Severn Beach line - timetables, engineering work, closures, incidents (merged topics)

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

Even better!

The progress report is now available on the Severnside CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership) website.

Chris. 

[BPWuser]

I was wondering, does anyone know what the actual usage figures are?

The 08/09 data can be found here: http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529

This now includes the 09/10 figures

[Brucey]

Still no sign of life in these machines which is causing confusion among weekend travellers.  As most people seem to be fixed in the idea of "you have to buy a ticket or you'll be fined", many seem worried about their inability to buy a ticket before boarding.

Tickets further than Temple Meads are still an issue - many people at Clifton today who wanted tickets to Bath Spa were puzzled by the limited number of fare options given in the sign on the machine.  I even heard one comment along the lines of "have they stopped doing through fares?"

[Chris from Nailsea]

Erm ... the brand new ticket machine at Montpelier was attacked and damaged, apparently over the weekend - despite it still not yet being operational.

A far from satisfactory situation, FGW^▸ (First Great Western). 

[JayMac]

And lo, it came to pass:

Only a matter of time before these new TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) receive attention form the local scrotes I fear.

 

I'd rather that prediction hadn't come true, but it was almost inevitable. Still, lasted longer than the original Help Point.

[Chris from Nailsea]

I have it from an impeccable source that, not only did that ticket machine not contain so much as a penny: it didn't contain any tickets, either - for reasons I'm not sure FGW^▸ (First Great Western) would particularly like to see mentioned here.

Chris. 

[Brucey]

From Stephen Williams MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) Facebook

Is furious that some mindless cretin has destroyed the new ticket machine at Montpelier station.

Then a comment

Clifton Down one has been vandalised too.

[vacman]

Are any of us suprised? was just a waste of money from the start, the council would be better off paying FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to take on a couple more ticket examiners and have all daytime trains covered and maybe staff Clifton in a similar way to Yate i.e. a small portacabin or something.

[brizzlechris]

Just blogged by Cllr Alex Woodman, Cabot ward, Bristol City Council...

NEW SEVERN BEACH LINE CONTRACT: MORE TRAINS AND NEW TICKET MACHINES, with LESS TAXPAYERS MONEY

The future of the Severn Beach Line is looking better than ever following a new agreement between the city council and First Great Western.

The agreement reduces the cost of the city council’s annual contribution to the agreed service by hundreds of thousands of pounds whilst also including even more service improvements. That leave a substantial sum free – either to commit to even more improvements on the Severn Beach Line – or to invest in restoring other well-loved but struggling public transport services to better commercial health.

The new contract has been agreed in light of new franchising rules which allow local councils to reinvest the money saved from renegotiated contracts rather than giving it back to the government. Bristol City Council lobbied government to achieve this.

Despite the leaner financial support, the new contract will contain an important improvement to the Sunday service. The 18:53 from Temple Meads to Severn Beach and the 19:43 from Severn Beach to Temple Meads presently operate in the summer months only. They will now operate throughout the year.

The agreement confirms the continuation of the enhanced service that the Council has been funding since early 2008 and recognises the substantial growth in passengers that this enhancement has generated.

The new contract will run from 21 May 2011 until 31 March 2013 when the current FGW^▸ (First Great Western) franchise terminates. Both FGW and the City Council wish to maintain the enhanced service but a contract beyond this date depends on decisions concerning the extension or replacement of the franchise.

Gary Hopkins, Bristol’s Executive Member for Strategic Transport, Waste & Targeted Improvement said, “More for less is not just talk. With proper service planning and business-like negotiations we can get a good deal for tax payers and users of a service, which still makes sound commercial sense to a professional operator. I am delighted that we have managed to secure this service for the foreseeable future, in a way that recognises the significant passenger growth that our money has generated up to now.”

Passenger journeys on the Severn Beach Line have increased by 80 per cent over the last four years. This spectacular passenger growth is great news, but it has led to difficulties for passengers trying to buy tickets on busy trains, particularly if they are making short journeys. Passengers arriving at Bristol Temple Meads without tickets are often faced with queueing to pay their fare.

To address the difficulties facing passengers, new ticket machines have been installed at Montpelier, Redland and Clifton Down stations with funding provided by the City Council. The machines will enable passengers travelling in the direction of Temple Meads to buy tickets before boarding their train.

The following inner – zone tickets will be available from the new machines.:

Weekly season ticket £6.00
Adult single £1.50
Adult return £2.00
Child/ Railcard Single £0.75
Child/ Railcard Return £1.00.

Payment is by cash only given the relatively low fare values and the need to avoid creating queues by accepting card payments.

The installation of ticket machines complements other measures already in place to maximise the collection of fares on the Severn Beach Line: additional ticket examiners now travel on many trains and revenue protection staff will be at station exits.

Since 2008 Bristol City Council has invested £400,000 per year into providing a more frequent service on the Severn Beach Line including trains on Sundays. The new contract reduces this amount to just over £200,000 even though the services level will be higher than previously.

The Council has also been working in partnership with the Severnside Community Rail Partnership and First Great Western and to carry out station improvements on the Severn Beach Line. Improvements include new shelters, web based customer information systems, environmental improvements, community art projects and poster cases to display bus interchange information. These initiatives have been successful in substantially reducing vandalism and graffiti.

Councillor Hopkins, added: “When we’re talking about investment in public transport, this is the way to do it. Public money must work hard and get results. Extra trains and proper investment in safe and welcoming stations have transformed the Severn Beach Line into an attractive and cost effective travel choice for commuters, shoppers and school children. And there is more good news to come in the form of newer trains and larger carriages later this year.

“We are confident that the route will remain sustainable. The Severn Beach Line success story is a shining example which should inform the way we continue to do business in the future.”

http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/press-releases/2011/mar/new-severn-beach-line-contract-more-trains-and-new-ticket-machines-with-less-taxpayers-money.en

[anthony215]

good to seee that the severn beach line is getting more investment.   when i last used that line back in november 2010 the staff were very freindly and were good at pointing out interesting places to tourists.

[RichardB]

Really good news.  Well done to all involved.

[JayMac]

Welcome news, particularly the reduction in subsidy. The fares revenue must be healthy for that to happen as I can't see FGW^▸ (First Great Western) taking up any shortfall. The later, year round, Sunday evening train is also good news.

Now, are those ticket machines 'live' yet?

[grahame]

Welcome news, particularly the reduction in subsidy. The fares revenue must be healthy for that to happen as I can't see FGW^▸ (First Great Western) taking up any shortfall. The later, year round, Sunday evening train is also good news.

Excellent news ... and excellent example for others

[Brucey]

The Sunday evening train is excellent news.  I used this quite a few times over the summer and it was certainly busier than expected - clearly enough us to warrant a winter service.

Now, are those ticket machines 'live' yet?

The Clifton machine wasn't working on Monday.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Bristol's Severn Beach rail line subsidy is halved

A council subsidy for a rail line in Bristol is to be halved after an increase in passenger numbers.

Since 2008, Bristol City Council has spent ^400,000 a year so the Severn Beach line can be served by half-hourly services during peak time.

The council said journeys had increased by 80% in the past three years and did not need a large subsidy any more.

First Great Western said the cut was not "negative" and no services would be axed because of the lower subsidy.

A statement from the council said the new agreement, costing ^200,000 a year until 2013, "confirms the continuation of the enhanced service".

Councillor Gary Hopkins said the authority had got a good deal with the train firm that saved money. "I am delighted that we have managed to secure this service for the foreseeable future. We are confident that the route will remain sustainable," he said. "The Severn Beach Line success story is a shining example which should inform the way we continue to do business in the future."

First Great Western said a reduction in the subsidy "should not be seen as a negative" and was a reflection of the "growing popularity of the line".

A company spokesman confirmed they were committed to maintaining the same level of services on the line.

A spokesman for the Friends of Suburban Railways welcomed the news but added: "We would like to know from the council how they plan to take forward further improvements."

He said: "We are pleased, obviously, that the service is continuing and it appears that there's going to be a later service on a Sunday on the branch line as a whole, but we were hoping there would be improvements to the evening service as well."