Big problem with these new trains, you can't play GWR driver and conduct the journey from the front righthand window. Chuffs, toots and brake sounds are to be expected - in a Geordie accent to be sure 

 

 

Journeycheck now reporting the 19:53:
Was this really only noticed at 20:02?

 
A particular focus on TfW here, but a somewhat industry-wide problem.

On a couple of journeys on GWR IETs recently, there have been brief delays, and before I've even registered that the train's been stopped for a bit longer than expected a member of crew has announced that there's a minor problem that must be dealt with before the train moves. I think the delays amounted to a few minutes apiece, but there were still updates.

Meanwhile on TfW, ad-hoc information sems to be in short supply. There are situations where a human announcement is what's needed. Online sources won't know. Auto-announcers won't know until the train has moved and triggered a timing point, or data has been input, and even then will only regurgitate their recorded lines, which won't always fit the situation. A bit of thought around customer service would go a long way. TfW's train service has improved a lot recently – more than the comments on their social media posts would have one believe – but naturally things still go wrong. I have enough understanding of the system to accept problems will occur, but a little bit of human communication, tailored to the moment, would be extremely helpful.

Often problems occur and nothing can be done in the 'now' to fix this, but information makes a huuuuuuuge difference between good and poor service, especially as it's often the only thing under an individual's control.

Examples:

• On multiple occasions – trains waiting at platforms for 15, in one case 30 minutes, without any update. Passengers left wondering what's going on. Surely some reassurance would be useful even if a timescale to resolve the issue isn't known – otherwise passengers feel forgotten about. If the guard is running late, perhaps platform staff could board and give a quick update. (The examples I've noted have been at major stations with staffed platforms.)
• On one of these occasions, I could see from RTT and OTT that there was an attachment to be made. This required a train in front to shunt, and the attaching unit to shunt in, so it was clearly going to take some time. Given I could piece this together, I'm sure staff on the ground were aware before the last minute! An announcement would have reassured passengers the delay wouldn't have been indefinite; given  the train was busy, an announcement coud also have advised that the attaching portion would have plenty of room if people wanted to wait on the platform for it, as well as preparing people for the sudden bump when the trains coupled!
• Conflicting information about units uncoupling – the information was different each time it was announced, and that's before we consider that at a terminus front and rear have different meanings to those boarding and those already on board, especially if unfamiliar with the usual reversal. If the information is conflicting – whether by simple human error or because the plan has changed – perhaps it would be best to poke a head into each vehicle and reassure the very confused passengers! (On the occasion in question, each portion's driver and guard were there, along with platform staff, so no shortage of people to assist.)
• A while ago.... in the few minutes between leaving Cardiff Central and leaving Queen Street, there were three announcements about stops being removed – each one different. Not helped by the PA on a 150 being not the easiest to hear, especially when busy or with windows open. Perhaps it would have been wise to pop a head in and check people weren't too confused!

This is a matter of people knowing what's on, minimising distress in more difficult situations, giving people confidence about their journey, and ensuring people get to their destination if there are changes to splits and stopping patterns!

I'd even go so far as to say it's fundamental to passengers' wellbeing – a duty of care issue. Consider:

• Passengers ending up on the wrong train because of the confused info scenarios.
• Passengers feeling distressed or uncertain about their journey.
• Feeling comfortable around other passengers – there's often the one or two who react more explosively with language and tone that make the journey that bit more unpleasant!
• That niggling doubt of 'Will I get home?' if there's no info at all – even if it's not a definitive timescale (e.g. when there's a fault) if nothing else a bit of human communication gives the feeling that someone has the passengers' backs!

It would be great if people could be trained to think a bit more about the situation:

• Could people be confused by ambiguous or plan conflicting info right now?
• Will people be wondering why we haven't moved?
• Is the automated info plain wrong? (Switch it off or if that's not possible acknowledge & correct the error.)
• Could things be misheard? (Esp on older trains with less wonderful PA and clatter from open windows)


Going the extra mile might consider:

• Warn people of the bump when trains couple – especially if nerves already frayed by a long wait.
• If the other half of the train is empty from a last-minute couple-up, let people know (if it doesn't delay things – e.g. while at platform).
• Revising processes if there's some reason why platform staff can't assist with popping a head in to assist with relaying information.
• Offsetting conflict between human and auto information. I'm tired of hearing passengers moaning about being 'lied' to when the auto system conflicts with human announcements – e.g. when the auto system reads off standard wording re the original 2 minute delay, which may be top of their delay code list for that journey, while the human announces the reason for the delay that's actually significant right now. Careful wording acknowleding the stupidity of the dumb system may help!

Some of these are very situation-specific, but the point is that these are examples of considering what the passenger might be experiencing right now as best practice.

 

 
Done.

 
This topic has been moved to Introductions and chat.

https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=31289.0

 
Chat, surely? Is there a transport element in this story? Hardly 'The West' either?

 
From the BBC:

 
From the BBC:

 
Travelling on Crosscountry some time ago en route to Long Preston, disruption meant that the northbound service was terminated at Derby: onward connections weren't good. Eventually arriving at Skipton after the last train for Long Preston was long gone, I first walked to a friend's house to see if they were there and could put me up: they were away, so, returning to the (staffed) station, by which time it was around eleven pm and explaining the issue, they sorted me a taxi as a matter of course.

Also, travelling on Crosscountry again, this time heading for Loughborough, and encountering delays of around two hours before eventually reaching Leicester and facing further disruption on the last leg to Loughborough, on request, station staff at Leicester sorted me a taxi at the railway's expense to... Leicester North, for a GCR train to Loughborough.

At the end of the 'Taxi' leg, the taxi driver needed talking in to the GCR station, which he approached with trepidation as the access road wasn't quite tidy, and then at the top "Wow, despite being a taxi driver I never knew there was a station up here!'

Mark

 

Which leaves me wondering what is now on the cards for the signal box once all it's original functions have been transferred elsewhere (has that been done yet?).

 

 
From Waterford Whisperer News

 

Interestingly, with the current cancellation I have just logged, I read:


Which tells me that if (on next year's Interrail trip) I get delayed into London, miss my Eurostar and am unable to reach Prague that night, they won't leave me stranded in Dresden.

 

 

Indeed ... hoping to go beyond guesses.  Layover is 13 minutes in Westbury.  I have asked the GWR managers if they can assist us in letting us know why the service was withdrawn from passenger use, how customers were asked and told, and what alternatives they suggest people use.  I will follow up here to let members know the answers.

 
I am sure you have worked this out but:

the service WMN to BRI still runs but the first portion WMN-WSB is ecs and runs earlier to then lay over in Pl 2. My guess would be something to do with crewing and end of shifts etc. 

 
A couple of recent posts here have indeed been split off, moved and merged with our ongoing Portishead reopening topic.

See https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=231.msg369669#msg369669 

 
4. Barry

The other three have a ‘Bridge’.

 

Ah, this has helped. I think. Though the page doesn't seem to allow deep linking in to the 'Bristol Temple Meads, City Gateway and Friary North: masterplan proposals'.

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/ask/projects/temple-quarter/temple-meads

But it's that section that has the explanatory sentence: A dispersed approach to transport is proposed.

An issue might be that many changes between bus and train are going to be an even bigger hike than they are at present. But this might be mitigated in that there will be surprising new routes to walk between various nodes. Signage is going to be a thing, isn't it (and it's going to be key...)

Mark

 
I have - always - been an pragmatic advocate and user of public transport. By which I mean using it where appropriate and available, but accepting that it's not always available or practical.

Which leads me to question things like "what is available", "how good is it for the customers" - both in comparisons across the UK, and what we should expect.  Of particular recent concern has been the reliability of our train service at Melksham, with cancellation rates reaching double figure percentages - five times worse than the target "worst case" under franchising.  Is it like this all over the UK, or are we being shabbily treated?

I was born in Merseyside and my nearest station and first railway memories were of Ainsdale.  Our family moved to North West Kent just before I started school, and I have many memories of travelling by train to school and then to Uni and to temporary jobs by train from Petts Wood. After Uni, I moved to take a permament job in Harpenden, and although I didn't commute from there, I did use the train for work and leisure travel.  And more than half a lifetime ago, I moved to Wiltshire.

I have taken Ainsdale, Petts Wood, Harpenden and Melksham stations and used onTimeTrains to compare the four very different regions.

Populations (estimated station catchment) Ainsdale - 13,000; Petts Wood - 18,000; Melksham - 26,000; Harpenden - 31,000 - However, Melksham only has a fraction of the timetabled services, which means that every cancellation hurts.  On the other had, we laugh off a ten minute delay in Melksham but at Petts Wood we would have already switched (I used to do this!) from the Charing Cross train to the Victoria train ... to get to my temporary job in Whitehall.





First image - last four weekends, ranked by the ontimetrains measure of reliability and cancellations. We noted a couple of good weekends after a "crisis" meeting with GWR but - oh dear - they have slipped back and are significantly worse, again, that the other stations elsewhere in England.

Second image - all days of the week, back to nearly the start of the year.  I have blanked out January because the train service at Melksham was virtually non-existant due to the month long closure of Westbury which makes the figures at onetimetrains statistically insignificant.   The scale on this second diagram are absolute scales and not relative ones - so everyone should be close together near the top of the scale.

 

Yes, ditched many moons ago now.

 
This presumably means that intentions for terminating platforms in the former train shed have been parked.

Thinking of parking, is it known what the plans mean for the train shed car park?

Does anyone have a link to an overall map of this please?

Mark

 

Darn it, you are right.  One of the others is also an odd one out for a different reason.


Yep - Hull, Glasgow and Brighton

 
7. Severn Tunnel Junction

All the others are request stops

 

You mean the one via Oxford?

 
In the new timetable that started this Monday, there's no longer an 18:30-ish train to Bristol - a well used service ("it always stops" - local report) but rather a gap from about half past five until twenty to eight.

This means the people who live in Westbury Leigh and Dilton Marsh can no longer easily attend some evening meetings / events in Trowbridge, Bradford-on-Avon and Bath.   It means that people returning home from Southampton (at 17:15) or Salisbury (at 17:45) to Westbury Leigh and Dilton Marsh no longer have a connection at Warminster, but rather don't arrive home until over an hour later.

I saw nothing in any of the online or other briefings to reflect this change, I saw and heard of no consultation, and I have seen no explanation nor customer alternative offered.  At a West Wiltshire Rail User Group committee lunch yesterday, it seems the cutting out of this train has come as a surprise to the users of Dilton Marsh Station too.

Before throwing a "wobbly" - either from myself or others - does anyone here know of a explanation for what appears to be the culling of a popular train without any process of asking, informing, or perhaps thinking of the customers?

 
More short-forms today.

JourneyCheck is showing the 11:52 London Paddington to Hereford, 15:18 Hereford to London Paddington and 18:57 London Paddington to Great Malvern services as five car short-forms.

Not on mentioned on JourneyCheck but showing on RTT is that the 19:53 Paddington to Hereford train will again be five cars (802015) so expect tomorrow's 05:23 Hereford to Paddington service to be short-formed yet again.

(edit to add)

and also tonight's 17:34 Paddington to Hereford is a five car short-form (800008), again not mentioned on JourneyCheck

 
There are well-develped plans to improve access to Temple Meads.

The main car park will be at the new Southern Entrance, accessed via a new walkway across the New Cut starting near the old Cattle Dock and Platform 2. This will also have a pick up/drop off facility for people coming by car. This entrance has received planning approval.

Buses will access the station via Friary and the new Northern Entrance. There has been some resistance to this from bus operators as the planned highway design is too restrictive, but this will hopefully be improved. Terminators such as the 8, 70, 71, and 72 will very likely stop here.

The Western Entrance - what we currently think of as the Main Entrance, despite the fact that most people use the (currently rather modest) Northern Entrance - will be for taxis.

The Eastern Entrance will be mainly pedestrian, though there has been talk of buses serving it. The how, why and who of this does not seem to have been fully explored. This entrance is complete but will not be opened until the Bristol University buildings open.