Westbury blockade: easements?

[whole diary]

[Mark A]

On an off-peak 'Via Salisbury' ticket, a friend's returning from Brighton to Bath Spa during the blockade: they've been advised by one of the online booking services (just asking which one) that a temporary easement means that it'll be ok for them to travel on that ticket via Gatwick Airport - Reading and then to Bath.

The current routing guide lists various easements for the duration of the Westbury blockade and it may be that one of those listed there covers this friend's journey, but the routing guide is a somewhat involved read with a lot of dependencies.

http://iblocks-rg-publication.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/easement_text.pdf

(Looking this out, I discovered the tale from the individual who found that an online-purchaseable return from Yeovil Pen Mill to Yeovil Junction was available for was it £2:60, permitted routes via Salisbury or Exeter. Long story short, he purchased one, printed *all* the supporting documentation, set off on the cheapest round-robin day out by rail in history, had a lovely day and found that two days later it was perhaps his adventure that had prompted the routing guide to gain a brand new negative easement...)

Mark

[ChrisB]

Definitely available via GTW. booking available on Jan 3 -

1044 BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) - GTW 1115
1129 GTW - RDG^▸ (Rail Delivery Group, or Reading station, depending on context) 1257
1326 RDG - BTH^» (Bath Spa - next trains) 1420
Valid only for travel via (changing trains or passing through) Salisbury
Easement 701279 applies

701279
During engineering works closing Westbury Station from 27 December 2024 to 23
January 2025. Customers travelling with tickets priced on routes (00618) VIA
SALISBURY, (00627) SALISBURY/YEOVIL, (00836) VIA WESTBURY and (00837)
WESTBURY AND SALISBURY may travel via Reading and Basingstoke. This fare route
easement applies in both directions

[grahame]

The current routing guide lists various easements for the duration of the Westbury blockade and it may be that one of those listed there covers this friend's journey, but the routing guide is a somewhat involved read with a lot of dependencies.

http://iblocks-rg-publication.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/easement_text.pdf

I have mirrored those new easements for member's reference knowing how they change at https://www.greatwesternrailway.info/mirror/easement_text_20241219.pdf

I really wonder why all of these are not prominently displayed at all stations  on the basis that the fares should be understandable to the customers to whom they are offered.  With all income going to the government, why differentiate XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)?

During engineering works closing Westbury Station from 27 December 2024 to 23 January 2025. Customers travelling with tickets priced on routes (00618) VIA SALISBURY, (00627) SALISBURY/YEOVIL, (00836) VIA WESTBURY and (00837) WESTBURY AND SALISBURY may travel via Reading and Basingstoke. But not on Cross Country train services between 27 December and 01 January 2025. Nor from 02 - 23 January 2025 on Cross country services departing Reading between 14:00 and 18:00 each day. This circuitous route easement applies in both directions.

During engineering works closing Westbury Station from 27 December 2024 to 01 January 2025. Customers travelling from Frome, Bruton and Castle Cary to or via Bristol may travel via Taunton. But not on Cross Country Services. This circuitous route easement applies in both directions.

[ChrisB]

XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) know full well that they are going to be full trains on their timetable, so need to keep off others from further afield

[eightonedee]

I cannot understand why there is not one fare for Brighton - Bath, or vice versa, "Not via London" that is always valid via Gatwick and Reading as well as Salisbury.

Wouldn't this be simpler, and more flexible for the passenger?

[Chris from Nailsea]

Wouldn't this be simpler, and more flexible for the passenger?

That's probably exactly why they don't offer it. 

[Mark A]

**Various snips**

I really wonder why all of these are not prominently displayed at all stations  on the basis that the fares should be understandable to the customers to whom they are offered.

Thanks for the responses. Friend asked at Bath Spa when they bought the ticket from the ticket office, the staff there have no knowledge of these though. It was the Raileasy web site that spilled the beans, but I can't yet find the dialogue that did so. Their ticket is actually Bath Spa to Hove rather than Brighton.

Mark

[ChrisB]

Find the fare on RailEasy by using Salisbury and/or Westbury as a 'via' station.

[grahame]

Find the fare on RailEasy by using Salisbury and/or Westbury as a 'via' station.

That strikes me as perverse that you enter "via Salisbury" if you want to travel but NOT via Salisbury because of the engineering works. Not RailEasy but RailObscure or RailDifficult

[Mark A]

Find the fare on RailEasy by using Salisbury and/or Westbury as a 'via' station.

Indeed, the fare is found, I've not yet found the dialogue that informs on the temporary easement for the likes of Hove- Bath Spa.

Another aspect to this: for the duration of the Westbury blockade, is there an easement in place for people travelling Waterloo - Salisbury - Bristol?

Mark

[grahame]

It's (Bath - Hove) on page 36 of the easement document - even though the title is "negative easements" this is largely a positive one with a negative twist at the end of it reducing its availability on certain dates and times on cross county.    There is no apparent Waterloo to Bristol via Salisbury easement, as this routing is described in the fare manual as "via Warminster" which is not in the list of routings to when the other easement applies.

[Mark A]

It's (Bath - Hove) on page 36 of the easement document - even though the title is "negative easements" this is largely a positive one with a negative twist at the end of it reducing its availability on certain dates and times on cross county.    There is no apparent Waterloo to Bristol via Salisbury easement, as this routing is described in the fare manual as "via Warminster" which is not in the list of routings to when the other easement applies.

Odd of the easements mechanism to take that tack, because as well as Westbury shutting up shop, isn't it work to a viaduct between Wilton and Warminster that's taken that line down for the duration of the Westbury works?

Mark

[Mark A]

On an off-peak 'Via Salisbury' ticket, a friend's returning from Brighton to Bath Spa during the blockade: they've been advised by one of the online booking services (just asking which one) that a temporary easement means that it'll be ok for them to travel on that ticket via Gatwick Airport - Reading and then to Bath.

Friend reports that they returned Preston Park - Gatwick - Reading - Bath Spa, with a ticket check between Chippenham and Bath Spa - and the TM^▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context) was happy with the ticket. Thanks for the advice on this.

Mark