail stock any more likely though?  Any bidder could do this. 

Paul

[anthony215]

I know that Paul it was meant as two seperate things.

For example:

I meant I wished First would be sucessful with their new bid and that whoever gets the franchise will take up the opportunity for more rolling stock should scotrail decided to release their class 158's and depending on how many are made available.

[JayMac]

From This Is Wiltshire:

Number of rail bidders whittled down

The Department for Transport has narrowed down the number of companies bidding to run Wiltshire^s railways to just four.

Bit slow on the uptake at 'This Is Wiltshire' aren't they? It's been known for over over a month that Renfe didn't make the cut. 

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Western Daily Press (yesterday):

Four bidders left in race to run Great Western train franchise

A German firm, two operators better known for running coaches and the much-derided existing train company are the four bidders left in the mix to run the West^s train services in less than a year^s time.

The new Great Western franchise starts in April next year, with the bidding being whittled down to four companies this week.

Spanish transport firm Renfe were dropped by the Government, leaving the First Group ^ which has run the rail services since 2005 as First Great Western ^ in pole position.

Vying to take the franchise from them are National Express and Stagecoach, along with the German railway firm Deutsche Bahn. First Great Western did have an option to renew their contract, but instead chose to bid for a longer deal, which risked losing the contract altogether.

The franchise will be one of the most important in the history of the mainline between Bristol and London, as it will run during the period the line is being electrified by Network Rail, with major disruption for years around Swindon, Chippenham, Bath and Bristol. Hopes are high that the line will also be redoubled between Swindon and Kemble.

Rail users said First Great Western^s performance has improved in the past couple of years, since they were branded the worst train company in the country.

But rail campaigners said they feared cross-country rail lines that form part of the franchise package ^ in and around Bristol, Bath, west Wiltshire and Somerset, could suffer if the priority is the mainline between Temple Meads and Paddington.

A decision on the franchise winner is expected in December.