Green Army!

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

.............from what I can gather the coach companies are mobilising and making up for FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s shortcomings tomorrow night, at least for those heading West after the match in Plymouth.

[PhilWakely]

When Exeter City went to Wembley in 2007 and 2008 and faced a similar situation, coaches were being brought in from as far afield as South Wales and the Midlands as each and every available coach in the Westcountry was heading up the M4/M5 or A303/M3 to Wembley. 

[TaplowGreen]

When Exeter City went to Wembley in 2007 and 2008 and faced a similar situation, coaches were being brought in from as far afield as South Wales and the Midlands as each and every available coach in the Westcountry was heading up the M4/M5 or A303/M3 to Wembley. 

............that many coaches for 27 fans?  (oh alright come on you'd expect that from an Argyle fan!) 

[PhilWakely]

............that many coaches for 27 fans?  (oh alright come on you'd expect that from an Argyle fan!) 

Seriously though - it is Wembley and you will always get the so-called fan that has 'supported <insert club of your choice> all my life', yet never been to a league match - home or away. ECFC took 35,000 (!!!!) to Wembley in 2007 and 29,000 in 2008 and yet the average Home attendance is under 4,000 :-)

[TaplowGreen]

............that many coaches for 27 fans?  (oh alright come on you'd expect that from an Argyle fan!) 

Seriously though - it is Wembley and you will always get the so-called fan that has 'supported <insert club of your choice> all my life', yet never been to a league match - home or away. ECFC took 35,000 (!!!!) to Wembley in 2007 and 29,000 in 2008 and yet the average Home attendance is under 4,000 :-)

Yep, there will be 15/16,000 at Home Park tomorrow against 7,000 normally, and if they do get to Wembley expect at least 35,000 lifelong committed Argyle fans to be clamouring for tickets!

[Umberleigh]

Similar issue affecting the North Devon Grecians, such loyal users of the Saturday Tarka^▸ (Line from Barnstaple to Exeter) Line services that they had a personal thank you from the Barnstaple station manager. Yet on Tuesday night games they have to hire a minibus as there is no return service late enough.

Ditto Argyle supporters who are regular users of lines into Plymouth on Saturdays and yet are not catered for on Tuesday nights (and last night) either.

It's really quite woeful how poorly connected Plymouth and Exeter are by rail for anyone wanting to visit the theatre, have dinner, go to football etc  at a weekend

[grahame]

Similar issue affecting the North Devon Grecians, such loyal users of the Saturday Tarka^▸ (Line from Barnstaple to Exeter) Line services that they had a personal thank you from the Barnstaple station manager. Yet on Tuesday night games they have to hire a minibus as there is no return service late enough.

Long gone are the days where a spare rake of coaches would be available at virtually any time - look back at some of the 1960s reports and see the incredible number of coaches used only for one round trip per week.

But ...

There are "Q" freight paths.  Could there also be "Q" passenger paths - alternatives on the end of evening diagrams which can be switched on a week or two ahead of time when there are evening matches?   I'm NOT advocating peak relief train paths here when all stock is running anyway.   

TransWilts example (sorry, but I know the line!) late night round trip to help (example) Swindon fans get home when they've had an evening or away match.  Approx 21:00 off Westbury, and 22:36 off Swindon.  Also on summer Saturdays the "up" train would help day out traffic to from Weymouth / I need to check connections.

[TaplowGreen]

Similar issue affecting the North Devon Grecians, such loyal users of the Saturday Tarka^▸ (Line from Barnstaple to Exeter) Line services that they had a personal thank you from the Barnstaple station manager. Yet on Tuesday night games they have to hire a minibus as there is no return service late enough.

Long gone are the days where a spare rake of coaches would be available at virtually any time - look back at some of the 1960s reports and see the incredible number of coaches used only for one round trip per week.

But ...

There are "Q" freight paths.  Could there also be "Q" passenger paths - alternatives on the end of evening diagrams which can be switched on a week or two ahead of time when there are evening matches?   I'm NOT advocating peak relief train paths here when all stock is running anyway.   

TransWilts example (sorry, but I know the line!) late night round trip to help (example) Swindon fans get home when they've had an evening or away match.  Approx 21:00 off Westbury, and 22:36 off Swindon.  Also on summer Saturdays the "up" train would help day out traffic to from Weymouth / I need to check connections.

These are good and imaginative ideas - it would be refreshing if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) etc could look at what they could do with a bit of agile thinking, rather than simply saying "no" by default and trotting out the usual line - if the railway is to have a future, it is surely to be as a system which responds to the need and demands of its customers, rather than always expecting them to fit around it.

(we'll say no more about last night's results!)

[PhilWakely]

(we'll say no more about last night's results!)

Sorry, must have missed something! Did something happen last evening?   

[Phil]

(we'll say no more about last night's results!)

Sorry, must have missed something! Did something happen last evening?  

QPR lost 6-0

[grahame]

These are good and imaginative ideas - it would be refreshing if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) etc could look at what they could do with a bit of agile thinking, rather than simply saying "no" by default and trotting out the usual line - if the railway is to have a future, it is surely to be as a system which responds to the need and demands of its customers, rather than always expecting them to fit around it.

It may not be immediately apparent, but FGW take a look at ideas and developing things forward ... but I remember being told in my early days of involvement that I should expect things to take 10 times as long and be 10 times more expensive than I might expect.   I'm also very conscious that it's very easy for us passengers / amateurs to put forward suggestions without a full appreciation of why they simply can't work ... and that an awful lot of time and goodwill could slip away with lots of evaluation.

On the community rail side, with an ever so slightly professional element we've been able to make little things happen which together have made something bigger - in Devon, yes, on the Barnstaple line and on Paington ... on TransWilts, lots I'm aware of. More difficult on main lines / bigger services - and there's a very interesting question as to how community can be brought in for (for example) the community in Chippenham and Swindon and their journey to London.

With one corner of the carpet that passengers ride on pulled back, I have been able to see a little inside ... and I've spoke with others on lines outside the FGW area too and (hard though it is to see, small though the steps are) I can confirm that FGW in its current form is much more open to sharing and ideas that many / most / almost all others.  But that's small comfort looking at what looks like a quick and easy idea ... and (by the way) you may often find the folks within FGW, and within local government,  often just as frustrated as they work the practicalities and the systems.

[TaplowGreen]

Swindon Town fans now facing the same problem - they've made it to Wembley but............no trains from Swindon on that day due to engineering works! Hope FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have got plenty of coaches organised!!!