Chippenham - facilities, improvements, parking, events and incidents - merged posts

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Maybe they assume people will return during the Evening Peak so hence displaying more flexible tickets.

Maybe .. but there are 23 super-offpeak trains from Chippenham to London per day, 3 offpeak and 8 peak.   In the reverse direction, there are 10 peak, 8 offpeak and 16 super offpeak.   And if you go to London late in the afternoon so you can't leave on your return before 5 p.m., you have a choice of 5 peak services, 6 super offpeak and just ONE offpeak at 19:00.

But the whole "which services are peak?" question from Chippenham was sufficiently frustrating for us to draw up a chart:
   http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=9506.msg98941#msg98941

From 08:00 to 09:55 in the morning on a Monday to Friday, there is every reason to offer off peak on the front page. from then until around lunchtime, you could argue that it should be offered for people returning before the eveing peak (trains between 15:30 and 16:30 back from Paddington). Later in the day, it looks like someone's trying to hide the cheapest fare that many people will want for an evening out and mislead them into paying more than they need - sorry, but to much of Jo Public it is misleading.

I may have asked before and got a "no", but has anyone done any analysis on the tickets that people have bought and are travelling on, and worked out how many are on the most appropriate (i.e. best value) tickets and how many have spent more than they need?

P.S. - I'm not suggesting that the Open (should that be capitalised?) return shouldn't always be on the front page - with Chippenham tickets valid for a month after purchase, there will always be quite a few people who may come back on these 10 busiest services, even another day.   It also gives people the knowledge of the open fare to help them make the buying decision that's right for them.

[thetrout]

I agree it is definitely misleading!

I'm wondering if it's the software on those machines. Because the TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine)'s at Bath Spa do display Super Off-Peak Tickets to Paddington on the front screen to London, however they don't show you the considerably cheaper option via Salisbury

Further to that, if you ask for the Cheapest ticket to London, you'll be sold a Super Off-Peak Ticket to Paddington. They won't offer the via Salisbury option unless you specifically ask for it!

[JayMac]

Further to that, if you ask for the Cheapest ticket to London, you'll be sold a Super Off-Peak Ticket to Paddington. They won't offer the via Salisbury option unless you specifically ask for it!

Yep. I've asked a similar question of staff at Bristol Temple Meads. I knew what ticket I was after but thought I'd see what was offered when asking, "Cheapest day return fare to London please". I, too was offered a Super Off Peak Return, route 'Any Permitted'.

This goes against the impartial retailing rules, but I fully understand why I wasn't offered the cheaper route. It's unlikely that the incorrect fare is being offered deliberately. More a case that the fares structure is so complex that even the best trained staff will make mistakes.

Of course I know that it's even cheaper to ask for an origin station on the Severn Beach Line, or (as I recently learned) Bristol Parkway or Yate, when wishing to travel to London via Salisbury. This is true of all origin stations from the Bristol area, Bath, Trowbridge, Westbury, Salisbury and Andover and all shacks in between

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Wiltshire Gazette & Herald:

PCSOs Elizabeth Duncan and Sarah Hardwidge are advising parents to make sure their children know the dangers of the railway line

Police are warning of the dangers of foolish behaviour on railway tracks after two incidents involving children on the Chippenham line over the Easter holidays.

On one occasion all approaching trains had to be stopped after police received a report of group of eight youths throwing stones at trains.

The youths, aged mainly 15 with one 16-year-old boy, were seen crossing the tracks between Marshfield Road and Ivy Lane on the bridge next to Bewley House.

Police had to advise Network Rail to stop all trains as they could not enter the tracks while they were still live.

They also informed the British Transport Police and sent letters to the parents warning them of their children^s anti-social behaviour.

They are appealing to all parents to make sure their children know the dangers of playing near the railway.

PCSO Sarah Hardwidge said: ^If you are in the way, the train won^t stop ^ the driver will not see you until it is too late.^

A week before, on Good Friday, a separate group of youths was caught trespassing on the railway line at Kington Langley. Three trainspotters standing on the branch line called police at 2.45pm after seeing a 13-year-old and two 14-year-olds crossing the tracks.

All three teenagers admitted trespassing and were escorted home by police.

PCSO Hardwidge said: ^Not only is this an offence, it causes a huge amount of disruption. It endangers the train driver and passengers, and puts the lives of police officers at risk while they look for the youngsters. The youngsters don^t seem to realise how busy Chippenham station is. You^ve constantly got trains coming in from Bristol and Swindon. Some London trains can get up to 125mph and can take over a mile to stop.^

In 2011, 50 people were killed after trespassing on the railway, and there were more than 400 near misses.

[trainer]

Some years back I was travelling back to Bristol from Salisbury and as the train passed over the avoiding lines behind Westbury (Wilts) station I saw three children aged about 14 sauntering in the up direction on the Up Fast (125mph limit?) line.  I made a 999 call (to some stirring in the seats around me when I said the word 'Police') and tried to explain carefully where they were.  As we were approaching Bathampton Junc (20 mins or so later), I had a call back to say that BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) had arrived at Westbury Station but couldn't find the children.  Clearly they had long gone and my description of their location had been lost in translation.  I'm glad I did something though: seeing a report on the local news later of a tragedy would have been hard to live with.

I think PCSOs have been invented since then, but even so, the BTP cannot be expected to save every youngster from their own folly and schools and parents need to be pro-active in re-enforcing the message and firm, publicised action taken against those caught for everyone's sake.

[grahame]

Wiltshire Council will be surveying passengers joining trains at CHIPPENHAM station one morning next week.

The purpose of this survey is to learn about where people travel from to get to the station, what means of transport they use, and why they choose to travel that way ... as well as linking that data to their destination station.  Such information is not easily available through Passenger Focus or Office of Rail regulator statistics, but will provide important input into tuning for future service to Chippenham as well as other stations within local travel distance thereof.

Are you a regular commuter from Chippenham?   Could you help Wiltshire Council, and the TransWilts community Rail Partnership who are helping gather this information, by collecting the survey forms on your regular train?

Instruction will be given (a short briefing and a sheet explaining who's collecting the data, and why), and you'll be asked to sign a short form acknowledging that you'll take care for the paper questionnaires ^ keep them secure, not lose or copy any part; not use any information from them for purposes other than the intended.  Although we're volunteers doing this, we'll be doing it in a professional manner;  I personally know many members of the forum, and many guests, and would love your assistance.  Please send me a personal message, or email me (graham@wellho.net) if you would like to be involved.

For members who are not regular users of these services - we would love to have your help if you're available - if you work in Chippenham or Melksham, you should be back there on most of the rotas we've worked out by 10 a.m., and I'm sure your employer would be happy to help you help tune the local rail and associated services by letting you be an hour late.  And you won't be left out of pocket over rail tickets either.

Graham Ellis - graham@atrebatia.info
Press and publicity, TransWilts Community Rail Partnership
TransWilts CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership), 48, Spa Road, Melksham, Wilts, SN12 7NY
http://atrebatia.info - 0845 459 0153

For the people with whom I'm already in touch, I've got paperwork to hand and will be getting in touch overnight when it's cooler and I can think straight.  And please feel free to pass on a link to this thread to mutually known / trusted friends.

[grahame]

I'm in touch with many people individually ... but would still appreciate a few more volunteers.  If you're new to this - not a problem as it looks like there will be  2 people per rota to support each other, and I'm doing it so that one is experienced in each case.  Standard letter follows - PLEASE email or p.m. me if you fancy a different start next Tuesday!

Dear Supporter,

On Tuesday of next week, Wiltshire Council assisted by Atkins will be surveying passenegers joining peak trains from Chippenham station, to learn more about people's starting place ("where they live" in most cases), how they get to the station, and where they then travel to.  Such work helps evaluate aspirations and flows within the Chippenham station catchment area, which we already know is very wide indeed.

You have indicated your willingness to help / Or you have been mentioned as a name who may be wiling to help.   This is a very useful survey indeed, being undertaken to help inform what could be pivotal decisions, and a great opportunity for the community and vounteers to work with, and to be seen working with the Council and the Rail industry.

Are you [still] available next Tuesday - 23rd July 2013.   I have put the complete set of rotas at the end of this letter, and at the top I will paste a specific rota that I would like YOU to cover.

* The work (rotas 1 to 6 and 9) involves travelling on the train with an official collecting bag for questionaires, and badge, at no cost to yourself.  You will also be provided with a short desciption of the survey, and who's organising it, to inform passengers who ask.  Whilst we'll wish you to collect as many responses as you can, there will can be no requirement on people to respond.

* Can you be at Chippenham station 15 minutes before the departure time of your first service?  Each train will involve travel to Didcot or Reading (eastwards) or Bristol (westwards), collecting forms handed out at Chippenham station by Atkins.  Rotas 7 and 8 will collect at the barriers at Bath Spa and Swindon, as our volunteers will not have time to collect all reponses on the journey from Chippenham to Bath / Swindon.

* I am hoping to have two people on each rota, so that it won't be lone work

* I can help for some people to arrange transport / give lifts to Chippenham

* You will be asked to keep the data collected confidential, not copy it, hand it completed to the survey team on your final return to Chippenham.  Data that's anonymised (i.e. cannot be identified as being a particular individual) will be available to the TransWilts team and LSTF^▸ (Local Sustainable Transport Fund) implementation team in due course.
Form attached to sign for this OR we'll have copies at Chippenham Station

* Rotas 7 and 8 are for collecting data at Swindon and Bath stations.  I'll make individual arrangements to get the collecting bags and information to you over the weekend / on Monday, and to get the data back.

* For organisation on the day, I would like permission to pass your email address and mobile phone number to Kevin Bishop of Atkins, and David Philips of Wiltshire Council.  Trains sometimes *do* get delayed or cancelled, and we need the ability to get in touch if that happens!

Attachements ... emergency contact details form, registration form, data protacton form, data protection statement.   The safety briefing will be brief (and can be over the phone for Bath / Swindon teams) but it's paramount in what we do.

Any question - please email / phone (01225 708225 most days) me.

MANY thanks for your help with this - we're really moving forward on transport in Wiltshire with co-operation between all parties including passengers and the community, for the good of the area / people as w whole.

Graham

Graham Ellis - graham@atrebatia.info
Press and publicity, TransWilts Community Rail Partnership
TransWilts CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership), 48, Spa Road, Melksham, Wilts, SN12 7NY
http://atrebatia.info - 0845 459 0153




-----------  Rotas - 23rd July 2013 / Chippenham Station Passenger Survey

1.        05:55 Chippenham to Didcot (06:29)
 07:12 Didcot  07:43 Chippenham to Bristol (08:17)
 (Back at 08:55 or see extension below)

2.        06:25 Chippenham to Didcot (06:58)
 07:12 Didcot  07:43 Chippenham to Bristol (08:17)
 (Back at 08:55 or see extension below)

3.        06:55 Chippenham to Didcot (07:28)
 07:43 Didcot  08:14 Chippenham to Bristol (08:45)
 (Back at 09:25)

4.         06:55 Chippenham to Reading (07:43)
 07:57 Reading 08:42 Chippenham to Bristol (09:10)
 (Back at 09:55)

5.        07:25 Chippenham to Didcot (08:01)
 (Back at 09:13 or see extension below)

6.        06:38 Chippenham to Bristol (07:07)
 07:30 Bristol 07:55 Chippenham to Didcot (08:28)
 (Back at 09:13)

7.       Bath Station Collection
 first train arrives 06:52;  final train at 08:55 or 09:29

8.      Swindon Station Collection
 first train arrives 06:10 (!);  final train at 08:10 or 09:10

--------   The following extras are subject to availability of people (first to be dropped; other
trains through the morning will be surveryed with reply paid envelopes, but that results in far
fewer responses, so much less good data ----------

9.       06:28 Chippenham to Trowbridge (06:48)
 07:10 Trob.   07:30 Chippenham to Swindon (07:48)
 08:01 Swind.  08:14 Chippenham
       08:25 Chippenham to Didcot (08:58)
 (Back at 09:43)

1 or 2 - get off at 07:57 at Bath and add
 08:30 Bath    08:45 Chippenham to Swindon (09:04)
 (Back at 09:43)

5 - add
 08:41 Didcot    09:13 Chippenham to Bristol (09:45)
 (Back at 10:25)

[Chris from Nailsea]

I'm in touch with many people individually ... but would still appreciate a few more volunteers.  If you're new to this - not a problem as it looks like there will be 2 people per rota to support each other, and I'm doing it so that one is experienced in each case.  Standard letter follows - PLEASE email or p.m. me if you fancy a different start next Tuesday!

Unfortunately, I'm not available to help with this particular passenger survey, but it has my full moral support and I'd like to endorse grahame's plea for any more volunteers to please step forward! 

[grahame]

I'm in touch with many people individually ... but would still appreciate a few more volunteers.  If you're new to this - not a problem as it looks like there will be 2 people per rota to support each other, and I'm doing it so that one is experienced in each case.  Standard letter follows - PLEASE email or p.m. me if you fancy a different start next Tuesday!

Unfortunately, I'm not available to help with this particular passenger survey, but it has my full moral support and I'd like to endorse grahame's plea for any more volunteers to please step forward! 

Thanks, Chris ... we have most rotas covered, but it would be really good to be able to "double up" as these are long trains that get to their first stop after Chippenham very quickly!

[grahame]

"Afterwards report" at http://www.wellho.net/mouth/4142_Passenger-survey-at-Chippenham-report-and-pictures.html

In summary - what a fantastic team of volunteers - THANK YOU one and all.  Lots of very useful data gathered at what may turn out to be a vital time, and a real learning experience too.   Big thanks to all the First staff at Chippenham, and on the trains.   All very positive, all very helpful.   Similar reports too from our outbases at Bath Spa and Swindon.

[JayMac]

From the Wiltshire Times:

The 115-year-old footbridge at Chippenham railway station has been demolished to pave the way for disabled access onto the platform as part of a scheme costing nearly ^3 million.

Elated members of the Community Access to Rail Travel (CART) group went along to see the cranes as they moved in on Saturday, January 24, to remove part of the bridge at the west end, which was built in 1899.

The rest was removed on Saturday.

People with disabilities and those using pushchairs have been waiting years for promised easier access to railway platforms.

In June, two lifts will be put in to give access from the Cocklebury Road side, though funding does not stretch to provide access to the Hathaway Retail Park side.

CART chairman Maureen Lloyd said: ^We have lift off to the journey of advantage for all.

"I cannot put in words the elation I feel after almost 20 years of campaigning for step access, to finally see it nearing fruition.^

Network Rail said the work was done on Saturday nights, when no trains run, to minimise the impact on travellers.

A spokesman said: "We are due to complete the work in the summer. We plan to open the footbridge before the end of the work though (no specific date as yet), as we can carry out the work while enabling people to use the new footbridge."

(Edited to fix " ^3m access scheme at Chippenham"

[grahame]

From the Wiltshire Times:

CART chairman Maureen Lloyd said: ^We have lift off to the journey of advantage for all.

"I cannot put in words the elation I feel after almost 20 years of campaigning for step access, to finally see it nearing fruition.^

Did she really say that, or did the Wiltshire times miss the word free? 

[Timmer]

Tweet from FGW^▸ (First Great Western):

Travellers have put in 8 day claim at Chippenham car park so parking will be restricted. Northside bridge also down with restricted parking.

[JayMac]

There's a well know line which is used several times in the film 'Snatch'.

Decorum prevents me from quoting it or providing a YouTube clip link. 

[TaplowGreen]

............I trust all the usual enforcement procedures will be in place, ie tickets if they haven't paid, followed by towing if necessary, as would happen for any normal person? (sorry I mean "member of the settled community"!)

Wouldn't want there to be any unequal treatment!