Through service - Bristol to London (Waterloo) via Trowbridge ceases 10.12.2021

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Shouldn’t the 1920 have been a Waterloo to Bristol “via Salisbury”?

That’s how it shows on RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) as I write…

Thanks - edited to correct. I had spotted the error as it went onto social media, but failed to come back and correct it here.  I must be catching the rail industry disease of pretending they're separate trains from Waterloo to Salisbury and Salisbury to Bristol.  Ooooops

[grahame]

2 car to form the 15:50 last train to Waterloo arrived "full and standing" ... video to upload later





Now on that train approaching Warminster, most seats occupied.  "Excuse me - is this seat taken" time!

[grahame]

There ... continue to be ... comments on social media suggesting that the change at Salisbury is no problem.  And the ones I've seen so far are all from people who don't live anywhere near here and give no indication of ever being nearby.  Typically written in terms that suggest the author has a knowledge and authority - "This is a fuss about nothing" they state.

I'm afraid I took the bait and after a reference to TAG analysis that shows the time people will waste at Salisbury has more value than the saving made by the service removal, I added

Just imagine if South Wales to London passengers had to change from a TfW to a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) train at Pilning, and wait there for 59 minutes because the London train had left the platform to allow the train from Swansea to arrive.

I won't bother running a poll to ask if you, dear members, would be happy with nearly at hour at Pilning event time you crossed into and out of Wales by train, or at Carlisle or Berwick Upon Tweed on every trip to Scotland which might have been a more appropriate example!

[IndustryInsider]

Would it have been better to cite a station with similar facilities to Salisbury, rather than Pilning?  Newport for example.

[grahame]

Would it have been better to cite a station with similar facilities to Salisbury, rather than Pilning?  Newport for example.

Maybe, but I think my point was understood:

Have you used the service over recent weeks and spoken with people about why they used it, and what their alternatives and reasons are which allow you to be so definite in your analysis?

Of course not Graham ... I just speak from personal experience. I used the service (Woking to Bristol) when it ran about 20 years ago

[Mark A]

Would it have been better to cite a station with similar facilities to Salisbury, rather than Pilning?  Newport for example.

Could go the other way and sling the complete Portskewett - Redwick experience at 'em.

[grahame]

Facebook just reminded me ...

[Mark A]

Ah yes. I've just looked out my photos from that infamous evening and would post a couple here, but have to fess up to not having worked out how to do that.

None from the meeting itself 'cos, privacy, but one of the striking ginger cat that awaited people's arrival outside that church, and photos and a video from after the meeting, of the evening Waterloo - Bristol train arriving at Trowbridge about three quarters of an hour late in heavy rain - having earlier ploughed through some kind of unpleasant meteorological phenomenon at Salisbury.

Eleven days later those two trains would collide at Salisbury (thoughts still to the injured and affected). It has to be said that that accident soaked up whatever bandwidth would otherwise have been available to publicise the well used and valued train service that was about to be axed, with no provision made for the people who used it and in some cases relied on it.

A year later, rail industry staff are understandably now in open conflict, several transport ministers have been swept downstream beneath the bridge of progress, and a pro-road administration clings, not particularly successfully, to power.

Mark

[grahame]

That's a good analysis, Mark.  A depressing one too.   

The rail industry as a whole has not got its act back together and from a customer viewpoint with the majority of serviced being cancelled due to industrial action 2 or 3 times a month - a cancellation rate that encourages those who need to travel to find reliable alternatives, and those who's travel is optional to take the options not to travel. At least the cancellations for the most part are flagged up a couple of weeks ahead in general terms, with specifics known a few days ahead. 

Looking ahead, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) seem far better at keeping us informed than SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) - a repeating pattern I note where we have been briefed on December and have an idea for next May, qualified by "if the plans are approved" but with SWR it seems they're changing the times of the few remaining Westbury trains "under the radar" again in December.  Have I read it right that Warminster loosed its last through train from London?

But as well as looking down to individual TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company), and then individual routes, I look up at the country as a whole and really don't know what the plan is, what is and isn't protected.  I draw a state pension these days, and haven't a clue (it seems to change day by day) whether it will be uprated next year in line with wages or inflation (or on what index?), or 2.5%, or none of the above.   I haven't a clue as to what will happen to my energy costs next year.  And I have't even got a clue as to who will be deciding  - Johnson, Mourdat, Starmer, Sunak (listed in alphabetic order) or perhaps one o them will be "interim" and we'll be on to someone else by Christmas.

[Clan Line]

.............. have to fess up to not having worked out how to do that.

Mark

Mark, I use this:  https://postimages.org/  to put photos on the forum.  It is simple to use, especially if you need to alter the size of the photo. Upload your photo and copy/paste the data in the "Hotlink for Forums" line into your post. Preview it and check the size, on the forum, is OK - if not go back and change the size and reinsert the new link - when you are happy, just post it on the forum as normal.