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

[whole diary]

[bobm]

Sorry definitely to the west..

[ChrisB]

oh, I'm confusing Wooten Bassett with Thingley....

[grahame]

Good meeting ... writeup to follow

Key issues raised on the evening ...

1. Development plans around station and effect on passenger access and flows
2. Lack of backup to access platform in wheelchair if lift fails late at night
3. Commute to Bath and Bristol / late return - extended hours needed on London-centric service
4. What's needed in the next franchise.

Also desire of a good proportion of attendees to be involved / set up group. 

I'm personally delighted to see an interest in some of the long term stuff as well as the current daily; looks good for long term working of community and rail for mutually sensible development!

[ChrisB]

2 - assuming a help point is situated correctly, contact using that & a taxi would be supplied, either to final destination or nearest station that wiuld allow connection into service required.

For the number of likely users, that is likely to be sufficuent provision

[grahame]

2 - assuming a help point is situated correctly, contact using that & a taxi would be supplied, either to final destination or nearest station that wiuld allow connection into service required.

For the number of likely users, that is likely to be sufficuent provision

There is a help point at Chippenham.  Not sure how said taxi would collect a passenger dropped off the train and stuck on the island platform if the lift was broken though, which was the concern being expressed, now that the barrow crossing isn't available. 

Taxi solution semi-works for people catching late night trains out;  I believe there are 2 available in the Chippenham area on Cabfind, though anyone being put into a taxi because they can't board a late night train will find they're later than intended at wherever the can takes them - so if they're catching the last London train, a drop off at Swindon could well be after the last London train has left there ...

Frankly, the solution is to keep the lift in order; the issue causing the concern was if (1) the lift and failed and (2) the train manager failed to realise this as he helped the wheelchair off the train.    So it's remote.   The risk of harm to a wheelchair user dropped off (but still able to use the help point, unless you have a third failure) isn't a danger, but a risk of irritation - so the overall answer to a risk evaluation is "be aware, don't panic, reassure the customer" and not "lets spend a lot more money on a backup system of some sort".

[ChrisB]

Lift failure will be he sort of thing that TMs^‡(resolve) are told about via text or tablet....ther solution is to be collected by the next train,. taken to a station suitable for exit & put in a cab from there to home. Well late, so suitable comp would follow. Hopefully, the original TM would discuss beforehand with the pax & deal accordingly on their initial journey. So Swindon/Bath & a taxi off the original train & a taxi home.

[grahame]

Request for input on late / early train aspirations - written up at http://atrebatia.info/next_cpm.pdf  ... comments welcome in next 48 hours.

[grahame]

http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/15564871.Chippenham_to_get_their_own_rail_users_group/

[grahame]

Chippenham Borough Lands Charity, Jubilee Buildings
32 Market Place, Chippenham, SN15 3HP

from 19:00, all welcome

[grahame]

Agenda
CHRUG Meeting 11th October 2018
7pm to 9pm
Chippenham Borough Lands, Ground Floor Meeting Room, 32 Market Place , Chippenham, SN15 3HP
1. Welcome and register of attending, any apologies
2. Introduction of new members
3. Minutes of previous meeting points arising and corrections
4. Update from TransWilts Community Rail.
5. Update from Town Council (NM)
6. Discussion future agenda items,
• Operational issues
• Bus/train links
• Passenger survey
• Chippenham rail publication/brochure
• Speaker programme
• Membership campaign
• Committee formation
7. Next Meeting Thursday 10th January 2019, 7pm at Borough Lands Meeting Room.

[Lee]

Anyone attend last night, and have any meeting notes/minutes to share?

[grahame]

Anyone attend last night, and have any meeting notes/minutes to share?

I attended and can write up a few notes; two meetings today though - so will need to wait for this evening.

[Lee]

Many thanks 

[grahame]

Anyone attend last night, and have any meeting notes/minutes to share?

I attended and can write up a few notes; two meetings today though - so will need to wait for this evening.

Done for me - here are the minutes

Minutes
Chippenham Rail Users Group 11th October 2018 Held at Chippenham Borough Lands Ground Floor Room
1. Present: David Long, Robin Summerhill, Steve Puddy, Gail Delahaye, Paul Johnson, Graham Ellis, John Scragg
2. Apologises – Horace Prickett, (Dr Nick Murray at Chippenham Sadlers Mead Councillors meeting)
3. Minutes previous meeting accepted as true record and any points arising were included in the meeting Agenda.
4. Update from TransWilts CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership) (Paul Johnson and GrahamEllis)
• Introduction of 2019 timetable further delayed until stability of railway secured - likely to be delayed to December 2019 to  May 2019.
• Overcrowding on Cardiff to Portsmouth as new trains can’t yet run on whole route.
• Engineering disruptions and staffing difficulties continue to seriously affect the performance on the TransWilts line.
• Newbury engineering closures. The last closure ends this week 12th October 2018, rest of electrification works will be conducted at night and at weekends.
• Christmas Closures. Westbury Station closed from 23rd December to 4th January. Paddington closed 23rd - 26th December and 30th/31st Dec reopens 2nd January. North Downs Gatwick line closed Christmas to 30th December.
• Fare consultation closed in September with no clear outcome
• Result of GW^▸ (Great Western) route consultation is reflected in some welcome changes in the published outcome. Splitting of the franchise cancelled.
• Scale of disruption on TransWilts line led to cancellation of planned carers trip to Weymouth as being too risky on Sunday connections. (If had operated would have been 60 minutes arriving at Weymouth)
• New Sadlers Mead Car Parking presentation to councillors was also on 11th October with a multi storey car park at the Olympiad site as part of the Chippenham Hub Scheme for additional car parking. The meeting again discussed the need for a solution to the North side of Chippenham station, car parking and access.
• North side lift. Paul Johnson confirmed he had put in a “back stop” request for funding to the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Accessibility fund. However it is still expected that the north side lift will be an early delivery from the Station Hub project.
• Robin Sumerhill reported continued problems with north side ticket machine and the problem with re-entry to the station from cigarette breaks.
• Fares. Rail card options are difficult to access via the ticket machine. How to organise split tickets?
• Paul Johnson reported that the use of mobile phone tickets was working well. Questions arose regarding the use of multiple tickets on one phone, for example passengers on a group save ticket. To be followed up for a response from GWR.
• Gail Delahaye raised the issue of mobility impaired passengers accessing lifts and toilets, Current requirement is return to the ticket office entrance, which is a distance penalty compared to on-platform exit gate.
• GWR Direct Award extension to 2020 with a potential further 2 or 4 years. The latter extension provides the opportunity to incorporate some franchise responses in the specification.
• Signage. There is a lack of signage regarding exit to town and lack of brochure information. It was noted the lift internal signage display is faulty.
• Cycling capacity is in short supply and the intended additional capacity in the Station Hub project to be clarified.
5. Future Agenda items were discussed and the suggested priorities were
• Operational Issues and performance as a permanent agenda item. Robin Summerhill provided an interesting and useful summary of train performance during his recent travels. Graham Ellis requested the detail by email to share with his “coffee shop” members for further analysis.
• A station survey campaign combined with CHRUG membership campaign brochure.
• Need for a station poster point and brochure rack for rail/ town information brochures. - seek funding
• A station manager or deputy to speak at a later meeting (April)
• Next meeting (Jan) to discuss committee formation. 6. Meeting Closed 8.30 pm
7. Next meeting 10th January 2019 at Chippenham Borough Lands, Ground Floor Room, 32 Market Place, SN15 3HP at 7pm to 9pm.
8. 2019 calendar of meetings
: 10 January, 11 April, 11 July, 10 October 2019

[Lee]

Thanks grahame

7. Next meeting 10th January 2019 at Chippenham Borough Lands, Ground Floor Room, 32 Market Place, SN15 3HP at 7pm to 9pm.
8. 2019 calendar of meetings
: 10 January, 11 April, 11 July, 10 October 2019

That's an "ambitious" meeting schedule isn't it? You'll have forgotten what each other looks like by the time the next one comes around! Why such a long gap between meetings?