Call for later service(s) from Bristol (and Bath) to Chippenham (and Swindon?)

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Follow up question I am asked - "what about students"?

* Some rail companies and lines provide specific offers, for example:
https://www.grandcentralrail.com/special-offers/nus-discount/

* Check for school season tickets - I don't know of any Heart of Wessex ones, but here's the Sevenside link:
http://www.severnside-rail.org.uk/school.html

* In general, the young person's railcard is useful from ages 16 to 25, not just for students
https://www.16-25railcard.co.uk

There is no general "student fare" on trains.   Once you're 16, 50% fares are a thing of the past and you move up to 66% of fares through a 16 to 25 railcard, or 100% fares where you're making a journey that doesn't cover.   Students who can hold a disabled railcard should take a look at that as it's likely to offer a wider range of services that can be discounted to 66%.

P.S. I feel a thread split coming on ... this ain't late night trains to Chippenham and Swindon ...

[ChrisB]

Before you do - oh what generosity between peak & off-peak return - a whole 10p!!!

You need to tidy up the URL above as it's currently broken.

2. and 3. Frome to Bath Rail fares are tabulates at http://www.brfares.com/#!fares?orig=FRO^» (Frome - next trains)&dest=BTH^» (Bath Spa - next trains).

[grahame]

Before you do - oh what generosity between peak & off-peak return - a whole 10p!!!

You need to tidy up the URL above as it's currently broken.

2. and 3. Frome to Bath Rail fares are tabulates at http://www.brfares.com/#!fares?orig=FRO^» (Frome - next trains)&dest=BTH^» (Bath Spa - next trains).

Automatic URL highlighting issue - I have fixed the specific link in the original post and in the quoting here.  You'll need to do it in your quote, ChrisB 

[ChrisB]

You omitted the url + /url operatives. All fixed in my post too

[NickF]

There is a slightly later X31 (but run by first as it's council funded I believe) bus that leaves Bath at 23:00 for Chippenham, though obviously a lot longer journey that the train.  Gives you an extra 15 mins if your Chippenham pax, and cheaper than a taxi.
I am not looked at what other onward travel options (if any) this bus would give you upon it's arrival in Chippenham.
I've heard this bus then runs empty back to it's depot in Bath

[WSW Frome]

In the interest of primary research I sampled 2C36 from Bath to Frome last evening. This is the first occasion I have used this service for "some time." The stock was a 3-car 158 and therefore, if this is the standard arrangement, then suggestions above for diverting a unit to SWI^» (Swindon - next trains)/WSB^» (Westbury - next trains) will not easily apply. The overall concept remains a very useful aim and not too difficult to arrange.

The service was perhaps about 40-50% seats taken last evening with general good behaviour. The conductor was visible and pro-active. I also casually noted several 158's parked at WSB with only 1 x 150 present (not a full survey!)

[John R]

I don't think the proposal was to divert that service via SWI^» (Swindon - next trains) (would take far too long), but to run an additional service around 2300.

[grahame]

I don't think the proposal was to divert that service via SWI^» (Swindon - next trains) (would take far too long), but to run an additional service around 2300.

The final Bristol to Frome train has been running much of the time as 6 carriages (I appreciate that it may be less due to extra maintenance at the moment) with 2 carriages locked out of use.

Proposal was to run a 4 carriage train as at present, and a 2 carriage train a few minutes earlier / later from Bristol, calling Bath, Chippenham and Swindon, then running from Swindon to Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge and Westbury.  Practicallity at reasonable price subject to (a) the stock needing to move from Bristol to Westbury next year too when the diagrams have been amended and (b) existing crew having hours on their shift available to run it.  Failure on either of those points and it would probably need a financial sponsor, or to be written in to the next franchise.

[grahame]

Looking at various Facebook posts (as one does ....) relating to Swindon, I came across an active and somewhat angry discussion about the cost of late night (after the last train) taxis from Chippenham to Swindon ...

Fits the pattern of confirming demand

Makes me wonder (again) if off-peak fares could end at 10 p.m.

[ChrisB]

Like the taxi fares rise around that time?....interesting thought

[Phantom]

As a regular commuter (and newbie on here) between WSM and Temple Meads I know too well the problems about "last" trains home

As we stand the below are the last trains on each of these evenings from Temple Meads back to WSM:

MONDAY 23:36
TUESDAY 23:36
WEDNESDAY 23:36
THURSDAY 23:36
FRIDAY 23:36
SATURDAY 22:17
SUNDAY 23:12

I've always been amazed that there is a later service on a Sunday evening rather than a Saturday

[ChrisB]

Engineering possessions are generally taken on a Saturday night so that NR^» (Network Rail - home page) can check the line.

[grahame]

As a regular commuter (and newbie on here) between WSM and Temple Meads I know too well the problems about "last" trains home

As we stand the below are the last trains on each of these evenings from Temple Meads back to WSM:

MONDAY 23:36
TUESDAY 23:36
WEDNESDAY 23:36
THURSDAY 23:36
FRIDAY 23:36
SATURDAY 22:17
SUNDAY 23:12

I've always been amazed that there is a later service on a Sunday evening rather than a Saturday

When a service is specified as part of a franchise or management contract, one of the elements specified usually relates to the times of the first and last train. For example "The first train will arrive into Thamesdown Central no later than 08:30 and the last train will leave no earlier than 17:30".

The issues of first and last trains are very much on the radar for the next Great(er) Western franchise. The team putting together a draft specification on which to have a public discussion / consultation next year have sought inputs as to where passengers would like to see first and last train updates ... far from cast in stone, of course, but a sensible idea of where to start the fine tuning from.

Bristol to Weston-super-mare isn't the only service to finish earlier on a Saturday, by the way - Westbury to Swindon is another, with a last train at about 18:30 on Saturday and after 19:30 the rest on the week.   Sunday evenings can be very busy with longer distance traffic, so the later services that night aren't a surprise even if buses - typically shorter distance - are thinnest on a Sunday evening.