What do you get when you cross...

[whole diary]

[miniman]

I'm fairly mythed as to which unit he refers to 

0748 From Weymouth to BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains) calling OLF+KYN
0800 From Paddington to BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) calling KYN (His HST^▸ (High Speed Train))
0805 From Warminster to GMV calling OLF+KYN

Anybody care to shed any light, all of which were roughly on time today

Oh, just for clarity, I was a lazy sod yesterday and got the 0815 CPM^» (Chippenham - next trains)-BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) and I drove into the office today in order to cart home 2 giant boxes of assorted baby products 

[Graz]

But at Bath, everyone is an FGW^▸ (First Great Western) customer in the morning so why do they do stupid things that piss everyone off!?

...unless you're lucky enough to be around just past 9am for the SWT^▸ (South West Trains) Bristol-Waterloo train (or the earlier Salisbury-Bristol one!)

I guess a problem with letting a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) go first is if the local train is left stuck at the junction for too long it can cause a knock-on effect. It has to go a very long distance, in this case all stops up to Great Malvern while the HSTs (not always, but most times) terminate at Bristol TM^‡(resolve). HSTs also tend to make up time whilst a local train stopping at every station won't do as well.

What Bath Spa really needs is another northbound platform to cater for local services, so HSTs and Locals can be in the station at the same time and won't have to wait around at Bathampton jn. It'll help passengers realise which Bristol -bound service to get, and even perhaps give an oppertunity of starting peaktime Bath-Bristol only trains. I can't ever see that happening though because of the height and layout of the station.

[Ollie]

You realise that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) doesn't control signalling right?

If a stopper is let go first then that is down to the controlling signaller..

[Lee]

You realise that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) doesn't control signalling right?

Knowing Graz as I do, I think its probably fair to say that he does....

[devon_metro]

Bear in mind if the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) was let first it would probably set down at Bath for about 4 minutes due to the slack in the timetable and thus delay the local train by even more.

[Jim]

I don't see what is so blinking hard about using your brain! Oooo, a full and standing local unit pulls in to the station, and on the screens there is a Bristol TM^‡(resolve) train 2mins behind. But no, everyone crams on the unit, and then the thoughtless buggers moan and groan when the unit passengers try and get on at Oldfield and KEynsham!

[Graz]

You realise that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) doesn't control signalling right?

If a stopper is let go first then that is down to the controlling signaller..

Why, I've never been so insulted!   Seriously though I wasn't implying it was down to FGW- just that it's unfourtunate whenever a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) is 10 or so minutes late  (which is often), it can result in the local being delayed or packed out.

I don't see what is so blinking hard about using your brain! Oooo, a full and standing local unit pulls in to the station, and on the screens there is a Bristol TM^‡(resolve) train 2mins behind. But no, everyone crams on the unit, and then the thoughtless buggers moan and groan when the unit passengers try and get on at Oldfield and KEynsham!

I'm afraid that's us Bath-types for you, Jim... 

[Jim]

I'm afraid that's us Bath-types for you, Jim... 

No comment

[Ollie]

Can I just add it was aimed at miniman

Sorry to cause confusion.

Because of this comment:

In that situation I can kind of understand - why should FGW^▸ (First Great Western) / Southern care about each others customers? But at Bath, everyone is an FGW customer in the morning so why do they do stupid things that piss everyone off!?

[miniman]

You realise that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) doesn't control signalling right?

If a stopper is let go first then that is down to the controlling signaller..

Yeah I'm aware of that. Genuine question - if FGW requested that signallers give priority to their HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) vs their local trains, would they get anywhere? Strikes me this is another problem with a national rail network operated by a huge range of disparate organisations, none of whom really care about the others.

[devon_metro]

Delaying the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) has less knock on effect therefore will probably be given less priority over the unit.

[swlines]

Doesn't seem like rocket science to me. I got scuppered again recently down at Fareham where the Portsmouth-Cardiff train was let out in front of the Southern service I was on - I wanted to get on the Ports-Card train, but of course we got into Southampton Central a few minutes after it had left, and had to wait an hour for the next one.

In that situation I can kind of understand - why should FGW^▸ (First Great Western) / Southern care about each others customers? But at Bath, everyone is an FGW customer in the morning so why do they do stupid things that piss everyone off!?

Except... the Southern is booked 7 minutes behind the GW^▸ (Great Western)!

[Ollie]

The signaller is in charge of train movements, granted FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could suggest, but the signaller will have the wider picture. So if the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) is running a couple minutes late, with the stopper on time, the stopper will go first, to reduce the delay minutes, better to have one delayed train than 2.

[12hoursunday]

It shouldn't have to be this way if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) had enough rolling stock but because they don't, I encourage passengers who are travelling Bath-Bristol to use the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) services to free up the local two car stock for passengers travelling from Wilts/further south, Oldfield Park and Keynsham.

FGW have put posters up at stations showing what rolling stock operates on peak services between Bath-Bristol and vice versa.

Timmer you really are a little unfair. Whilst I agree that there is a shortage of rolling stock this isn't a new thing. I can remember on countless occasions finding it hard both in the morning and evening peaks to board trains at Oldfield Park when that part of the franchise was run by Wessex Trains. I do wish that some people would remember this!

Bear in mind if the HST was let first it would probably set down at Bath for about 4 minutes due to the slack in the timetable and thus delay the local train by even more.

No way! London bound trains leave Bath at XX13 & XX43 past the hour. It is hard pushed now to get a right time start at Bath now. This is partly due to fact that 90% of the punters joining at Bath can not get to grips that there are 9 doors in standard class for them to join the train by but that 90% don't seem to grasp this fact and attempt to get on via the doors which stop 10yds either side of the steps up onto the platform thus creating unneccasary delay.

Same happens at Chippenham/Swindon/Didcot etc!

[devon_metro]

Indeed, used to be xx12, xx42 although I was referring to down services.