Wilderness Festival, Cornbury Park, 7 to 10 August 2014 - Travel Advice

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the First Great Western press release:

Wilderness Festival ^ Travel Advice

First Great Western is delighted to announce that it will provide over 4,500 additional seats to help take revellers to and from this weekend^s Wilderness Festival near Charlbury.

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) will provide 17 additional trains to transport music and food lovers to and from Charlbury Station, where shuttle buses await to take them onto the Wilderness Festival site.

FGW Charlbury Station Manager Alan Field said: ^First Great Western is committed to supporting the communities we serve and what better way to do that than by ensuring our customers can leave the car at home and travel by train to this event, which is rapidly growing in popularity. Our friendly and approachable staff will be on hand to help keep people moving but customers are warned to allow time for their return journey, as a queuing system maybe required to ensure trains can be boarded safely.^

The Wilderness Festival takes place at Cornbury Park from Thursday 7 August to Sunday 10 August.

With nine additional trains being provided on the Sunday alone the first service from Charlbury to London Paddington will depart at 10.28, and from Charlbury to Worcester Foregate Street at 0933.

For more information on train times please visit www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk

[CLPGMS]

Details of a total of 8 additional trains for 7th, 8th and 11th August are available on Realtime Trains website, but there is no evidence there yet of the 9 extra trains for Sunday 10th.  The only alterations for Sunday are that buses will be replacing trains between Worcester Shrub Hill and Hereford.

The Cotswold Line Promotion Group's website http://clpg.org.uk/content.php?pagename=Wilderness also has details of the altered services for 7th, 8th and 11th. 

[IanL]

well, that went very well (not), broken down train at Hanborough this morning caused delays for most of the day and to cap it all the 1552 was cancelled this afternoon. Bus replaced it BUT not allowed to drop passengers off in Charlbury, so goes left to finstock all around Charlbury and Cornbury via Leafield (and past the entrance to Wilderness) to get to the station avoiding the weight limit on the bridge. Those passengers for Wilderness then get on the shuttle bus and reverse the diversion via Leafield and Finstock. Crazy application of rules about bus replacement not dropping off anywhere except at the station.

[CLPGMS]

As I understand it, the train which was delayed by brake problems at Hanborough on Friday 8th was the 0921 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-WOF.  It is booked for Class 180 operation and eventually terminated at WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains) 42 minutes late.  For its return journey, it departed WOS 14 minutes late but appears not to have had any further problems, as it arrived at PAD only 12 minutes late.  I believe that the unit's next duty is the 1552 PAD-WOS.  This departed 12 minutes late, but terminated at Reading 47 minutes late. Obviously, further problems were encountered.  Does anyone know which unit was involved?  The 1849 WOF-PAD was also cancelled as a result.

[Busboy W1]

Not sure how 1W21 caused delays for the WHOLE Day (Headscratch) it delayed itself in which was 180103 and also 1P35 awaiting single line at Charlbury. The delay to 1W23 was caused by a loss of air at Paddington and was 19 late departing as a result. 1Z30 was cancelled by NR^» (Network Rail - home page) as far as I'm aware. Then with heavy passenger loadings the delays came back. And 180103 again had problems & failed at Reading whilst working 1W47 15:52 Paddington - Worcester service. This meant 1P77 was also cancelled as a result.Two train loads on 17:22 Ex Padd with 852 people counted leaving the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) at Charlbury. Extra buses have been implemented to help with loadings because of Wilderness but also for Rail Replacement use. Because they are implemented by FGW^▸ (First Great Western) they are not allowed to enter the site for one reason or another hence the transfer at Charlbury Stn.

[IanL]

Even for those travelling to Charlbury, the bus entered Charlbury at 1800 (five ways junction) but it was a further 25min due to the diversion before it arrived at the station. This is a ridiculous application of the rules, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) should allow some leniency in dropping off passengers who would prefer before embracing on a long diversion.

[CLPGMS]

Regarding Busboy W1's post, as far as I can see, the problem with 180103 at Hanborough on 8th August resulted in delays or cancellations to the following trains.  The times shown are for the occupation of single line between Wolvercote Junction and Charlbury with booked departure time at Charlbury in brackets.

1W21   PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-WOF   1038 to 1116  (1042).
1W23   PAD-MIM    1120 to 1130  (1104).
1P40    GMV-PAD   1130 to 1141   (1106).
1W02   PAD_HFD   1143 to 1158   (1137).
(1Z30    PAD-CBY was booked to occupy the single line from 1148 to 1157.  Terminated at Oxford.)
1P43    MIM-PAD   1222 to 1234  (1208)  (ran late due to delay on outward journey - see 1W23 above).
1W29   PAD-GMV   1235 to 1247  (1236).

After this, with the exception of the cancellation of 1W47 and 1P77, trains ran as booked, but with delays probably due to large passenger numbers.

[Oxman]

"Even for those travelling to Charlbury, the bus entered Charlbury at 1800 (five ways junction) but it was a further 25min due to the diversion before it arrived at the station. This is a ridiculous application of the rules, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) should allow some leniency in dropping off passengers who would prefer before embracing on a long diversion."

FGW don't make the rules on where buses can stop. They would have to apply to the traffic commissioners to stop off anywhere but the stations served by the rail replacement service. Such applications are not usually dealt with quickly.

A few years ago, I organised the bus service between Oxford and Didcot when the line was closed for a week because of flooding. The buses had to come into Oxford from the North side, via the Banbury road, because the Botley road was flooded. Many of the passengers wanted to get off the buses in Oxford centre, instead of being carried beyond the centre to the station. After the first day, my contact at the bus company I was using to organise the service got permission from the Traffic Commissioners to drop off incoming passengers in the centre of Oxford. We could not get permission to pick up there on services to Didcot.

We did well to get authority within 24 hours. Getting it within a couple of hours would be nigh on impossible, imo.

We can criticise FGW for many things, but its helpful, I think, to know the boundaries of its control.

[TaplowGreen]

Personally when confronted with these "jobsworth" type restrictions/bureaucracy I have found the best way to deal with them is to ignore them and use common sense (notwithstanding Health and Safety considerations) - I've yet to have to deal with any repercussions.

[Richard Fairhurst]

Though I guess FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could have placed a stop order on the "train" to stop at Finstock. The Finstock station layby is very small and has no footpath, so is probably not a safe place for a rail replacement bus to stop. Somewhere else nearby would have to be found. Perhaps the entrance to Cornbury Park 100m up the road?

[bobm]

Problems with some of the early additional trains today.

Alteration to the 09:00 Reading to Charlbury due 09:51.

This train will be terminated at Oxford.

This train will no longer call at Charlbury.

This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.

Cancellation of the 10:41 Oxford to Charlbury due 10:57.

This train will be cancelled.

This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.

[TaplowGreen]

Problems with some of the early additional trains today.

Alteration to the 09:00 Reading to Charlbury due 09:51.

This train will be terminated at Oxford.

This train will no longer call at Charlbury.

This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.

Cancellation of the 10:41 Oxford to Charlbury due 10:57.

This train will be cancelled.

This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.

Someone fancied a lie-in? 

[CLPGMS]

No additional trains for today at Charlbury were shown on Realtime Trains until earlier this morning.  Some have now appeared, but it appears that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could not decide on whether to take people to, or from, Charlbury.  Two trains have been changed from empty stock to in service - 5Z33 and 5Z34 have become 2Z33 and 2Z34 (1213 and 1304 from Charlbury to Oxford).  So far, 6 of the 9 additional trains for Sunday mentioned in FGW's press release have appeared on Realtime Trains, with 2 of them cancelled due to train crew issues.

It remains to see what happens later in the day, when some visitors to the Festival will be returning home.  However, last year, many decided to remain on the site overnight and flooded the early morning trains on the Monday morning.  Many of them held off-peak tickets and arrived at the station before they were valid for travel. 

UPDATE.
FGW is now advertising the following additional trains from Charlbury to Oxford for Sunday: 1713.  1816.  1915.  2113.  2200.  The reason given is "an unusually large passenger flow".  The trains, and the times of the empty stock workings from Oxford, are now on Realtime Trains.

[IanL]

"Even for those travelling to Charlbury, the bus entered Charlbury at 1800 (five ways junction) but it was a further 25min due to the diversion before it arrived at the station. This is a ridiculous application of the rules, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) should allow some leniency in dropping off passengers who would prefer before embracing on a long diversion."

FGW don't make the rules on where buses can stop. They would have to apply to the traffic commissioners to stop off anywhere but the stations served by the rail replacement service. Such applications are not usually dealt with quickly.

But the weight restriction has been in place for almost 2 years so would affect ANY bus replacement and FGW must be aware of this. The diversion causes an additional 25min on a 40min journey which pushed the effective delay to over an hour thus making compensation payable. Surely FGW are aware and can make a standing order for bus replacement to make an additional stop in a more convenient place?

[a-driver]

No additional trains for today at Charlbury were shown on Realtime Trains until earlier this morning.  Some have now appeared, but it appears that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could not decide on whether to take people to, or from, Charlbury.  Two trains have been changed from empty stock to in service - 5Z33 and 5Z34 have become 2Z33 and 2Z34 (1213 and 1304 from Charlbury to Oxford).  So far, 6 of the 9 additional trains for Sunday mentioned in FGW's press release have appeared on Realtime Trains, with 2 of them cancelled due to train crew issues.

It remains to see what happens later in the day, when some visitors to the Festival will be returning home.  However, last year, many decided to remain on the site overnight and flooded the early morning trains on the Monday morning.  Many of them held off-peak tickets and arrived at the station before they were valid for travel. 

UPDATE.
FGW is now advertising the following additional trains from Charlbury to Oxford for Sunday: 1713.  1816.  1915.  2113.  2200.  The reason given is "an unusually large passenger flow".  The trains, and the times of the empty stock workings from Oxford, are now on Realtime Trains.

Have to admit, it wasn't a pretty sight on some of the trains leaving Charlbury last night.  I don't know wether the company was caught out by the number of people travelling back late in the evening or wether it was just a lack of crews and/or available trains but some were seriously overcrowded.