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Lee
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« on: February 17, 2008, 22:56:53 » |
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From the Save The Train Forum : Having hoped that after last years dismal personal record with First's regional services, it was safe to try the train again.
Sunday's 11.10am departure from Bradford indicated otherwise - the service arrived basically packed to the extent that people bulged out of the doors when they opened. No room in the aisles either, the packing was a quality job, you couldn't see through the thing.
It left even more so, having picked up half of the around 18 people waiting ... the other 9 or so dispersed with baleful glances at the ticket machine ...
And then, the following train is very nearly two hours later.
Presumably seeing the number aboard the train, the service must usually be a lot better, bigger or something to encourage so many to travel? It was running Portsmouth to Cardiff, two carriages, and looks as though it could have 100% filled three and everyone with a seat.
Mark
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John R
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« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2008, 23:44:02 » |
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Let's hope 3 coaches are back on the agenda very soon. I wonder how many passengers are lost to the railway for good each time this happens, either because they are left behind, or decide they don't wish to endure a journey standing and squashed ever again.
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Jim
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« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2008, 08:33:07 » |
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That 09.08 from Pompey on a Sunday is always full, I recomend the 09.39 Frome-Bristol TM‡, normally atleast 2 car
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Cheers Jim  AG's most famous quote "It'll be better next week" |
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Timmer
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« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2008, 18:49:30 » |
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As Mark says the problem is that there is a two hour gap between services on Sundays since SWT▸ 's Waterloo-Bristol service was moved to later in the afternoon.
As Bradford-on-Avon was mentioned as the station where passengers were turned away, I'll mention departures from this station as an example. Before December 07 TT change, between 11am-13.30 there were three departures at 11.10, 12.37 and 13.07. Now its just the 11.10 and 13.07. So have FGW▸ added an extra carriage or two to either of these two departures to compensate? NO! Hence the huge overcrowding problem on these two services in particular.
Why can't they do this when on weekends there is often spare rolling stock hanging around Bristol or Westbury? Surely some sensible diagraming could relieve this problem of overcrowding OR FGW providing an extra service in between these two departures come the next timetable change?
Whereas groups like MTLS▸ are good at highlighting problems commuters face Monday-Friday, there is often servere overcrowding on the Cardiff-Portsmouth line at weekends with passengers unable to board services as has been highlighted by what happened yesterday at Bradford-on-Avon. What's fustrating is that FGW do have more stock at weekends in which they could run longer trains but don't, anyone know why?
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Graz
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« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2008, 19:30:03 » |
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If only SWT▸ could be convinced to run a Salisbury service at that time, in addition to the later afternoon one!
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Timmer
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« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2008, 19:49:00 » |
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If only SWT▸ could be convinced to run a Salisbury service at that time, in addition to the later afternoon one!
Again SWT would have spare rolling stock at weekends though its not really thier responsibility to provide services between Salisbury and Bristol... FGW▸ should be doing that. |
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Jim
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« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2008, 20:50:12 » |
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No problem today though, the 06.00 Ports-Cardiff was canned, thus the 06.51 ran as SIX CAR, and yes, a plug to prove! : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qzC1gWUpqM |
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Cheers Jim AG's most famous quote "It'll be better next week" |
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Shazz
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« Reply #7 on: February 18, 2008, 21:33:31 » |
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Maybe someone should get some more 158's and use 6 car down the entire line  |
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Timmer
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« Reply #8 on: February 18, 2008, 21:34:22 » |
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Excellent! Now why can't we see that on every service |
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Graz
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« Reply #9 on: February 19, 2008, 10:57:04 » |
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Wow, can 6 cars even fit onto platforms like Bradford-on-Avon? If so, this should be made standard!
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Jim
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« Reply #10 on: February 19, 2008, 21:47:55 » |
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Wow, can 6 cars even fit onto platforms like Bradford-on-Avon? If so, this should be made standard!
No, the guard had to use the 'butterfly' (Emergancy Door Open Flap on the outside to you and me) on a selected amount of doors at the short platforms, to let everyone in. |
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Cheers Jim AG's most famous quote "It'll be better next week" |
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #11 on: February 19, 2008, 23:56:33 » |
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Hmmm. Isn't all this modern state of the art technology just amazing ... ?  |
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William Huskisson MP▸ was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830. Many more have died in the same way since then. Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.
"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner." Discuss.
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swlines
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« Reply #12 on: February 20, 2008, 07:34:43 » |
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Yes, for FGW▸ it is! On short platforms on Southern, there is a beacon on the end of each platform if it is a short platform (also if differing lengths of platform on either side, or it uses GPS) which tells the train how many doors exactly to open from front. So for instance, let's make up a station, that can take 6 coaches and front set of doors in the next coach. Train pulls in, gets data from beacon, releases 13 sets of doors. Something all train operators should use IMHO▸ . |
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Conner
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« Reply #13 on: February 20, 2008, 07:59:43 » |
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Yes, for FGW▸ it is! On short platforms on Southern, there is a beacon on the end of each platform if it is a short platform (also if differing lengths of platform on either side, or it uses GPS) which tells the train how many doors exactly to open from front. So for instance, let's make up a station, that can take 6 coaches and front set of doors in the next coach. Train pulls in, gets data from beacon, releases 13 sets of doors. Something all train operators should use IMHO▸ . You didn't mention the downsides. There is two: 1) It takes quite a long time for the doors to register which ones should open so you have to wait before you can get on/off and the station stops take longer. 2) IIRC▸ the guard/driver must check that they have stopped exactly right before they open the doors wasting even more time. |
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devon_metro
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« Reply #14 on: February 20, 2008, 09:12:01 » |
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Yes, for FGW▸ it is! On short platforms on Southern, there is a beacon on the end of each platform if it is a short platform (also if differing lengths of platform on either side, or it uses GPS) which tells the train how many doors exactly to open from front. So for instance, let's make up a station, that can take 6 coaches and front set of doors in the next coach. Train pulls in, gets data from beacon, releases 13 sets of doors. Something all train operators should use IMHO▸ . Tell me it doesn't run on Windows 3.1  It would be a waste of money in FGW land anyway as not many trains run as 6 car and also the 158s are pretty ancient compared to the electrostars! |
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