Huge passenger flow, or fewer trains than usual?

[whole diary]

[grahame]

10:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 13:43

This train has been revised.It will no longer call at: Trowbridge and Bradford-On-Avon.This is due to an unusually large passenger flow. Last Updated: 27/12/2010 12:00

Hmmm ... the cynical part of me wonders if there really is a huge flow of passengers this lunch time, or it's simply that the 10:23 ex Portsmouth has also got all the people who would have caught the 09:00 ex Brighton that should have run half an hour in front of it, but didn't (at least until Westbury).

Should "unusually large passenger flow" really read "unusually small capacity provision" in circumstances like this; I venture to suggest that there was probably nothing at all unexpected in the number of passengers presenting.

I'm seeing a pattern here ... noticed the same thing last week when an Exeter to London via Bristol service missed out Nailsea and a couple of other stations for the same state reason.  In that case, the preceeding West Country to Paddington service had been CAPed at Taunton, and I'm taking an educated guess that its contents had transferred to the service via Bristol.  I'm also taking a guess that there were no more passengers wishing to travel than on the day before or after - just fewer trains!

[Timmer]

Well I personally experienced the "unusually large passenger flow" on the 9.23 ex Portsmouth travelling between Bradford-on-Avon and Bath and can report the three car 158 was rammed which one suspects might have something to do with the Sales with many passengers getting off at Bath.

Interestingly just before this train, which I just missed, was a six car 158 pulling out of Bradford-on-Avon so one assumed there was plenty of room on this train. Does anyone know if this was the previous two ex Portsmouth services combined as they were running very late or just a stock move using a scheduled service?

[JayMac]

I too can vouch for the 'unusually large passenger flow' today. Although I also agree about the 'unusually small capacity provision.'

Travelling home from Taunton to Bristol this lunchtime I decided to go via Westbury. This decision was informed by the 'full and standing' message for my planned XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) service. Plus I was interested to see how things were going at Westbury today. The Waterloo bound HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) I caught was also 'full and standing' from Taunton, but I managed to snaffle a seat in 1st Class and unsurprisingly never had an opportunity to pay my ^10 Weekend First upgrade. Anyone know where I send the tenner? 

At Westbury, my first connecting option was a Weymouth - Gloucester service after the train I had planned to catch (a Southampton - Great Malvern) had been cancelled. The WEY-GCR^» (Gloucester - next trains) was a single 153 and it took nearly 15 minutes to get folk off and on at Westbury as there was so much luggage in the vestibules which had to hauled off so as to allow people to alight and board. Then it was all piled on again. After seeing that I was likely to be standing all the way to Bristol, I opted to wait for the next Pompey - Cardiff which was a much more agreeable 3 car 158. Still very busy though.

I don't think I've ever seen Westbury so busy. Top marks to the staff for being visible and extremely patient with what was obviously a large flow of passengers not used to regular travel on the network. I even chipped in myself with connection suggestions to a couple of bewildered old ladies!

Stopped off in Bath for a coffee and then caught a Theale - Bristol Temple Meads HST. Could these services not have had calls at Trowbridge and Bradford-on-Avon also?

[Louis94]

Well I personally experienced the "unusually large passenger flow" on the 9.23 ex Portsmouth travelling between Bradford-on-Avon and Bath and can report the three car 158 was rammed which one suspects might have something to do with the Sales with many passengers getting off at Bath.

Interestingly just before this train, which I just missed, was a six car 158 pulling out of Bradford-on-Avon so one assumed there was plenty of room on this train. Does anyone know if this was the previous two ex Portsmouth services combined as they were running very late or just a stock move using a scheduled service?

I was on the 0923 ex Portsmouth from Westbury to Filton, it was absolutely heeving until Bath, when loads of passengers got off, was even quieter by Bristol. The six car 158 was the delayed 0823 ex Portsmouth which started from Fareham, and ended up about 40 minutes late off Westbury, I can report that it was very busy aswell, with every seat fulled and standing! The extra 158 was proberly from the 0705 ex Portsmouth which didnt run today.

Stopped off in Bath for a coffee and then caught a Theale - Bristol Temple Meads HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)). Could these services not have had calls at Trowbridge and Bradford-on-Avon also?

I was travelling on that Theale to Bristol service aswell! Must say it would of been nice if they could of stopped it at Trowbridge and Bradford, that unit to Gloucester in front was look a tad busy. Was good how most people for Bristol hung around for the HST specially as the one from Pad was cancelled!

[Timmer]

Sounds like with all the problems FGW^▸ (First Great Western) were having on the Cardiff-Portsmouth line today that stopping the Theale-Bristol and Bristol-Theale services at Bradford-on-Avon and Trowbridge may have helped a little. If things were busy in the morning heading towards Bath, what services would have been like going back into Wiltshire in the afternoon is anyones guess.