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autotank
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« on: February 13, 2009, 10:07:12 » |
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Wales vs England tomorrow at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff. Probably one of the busiest days for the South Wales Main line and a chance for the rail industry to shine with a few extra trains. The journey time from London to Cardiff by HST▸ is really quite quick when compared to the M4 and is a chance to impress those who don't usually travel by train. But Netwrok Rail and FGW▸ have other ideas: Until approximately 1900 on Saturday 14 February 2009 services between London Paddington and Swansea will be diverted via an alternative route between Swindon and Bristol Parkway with extended journey times.
Some other alterations will apply on this route.
Also due to the Wales v England Six Nations Rugby match at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, services on this route are expected to be very busy. Who on earth made this decision? A five year old could have advised against it. This isn't the first time this has happened - I remember exactly the same diversion a few years ago when Wales were playing Italy. I was forced to sit in the bike area on a packed HST whilst we went for a scenic tour round Bristol. Yet again the rail industry scores a massive own goal. |
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IndustryInsider
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« Reply #1 on: February 13, 2009, 10:11:33 » |
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Yes, it is very silly sometimes. I believe the possessions often have to be booked so far ahead that it's too early to take such fixtures into account. I think I remember hearing that some of the possessions for the Reading upgrade have had to be booked already, way before the scope of the work has been defined to allow them to be used to maximum potential.
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To view my GWML▸ Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/ |
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grahame
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« Reply #2 on: February 13, 2009, 11:05:34 » |
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Yes, it is very silly sometimes. I believe the possessions often have to be booked so far ahead that it's too early to take such fixtures into account. ...
I can believe it! There seem to be incredibly long lead times in planning ahead for the smallest of things. We asked early in January if we could get two extra 125 stops on one day only in May - that's 16 weeks notice. I had to chase up the answer about four weeks later, and the answer was "too late - sorry". And this was to stop at a station which is on a corner and has to be passed at reduced speed anyway, and for which a generous section time has been allowed. |
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Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
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autotank
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« Reply #3 on: February 13, 2009, 11:23:09 » |
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Not really a good enough excuse in my book as the Six Nations happens every year! There are always at least 2 big matches (every other year 3) at Cardiff for which demand on FGW▸ services will be high. They should simply make sure the Cardiff - London line is working normally on 8 weekends out of 52 around the tournament to avoid embarresment. The railways need to stop hiding behind bureaucracy and rules. Flexibility is also a word managers could do with learning about. It;s not as if there isn't work to be done elsewhere on the network this weekend!
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inspector_blakey
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« Reply #4 on: February 13, 2009, 12:55:19 » |
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Not a good weekend to try going anywhere really. I assume that diversion is up through Kemble and Stroud then back down rejoining the usual route at Standish Junc, just east of BPW» ?
After those diversions on Saturday, the GWML▸ is then closed between DID» - SWI» all day Sunday with replacement buses and west-bound services diverted after Reading.
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moonrakerz
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« Reply #5 on: February 13, 2009, 14:10:07 » |
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You should consider yourself lucky that there are any trains at all.
I went to the Emirates Stadium a couple of years back to watch Arsenal play some minor team called Manchester Utd - or should I say I tried to - No trains on SilverLink (as was) feeding Highbury & Islington at all !
Arsenal have the biggest percentage of home fans traveling by public transport - this is how they are encouraged !
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simonw
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« Reply #6 on: February 13, 2009, 16:29:35 » |
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It would be interesting to know how many saturdays/sundays a year that this line is functioning normally.
It can't be many!
I did comment a while back the BPW» is a bus depot at weekends, not a train station, and the situation has not changed.
What is NR» doing that takes so long?
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Tim
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« Reply #7 on: February 13, 2009, 16:55:31 » |
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The GWR▸ changed the guage of over 100 miles of track in a single weekend. Sure they had loads of cheap labour and no H&S▸ , but we have loads of modern plant to compensate.
Not sure why things take so long on the railways but it is true. The best example I can think of is LU taking 9 months to replace an escalator which could be installed in day or two if it was in a department store.
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devon_metro
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« Reply #8 on: February 13, 2009, 17:26:25 » |
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Not a good weekend to try going anywhere really. I assume that diversion is up through Kemble and Stroud then back down rejoining the usual route at Standish Junc, just east of BPW» ?
After those diversions on Saturday, the GWML▸ is then closed between DID» - SWI» all day Sunday with replacement buses and west-bound services diverted after Reading.
No, Swindon - Wooten Basset Jn - Thingley Jn - Bathampton Jn - North Somerset Jn - Dr Days Jn - Filton Jn - Bristol Parkway Journey time 51 minutes (normally 25) |
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dog box
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« Reply #9 on: February 13, 2009, 17:36:57 » |
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Wales vs England tomorrow at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff. Probably one of the busiest days for the South Wales Main line and a chance for the rail industry to shine with a few extra trains. The journey time from London to Cardiff by HST▸ is really quite quick when compared to the M4 and is a chance to impress those who don't usually travel by train. But Netwrok Rail and FGW▸ have other ideas: Until approximately 1900 on Saturday 14 February 2009 services between London Paddington and Swansea will be diverted via an alternative route between Swindon and Bristol Parkway with extended journey times.
Some other alterations will apply on this route.
Also due to the Wales v England Six Nations Rugby match at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, services on this route are expected to be very busy. Who on earth made this decision? A five year old could have advised against it. This isn't the first time this has happened - I remember exactly the same diversion a few years ago when Wales were playing Italy. I was forced to sit in the bike area on a packed HST whilst we went for a scenic tour round Bristol. Yet again the rail industry scores a massive own goal. How did you manage to ride in the bike area of an HST then,... as it is for the carriage of bikes and luggage only |
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All postings reflect my own personal views and opinions and are not intended to be, nor should be taken as official statements of first great western or first group policy
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inspector_blakey
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« Reply #10 on: February 13, 2009, 19:29:04 » |
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No,
Swindon - Wooten Basset Jn - Thingley Jn - Bathampton Jn - North Somerset Jn - Dr Days Jn - Filton Jn - Bristol Parkway
Journey time 51 minutes (normally 25)
Aaah, that makes much more sense! So given the reversal at BPW» there will be lots of sets running the wrong way round come Sunday then, unless they have fun driving set after set round the triangle at Landore on Saturday night! |
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2009, 19:34:35 » |
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Yet again the rail industry scores a massive own goal.
Erm ... 'penalty try', perhaps: different game!    |
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William Huskisson MP▸ was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830. Many more have died in the same way since then. Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.
"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner." Discuss.
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welshman
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« Reply #12 on: February 13, 2009, 20:43:19 » |
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We don't care if the English don't come tomorrow anyway.
It's actually a Celtic plot to get more tickets for the match.
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simonw
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« Reply #13 on: February 13, 2009, 23:47:39 » |
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The reason why GWR▸ could update over a 100 miles of track in one weekend in 1892 was because for several years they had been updating the track to allow dual - gauge.
It was a relatively simple job to remove the third rail to leave a standard gauge track.
Whilst not trying to diminish GWR's achievement, the job was not a weekend wonder, but planned and implemented over a number of years.
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #14 on: February 14, 2009, 00:17:54 » |
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Fair comment, simonw - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Western_Railway#The_.22gauge_war.22 Once the GWR▸ was in control of the whole line from London to Penzance it set about converting the remaining broad gauge tracks. The last broad gauge service left Paddington station on Friday 20 May 1892; the following Monday trains from Penzance were operated by standard gauge locomotives.
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William Huskisson MP▸ was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830. Many more have died in the same way since then. Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.
"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner." Discuss.
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