Should rail replacement on local bus options be extended from just problem times

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Cancellations to services between Castle Cary and Westbury

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Castle Cary and Westbury all lines towards Frome are disrupted.
Train services running through these stations will be cancelled or revised. Frome will not be served. Disruption is expected until 10:00 20/06.

Customer Advice

Replacement road transport is being sourced, although there is limited availability in the area.
During this disruption if you wish to use local buses as an alternative means of transport and the local bus is not accepting Great Western Railway tickets please keep the bus ticket and send it, together with your rail ticket, to us for a refund.
First Bus route D1: Bath (Bus Station) - Bradford on Avon - Trowbridge - Westbury - Warminster - Salisbury and First Bus route D2: Bath (Bus Station) - Frome (Market Place) are conveying passengers via any reasonable route until further notice.
Further Information
An update will follow within the next 2 hours.
If you wish to use local buses as an alternative means of transport and the local bus is not accepting Great Western Railway tickets, please keep the bus ticket and send it, together with your rail ticket, to us for a refund. Ticket acceptance will remain in place until further notice.

Realistic to warn that replacement buses will be few and far between in the area - but should there be a better contingency?

Should there be an automatic system for switching on rail replacement on local buses no matter who's running them without putting the customer to the trouble and cash flow issues of paying and getting refunded?    For Frome, to the First bus to Bath add the X34 to Trowbridge and the x67 to Bath (both from Faresaver) and the Frome Minibus routes to Warminster and Westbury, and their early morning run to Bradford-on-Avon. 

Should public transport offer automatic cross ticket acceptance between train and bus - not have a system that only remains in force during times of disruption?  Frome's service at certain time s during the day / week to / form Bath are sporadic, and more people would be encouraged to use public transport with such crossover availability, being able to travel out at a convenient time irrespective of it being road or rail, then do the same thing on the way back even if their schedule only "panned out" during the day.

[bradshaw]

In reality it seems that it is only Frome that is affected. Looking at the message I took it to include the others.
The first two up services ran on time, just did not call at Frome.
So might it be better simply to state that trains will not call at Frome?

[bobm]

The section affected is between Frome station and Blatchbridge Junction.  So the station could be served by a rail shuttle from Westbury.  I gather the possibility was considered.

[ChrisB]

In reality, unless owned by the same company, bus companies can't be forced to accept rail tickets.....

[grahame]

In reality, unless owned by the same company, bus companies can't be forced to accept rail tickets.....

Understood under current legal framework - a loss from privatisation of bus and rail.  My question was longer term / wider.  Should in be ingrained in franchise and bus licenses that cross ticketing should be accepted?

The section affected is between Frome station and Blatchbridge Junction.  So the station could be served by a rail shuttle from Westbury.  I gather the possibility was considered.

And rejected, I note:

12:49 Swindon to Frome due 13:41
12:49 Swindon to Frome due 13:41 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Frome.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.

[ChrisB]

In reality, unless owned by the same company, bus companies can't be forced to accept rail tickets.....

Understood under current legal framework - a loss from privatisation of bus and rail.  My question was longer term / wider.  Should in be ingrained in franchise and bus licenses that cross ticketing should be accepted?

Very difficult to organise - you'd need a directory of which bus routes relate to which rail services shopuld any section of the latter be affected. You can't legislate for bus companies to do this free of charge, so would need a way of reimbursement, therefore special ticket would need to be issued to record the 'free' rail journey replacement being made.
nightmare.