GWR replacement bus services - absolutely DREADFUL!!!

[whole diary]

[metalrail]

I am at a loss to understand how that Applegates double decker lost its roof near Parkway this afternoon, that bridge is used by dozens of double deckers daily, the 19 and the 73 being just 2 of the routes I can think of for now and there has been all the RR traffic to Abbey Wood in the past weeks too, mysterious.

Arched bridge, side of arch??

Yeah if you watch the rather disturbing dashcam clip on this link, you can see the bus starts ok thru the flat bridge section, but doesn't go into the centre of the road and you see the top getting ripped off as it hits the side of the arch

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-46077532

[simonw]

As said above, all doubledecker through this arched bridge have to centre themselves, otherwise the above will happen.

Being somewhat experienced of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) replacement bus services this year from Bristol Parkway, I think this will complete almost three months of bus services this year, I can safely say find another route.

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of  a replacement bus from Filton Abbey Wood to Bristol Parkway, and the bus driver did not know the route.

The on going work at Temple Meads Gyratory  means any schedule plans for buses to/from Temple Meads can only be aspirational. So for me a 73 bus in the morning to St Mary Redcliffe, avoiding the last bit to Temple Meads, and the T1 in the evening. Both seems reliable, but definitely slower. At a guess I have lost 45 minutes per day.

[johnneyw]

And Christmas is coming!

[XPT]

Another update from me about my experiences with the replacement bus services this week.

Yesterday
-----------

I didn't use them in the morning, as the scheduled departure times of 9am and 9:45 weren't that convenient when I had to start work at 10.  So I walked to town and got a 48A from there instead.

Upon leaving work, I got to the Stapleton Road station at just a few minutes before the expected 1729 service to Clifton Down.  Time was beginning to tick on past 1729 and I was thinking to myself "Oh god. Here we go again!  I'll be stuck here waiting half hour or more yet again!".  But thankfully at 1740 a Clifton Down service arrived, which I presume was the late running 1729 service(the 1709 from Bristol Temple Meads).  So only just under 15 minutes wait.  If it's like that every night for the remaining time of these rail replacement buses, then I can with that.

Today
------

I had to start work at 9.  I could have waited for the 0830 service from Redland which would have got me to work on time(providing it turned up and on time).  But no, I didn't trust that that service would turn up on time or even turn up atall.  So I played it safe(so I thought anyway), and waited for the 0815 service instead.  Got to the bus stop at 0810.  And time was ticking on past the due time of that 0815 service.  Several minutes after 0815 I was thinking "Oh god. Here we go again! It doesn't look that 0815 service is going to turn up!!  Let's hope the 0830 turns up!".  I continued to wait.  Time was ticking on past 0830 and it didn't look that one was going to turn up either!  Another service was due at 0845.  So I continued to wait for that one.  And at 0849 just as I was beginning to think the 0845 service isn't going to turn up either, and was going to give up, walk to town and get a normal First Bus service to Stapleton Road instead, a bus finally turned up!  Which I was presume was the slightly delayed 0845 service(the 0835 from Clifton Down).  What happened to the services due at 0815 and 0830???  I asked the driver and he just said "No idea mate!". 

So although things seem to be better with the services heading home in the evenings, they seem to be hopeless and very unreliable in the peak morning times.   Tomorrow I shall trying waiting for the 0800 service!  I hope that turns up!  And if a bus hasn't turned up by about 0820, I'll have to give up, walk to Broadmead and get a normal First Bus from there instead. 

[grahame]

Reading this thread ... I think I'll travel Melksham to Bristol Parkway via Swindon on Thursday ... seems absurd to be doubling back but at present much MUCH quicker.

[froome]

Reading this thread ... I think I'll travel Melksham to Bristol Parkway via Swindon on Thursday ... seems absurd to be doubling back but at present much MUCH quicker.

In geographical terms, you are doubling back whichever way you go. It is just that via Swindon is further in distance than via Temple Meads.

I have said before and am more confirmed now in the view that when there are replacement bus services running between Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway, passengers travelling from/to Wiltshire and Bath at least ought to be encouraged to travel via Swindon and avoid the bus replacement service altogether.

[XPT]

Surprisingly no problems for me today.  After the problems yesterday morning, I today waited for an earlier service - the 0800 from Redland.  Which surprisingly actually turned up and on time!   And then this evening, the 1729 service from Stapleton Road turned up on time too!(although maybe a chance it was actually the 1714 service running 15 minutes late). Incidentally, there was only TWO other people on this service when I boarded! I think a lot of people have given up using these rail replacement bus services! But no complaints from me today.  But let's see what it's like tomorrow and Friday!

[XPT]

No reports from me today about my experiences with these replacement bus services, as I was unwell and stayed at home!

But I did notice these two tweets to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Help today....

Genius bus driver took us through Fishponds as part of our direct route to Bristol Parkway from Temple Meads, 30 min trip turned into 1hr19min and everyone missed their train, absolute joke @GWRHelp

We've had much the same on the Temple Meads to Clifton route.  I've given up now and get regular buses home. :-(

So more examples of at least some of the drivers of these services not being fully trained of the routes they have to take and the bus stops to stop at!  They should all have been trained in advance of the 3 weeks these services are running!

[grahame]

Some idea of the scale of the operation ...



Mind - I have seen similar elsewhere - but a bit more consistent and smart looking

[LiskeardRich]

No reports from me today about my experiences with these replacement bus services, as I was unwell and stayed at home!

But I did notice these two tweets to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Help today....

Genius bus driver took us through Fishponds as part of our direct route to Bristol Parkway from Temple Meads, 30 min trip turned into 1hr19min and everyone missed their train, absolute joke @GWRHelp

We've had much the same on the Temple Meads to Clifton route.  I've given up now and get regular buses home. :-(

So more examples of at least some of the drivers of these services not being fully trained of the routes they have to take and the bus stops to stop at!  They should all have been trained in advance of the 3 weeks these services are running!

Very few of the drivers are local, they probably were trained, but you can’t expect them to pick up a whole new area!

[JayMac]

Mind - I have seen similar elsewhere - but a bit more consistent and smart looking

Even the passenger in mid frame is colour coordinated. 

[grahame]

Very few of the drivers are local, they probably were trained, but you can’t expect them to pick up a whole new area!

Indeed.  Everyone who drives a rail vehicle needs route knowledge (or a pilot who knows the route), but anyone with a license can drive on roads they've never been on before without having to sign for the route.

Many of us have stories of helping rail replacement bus drivers find their way, yet such a situation of "can you help me" actually on the rails would result in something of an enquiry.

[LiskeardRich]

Very few of the drivers are local, they probably were trained, but you can’t expect them to pick up a whole new area!

Indeed.  Everyone who drives a rail vehicle needs route knowledge (or a pilot who knows the route), but anyone with a license can drive on roads they've never been on before without having to sign for the route.

Many of us have stories of helping rail replacement bus drivers find their way, yet such a situation of "can you help me" actually on the rails would result in something of an enquiry.

For local service work I had 4 weeks route training and had to sign the routes. Rail replacement with drivers pulled in from far and wide hasn’t that luxury

[XPT]

Very few of the drivers are local, they probably were trained, but you can’t expect them to pick up a whole new area!

But not only were some of the drivers going the wrong way, one of them(at least anyway) when a person was waiting at the correct rail replacement bus stop and put their hand out to stop the bus - just shook his head at them and failed to stop!  Absolutely appalling and unacceptable. This should NOT be happening!  I'm still awaiting my reply from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) in reply to my complain about that particular lousy driver!

All the drivers should have been trained more intensively in my opinion.  The correct routes to take AND the correct bus stops to stop at.

[WelshBluebird]

Are we seriously suggesting that RRB^▸ (Rail Replacement Bus) drivers are trained so badly that maybe a passenger should print off the route on google maps highlighting the correct turns etc??
Regardless of who is to blame (GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), the bus company, the driver, whoever), that simply is not good enough. Unless it is a driver who has only taken the shift as an "emergency" (e.g. a driver who was supposed to do the route didn't turn up so the bus company has had to send out a driver who wasn't due to do the route), there is no excuse at all for a RRB driver going the wrong way. None at all.