Castle Cary station - services, incidents, facilities, car parking and awards (merged topic)

[whole diary]

[Southern Stag]

They're only running the daytime services so presumably they will use units that would be stabling between the peaks anyway,

[bobm]

I don't think I have ever noticed this before, but coming through Castle Cary today on a service not booked to call and there was a speed restriction through the platforms.

I think it was around 40 or 50mph and is for the duration of the Glastonbury festival apparently.  Sensible precaution, although of course when my train went through in the middle of the day the platform was deserted!

[Southern Stag]

I believe that has been the case for a while. Sometimes the platforms do get rather overcrowded when Glastonbury is on. Anybody who's been to Castle Cary can probably appreciate it isn't really designed for large numbers of people.

[Super Guard]

Just to confirm it's 30mph, in-force until 0800 on Tuesday.

[JayMac]

And when you watch the following video from FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s PR^▸ (Public Relations) team you'll understand why a speed restriction is a sensible precaution. Great video by the way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVYhp00rzHo

At 0:30 I bet he's thinking, "My job is going to get a lot more interesting any time soon. Chaos. Hopefully, organised chaos." 

[Electric train]

Paddington is slowly filling up with lots ikle Glaston Berries all corralled on Platform 8 before they get pressed in to a train

[Red Squirrel]

And when you watch the following video from FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s PR^▸ (Public Relations) team you'll understand why a speed restriction is a sensible precaution. Great video by the way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVYhp00rzHo

At 0:30 I bet he's thinking, "My job is going to get a lot more interesting any time soon. Chaos. Hopefully, organised chaos." 

Dunno why, but it sent me all dewy-eyed..!

[Chris from Nailsea]

An update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Bridge work blamed for HGV 'rat run' through Bruton


Bruton residents claim HGV drivers are ignoring signs to avoid an 18-mile diversion

Repair work on a bridge has led to an increase in heavy goods traffic through a Somerset town, residents claim.

Network Rail closed the A371 for five months in July in order to repair Ansford Bridge, near Castle Cary. But people in nearby Bruton claim HGV drivers are ignoring signs and using the town to avoid an 18-mile diversion.

Pc Sara Stephenson said: "They try and force their way through and ultimately they will damage not only curbs but buildings as well."

The bridge, about five miles (8km) up the road from Bruton, is due to be closed until mid-November for maintenance.

Anna Pittman, who lives in the town, said additional numbers of HGVs were cutting through and that action needed to be "taken against the companies".

"Some of the roads, where they are coming in, are extremely narrow," she said. "You need to send out the signal it's not acceptable - then it may stop."

A local lorry watch scheme is already in place, with residents recording and reporting number plates of offenders. And Pc Stevenson, of Avon and Somerset Constabulary, said any drivers ignoring the town's 7.5-tonne weight limit signs, will face being fined.

"There isn't room for these HGVs," she said. "And I won't think twice about slapping a ticket on those who are offending."

Rather unusually, I'm inclined to offer a personal comment or two, on one of my 'news item' posts on the Coffee Shop forum. 

Firstly, I'd like to think Pc Sara Stephenson actually said: "They try and force their way through and ultimately they will damage not only kerbs but buildings as well", rather than the incorrect spelling used by the BBC journalist. 

Secondly, and perhaps turning towards criticism of Pc Sara Stephenson here, I do find it irritating that there is so much 'slapping' going on: people are apparently being slapped with parking tickets, or slapped with ASBOs: what happened to the less emotive (and more accurate) 'issued with'? 

[JayMac]

Conjures up the image of PC Stevenson forcibly slapping the ticket on the cheek of offending HGV drivers.

[LiskeardRich]

Todays article has made me relate to an I going thread at railforums where a hgv driving member has been posting that he ignores signs and determines whether his vehicle will fit by judgement. For reference the thread is entitled "bridge bash Lymington branch". Well worth a read and explains some hgv driver attitudes to size restrictions.

[bobm]

Latest from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)

Ansford Bridge closure costing local economy millions, says MP^▸ (Member of Parliament)


The closure of a Somerset road bridge is costing the local economy millions of pounds, the area's MP has said.

Liberal Democrat for Somerton and Frome, David Heath, said traders in Castle Cary were losing business due to the closure of the Ansford Bridge.

The bridge on the A371 has been closed since July while Network Rail carries out maintenance work.

The rail operator has apologised for the inconvenience but says the 19-week programme of work is essential.

"I've taken it up with transport ministers before," Mr Health added, after raising the point in the House of Commons.

"It hasn't had a huge amount of effect, because Network Rail are actually a law unto themselves. They are not responsible directly to ministers.

"What we want is that road open as quickly as possible, businesses getting back on their feet, and the end of the disruption and the trouble to so many local people."

'Negative impact'
 
Mark Davis, a distribution manager at Centaur Services in in Castle Cary, said the closure had had a big impact on his business.

"We reckon on the period of the 19-week closure that it's costing us in the region of ^55,000," he added.

"That's in extra fuel, time, drivers' hours - so it's quite a significant impact on us."

The population of Castle Cary and Ansford, as well as surrounding parishes, is 3,000, according to South Somerset District Council.

The repair works - which means an 18-mile diversion for some traffic - began in July.

Work was due to begin in September last year but was postponed after complaints about a lack of consultation.

Figures commissioned by South Somerset District Council suggested an increase of ^1m in additional costs to the eight largest companies in the immediate vicinity of the road closure.

The council further estimated that "at least another ^1m" will apply to smaller businesses in the area.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Western Gazette:

Railway bridge to open partially from next week

Network Rail has announced that one lane of traffic is to open over the Ansford rail bridge from Monday.

The bridge closed to traffic in both directions in July to allow Network Rail contractors to carry out repairs to the bridge.

Traffic lights will control vehicles crossing the bridge for two weeks while follow-up works are carried out.

Chairman of Ansford Parish Council, Janette Cronie questioned why the road could not be reopened tomorrow evening upon completion of the work, rather than waiting until Monday to allow traders to get back to some sense of normality.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: "Contractors have been working 24 hours a day for the past few weekends to get the work completed on time and this weekend will be no exception."

The road is expected to open to traffic in both directions from Monday, December 2.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the First Great Western press release:

Station Manager to meet with Castle Cary customers

First Great Western is offering customers from Castle Cary the opportunity to meet with their Station Manager on Monday 25 November, following months of restricted access to the station.

To apologise for the difficult access to the station during Network Rail works to Ansford Bridge, First Great Western is to hold a Meet the Manager session on Monday morn, while also offering customers a voucher for ^3 worth of refreshments.

Station Manager Nicholas Reid said: ^I appreciate that the Network Rail strengthening works to Ansford Bridge was inconvenient for our customers. In welcoming them back to the station I would like to offer the opportunity to discuss with me any other comments they may have and to provide them a small gesture to improve as we work to keep people moving.^ 

Voucher will be valid on First Great Western services at the buffet, on trolley services or in the restaurant.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From Central Somerset Gazette:

Glastonbury Festival: Too early to say if 5,000 people skipped trains


Glastonbury Festival revellers leave Worthy Farm in Pilton and Somerset for another year as they board the trains at Castle Cary train station

Have we lost nearly 5,000 Glastonbury Festival train travellers? First Great Western say it's too early to say if expectations of 15,000 were met yet.

The number of people travelling to Castle Cary Railway Station to go to Glastonbury Festival grows every year. But First Great Western said the early number of 10,762 travellers arriving last week is "dubious".

That is the number believed to have arrived at the station but spokesman James Davies said: "It's far too early to say how many people have travelled there via train. The figures will be released in due course. We transported 13,500 in 2010 and 2011 and about 15,200 last year."

Travellers from Paddington Train Station on the 7.15am to Glastonbury had a special guest on-board with them, singer Gabrielle Aplin. She performed her chart hits Power of Love, Panic Cord, Please Don't Say You Love Me and Home before returning on the train to London to do an impromptu concert on the platform. But she obviously didn't miss her own train there as Gabrielle performed at Glastonbury Festival herself.

[PhilWakely]

Sorry mods - I decided to start this separate thread about the weymouth Wizard rather than add it to the existing thread as I believe that an incident with the returning Wizard today (18th July) needs discussing and answers provided. Feel free to re-merge it if you wish!

The public timetable shows a connection between the returning Weymouth Wizard (1V72) and 1C89 (1706 Paddington to Plymouth). Both are shown as being at Castle Cary at the same time (1841), so I guess the wizard would occupy Platform 3 whilst the Plymouth service Platform 2.

Both services were running on time today, but for some unknown reason, the Wizard was routed via Platform 2 and held outside Castle Cary station until the Plymouth service left. This left about 30 people on the Wizard missing their connection - many of whom were heading into Cornwall and as a result would have missed the last train forward from Plymouth.

I cannot fault either the TM^‡(resolve) or the station staff at Cary who dealt as best they could with the situation. As there would have been no onward service to the west from Cary for two hours, those bound for a final destination of Plymouth were advised to stay on board and get a connection at Temple Meads, those of us bound for Taunton and Exeter were despatched to Taunton in taxis. I do nor know what happened with those heading west of the Tamar - when I left, the station staff were trying to arrange for 1C92 (1806 Paddington to Penzance) to stop at Cary (it normally runs fast Reading to Taunton).

Whilst all of this was going on, the Wizard was further delayed, finally leaving Cary 12 minutes late and also 1A92 (1701 Paignton to Paddington), which had arrived in the meantime, was held to let the Wizard go ahead and would have been further delayed as the Wizard stopped at Bruton.

Therefore, either the timetable planners need shooting for advertising such a tight connection or one particular signaller needs a boot up the backside for deciding to route the Wizard into Platform 2 rather than the shorter Platform 3!

Discuss...............
Either the timetable planners or a signaller needs a boot up the backside