Extra Trains For The Cheltenham Festival

[whole diary]

[Lee]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) link.
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?id=587

^Customers planning to use train services need to be aware that strict queueing arrangements will be in place at London Paddington station for the outward journey and at Cheltenham Spa for return journeys. This means passengers board trains on a first come, first served basis, which we^ve found to be the fairest way to allocate seats.

^Seats can be reserved on trains to Cheltenham Spa, but not for return services after 1700. Passengers with seat reservations at London Paddington station will be offered priority boarding.^

[BPWuser]

The subject should say 'Extra Trains For The Cheltenham Festival but passengers between Paddington and Cardiff should check their train times carefully!'

From Tuesday 11 until Friday 14 March inclusive the following alterations will apply in in order to provide extra train services to Cheltenham Spa, due to the capacity crowd expected for the Cheltenham Festival.

Westbound services

0815 Paddington to Cardiff Central will not run.
 
0915 Paddington to Cardiff Central will not run.
 
1515 Paddington to Cardiff Central terminate Swindon.
 
1615 Paddington to Swansea terminate Newport.

Eastbound services
 
1055 Cardiff Central to Paddington start Swindon.
 
1155 Cardiff Central to Paddington start Swindon.
 
1755 Cardiff Central to Paddington will not run.
 
1929 Swansea to Paddington will not run.


Couldn't FGW^▸ (First Great Western) run the 'rugby specials' stock back and forth between Swindon and Cheltenham and keep the normal services going?

[Btline]

Shame they have got rid of the 180s- they could be useful- if only to provide a shuttle from Swindon to Cardiff!

[Lee]

I Work For FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Blog links, including info on extra London Midland services from Worcester-Cheltenham.
http://www.iworkforfgw.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=55&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

http://www.iworkforfgw.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=56&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

[willc]

Couldn't FGW^▸ (First Great Western) run the 'rugby specials' stock back and forth between Swindon and Cheltenham and keep the normal services going?

Hmm, let me see, rail firm with lousy reputation makes thousands of race-goers change trains half-way to their destination during one of the biggest sporting events in the country. How would that play in the pages of certain national newspapers?

Look, we are talking about an opportunity to fill pretty much every seat on the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) involved. I doubt you could say the same about most of the Cardiff trains.

This is an opportunity for four days every year for FGW to show what they and the rail industry can do, make some money and keep cars off clogged roads around Cheltenham. Plus spare paths out of Paddington (eg private charters to Cheltenham during this week often run to and from London Victoria) and spare trains don't grow on trees.

[swlines]

The reason charters run to London Victoria is more due to availability of long platforms for tours, the platforming at Victoria is written to allow train platforming changes for a charter to be in the platform on the far east of Victoria Eastern. Paddington is a bit more difficult to get a platform for 45 minutes.

[Graz]

wow, good on London Midland to provide the extra trains to Chelt Spa for the festival. Would be nice if they did this on a regular basis though, like a 1 tp 2 h Worcester-Gloucester to provide a hourly overall service..

[Btline]

Yes, LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise) should switch some of their Nottingham/Birmingham to Hereford trains to go to Gloucester (including Ashchurch). The service to Hereford could be switched to a 150 shuttle (and would become more reliable).

I think that this route (the Worcester to Ashchurch stretch and beyond) is underused by TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company).

[John R]

Couldn't FGW^▸ (First Great Western) run the 'rugby specials' stock back and forth between Swindon and Cheltenham and keep the normal services going?

Hmm, let me see, rail firm with lousy reputation makes thousands of race-goers change trains half-way to their destination during one of the biggest sporting events in the country. How would that play in the pages of certain national newspapers?

Look, we are talking about an opportunity to fill pretty much every seat on the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) involved. I doubt you could say the same about most of the Cardiff trains.

This is an opportunity for four days every year for FGW to show what they and the rail industry can do, make some money and keep cars off clogged roads around Cheltenham. Plus spare paths out of Paddington (eg private charters to Cheltenham during this week often run to and from London Victoria) and spare trains don't grow on trees.

Of interest, just posted on the Rail Regulator website is a new track access agreement dated 27/2 that permits FGW to run Class 67 + Mk 2 or 3s for special events, with the two events listed being the Cheltenham Festival and the forthcoming Rugby matches in Cardiff. For the Cardiff services the route from Westbury is cleared, which is curious because they've already run those each time there's a match on at the Millennium.

So you may well see the "Rugby set" at Cheltenham next week. I guess it also explains why Network Rail refused FGW permission to run the sets on Taunton-Cardiff locals last December, as there was no track access agreement agreed by the regulator.   

[Ollie]

I "think" the 09:40 Paddington to Cheltenham will be the Class 67 + Mk 2 or 3s

[swlines]

Ollie, the TAC^▸ (Track Access Contract) modification allows FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to run specials with the class 67 under their sub-sector on "the system" - the reason why the Weymouth 67s had issues. All rugby specials as yet are operated in EWSs^▸ (English Welsh & Scottish Railway Ltd, now known as DB Schenker Rail (UK^▸ (United Kingdom))) sector.

I understand that the Chippenham shuttle 67s had special dispensation from Network Rail in order for ORCATS^▸ (Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets to Services) to work properly without manual intervention.

[Ollie]

Ollie, the TAC^▸ (Track Access Contract) modification allows FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to run specials with the class 67 under their sub-sector on "the system" - the reason why the Weymouth 67s had issues. All rugby specials as yet are operated in EWSs^▸ (English Welsh & Scottish Railway Ltd, now known as DB Schenker Rail (UK^▸ (United Kingdom))) sector.

I understand that the Chippenham shuttle 67s had special dispensation from Network Rail in order for ORCATS^▸ (Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets to Services) to work properly without manual intervention.

OK, I was just saying that I believe the set normally on the rugby special will be used on the 09:40..

[swlines]

Just clarifying the situation for everyone.

http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.212 is the relevant ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) page.

[grahame]

the TAC^▸ (Track Access Contract) modification

"TAC" is a new acronym on me .. and I don't think you meant TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company).  "Telecomms Appreciation course" was what Google came up with ...

Help ... I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't understand 

[John R]

Track Access Contract I believe between NR^» (Network Rail - home page) and FGW^▸ (First Great Western).