Disruption to rail replacement bus services

[whole diary]

[stuving]

I don't think I've seen this before as a full formal posting on NRE^‡(resolve)'s service disruptions. Has it got that common?

Disruption to rail replacement bus services between Reading and Guildford today

Incident created    25/09/2022 06:07
Last updated         25/09/2022 06:31
Route affected       Between Reading and Guildford
     
TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)(s) affected     Great Western Railway;
Description           
A shortage of available bus drivers between Reading and Guildford means that fewer replacement services are able to run than originally planned.

As a result of this, only one bus will run every two hours in each direction between these stations.

Customer Advice:
Due to a shortage of available bus drivers, an extremely limited rail replacement service will run between Reading and Guildford.  Please consider using alternative routes or travel on a different day.

One bus every two hours (between 07:56 - 20:12) will run from Reading to Guildford stopping at all stations (southbound).
One bus every two hours (between 10:18 - 18:18 as well as at 22:08) will run from Guildford to Reading running non-stop.

Alternative routes:

    Reading - Guildford

Travel via Ascot using trains between Reading and Ascot and between Ascot and Guildford (Journey time – 1 hour 40 minutes).

    Reading - Wokingham

South Western Railway trains can run as normal.

    Ash - Guildford

South Western Railway trains can run as normal.

    Reading to Blackwater / Farnborough North / North Camp / Ash / Guildford

Travel via Ascot using South Western Railway trains between Reading and Ascot and trains between Ascot and Camberley (for Blackwater), Frimley (for Farnborough North), Ash Vale (for North Camp), Ash and Guildford.

    Guildford to North Camp / Farnborough North / Blackwater

Travel via Aldershot using direct South Western Railway trains between Guildford and Ash Vale (for North Camp), Frimley (for Farnborough North) and Camberley (for Blackwater).

     You may also use your ticket on the following services at no extra cost:

South Western Railway services between Reading and Guildford via Ascot.

[bobm]

Have a look at the Castle Cary closure next month on the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) engineering page.  I think that may have been planned before the announcement of more strike action. Rail replacement only on certain days. 

[ChrisB]

What about Reading / Gatwick alternatives?!!

Acknowledging that one is likely to be catching a flight, surely allowance for routing via London ought to be allowed in these circumstances?!!

I’m waiting to hear whether RRS will be cancelled next Saturday if bo train service can be offered at either end of the bus service, or whether it’ll continue for the few that might wish just to travel from one end of the RRS to the other

[stuving]

What about Reading / Gatwick alternatives?!!

Acknowledging that one is likely to be catching a flight, surely allowance for routing via London ought to be allowed in these circumstances?!!

I’m waiting to hear whether RRS will be cancelled next Saturday if bo train service can be offered at either end of the bus service, or whether it’ll continue for the few that might wish just to travel from one end of the RRS to the other

Ah, but the trains from Guildford onward are still running aren't they? (apart from earlier this morning, that is). So you are meant to divert via Ascot, taking more than an hour extra. Mind you, once I'd got to Ascot I'd be inclined to stay on to Clapham. In the past I've done that when the NDL trains were AWOL^▸ (Absent Without Leave), worrying about whether it was being permitted, or having my ticket checked. The OPJ does offer that route, at extra cost, and it takes about the same time as a stopper and change at Redhill.

[TaplowGreen]

What about Reading / Gatwick alternatives?!!

Acknowledging that one is likely to be catching a flight, surely allowance for routing via London ought to be allowed in these circumstances?!!

I’m waiting to hear whether RRS will be cancelled next Saturday if bo train service can be offered at either end of the bus service, or whether it’ll continue for the few that might wish just to travel from one end of the RRS to the other

Blimey - what's the next step down from rail replacement buses when they fall over? Will skateboards be issued?

[grahame]

What about Reading / Gatwick alternatives?!!

Acknowledging that one is likely to be catching a flight, surely allowance for routing via London ought to be allowed in these circumstances?!!

We had a guest leaving Transatlantic on a fight today, and I drove her (from Melksham) to Gatwick ... sorry, but there's a certain point beyond which public transport becomes unfit for purpose.   08:00 from home in Melksham, 10:10 parked in short term car park at Gatport.  Perfect, lovely journey without a stop.

Assisted at checkin (will be posting "And Also") ...

Returning,  left Gatwick at 11:35, home 14:45, with a 15 minute break at Fleet services. Road conditions awful busy on M25 with speed limits down to 40 mph and some stop and start, and round the corner onto the M3, where the A303 leaves the M3 after Boringstoke, and of course a jam where the A303 goes down from dual carriageway to single carriageway on the approach to Stonehenge.   Then followed a PremiumCoaches(.co.uk) vehicle all across Salisbury Plain and the back road through Worton - driving so bad (IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion)) I wondered whether to let his office know;  road hogging, close dangerous passing a cyclist (and a car coming the other way had to slam on brakes) and then stopping with his "plonker lights" on on the humped back bridge over the K&A - I'm guessing he had a load of tourists on board doing Stonehenge and Bath in the day.   

I "filled" up with £60 of fuel before I left and it's only half gone ... drove 215 miles, paid £13.00 to park at Gatwick.  Very much better value that the train, though of course it took my time.  But then add in that there were actually four of us in the car on the way up and three on the way back, and you see why the train - for cost as well as convenience - has become the method of travel of last resort for so many.

Edit - to add picture taken by my front seat passenger:

[ChrisB]

Seriously, if this moves to regularity, something better will need to be agreed. People need to travel in the timeframe that is being advertised. Maybe no service from time to time, but I doubt many will find that acceptable.

It's starting to become a real problem. Surprised the media haven't picked it up although they've been alerted. (hello @Rail)

[eightonedee]

My immediate reaction was - why not send Reading-Guildford passengers via Basingstoke and Woking - but checked SWR^» (South Western Railway - about)'s website. Not headlined on the Plan my journey page, but buried in the Engineering Works "button" was that due to engineering works busses replaced trains between Woking and both Basingstoke and Guildford today.......

Has someone in NR^» (Network Rail - home page) "got it in" for those trying to get round SW London to Gatwick?

[Mark A]

... and of course a jam where the A303 goes down from dual carriageway to single carriageway on the approach to Stonehenge.   

Extra kudos for this kindness, for the post generally, and the photo of the A303 passing Stonehenge. It's reminded me that Highways England exploited the current period of mourning by slinging ads promoting how lovely their proposed tunnel will be with respect to its effect on travel.

The cost of an acceptable length tunnel past Stonehenge is likely to be upwards of £2 billion. I don't suppose anyone has to hand the cost of a complete redoubling of the Salisbury - Exeter line to make it fit for purpose, but even with the purchase of additional trains to support an appropriate service it will be a small fraction of the cost of the A303 motorway-by-stealth dualling past Stonehenge - which will move the congestion to the next pinch point.

Mark

[Fourbee]

I’m waiting to hear whether RRS will be cancelled next Saturday if bo train service can be offered at either end of the bus service, or whether it’ll continue for the few that might wish just to travel from one end of the RRS to the other

In the back of my mind this has happened (cancellation) at least once before when a RRS has coincided with a strike, but I can't remember the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company)/areas concerned.

[grahame]

The cost of an acceptable length tunnel past Stonehenge is likely to be upwards of £2 billion. I don't suppose anyone has to hand the cost of a complete redoubling of the Salisbury - Exeter line to make it fit for purpose, but even with the purchase of additional trains to support an appropriate service it will be a small fraction of the cost of the A303 motorway-by-stealth dualling past Stonehenge - which will move the congestion to the next pinch point.

I see that a £1.3 billion contract has been awarded out of a total cost of £1.7 billion - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-63094057 and I would expect redoubling all the way from Salisbury to Exeter would be about £0.45 billion - that's £5 million per mile, double the 2014 figure for Swindon to Kemble.

BUT ... there will be substantial income for Stonehenge if/when the tunnel is open because people will no longer get a view as they drive past - they'll have to stop and pay to go to the stones.

[Timmer]

BUT ... there will be substantial income for Stonehenge if/when the tunnel is open because people will no longer get a view as they drive past - they'll have to stop and pay to go to the stones.

I have a much cheaper solution than an expensive tunnel, a nice big long fence along this section of road. It’s the rubber neckers that slow all the traffic down to a crawl on both sides of the road to get a view of the stones that are the main cause of the problem not just it being a single stretch of road.

[Ralph Ayres]

I have a much cheaper solution than an expensive tunnel, a nice big long fence along this section of road. It’s the rubber neckers that slow all the traffic down to a crawl on both sides of the road to get a view of the stones that are the main cause of the problem not just it being a single stretch of road.

Not sure that's necessarily true. Within reason you may actually increase the capacity of a road by reducing traffic speed, as vehicles can safely be closer to each other.  Stopping distance increases exponentially with speed (or logarithmically, or another of those formulae that means it gets bigger more quickly the bigger it gets) so you don't get as many vehicles through as you might expect just because each one individually gets through quicker. 

Anyway, why shouldn't people be able to enjoy the journey?  It's not all about getting there are quickly as possible, as HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s))'s opponents are often keen to point out, though ironically HS2's real purpose is increased capacity but some idiot politician thought we'd be more impressed by speed.  I may have come full circle here...