Gloucester to Bristol rail users to have extra service from May 2010

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

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

Rail passengers using the Gloucester to Bristol route will have an extra morning service from the end of May.
It follows complaints of overcrowding during peak times, when many passengers have been unable to find seats.
But TravelWatch SouthWest, which promotes the interests of public transport users, said there was still a need for more carriages in the evening.
Train operator First Western (FGW^▸ (First Great Western)) said the problem was the difficulty in securing more rolling stock.
Frank Chambers, from TravelWatch SouthWest, said: "There's a major problem of overcrowding in the morning going down from Gloucester to Bristol, especially around Yate, and it's the same problem in the late afternoon coming back. This problem is getting worse because here in the South West we're still getting extra people wanting to travel by train, despite the recession, and we need solutions."
FGW's West of England general manager Julian Crow said: "The trouble is there isn't any spare rolling stock in the country at the moment. There's the same problem around other cities. There's competition for what comes available, so we're working actively with the West of England partnership, the local authorities and Department for Transport on the case for allocating more coaches."

[Chris from Nailsea]

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

Yate to Bristol trains: how bad is overcrowding?

Train services between Yate and Bristol have come under criticism as overcrowding bites on the route.
Despite an extra train being provided in the morning, commuter groups are calling for more rolling stock to be allocated.
We speak to the train company, First Great Western, which says extra services are being provided across the region.
We also talk to pressure groups who say too many commuters are not getting seats on the trains.

Julian Crowe - First Great Western
"We're actually enjoying huge growth in traffic around Bristol - more and more people are using the trains to commute in and we've seen up to 20% growth in customers on some routes during recent years.
We don't have any extra rolling stock so that does mean that conditions get more crowded.
There is some good news for passengers travelling in from Gloucester, Cam and Dursley and Yate into Bristol in the mornings because in the summer timetable that starts towards the end of next month there will be an extra service coming up from Cheltenham in the morning.
We're providing the timetable which we publish and what we're doing beyond that is to work with the Department for Transport and the local authorities to make the case for being allocated extra rolling stock.
The issue here is that it's a national problem - passenger numbers are growing right across the country. The problem as far as we are concerned is that we are in competition with the rest of the country for the allocation of rolling stock.
Effectively there's nothing spare at the moment. Any extra coaches have to be produced by new trains being used elsewhere in the country... and this will produce other trains which are spare. The question is: who is going to make the best case for these trains to be allocated to them to add to the capacity on their services.
The rolling stock is allocated by the Department of Transport and in most cases what comes with that is a sum of money to enable those services to be operated."

Peter Andrews - More Train, Less Strain
"In 2007, and again in 2008, we found that the traveller was so incensed that they had Britain's first ever rail strike. We thought after that things were going to get better and we could go back to digging our allotments and just catching the train without all this hoo-haa.
But it seems that despite record profits made by First Group, despite paying their chairman millions of pounds, we still find ourselves with a train service that is not really fit for purpose.
All we want is something that is punctual, reliable, affordable and, of course, comfortable.
The sitting down situation has become ludicrous in some parts. I came out of London the other day on a train, which incidentally is probably about 25 years old, and the train was packed. It's not as though you are paying ^2.50 - the price of a return ticket to London if you travel at peak times is ^154. And for that I want a taxi, frankly! Never mind just a seat, which I didn't get.
I'm fed up with these crocodile tears we get from First Great Western. Basically, in the four years since we ran our first train strike, the price has gone up 50%. Now, how many people's wages have gone up 50%?
But, we haven't got a 50% better service. We have, in fact, a service that is back-sliding again to the bad old days of 2007."

Frank Chambers - Travel Watch South West
"It's good to hear about the extra service in the morning from the end of May onwards but what Julian didn't tell you is that this train runs at the moment. It runs empty without a conductor and we've been lobbying very hard for them to re-roster their staff so that they can actually run that train service.
If you haven't got a conductor, or train manager, you can't run with passengers so this train runs as an "empty stock movement" in the morning and it goes through Cam and Dursley station empty.
It's absolutely crazy but we're pleased that they've now managed to sort it out so that we can get an extra service on in the morning.
The problem now is in the evening because there are trains only at hourly intervals and they're very crowded. People going back from Temple Meads and Parkway towards Yate will know how crowded it is to get on those services.
Julian is right: there has been a huge rise in passengers in the South West and it's not stopping despite the recession, so what we think should happen is that there should be extra rolling stock moved to the South West from elsewhere.
There are limits to how long you can be on a journey at not have a seat but unfortunately it doesn't affect people between Yate and Bristol because the train company can get away with that.
The difficulty is that some people haven't even been able to get on the train!"

Love the BBC item's picture, by the way. 

[anthony215]

Maybe FGW^▸ (First Great Western) should consider using 1 of their loco hauled set's on this route when they come off the Cardiff - Taunton route in June after being replaced by class 150 DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)'s

[devon_metro]

Simply loving the MTLS^▸ (More Train Less Strain) quote 

[John R]

Maybe FGW^▸ (First Great Western) should consider using 1 of their loco hauled set's on this route when they come off the Cardiff - Taunton route in June after being replaced by class 150 DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)'s

The LH stock is underwritten by the DaFT^» (Department for Transport - critical sounding abbreviation I discourage - about), and would be hopelessly uneconomic for FGW to provide itself. Just look at the costs given for the DaFt to run the Cumbrian LH services currently.

Though the debate should be wider - if usage in this area is still growing strongly at a time when it has stagnated elsewhere, shouldn't there be a reallocation of stock to FGW land.   

[inspector_blakey]

Love the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) item's picture, by the way. 

Maybe they know something we don't...

I don't think the quote from MTLS^▸ (More Train Less Strain) does the organization any favours though! Could be grandstanding, could be a lack of research, or maybe he's entirely ignorant of the state of the rail industry at the moment, but I thought any fule kno that there's a pitiful UK^▸ (United Kingdom)-wide shortage of rolling stock and DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) policy seems to be to send anything vaguely serviceable up North! Not a single constructive suggestion, just tedious criticism of the shoddiest kind!

[grahame]

Though the debate should be wider - if usage in this area is still growing strongly at a time when it has stagnated elsewhere, shouldn't there be a reallocation of stock to FGW^▸ (First Great Western) land.   

Usage IS still growing on services covered by "The West" fleet, although Thames Valley and HST^▸ (High Speed Train) has flagged, according to what are usually reliable sources.  So, yes, timetabling / stock allocation should take this into consideration.

[Bob_Blakey]

Is this mysterious 'Julian Crowe' in any way related to the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Regional Manager 'Julian Crow'?!

[Super Guard]

Maybe FGW^▸ (First Great Western) should consider using 1 of their loco hauled set's on this route when they come off the Cardiff - Taunton route in June after being replaced by class 150 DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)'s

The LH stock is underwritten by the DaFT^» (Department for Transport - critical sounding abbreviation I discourage - about), and would be hopelessly uneconomic for FGW to provide itself. Just look at the costs given for the DaFt to run the Cumbrian LH services currently.

Though the debate should be wider - if usage in this area is still growing strongly at a time when it has stagnated elsewhere, shouldn't there be a reallocation of stock to FGW land.   

Surely, if Daft have seen it necessary to run the LHS^▸ (Locomotive Hauled Stock) services (which lets face it are pretty much empty west of Taunton - apart from spotters), then using them to run an extra service or two around Bristol on overcrowded services is worth a try when they are released from their current route?

And Peter Andrews, MTLS^▸ (More Train Less Strain) -- 

[devon_metro]

Maybe FGW^▸ (First Great Western) should consider using 1 of their loco hauled set's on this route when they come off the Cardiff - Taunton route in June after being replaced by class 150 DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)'s

The LH stock is underwritten by the DaFT^» (Department for Transport - critical sounding abbreviation I discourage - about), and would be hopelessly uneconomic for FGW to provide itself. Just look at the costs given for the DaFt to run the Cumbrian LH services currently.

Though the debate should be wider - if usage in this area is still growing strongly at a time when it has stagnated elsewhere, shouldn't there be a reallocation of stock to FGW land.   

Surely, if Daft have seen it necessary to run the LHS^▸ (Locomotive Hauled Stock) services (which lets face it are pretty much empty west of Taunton - apart from spotters), then using them to run an extra service or two around Bristol on overcrowded services is worth a try when they are released from their current route?

And Peter Andrews, MTLS^▸ (More Train Less Strain) -- 

Witnessed it arriving at Paignton t'other day and it seemed to be well loaded with families. Can't comment on the length of their journey however.

[inspector_blakey]

Does MTLS^▸ (More Train Less Strain) actually exist in any tangible capacity other than a producer of ill-informed "rent-a-quotes" for local journalists these days?

I'm asking this from a position of ignorance, but their website has not been updated in any way since January 2009, and the bulk of the posts on there are from early 2008, giving an outsider the impression that there's not a whole lot going on.

[Timmer]

Does MTLS^▸ (More Train Less Strain) actually exist in any tangible capacity other than a producer of ill-informed "rent-a-quotes" for local journalists these days?

I dont think it does but local journos obviously have some of the main players contact details so they can get some quotes for pieces in the local press that involve busy local train services.

MTLS last campaign was about replacing the ramp access to the platforms at Bath Spa with lifts. Hardly a campaign that is going to generate a huge amount of support from commuters who just want a decent train service to get them to and from work who supported MTLS in those dark winter mornings a couple of years back.

[Super Guard]

Witnessed it arriving at Paignton t'other day and it seemed to be well loaded with families. Can't comment on the length of their journey however.

It probably is busier at holiday times -- but either way, once it's been replaced by the DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) cascade, surely the LHS^▸ (Locomotive Hauled Stock) could be trialled elsewhere if DafT really want to try and sort out overcrowding.

[anthony215]

There are rumours that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are bringing in another loco hauled set to work a weekday Bristol - Weymouth diagram and so it could be used to work a peak hour service to/from Gloucester.

Another rumour is that the summer saturday extra service to weymouth will be worked by the class 57's with the 67's working a saturday service to Paignton according to info on WNXX^▸ (Stored Unserviceable, Mainline Locos HQ All Classes)

[Phil]

Nice. Have to say, as a Melksham resident I view even rumours of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) "bringing in another set" as a further kick in the teeth.

Still, best of luck to the lucky passengers of towns between Bristol and Weymouth.