Daytime Traffic on the TransWilts

[whole diary]

[bobm]

Ticket barriers are on the way at Chippenham. 

At present they quite often have a person selling tickets at the entrance to the platform to ease the queue at the booking office.  I wonder if they also check tickets for people leaving the platform via that route.  Agreed if they did it would only be a token effort as there is another exit on that side of the station, or the footbridge over to the north side.

[Timmer]

Ticket barriers are on the way at Chippenham. 

How many years has this taken? Ridiculous.

[Chris from Nailsea]

How many years did it take to get lifts at Chippenham?  Ridiculous indeed. 

[grahame]

How many years did it take to get lifts at Chippenham?  Ridiculous indeed. 

They ran out of money two thirds of the way though.  I'll let you know "beginning to end" once we're at the end!

[grahame]

15:12 from Swindon today.   85 on board from Chippenham; -27 +2 at Melksham.  87/29
This is not the peak train ... this one was a real concern in 2014 as being rather quite but has since blossomed, especially on a Friday.   Getting silly - today was Monday!

Full and standing on the 07:49 up ... -5 +27 at Melksham -> 78.  83/32
I didn't see the 2 car 07:19 this morning; typically takes more passengers than the 07:49

[grahame]

Tuesday ...

10:04 Melksham to Swindon -5 + 21 -> 50;  55/26

12:06 arrival from Trowbridge.  10 -> -2 + 5  15/7

Oh well ... that 12:06 is in the quiet time of day, and is when an extra train runs to keep the intervals reasonable yet have the train running in the right place at both peaks!

Just ONE space left in the (new in the last couple of years) station car park.   We'll soon need more parking or a bus to the station ...

[ChrisB]

Did you notice that your ticket machine was out of order (was yesterday too, according to journeycheck)

[grahame]

Tuesday ...
10:04 Melksham to Swindon -5 + 21 -> 50;  55/26
12:06 arrival from Trowbridge.  10 -> -2 + 5  15/7

Did you notice that your ticket machine was out of order (was yesterday too, according to journeycheck)

In use for the 10:04, but never the less the conductor only got half way through before Chippenham, so I suspect some people completed their journey without paying.

No ticket check on the 12:06 arrival. I would not be surprised if fellow traveller leaving at Melksham had not availed himself of the opportunity to pay at Trowbridge.

[ChrisB]

Interesting, journeycheck's 'out of order' timed today at 0329.

[martyjon]

Interesting, journeycheck's 'out of order' timed today at 0329.

At the time of writing journeycheck is suggesting ' machines ' are out of order but there is only one ticket machine at Melksham, although I stand to be corrected, and continues to request passengers to purchase tickets at the ticket office . . . .  Might this phantom ticket office be manned by the ghost of err . . . . the elusive Mr. Hopwood 

[grahame]

Interesting, journeycheck's 'out of order' timed today at 0329.

Melksham: Ticket Vending Machine problem
The ticket vending machines are out of order at Melksham station.
Additional Information
Please purchase tickets at the ticket office or, if unavailable, at the first available opportunity to do so when no other means of purchasing them is available at the station.
Last Updated:28/11/2017 03:27

Having been up since soon after that was posted, I don't think I'll crawl out of home and take a look.

The ticket machine at Melksham provides a superb queue-buster, selling to the confident, regulars and semiregulars and giving the train manager at least a sporting opportunity of getting through the train for those who don't fall into that category, or who are paying cash.   When knocked out, the train manager struggles to get through and I'm sure our ticket sale stats suffer.

[IndustryInsider]

You must be pleased with those passenger figures from the last couple of days, Graham?  Very impressive!  I know reliability will have impacted growth, but what’s your hunch/hopes for Melksham’s rise in passenger numbers when the annual figures are released in a few days?

[grahame]

You must be pleased with those passenger figures from the last couple of days, Graham?  Very impressive!  I know reliability will have impacted growth, but what’s your hunch/hopes for Melksham’s rise in passenger numbers when the annual figures are released in a few days?

Turned out to be 23% up ... 60,676 to 74,666.   And this morning the 07:19 was -3+25 ... people gathering now for the 07:49

I would be amazed at anything like the same growth in the 2017/18 year due to the trains being full, and being far from adequate in reliability too - "gave up and took a taxi - won' t use the train again" type comments on Facebook.   However, I suspect we may find our figures still good in comparison to other lines.

Handing out an update / newsletter this a.m. - http://twcrp.info/mrug_20121204 - from Melksham Rail User Group which gives a paragraph on each item in the Melksham Rail news at present.

[grahame]

Friday 8th December

14:14 Westbury to Swindon (ex Frome service)

WSB^» (Westbury - next trains) -6 +16 ->16
TRO^» (Trowbridge - next trains) -1 + 17 -> 32
MKN -7 + 4 -> 29
CPM^» (Chippenham - next trains) -lots +2 -> ??

15:12 return service - lots got on as soon as the train had unloaded from previous trip at Swindon, with substantial flow towards it as departure time approach.   Best guess - "Pretty busy" and that's even before the busier Chippenham to Melksham section.

36/11

[grahame]

Tuesday 12th December

15:39 at Melksham -17 +6 => 36 53/23
16:37 at Melksham 42 => -12 + 3 45/15