Rail Replacement bus - OK, but I prefer the train.

[whole diary]

[froome]

The 0650 rep-bus was a bit later this morning and didn't make it to Chippenham in time to catch the 0711 Penzance service. No great loss however as the latter has been cancelled 'because of passengers causing a disturbance on the train'

Means the 0734 Weston is going to be packed though...

Passengers causing a disturbance that early in the morning. I wonder what that was all about?

[grahame]

The 0650 rep-bus was a bit later this morning and didn't make it to Chippenham in time to catch the 0711 Penzance service. No great loss however as the latter has been cancelled 'because of passengers causing a disturbance on the train'

Means the 0734 Weston is going to be packed though...

Passengers causing a disturbance that early in the morning. I wonder what that was all about?

Passenger probably joined the train in London having bought a peak fare return to Brisol at £257.00 (second classs) only to find when they got on the train that there were plenty of seats and it certainly wasn't peak travel time.  A request to the Train Manager to refund the difference - an off peak return is £100.10 - was pollielty refused and the customer felt cheated and made that know ...

[matth1j]

I'd be surprised if alcohol wasn't involved...

[bobm]

Two got off and four got on the 14:12 coach at Melksham heading towards Trowbridge today.    Driver was ensuring people were heading in the right direction as they boarded.

Half a dozen got off at Trowbridge.

[grahame]

Two got off and four got on the 14:12 coach at Melksham heading towards Trowbridge today.    Driver was ensuring people were heading in the right direction as they boarded.

Half a dozen got off at Trowbridge.

Roughly what I might have expected, with rail replacement buses carrying only a fraction of what the trains normally carry.  An known the the 272,272 and 273 buses (as well as the x34 which was the only one originally planned) are accepting rail tickets that will b depressing RRB^▸ (Rail Replacement Bus) numbers all th more.

[LiskeardRich]

The 0650 rep-bus was a bit later this morning and didn't make it to Chippenham in time to catch the 0711 Penzance service. No great loss however as the latter has been cancelled 'because of passengers causing a disturbance on the train'

Means the 0734 Weston is going to be packed though...

It was delayed by 20 mins at Reading and there appears to have taken an alternative route between Wootton basset junction and Bristol east junction. It arrived into bristol 14 1/4 mins late, the sceptic in me suspects the diversion was pre planned!

[rogerw]

It was shown on journey check

[matth1j]

Just had to buy a bus ticket on the 1715 Bath-Melksham 271 - driver wouldn't accept my Bristol-Melksham train ticket. Said it was only valid on the X34

I've emailed Faresaver - they ('Natasha') have been very helpful so far.

[grahame]

Just had to buy a bus ticket on the 1715 Bath-Melksham 271 - driver wouldn't accept my Bristol-Melksham train ticket. Said it was only valid on the X34

I've emailed Faresaver - they ('Natasha') have been very helpful so far.

At Melksham Station:

[matth1j]

Oh I knew I was right, but unfortunately hadn't bothered to prepare anything to back up my request. In future I will have that nice picture ready on my phone to present to the driver - it's easier to read than the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website text.

[sheepbingo]

Oh I knew I was right, but unfortunately hadn't bothered to prepare anything to back up my request. In future I will have that nice picture ready on my phone to present to the driver - it's easier to read than the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website text.

Even without engineering works, there are times that terms, conditions, routings, etc, are too complex for all the staff providing services or checking tickets to have the knoweledge they need to get it right every time.   If doing somethingI know to be unusual, I tend to print out evidence ahead of time though in practise rarely have to use it.

The 271 from Bath is hardly "unusual" - it's emblazoned all over the station ...

The original engineering alternatives planned for the current closure did not include the 271/2/3. It was added later at my suggstion to Great Western Railway, who said "we will ask Faresaver and add it if it doesn't cost too much" and then it got added ... how this came about suggests that it has been commercially negotiated between First (GWR) and Faresaver, and that Faresaver are happy (or at least satisfied) with the commercial terms on it.

[matth1j]

Faresaver are sending me a single fare voucher in the post, although perhaps I should ask for a return as compensation for all the trauma I've suffered (They also offered a bank transfer, but I said I didn't mind, and the voucher is their preferred option.)

[grahame]

It was added later at my suggestion ...

For the absence of doubt "Sheepbingo" is me ( grahame ).  It is a testing account which I have and use when needed to test that the security settings on the Coffee Shop are working correctly, and in this case I accidentally posted from it.  Our terms of reference prohibit second accounts without good reason - there is a good reason in this case and there are or have been just a couple of other exceptional reasons.

[LiskeardRich]

Oh I knew I was right, but unfortunately hadn't bothered to prepare anything to back up my request. In future I will have that nice picture ready on my phone to present to the driver - it's easier to read than the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website text.

Even without engineering works, there are times that terms, conditions, routings, etc, are too complex for all the staff providing services or checking tickets to have the knoweledge they need to get it right every time.   If doing somethingI know to be unusual, I tend to print out evidence ahead of time though in practise rarely have to use it.

The 271 from Bath is hardly "unusual" - it's emblazoned all over the station ...

The original engineering alternatives planned for the current closure did not include the 271/2/3. It was added later at my suggstion to Great Western Railway, who said "we will ask Faresaver and add it if it doesn't cost too much" and then it got added ... how this came about suggests that it has been commercially negotiated between First (GWR) and Faresaver, and that Faresaver are happy (or at least satisfied) with the commercial terms on it.

I suspect GWR have ongoing arrangements with some bus operators. The moment the trains go down they send passengers straight to us before we know anything at the depot. we have a GWR ticket button on our bus ticket machines to press to ensure correct remuneration.

[grahame]

I suspect GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have ongoing arrangements with some bus operators. The moment the trains go down they send passengers straight to us before we know anything at the depot. we have a GWR ticket button on our bus ticket machines to press to ensure correct remuneration.

Evidence would suggest to me that there are organisation-wide relationships with the geographically widespread bus operators which can be activated by something as simple as a phone call.    Where bus services are provided by a smaller local operator, I suspect they don't have all those arrangements in place.   And Faresaver services are all over quite a small area:



Arrangements that can be switched on "at a phone call" along a flow with major rail traffic is also a mixed blessing to the bus company.   Take the 231 and (now) x31 from Chippenham to Bath.  Railway gets closed ... and you have 2 or 3 buses an hour suddenly asked to take the traffic off several 9 or 10 carriages trains per hour which a lot of people join at Chippenham headed west.  Result - full buses, regulars turned away ...