Swindon - facilities, improvements, signalling, events and incidents, including GWR history - merged posts

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

A video news update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

All change as Swindon's 1960s signal box departs for museum

A signal box, which has kept trains in the West of England on track for the past 50 years, is to be preserved as a piece of railway history.

The panel, at Swindon railway station, controls trains over more than 200 miles of track.

But from the end of May, a computer in Didcot will take over and the panel will head to a transport museum.

[grahame]

http://www.flicwiltshire.com/News/General/Planning-application-for-Signal-Point.aspx?#.VQyhIV6FZuY

Winchester Comercio Intrernacional are seeking permission to convert the mostly empty Signal Point building in Station Road into 77x 1 bedroom, 48x 2 bedroom and 1x 3 bedroom apartments.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From This is Wiltshire:

Sensory garden at train station makes way for police base


Louise Joachim in the sensory garden at Swindon station in 2013


How the area looks now

The long-derelict sensory garden at Swindon train station has now been removed to allow British Transport Police to have a firm presence at the site.

Efforts to maintain the small fenced-off patch of concrete, previously filled with a handful of flower pots and a couple of wooden benches, have failed despite ongoing talks for around two years with a local florist.

The garden has been largely unused for years, and Louise Joachim, of Wendy House Flowers, approached the station manager towards the end of 2013 to offer her services.

At the time a First Great Western spokesman said they would welcome any local business offering to rejuvenate the garden, but after months of enquiries, Louise had no positive offers forthcoming.

Now the garden has been removed as First Great Western plans a number of improvements, including bringing police officers back to the station.

A spokesman for First Great Western said: ^To make way for further improvements at the station, including the return of the British Transport Police to an on site location, it has not been possible to maintain the sensory garden at its current location.^

Florist Louise had been keen to revitalise the area after her son developed a keen interest in trains, and she found herself spending hours on the platforms.

^There should be things people can touch and smell, where they can indulge themselves,^ she said, setting out her ideas. It could be a quiet little haven where people have a place to enjoy nature.

^I just think it should be somewhere people can enjoy. It would not just be pretty flowers ^ I want to make the garden live up to its name. I want it to appeal to all the senses, so I would like to grow flowers, herbs and fruit plants.

^The train station is people^s first impression of Swindon, and I want it to be pretty spectacular.^

The company has indicated there could still be a role for Louise, as developments will include some new cosmetic work.

The spokesman said: ^Recognising the role that rail plays to the local community and to the economy, we will continue to work to ensure that the station remains a bright and inviting environment.^

[bobm]

News today that the closure of the panel may well be delayed for unspecified reasons.

http://www.swindonpanel.org.uk/2015/03/27/swindon-panel-decommissioning-deferred-again/

Unfortunately we have to report that we have been advised by Network Rail today that it is highly likely that the Swindon Area Signalling Renewal, and associated decommissioning of Swindon Panel, will be deferred for a third time.

It is not yet clear when the work would be deferred until, this is something that Network Rail will no doubt need to work out. We will report further details as soon as we know them and report as soon as we can on how this affects our plans and expectations for the future.

(more in the link above)

[bobm]

What looks like a storage unit has now replaced the garden.

[Oxonhutch]

I think it's a greenhouse 

[grahame]

What looks like a storage unit has now replaced the garden.

Not unexpected.  The British Transport Police require(d) a storeroom at Swindon, and that was the non-operational space required for it.

We do have scope for some more robust / community stuff at Swindon (being encouraged by station operator)- discussion for our planning meetings next week.

[TonyK]

News today that the closure of the panel may well be delayed for unspecified reasons.

Doesn't sound like a disaster to me, more a blessing in disguise.

[bobm]

For those preserving the panel I'd agree but, as their news release says, I do feel for the Network Rail staff working there who are in limbo a bit.

[Bmblbzzz]

Last February, I unexpectedly had to make a journey from Chippenham to Bristol. It was a Sunday evening (or Saturday - can't remember now) and the ticket office was closed. There are TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine), but they were not working. Okay, I thought, I'll get a ticket on the train. I did not see any staff on the train (HST^▸ (High Speed Train)). How will I get through the barriers at BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains)? I guess I'll just have to explain the situation and buy a ticket there, hope they will sell me one if I go up to them and ask. But there were no staff on the platform and the barriers were all open! Very odd. Or maybe not odd - I've made quite a lot of journeys Paddington - Bristol late in the evening when the staff haven't come round to check tickets at all. Maybe they just count on the barriers at Paddington, Bath, Temple Meads? Or maybe they don't care?

[ChrisB]

Money talks.

ie the cost of employing staff is less more than ticket income likely to be collected

[grahame]

Last February, I unexpectedly had to make a journey from Chippenham to Bristol. It was a Sunday evening (or Saturday - can't remember now) and the ticket office was closed. There are TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine), but they were not working. Okay, I thought, I'll get a ticket on the train. I did not see any staff on the train (HST^▸ (High Speed Train)). How will I get through the barriers at BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains)? I guess I'll just have to explain the situation and buy a ticket there, hope they will sell me one if I go up to them and ask. But there were no staff on the platform and the barriers were all open! Very odd. ...

A couple of thoughts

Under "Cap and Collar" - previous franchise from 2005 - around 80% of 'extra' income went to the government which meant that of every ^1000 in extra fares collected at the margin of operations, only ^200 was retained and there was in effect a 400% tax on income for First.  It stifled the business case to put extra revenue protection in place, or to have a robust maintenance systems to ensure that TVMs worked 99.9% rather than 98% of the time.
Once that system was (thank goodness) replaced, it's taken a while to recruit extra staff, train them, have them in place - and on ticket machines / parts, things take incredibly long ... you can't just buy an "Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains)" off the shelf, and have you noticed that the new TVM at Melksham a taken 6 months longer than promised, and still isn't there.

Looking at staff, you've got staff sickness to consider too, and again having people around just in case a colleague is ill is expensive - more than the fares taken.   With barriers at all London - Bristol stations on the direct normal route except Chippenham, lighter checks at Chippenham should be OK, though that system isn't as robust as I describe for a variety of reasons that frequent posters will realise.

But for on the community end of things, we share elements of the frustration based on the need for income for First, and for good passenger numbers and ticket sales numbers, in order to ensure that future services meet the needs of people travelling.  Mind, some of the figures are a bit (or much) higher than was expected and in places there are growth pains ... I can name you some stations where you can't but tickets out of hours (or at all), you're unlikely to see the conductor in the few minutes to the next similar station as you may be standing in a train that's got several coaches.

[Bmblbzzz]

No, I didn't know about the 'Cap and Collar' system. I'm not too hot on financing and economics generally, but with that proviso, it does sound somewhat perverse. Anyway, my point wasn't so much to criticise FGW^▸ (First Great Western) or their staff, as to say 'this happens'. I felt a bit guilty at the time about being, albeit unintentionally, a fare dodger. 

As for

I can name you some stations where you can't but tickets out of hours (or at all), you're unlikely to see the conductor in the few minutes to the next similar station as you may be standing in a train that's got several coaches.

I don't know where you're thinking of but I certainly know some that qualify!

[LiskeardRich]

Swindon tonight have reached the football league play off final at Wembley on 24th may.

Bad news for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) bean counters and Swindon fans is no trains between didcot parkway and bath spa/ Bristol parkway that weekend due to engineering works.

FGW may need to increase rail replacement bus numbers if Swindon fans all decide to descend on Wembley.

[a-driver]

According to some Swindon fans on Twitter, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have already 'nicked' all the spares coaches in the area!

https://twitter.com/mwooly63/status/595578278833971200