South Western Railways Waterloo - Bristol services axed

[whole diary]

[Clan Line]

Have just seen on the lunchtime BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Points West that a new bus service is to be introduced between Bristol and Bath. Is this to replace the SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) rail service

[Lee]

Have just seen on the lunchtime BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Points West that a new bus service is to be introduced between Bristol and Bath. Is this to replace the SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) rail service

No - Whilst I wouldn't rule out the level of co-ordination between bus and rail that would be required for that becoming reality in a few years time as a result of Bus Back Better, they are nowhere near that yet.

I suspect they are referring to the "fully prioritised" bus route between Bristol and Bath that was discussed previously on this thread.

EDIT to correct an appalling grammar error on my part...

[grahame]

https://www.facebook.com/grant.shapps/posts/1708738169323491

Post from Grant Shapps ...

#Budget2021 allows us to continue revolutionising UK^▸ (United Kingdom) transport ...

Cleaner, greener, faster, more connected

and a graphic showing £5.7bn for rail

`
I have commented to ask:

Does that public tansport funding include funding to retain the popular and very busy through London services via our county town of Trowbridge which are being culled in December - see https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/598397 or are you going ahead with taking that service costing £ off while you promise £££££ elsewhere?

[grahame]

I have also followed up my own MP^▸ (Member of Parliament)'s post at https://www.facebook.com/MichelleDonelanChippenham/posts/2552333954901190

The Chancellor has announced £2.6 billion for local road upgrades across the South West which will see the A350 in Chippenham upgraded.

This will mean a new slip road by the roundabout at Pets at Home, Chippenham which will dramatically help reduce the traffic congestion from Bumpers Farm. I have listened to the dire problems people who work on Bumpers Farm are facing getting in and out and asked the Chancellor and Transport Ministers to invest to sort the problem. Today we have delivered!!

It will also mean the dualing a section of the road to improve capacity and safety at two roundabouts (one above plus one near Sainsbury’s). The project will deliver in 2023.

I was elected to push our needs in Westminster and I will continue to push every door to deliver for our constituency.

My follow up:

Thank you for promoting this, and congratulations on the Restoring Your Railways funding for Corsham Station studies too. Has funding been found to continue through the very popular through train service from London to Bradford-on-Avon which was to be culled in December? https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/598397

[grahame]

From Wiltshire Live

Long article, worth a read ...

Campaigners fight to save key Wiltshire train route to London Waterloo

An online petition has already gathered over 4,000 signatures since it was launched

... couple of inaccuracies - one or two on me, lots more from SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) as they have their say.

[Mark A]

Yes, SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) spokesperson isn't doing it for me.

Mark

[paul7575]

SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) new National Rail contract is online today:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/first-mtr-south-western-trains-limited-2021-rail-contract

I haven’t looked into the documents but it includes a new business plan and TSR^▸ (Temporary Speed Restriction) that might be of interest.

[grahame]

SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) new National Rail contract is online today:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/first-mtr-south-western-trains-limited-2021-rail-contract

I haven’t looked into the documents but it includes a new business plan and TSR^▸ (Temporary Speed Restriction) that might be of interest.

A total of 710 pages!  Contract dates May, published 28th October 2021. For posterity and searchability, copy added to our member's mirror

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/mirror/first-mtr-south-western-trains-ltd-business-plan-commitments.pdf
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/mirror/first-mtr-south-western-trains-ltd-rail-contract.pdf
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/mirror/first-mtr-south-western-trains-ltd-train-service-requirement.pdf

I have not yet had much time to read this little lot ... all sorts of lovely tables like this one:

[eightonedee]

Tables C1^▸ ((on coaches) National route restriction) and C2 indicate one up and three down services between Temple Meads and Waterloo, Monday to Friday, three each way on Saturdays and 2 up, 3 down on Sunday.

Climb down? Error? Have I misread it?

[stuving]

Tables C1^▸ ((on coaches) National route restriction) and C2 indicate one up and three down services between Temple Meads and Waterloo, Monday to Friday, three each way on Saturdays and 2 up, 3 down on Sunday.

Climb down? Error? Have I misread it?

I read it (not very thoroughly, for obvious reasons) as the transfer of what the timetable was in May into the new agreement. This would be what the timetable would have been with no operational modifications such as for staff shortages, but how much the Covid changes were included I couldn't say.

That would be like the SLC^▸ (Service Level Commitment) for the 2016 franchise bid, which specified the initial timetable on some lines (to December 2018) as being the same as the 2015 timetable. That's now hard to check, as that timetable isn't a public document any more (and it wasn't in 2018 either). This time it's been exhaustively specified in words - 145 pagefuls of them!

[stuving]

This looks like a major rewrite of the previous contract, which is a bit surprising given it's not what will be needed by GBR^▸ (Great British Railways). The bit about train services works roughly like this:

The very short bit at the front, which the rest provides details for, says:

4. RAIL SERVICES
4.1 The Operator shall at all times during the Contract Term:
(a) provide and operate the Rail Services specified in the National Rail Contract;
(b) carry out the Station Services and the Light Maintenance Services; and
(c) be permitted to carry out the Ancillary Services.

Chapter 4 covers rail services, of which the relevant bit is 4.1, starting with:

Chapter 4.1
Service Development
1. Train Service Requirement
1.1 The Train Service Requirement is the specification of the Passenger Services to be provided by the Operator during the Contract Term.
1.2 The Train Service Requirement shall remain in force unless and until amended or replaced pursuant to this Chapter 4.1.

So it's the amendment part, in section 8, that is needed here:

8. Development of Proposals for Passenger Service Enhancements
8.1 In delivering improvements to Passenger Services (which may include service decrements), the Operator shall co-operate with Network Rail, the Secretary of State and where appropriate, other operators to identify options (the “Passenger Services Enhancement Options”).
8.2 The Passenger Services Enhancement Options shall:
(a) respond to changes in travel patterns and increases and decreases in demand;
(b) improve network performance;
(c) propose/take advantage of changes to the existing infrastructure;
(d) propose/take advantage of changes in rolling stock capability or reliability as a result of changes in the Train Fleet;
(e) improve overall industry cost efficiency and/or reduce in costs in relation to any or all parts of the railway network;
(f) promote decarbonisation and other environmental improvements (in addition to the Secretary of State’s goals and ambitions on decarbonisation for rolling stock as set out in the rolling stock part of the Business Plan);
(g) propose the reopening of disused, freight-only or new railway routes to passenger services; or
(h) support any government policy objective,
including for this purpose any such options which arise after the expiry of the Contract Term.
8.3 Processes contained in this paragraph 8 shall take place in accordance with procedural arrangements and timescales stipulated by the Secretary of State pursuant to paragraph 9.2 of this Chapter 4.1.

This is also in chapter 4.1:

3. Consultation on Alterations to the Timetable
3.1 If the Secretary of State is of the opinion that the proposed alterations to the Timetable represent a material alteration, the Secretary of State will require the Operator to undertake a consultation exercise, the scope of which must be agreed in advance with the Secretary of State.

Obviously these are very short quotes; there is a lot more stuff about all of this. Oddly, while it starts by carefully distinguishing the timetable (SWR^» (South Western Railway - about)'s responsibility, in negotiation with NR^» (Network Rail - home page)) from the service requirement (which comes from DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)), it then uses "timetable" in two conflcting senses, and in places within one sentence. Clumsy, that.

[Mark A]

https://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/19675881.rail-service-cuts-serious-concern/

Good to see their reporter John Baker on to this.

Mark

[ChrisB]

SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) new National Rail contract is online today:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/first-mtr-south-western-trains-limited-2021-rail-contract

I haven’t looked into the documents but it includes a new business plan and TSR^▸ (Temporary Speed Restriction) that might be of interest.

No it isn't. It's the ERMA ending in May 2023

This direct award rail contract replaces the previous South Western Railways 2017 rail franchise agreement contract.

[stuving]

SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) new National Rail contract is online today:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/first-mtr-south-western-trains-limited-2021-rail-contract

I haven’t looked into the documents but it includes a new business plan and TSR^▸ (Temporary Speed Restriction) that might be of interest.

No it isn't. It's the ERMA ending in May 2023

This direct award rail contract replaces the previous South Western Railways 2017 rail franchise agreement contract.

Not so, officially. The EMA and ERMA were emergency measures, and did not replace the 2017 agreement - that was suspended by them. The ERMA (also available on line) was originally to run from 20/9/20 to 1/4/21, and then it was extended. The new agreement replaces that ERMA, as well as the suspended original agreement, from ... the start date. As with earlier "franchise" agreements, the actual start date is hidden away in the definition of terms section; in this case it's 02:00 on 30 May 2021.

Exactly what it is is rather subjective. It is a first attempt at a management contract not called "emergency" anything (it calls itself a National Rail Contract). It bridges the gap before GBR^▸ (Great British Railways) takes over from DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) as letter of contracts. How much it will be a prototype for GBR contract we'll have to wait and see.

[ChrisB]

Surely National Rail Contracts weren’t a ‘thing’ back in May 2021? I thought Greater Anglia got the first one? And WMR are reported as the only other one issued so far?
Agreed, I’m not sure exactly what this is, but you’re right, it’s something other than an ERMA.

The GA^▸ (Greater Anglia) or WMR contracts are examples of NRCs