Trowbridge station - facilities, incidents, history and improvements (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[Lee]

Two men have been jailed for a combined 11 years for carrying out a robbery at Trowbridge Railway Station in which they tied up a ticket office attendant and threatened him with weapons - http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/inyourtown/trowbridgenews/4471498.Trowbridge_train_station_raiders_jailed_for_combined_11_years/

[tramway]

I really do have sympathy with a respondent, especially when Odonis does a 1 strike and you are out with NX and the 2 mongs get away with almost murder. Don't care what condition they were in at the time, swinging from the foot bridge would deter a few others me thinks.

[Graz]

At least there is some justice left. Thanks for posting Lee. (Especially considering I commute to Trowbridge now!)

[grahame]

From the archives of 1911.



Interesting to see that although the number of stations has dropped, the frequency of service is so much better these days.

Timetable continues at ...

http://www.wellho.net/pix/br1911_38.jpg

http://www.wellho.net/pix/br1911_39.jpg

http://www.wellho.net/pix/br1911_40.jpg

[grahame]

From last Friday's Wiltshire Times (letter not online)



I'm afraid I've taken this as a golden opportunity to sanity check the state of our local train service ... see here if you want to read my dissection!

[TaplowGreen]

Wow! 

Graham can I write to you next time I have a problem with GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)? A reply along these lines would beat the usual cut/paste effort from them hands down! (...as long as you promise not to charge by the word!)

I'm sure Mr Tedman will be both surprised and grateful.

I would say however that the GWR/ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) mantra chanted regarding "no risk to health and safety represented by overcrowding" refers only to the theoretical overload to structural/engineering integrity of the train re: capacity, not the associated "real world" effects (items falling from overhead racks/luggage blocking access/customers unable to reach toilets/delays in any evacuation etc etc).

[grahame]

Where systemic issues are raised, letters such as this are a good opportunity to address them - and the CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership) can do so in a less formal manner than GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).   It's rare (but not unique) for us to answer things like this.    Whether the original author is grateful remains to be seen; at times, writings in the manner of the original letter is simply a way to get something off your chest. Of course I have no way of knowing in this case, and don't want to be specific in public about the individual, even though he may have chosen to go public first by writing to the paper.

Luggage on overhead racks is a problem if it comes off no matter how busy the train is;  I will concede potential increased risk from luggage overflowing the spaces allocated for it, and from extended evacuation time.

[grahame]

From Wiltshire Times

Support for extra trains from Trowbridge to London

UNANIMOUS support was given by Trowbridge Town Council over plans to have new direct train services between the town and London Paddington.

The government has put out a consultation asking passengers how they want the Great Western Rail Service to look in the future, which could involve splitting the franchise in 2022.

This could provide long distance services between London and Wiltshire and in particular, provide more carriages to Trowbridge Railway Station and have direct services from the county town to Paddington.

I am unclear as to how splitting the franchise would be bringing direct services from Trowbridge to Paddington.  Perhaps other members could explain the correlation?

[grahame]

From Wiltshire Times

Support for extra trains from Trowbridge to London

UNANIMOUS support was given by Trowbridge Town Council over plans to have new direct train services between the town and London Paddington.

The government has put out a consultation asking passengers how they want the Great Western Rail Service to look in the future, which could involve splitting the franchise in 2022.

This could provide long distance services between London and Wiltshire and in particular, provide more carriages to Trowbridge Railway Station and have direct services from the county town to Paddington.

I am unclear as to how splitting the franchise would be bringing direct services from Trowbridge to Paddington.  Perhaps other members could explain the correlation?

Others seem to share my puzzlement

I hardly know where to begin with this post. "Further" suggests there has been some improvement already. Where and when, please? "Continuing" suggests it has been happening for some time. Evidence, please, not just assertion by implication. Both claims are risible. As a former regular customer of Late Western who stopped commuting from Trowbridge to Bristol because of frequent delays and overcrowding that often kept me standing, I have a view that does not match your rose-tinted version. The split between the then GNER^▸ (Great North Eastern Railways) and Northern led to a fractured service when I lived in Yorkshire. Rail franchising is nonsense, costing billions (most recently with Virgin being allowed to walk away from a bungled contract rather than take the costs it should take as a private sector business) and I'd bet the majority would not take your view. Even John Major has recognised it doesn't work as he envisaged, however hard the franchisees try to make it work, as they all do. None of them are in business to provide a bad service, but the industry does not work as it should. Have you caught a German or Swiss train recently? The contrast is stark.

[Tim]

From Wiltshire Times

Support for extra trains from Trowbridge to London

UNANIMOUS support was given by Trowbridge Town Council over plans to have new direct train services between the town and London Paddington.

The government has put out a consultation asking passengers how they want the Great Western Rail Service to look in the future, which could involve splitting the franchise in 2022.

This could provide long distance services between London and Wiltshire and in particular, provide more carriages to Trowbridge Railway Station and have direct services from the county town to Paddington.

I am unclear as to how splitting the franchise would be bringing direct services from Trowbridge to Paddington.  Perhaps other members could explain the correlation?

If they had said "Westbury" rather than "Trowbridge" that might have made sense.  Unless they are resurrecting the idea to Run Temple Meads- Bath- Trowbridge- Westbury-Paddington, but even those plans don't necessarily mean a STOP at Trowbridge and were more about adding capacity from Bristol (and competition if run by a different operator). 

[grahame]

Good to see plenty of people rejoining the trains at Trowbridge station joining trains via Bristol (top picture), Chippenham (second picture) and Salisbury (third picture).  Also good to see that there's now a coffee van at the station ( 6 a.m. to midday, Monday to Friday) - a coffee greatly enjoyed as I transferred from bus to train.









The station car parks were very spartanly used, and no taxis to hand either. I suspect that the resurgence in use has come from people walking and cycling to the station - cycle racks quite empty, but a number being taken onto the train.



The station could benefit from a little bit of TLC^▸ (three letter code ) too - cleaning, litter picking, and a bit of light work such as fence repairs.  The lack of some of these makes the place less that welcoming as you stand around awaiting your train and wondering at the lack of care.

[grahame]

From the Wiltshire Times

Trowbridge train station ticket office closed 'until further notice'

2nd March 2024

RAIL passengers travelling from Trowbridge are being urged to buy tickets online, on the train or from Bradford on Avon station.

They have been unable to buy tickets at the Trowbridge railway station ticket office which has been closed until further notice because of staff sickness.

A notice on the window advises passengers to buy tickets from the station's self-service machine.

A spokesperson for Great Western Railway, which operates the Trowbridge station, said it has been temporarily closed because a member of staff is ill.

He added: “The member of staff who normally serves passengers there is off sick. We are asking people to buy tickets online, at Bradford on Avon station or on the train.”

Some passengers had feared the Trowbridge ticket office had been permanently closed following attempts last year to close ticket offices on rural lines across the country.

But GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) said this was not the case, and the Trowbridge ticket office would reopen when the staff member was well enough to return.

from comments

No sickness cover also happened at Bradford on Avon while back, seems GWR don't employ enough trained staff, to send anyone to cover.

[grahame]

Interesting to (re)mind ourselves of the view of the public on closed ticket offices such that no assistance is available

The mish mash of online train ticket sites is a mess. Even booking a wholly GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) journey with bike reservations you need to do it in a ticket office with a employee on their (Fujitsu!!) computer system. All the vast majority of the public need is an online system that offers the right information, at the best price, with the station machines reflecting what is available online.

I have huge anxiety about getting on a train without a ticket and can't always buy in advance from home.  This bothers me hugely. I have used the machines but find them tricky with railcards and options to get the best price.

Get the bus if it’s an issue with anxiety

Thanks but trains cover longer distances, have toilets ( if working) and more wheelchair space so for me the Bus is not possible always.

I can understand your worry. The last thing you want is to be hauled up before a magistrate for avoiding paying for a ticket. The railways are a total mess. There are a lot of people who simply cannot use a smart phone !

[bobm]

From the Wiltshire Times


from comments

No sickness cover also happened at Bradford on Avon while back, seems GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) don't employ enough trained staff, to send anyone to cover.

Not sure if the after effects are still being felt, but during the closure consultation the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) had to serve notices of potential redundancy to staff.  That meant they could not then take on new staff if someone left or was long term sick.  Obviously that no longer applies but I don't know how long the recruitment and training programme takes.

[ChrisB]

Not sure that's right, Bob?
Yes, notices were issued to the union(s) as that is part of the agreement with the union(s) about laying off people, but NOT legally required. Consultation would have been the *next* step, at which notices would have been given to affected staff. But that step was never reached & notices to staff never issued - so what you suggest also never happened.