No Fare Strike this year!

[whole diary]

[Btline]

This is the latest from MTSL:

FROM MTSL
1) PASSENGERS AT RISK FROM REMOVAL OF EXIT RAMP
Passengers using Bath Spa face a risk of being crushed and injured or worse as a result of the seriously flawed redevolpement of the station. Multi Development UK^▸ (United Kingdom) Ltd is redeveloping the station as part of its redevelopment of Bath shopping centre.

The ^6.5 million plan includes the imminent removal of the ramp access to and from the London bound platform, currently used by up to 25% of passengers. The listed ramp was built by Brunel and is also used as a car park and a dropping off point for disabled and elderly passengers. Planning permission to demolish the ramp was granted to Multi by Bath and North East Somerset council several years ago so Multi could open up more retail units.

At a meeting in December between FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s Executive Director, Mark Hopwood and More Train Less Strain, station Manager Andy Gallagher expressed concern that the only remaining exit, a narrow staircase, would not cope with the passenger flow. He added that he thought it impossible that anyone could have underatken a full risk asessment or assement of passenger flow through the ramp before the planning permission was granted. A small lift is to be installed to allow disabled people and passengers with bagagge access to the platform but the station master confirmed that this would be small, and so would not replace the capacity lost by the removal of the ramp.

CAMPAIGN TO SAVE THE RAMP
MTLS^▸ (More Train Less Strain) has launched a campaign to save or replace the ramp. The stairway is already full to capacity and congestion is chronic in the rush hour and made worse as the steep stairs lead directly to exit barriers that create a dangerous pinch point. If more people are forced to wait on the stairs to exit the station it will only take one person to trip and fall to create a panic and possible stampede.

TAKE ACTION NOW TO SAVE THE RAMP
If you share our concerns please make your concerns known to the Office of Rail Regulation who are responsible for Rail health and safety. Email them at: contact.cct@orr.gsi.gov.uk . Please also send a copy to your MP^▸ (Member of Parliament), ( in Bath it is don@donfoster.co.uk ), and  to Mark Hopwood the new Manging Director of First Great Western (Mark.Hopwood@FirstGroup.com). Please alo write to your local paper.


2) LOCAL PRESS CONTACTS NEEDED.
We are often contacted by local press wanting to speak to train users in Wales, or Cornwall, or Somerset or just about anywhere. If you are confident about speaking to the press and local radio, and have strong opinions on your train service please let us know as we would love to put the press in touch with you.

3) FARES NOT FAIR
MTLS has condemned these rises and demanded changes in the flawed governement policy that leads to these above inflation increases each year. A national campaign is now needed to bring commuters in all regions of the UK together in a day of action to bring the message home to the government that enough is enough.
We know from the last two fare strikes that commuter power is not to be underestimated, but we also know that this could develop into a full time job and, hey, we already all have jobs here at MTLS. But if you are a campaigner in waiting with big time on your hands, contact us and we'll do all we can to help you.

4) WOT, NO FARE STRIKE?
That's right. We met in December with Mark Hopwood the new FGW Director. He hasn't bought us off, but we had to acknowledge that FGW have improved since being threatened last spring with the loss of their franchise by the Government. Long may this continue. Mark warned us that they may lose some rolling stock this spring to be returned to Arrive Wales, and that if this happens they will do their best to replace it. We warned him that whilst FGW is better it is still not good enough, and that we, and thousands of commuters will continue to keep a close daily watch on their progress.

So, no fare strike. Is it because it failed last year?

[John R]

It didn't fail. It persuaded the govt to take action and get rolling stock transferred to FGW^▸ (First Great Western) which enabled 3 car services on the Portsmouth line to be reinstated.

Anyone who thinks that would have happened without the very effective publicity that MTLS^▸ (More Train Less Strain) brought to the debate does not understand what makes governments work.   

[Timmer]

Interesting that Mark Hopwood confirms that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) may have to return some sets to ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) in the Spring and that they will do their best to replace them. With what I ask as we keep hearing there is zip left to hire?

It also makes me wonder how they will cope with providing extra sets for summer Weymouths if sets do go back to ATW with FGW recently confirming no loco hauled on this line this coming summer. See below post:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=4091.0

[grahame]

Interesting that Mark Hopwood confirms that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) may have to return some sets to ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) in the Spring and that they will do their best to replace them. With what I ask as we keep hearing there is zip left to hire?

It also makes me wonder how they will cope with providing extra sets for summer Weymouths if sets do go back to ATW with FGW recently confirming no loco hauled on this line this coming summer. See below post:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=4091.0

I understand that the cost of hiring the train for each locohauled trip to Weymouth last summer was very high (figures were quoted too me) - indeed these trains over 8 weekends cost more that FGW were looking for last February from WCC^▸ (Wiltshire County Council (Until March 2009)) to run a 153 up and down the TransWilts for a whole year!

An interesting thought.  The Thames Turbo fleet isn't in use at "rush hour" capacity on Saturdays, when there's the biggest issue with Weymouth.   I wouldn't (of course) risk the wrath of the Cotswold line folks by suggesting that a Turbo take over a 125 diagram, releasing the 125 for Weymouth services - but there might be other cascades possible - Turbos are cleared to Bristol - what about onward to Weston and perhaps Taunton?  Taunton - Cardiff?

[Btline]

Interesting that Mark Hopwood confirms that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) may have to return some sets to ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) in the Spring and that they will do their best to replace them. With what I ask as we keep hearing there is zip left to hire?

It also makes me wonder how they will cope with providing extra sets for summer Weymouths if sets do go back to ATW with FGW recently confirming no loco hauled on this line this coming summer. See below post:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=4091.0

I understand that the cost of hiring the train for each locohauled trip to Weymouth last summer was very high (figures were quoted too me) - indeed these trains over 8 weekends cost more that FGW were looking for last February from WCC^▸ (Wiltshire County Council (Until March 2009)) to run a 153 up and down the TransWilts for a whole year!

An interesting thought.  The Thames Turbo fleet isn't in use at "rush hour" capacity on Saturdays, when there's the biggest issue with Weymouth.   I wouldn't (of course) risk the wrath of the Cotswold line folks by suggesting that a Turbo take over a 125 diagram, releasing the 125 for Weymouth services - but there might be other cascades possible - Turbos are cleared to Bristol - what about onward to Weston and perhaps Taunton?  Taunton - Cardiff?

I've seen a Turbo on a Sunday. It was not pretty!

And the strike did fail in terms of very few people not paying. I thought the 3 car 158s were down to Andrew Haines.

[John R]

The purpose/objective of the "fare strike" was not to get people not to pay. It was to get lots of publicity for the appalling service which FGW^▸ (First Great Western) was giving its customers at the time.  Prime time national news coverage and national press was achieved = first success.  Anyone in PR^▸ (Public Relations) would tell you that the coverage they received was exceptionally good, and probably beyond their wildest dreams.

As a result of that, the politicians woke up to the fact that this was an issue that wasn't going to go away and had the potential to embarrass them given the root cause.  Thus the imposition of sanctions on FGW on somewhat dubious grounds because FGW had apparently misreported their performance figures (which FGW notified the DFT^▸ (Department for Transport) of, and which made their performance look worse than it actually was - so hardly a henious crime.) =Second success.

[willc]

I wouldn't (of course) risk the wrath of the Cotswold line folks by suggesting that a Turbo take over a 125 diagram, releasing the 125 for Weymouth services

Hands off our 125s - which are very busy on Saturdays.

But bear in mind that even if HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) are cleared to run Castle-Cary to Weymouth (does anyone know?) unless a set is fully equipped with short swing link bogies, as the former XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) sets were, it isn't allowed on to third-rail equipped routes, like Dorchester-Weymouth.

[Zoe]

An interesting thought.  The Thames Turbo fleet isn't in use at "rush hour" capacity on Saturdays, when there's the biggest issue with Weymouth.   I wouldn't (of course) risk the wrath of the Cotswold line folks by suggesting that a Turbo take over a 125 diagram, releasing the 125 for Weymouth services - but there might be other cascades possible - Turbos are cleared to Bristol - what about onward to Weston and perhaps Taunton?  Taunton - Cardiff?

Turbos are not cleared west of Bristol.

[12hoursunday]

I wouldn't (of course) risk the wrath of the Cotswold line folks by suggesting that a Turbo take over a 125 diagram, releasing the 125 for Weymouth services

Hands off our 125s - which are very busy on Saturdays.

But bear in mind that even if HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) are cleared to run Castle-Cary to Weymouth (does anyone know?) unless a set is fully equipped with short swing link bogies, as the former XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) sets were, it isn't allowed on to third-rail equipped routes, like Dorchester-Weymouth.

HST's have run to Weymouth before. And most of the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) set's run with SSL^▸ (Short Swing Link bogies (125)) bogies. During the Aiport Junction replacement HST's ran over the Southern between Reading and Waterloo and a handful of HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) staff still sign these routes.

[moley]

And last Saturday, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) ran a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) set with SSL^▸ (Short Swing Link bogies (125)) bogies from Bristol to Portsmouth and back as a footie train.

[G.Uard]

Interesting that Mark Hopwood confirms that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) may have to return some sets to ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) in the Spring and that they will do their best to replace them. With what I ask as we keep hearing there is zip left to hire?

It also makes me wonder how they will cope with providing extra sets for summer Weymouths if sets do go back to ATW with FGW recently confirming no loco hauled on this line this coming summer. See below post:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=4091.0

I did raise this 'rumour' some weeks ago as it was mentioned by a suit and covered in the FGW staff handout.  Although splitting of the Pompey 3 car 158s would be a disaster, I have heard on the grapevine that it remains a last ditch option.

[super tm]

Arriva have to give three months notice for the return of the rolling stock.  AIUI^▸ (as I understand it) they have not done so yet but it could happen at anytime.  I am sure we will hear about it if it does happen.

[Timmer]

I did raise this 'rumour' some weeks ago as it was mentioned by a suit and covered in the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) staff handout.  Although splitting of the Pompey 3 car 158s would be a disaster, I have heard on the grapevine that it remains a last ditch option.

Disaster being the word. I am now seeing three car 158s full and standing now* so to go back to two would be as you say a disaster and breaking the update to franchise agreement agreed early last year with the Dft. Though I'm sure that there would be a way round that one.

* off-peak

[willc]

HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s have run to Weymouth before.

Via Bournemouth, yes. But what about via Yeovil? The idea floated here was for one to operate from Bristol.

[12hoursunday]

HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s have run to Weymouth before.

Via Bournemouth, yes. But what about via Yeovil? The idea floated here was for one to operate from Bristol.

And they have run Castle Cary to Weymouth, they also run Castle Cary to Yeovil Junction on a regular basis whilst diversions are in place due to track blockades!