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LiskeardRich
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« Reply #30 on: July 09, 2012, 12:00:09 » |
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I imagine most people will just take an alternative route, with traffic congestion being worse on routes in such as the M3, A4, A40 than normal.
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All posts are my own personal believes, opinions and understandings!
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BerkshireBugsy
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« Reply #31 on: July 09, 2012, 12:35:54 » |
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We were on a coach trip on Saturday which involved us returning from the Greenwich area to the Newbury area west bound along the M4. For some reason our bus drive south of the river and the past Earls Court onto the A4 knowing the M4 was shut. This was an epic mistake and it took ages to re-join the M4 at Jn3. When you have a coach full of beaver (cubs) desperate for the loo this was a challenging journey  |
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Btline
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« Reply #32 on: July 09, 2012, 16:43:08 » |
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But, current commuters are much less likely to switch back to driving if more people go on the trains, as they'll assume it's because of the M4.
I think getting some more travellers (not just commuters, but off peak people too) on the trains would be a good move. But seeing as FGW▸ did this with the Hammersmith Flyover, it seems that they've decided not to bother as it's obviously not worth their while.
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grahame
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« Reply #33 on: July 09, 2012, 17:25:33 » |
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This thread was becoming a little headed concerning posting styles, etc, and I have split off some of the posts into a separate thread so that we can keep the rail (or motorway) stuff on track here. The posts I have separated off can still be read by logged in regular contributing members at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=10990.0Hopefully I haven't damaged the ongoing sense of the thread too much, but you folks gave me a real challenge this time  |
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« Last Edit: July 09, 2012, 17:33:10 by grahame »
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Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
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Electric train
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« Reply #34 on: July 09, 2012, 20:30:07 » |
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Cannot say there hundreds of extra passengers at Maidenhead this morning trying to avoid the M4 closure
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Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
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grahame
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« Reply #35 on: July 10, 2012, 08:13:47 » |
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Indeed whilst I'm not a fan of FIRST, I will give credit that First run services on some Branch lines above the specified level, one example is that Plymouth-Gunnislake has a service of 9 trains a day Monday to Friday where as the MSL▸ is 8 trains.
The logic is good the Train is Hired, the Train Crew being paid so might as well work rather than sit in a Mess room, so the cost of the extra train is Fuel and Train path, but more trains means more passengers, and the Extra Branch line trains, which generally run good to time help push up the Trains run to time performance figures. All very good business sense.
Yet at the same time I consider (and hope others will agree) that Melksham in Wiltshire has been very badly served by FGW▸ , when First took over from Wessex, the almost decent level of service was to cut back to a level NOT fitting for a town of Melkshams size.
Yet it's an Issue FGW just ignored, I'm sure that it wouldn't have hurt if one or two of the daily Plymouth, Paington, Exeter or Taunton to London services (and vicky versa) were routed via Westbury and Swindon calling at Melksham.
I've posted a full answer - now at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=10992.0 ; I've separated it off into the TransWilts board area as it gets pretty long and really has little to do with the current M4 closure. |
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Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
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« Reply #37 on: July 11, 2012, 18:25:16 » |
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e,nin stan'rd said it would be open at 6am tomorrow ............................. ................  |
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Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
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Btline
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« Reply #38 on: July 11, 2012, 20:09:37 » |
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e,nin stan'rd said it would be open at 6am tomorrow ............................. ................ Really? Latest from the Highways Agency is Monday at the earliest (although that's according to the DM). Whatever the time, it is causing chaos. I hope FGW▸ are pressing for more pax. |
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JayMac
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« Reply #39 on: July 11, 2012, 20:25:31 » |
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Highways Agency are saying via a Central Office of Information* press release issued today that the M4 between J2-J3 will not be open tomorrow morning as originally envisaged. All they are saying is: "Conditional on the repair work being successful, it is still expected that the work will be completed and the road reopened within the next few days."http://www.highways.gov.uk/news/pressrelease.aspx?pressreleaseid=425190
*That department name always sounds vaguely Soviet to me. |
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"A clear conscience laughs at a false accusation."
"Treat everyone the same until you find out they're an idiot."
"Moral indignation is a technique used to endow the idiot with dignity."
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JayMac
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« Reply #41 on: July 12, 2012, 00:59:05 » |
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Interesting to note that the Highways Agency press release has the sub-headline: "HIGHWAYS AGENCY News Release issued by COI News Distribution Service on 11 July 2012." Yet, according to http://coi.gov.uk/ the Central Office of Information was closed on 31st March 2012. And if you navigate to this page: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/DG_10011980 you are given the link: http://nds.coi.gov.uk/ which brings up 'Server not found'.  Other Google searches just either direct to 'page not found' or the COI archives. So, looks like the HA▸ issued the press release themselves and did a 'cut and paste' with that sub-headline referencing the COI. |
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"A clear conscience laughs at a false accusation."
"Treat everyone the same until you find out they're an idiot."
"Moral indignation is a technique used to endow the idiot with dignity."
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Btline
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« Reply #42 on: July 13, 2012, 00:28:01 » |
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The M4 misery is set to continue until Monday at least.  Workers are now desperately preparing to paint a new set of Olympic lanes on the A30 to ferry VIPs from the airport, the first of which are due to land TODAY. Regarding FGW▸ (and SWT▸ ), the images of queues and the tirades on Twitter say it all, I wonder if passengers numbers are up? |
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BerkshireBugsy
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« Reply #43 on: July 13, 2012, 05:11:46 » |
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The M4 misery is set to continue until Monday at least. Workers are now desperately preparing to paint a new set of Olympic lanes on the A30 to ferry VIPs from the airport, the first of which are due to land TODAY. I will have to speak to my Father In Law who is a volunteer driver for the Oympics to see if they have been given any guidence or advise in case this is an on-going issue. Having been caught in the chaos* this causes I'm sure they won't want the Olympic VIPs to suffer the same fate! *To mods - I hope my use of the word "Chaos" is not deemed to dramatic here - on the Saturday I was caught up in it it caused about 2 hour delays to our journey and gridlock in the surrounding areas |
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Timmer
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« Reply #44 on: July 13, 2012, 06:12:17 » |
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Reopened this morning.
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