STAG Portsmouth-Cardiff Campaign

[whole diary]

[Lee]

Better still stop all Trains at PILINING!!!!!!!

Interesting point, dog box, and one I am sure you are expecting me to give an answer to 

In order to keep this on topic (the Pilning and Severn Tunnel Junction issues are very different, as I'm sure most forum members appreciate) here is a quote from STAG^▸ (Severn Tunnel Action Group)'s detailed response to the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) December 2007 Changes to the Service Level Commitment Consultation (link below) :
http://www.saveseverntunnel.co.uk/TR133%20Severn%20Tunnel%20Action%20Group%20Response%20to%20Changes%20to%20FGW%20Service%20Level%20Commitment.doc

Section 3 Limited Stops, Sub Paragraph 3.1 Pilning replace Saturday only entry with Monday to Saturday entry to read. -

'On Saturdays, one service in each direction shall call. On Mondays to Saturdays, two services in each direction shall call. On Mondays to Fridays, one of these shall arrive at Bristol Temple Meads between 08:00 and 09:00, and another shall depart from Bristol Temple Meads between 17:00 and 18:00'.

Rationale - Request from the area, will provide required commuting service into Bristol that at present can only be made by using car.

I think that this would do for now, although Pilning's circumstances may well change in the future. See link below for an excellent and informative debate, with a wide range of views.
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=814.msg3251#msg3251

[John R]

I do wonder whether the introduction of SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) offers an opportunity to stop two South Wales London services at STJ^▸ (Severn Tunnel Junction railway station) each way. One in the peak, and one on which Saver fares are valid. This would enable a fairly wide catchment area to have a much easier journey to London, (and Swindon and Reading) than they currently have. Currently they must either change at Temple Meads, or drive to Parkway (which involves ^10 in toll and parking, let alone the time taken to get to Parkway in the rush hour.) 

Say 0906 and 1132 arrivals into Padd and 1715 and 1915 departures from Padd?   

[Jez]

I have a short phrase for them.

It starts with "not" and ends with "happen", fancy filling in the gaps?

They're being far to optimistic.

What they should be doing is getting ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) and CC to retime the gloucester services/ call them at STJ^▸ (Severn Tunnel Junction railway station). Not getting FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to retime them.

Its only the early morning CC services that call at STJ isnt it?

[Shazz]

I do wonder whether the introduction of SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) offers an opportunity to stop two South Wales London services at STJ^▸ (Severn Tunnel Junction railway station) each way. One in the peak, and one on which Saver fares are valid. This would enable a fairly wide catchment area to have a much easier journey to London, (and Swindon and Reading) than they currently have. Currently they must either change at Temple Meads, or drive to Parkway (which involves ^10 in toll and parking, let alone the time taken to get to Parkway in the rush hour.) 

Say 0906 and 1132 arrivals into Padd and 1715 and 1915 departures from Padd?   

Or, get a short train Journey to Newport...

And yes, only the morning and a late evening CC service calls there

[Jez]

I do wonder whether the introduction of SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) offers an opportunity to stop two South Wales London services at STJ^▸ (Severn Tunnel Junction railway station) each way. One in the peak, and one on which Saver fares are valid. This would enable a fairly wide catchment area to have a much easier journey to London, (and Swindon and Reading) than they currently have. Currently they must either change at Temple Meads, or drive to Parkway (which involves ^10 in toll and parking, let alone the time taken to get to Parkway in the rush hour.) 

Say 0906 and 1132 arrivals into Padd and 1715 and 1915 departures from Padd?   

Or, get a short train Journey to Newport...

And yes, only the morning and a late evening CC service calls there

Thats what I would do if I lived near there, either drive or get a train to Newport and change there.  Newport is quite a good station to connect at because they run direct trains to many cities in England (e.g. London, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Portsmouth).

[John R]

Think you've missed the point. Say you live in Chepstow, or any of the southern Forest of Dean area. You either have (from Chepstow) a 10 minute drive to STJ^▸ (Severn Tunnel Junction railway station), allow 10 minutes max to get your train, so 20 mins before you are heading east towards London.

Or, you have to allow the same 20 minutes, then go 10 minutes the wrong way, allow at least 10 minutes connection time, and then 10 minutes back to pass where you started from (ie an extra 30 minutes minimum each way + lots of extra stress and extra cost).

Or, you have to drive into Newport, park , pay for parking, allow for traffic congestion, and also be heading 10 miles in the opposite direction (=40 miles for a return trip).

The stress free option is to stop a couple of London services at STJ.     

[thefab442]

You could get a train to Cheltenham/Gloucester and then to London?

[swlines]

It would be impossible for a London to Cardiff service to call at Severn Tunnel Junction, and that, realistically is the only way FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could claim to call a London service there. There is more lee-way in the timetable for a London Paddington to Swansea although I suspect you will be coming to a dead end if you try that one.

At the moment, the timings look something like ...

First Great Western
From: London Paddington
To:   Swansea

London Paddington              ---   08:45 
Reading                        09:10 09:11 
Swindon                        09:40 09:40 
Bristol Parkway                10:06 10:07 
Newport (South Wales)          10:29 10:32 
Cardiff Central                10:48 10:48 
Bridgend                       11:09 11:09 
Port Talbot Parkway            11:22 11:22 
Neath                          11:30 11:30 
Swansea                        11:43 ---   

If it was modified to call at Severn Tunnel Jn I suspect it would look something like...

First Great Western
From: London Paddington
To:   Swansea

London Paddington              ---   08:45 
Reading                        09:10 09:11 
Swindon                        09:40 09:40 
Bristol Parkway                10:06 10:07 
Severn Tunnel Junction         10:20 10:21
Newport (South Wales)          10:33 10:34  
Cardiff Central                10:49 10:50 
Bridgend                       11:10 11:11 
Port Talbot Parkway            11:22 11:23 
Neath                          11:30 11:31 
Swansea                        11:44 ---

[swlines]

Separate post for the return run, it would look like so, again, another current train to begin with.

First Great Western
From: Cardiff Central
To:   London Paddington

Cardiff Central                ---   11:55 
Newport (South Wales)          12:08 12:09 
Bristol Parkway                12:30 12:32 
Swindon                        12:57 12:59 
Didcot Parkway                 13:16 13:17 
Reading                        13:32 13:33 
London Paddington              14:02 ---   

First Great Western
From: Cardiff Central
To:   London Paddington

Cardiff Central                ---   11:53 
Newport (South Wales)          12:06 12:07
Severn Tunnel Junction         12:20 12:21
Bristol Parkway                12:33 12:34 
Swindon                        12:59 13:00 
Didcot Parkway                 13:16 13:17 
Reading                        13:32 13:33 
London Paddington              14:02 ---   

As you can see, the path diverts as far as Swindon from the current path and is so very risky. You can't depart any earlier from Cardiff due to the xx50 to Manchester Piccadilly that runs ahead as far as Maindee West.

[Lee]

There is more lee-way in the timetable for a London Paddington to Swansea although I suspect you will be coming to a dead end if you try that one.

Its dead end night at FGW^▸ (First Great Western)......

20:15 London Paddington to Swansea due 00:14
This train has been revised.It will additionally call at: Severn Tunnel Jn.This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.

[Chris from Nailsea]

No, they've lost me a bit with that one: why does the train have to stop at Severn Tunnel Junction due to a member of train crew going AWOL^▸ (Absent Without Leave)? 

[grahame]

To pick up a new crew member who's being taxied down from Gloucester? Because they quietly want to find out how many minutes it actully adds, and need to find a reason?

[Chris from Nailsea]

Ah, yes, of course! Another of Baldrick's 'cunning plans'! 

[swlines]

I was thinking it was a dead end on the London - Swansea mainly due to journey time, I've tightened up the timings a slight bit, so it will probably add 3 minutes throughout.

[Lee]

I was thinking it was a dead end on the London - Swansea mainly due to journey time, I've tightened up the timings a slight bit, so it will probably add 3 minutes throughout.

Whats your opinion on why they are stopping it at STJ^▸ (Severn Tunnel Junction railway station) tonight?