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Topic: South West Gains (Read 4694 times)
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Graham Ellis
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1. Lack of trains at times they're required
2. Poor reliability
3. Poor conditions on trains that do run
4. Lack of effective action as a result of consultation input
5. Increased fares
6. Removal of non-regulated lower cost ticket options.
7. Mis-information and propoganda
8. Arrogant attitude to customers
First Great Western have been accused of all of the above of late, and they say there's no smoke without fire. And customers are getting fed up!
I'm starting to see a pattern of posts, mails, etc ... showing how people are deserting the FGW train when they possibly can and one of the gainers seems to be South West Trains. Here are some old and new journeys:
Newbury to London.
- Was FGW train.
- Now drive to Basingstoke and South West Trains
Melksham to London
- Was FGW train.
- Now drive to Andover and South West Trains
Trowbridge to London
- Was FGW train.
- Now drive to Salisbury and South West Trains.
A retrograde step and slower journey? Perhaps, but much lower cost, good frequent service (can't say that for Melksham, can we), and it arrives at Waterloo in London which is much more the part of town that many people want to be in anyway.
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Graz
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I wish South West Trains would provide more competition to FGW in our area (Bristol-Salisbury), and perhaps even consider running a Melksham service. (Didn't we consider that a while ago?) Not only would passengers be happier with cleaner, more reliable, more frequent, and better overall conditions, but they'd get much more custom, and it would teach FGW a thing or two as well.
I'd be interested to know what passengers feel about the existing SWT Bristol-Waterloo services when travelling to the same stations as the FGW Cardiff-Portsmouth trains (and others as you mentioned Graham.)
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Steve35
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I wish South West Trains would provide more competition to FGW in our area (Bristol-Salisbury), and perhaps even consider running a Melksham service. I don't suppose SWT has got much say in the matter to be honest. When the SWT franchise was out to tender last year retention of the Bristol-Waterloo services wasn't part of the Base Timetable specified by the DfT. The Bristol services were an optional 'Priced Option' i.e. the bidders had to quote a price for running them. In the event the price can't have been too much as the DfT decided to 'buy' the option of the Bristol services. Three priced options were bought. This quote is from a DfT press release: 9. Priced Options: DfT will buy the following priced options in addition to the base case. These are: * Bristol - Waterloo services will be retained throughout the franchise, operating as today * A new hourly Waterloo - Exeter service will be operated on completion of a Network Rail funded infrastructure project * Further increase in station security such that 95% of passengers across the franchise area will be travelling through stations with Secure Stations Accreditation Note the fact that the Bristol-Waterloo services will be "operating as today". That sounds as if they'll be operating at the same frequency as today (3 trains in each direction between Bristol and Salisbury) for the duration of the franchise - which expires in 2017. |
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Ruthg
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I'd be interested to know what passengers feel about the existing SWT Bristol-Waterloo services when travelling to the same stations as the FGW Cardiff-Portsmouth trains (and others as you mentioned Graham.)
I travelled on one of their 450 trains the other day from Westbury to Bath Spa (a number of passengers jumped off the late running 06.47 from Frome at Westbury and got on the SW train instead) and was impressed on how clean and comfortable it was in comparison to what we get from FGW. |
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Lee
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« Last Edit: January 24, 2007, 01:44:42 PM by Lee »
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Ruthg
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Whoops, my mistake, I've just seen a photo of a 450 with disgruntled looking passengers sat 3 in a row.
The SW train I went on was clean and comfy though, better than any local FGW train I've been on and running on time I think.
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Sion Bretton
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Ruth
I have also been on the early morning South West train from Trowbidge to Bristol TM. Yes the train is clean and comfortable. Most people seems to think it is 110% better the the old Wessex trains.
Not very often later or cancelled.
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Nick Field
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Ruth I dont think you could of been on a 450 from Westbury to Bath as these are DC electric trains: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_450You must of been on a 158 or 159 SWT are taking more 158's into their fleet and sending their 170's to transpennine. The 158's are then being converted to 159's. I can echo others comments about the cleanliness and comfort of SWT services, I havent got a bad thing to say about them and would love to see them run on the Trans Wilts line. I will be moving in a year or two's time and one of my options could be to Salisbury. The fact that I could get futher away from FGW's territory and use SWT more could be a deciding factor! |
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Ruthg
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Hi Nick
No I wasn't in a 450, I've seen a photo of one since my earlier post.
Thanks for the link
Ruth
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courgettelawn
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Just a rumour, and it is a rumour, but over-heard just before the timetable cuts in December, that S W Trains were thinking of bidding to run the service from Cardiff to Portsmouth Harbour taking in Bristol, Salisbury and Southampton as they already serve the latter two.
However I also heard the the DfT were 'concerned' at the number of trains terminating and going through Southampton Central. A station with lots of trains stopping at it?? Surely not.
Don't take these as anything other than anecdotal evidence that S W Trains do seem to have an eye on the madness caused by FGW.
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Graz
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^ If only...sigh!
Clean, comfy, on-time 4-car SWT trains running up and down every hour would be a dream come true for all concerned...
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Sion Bretton
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Courgettelawn isn't Southampton a cross roads  I.E. you have: Line for Trains to London. Line for Trains to Bournemouth/Poole/Weymouth Line for Trains to Salisbury/Bristol/Cardiff Line for Trains to Portsmouth/Brighton |
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courgettelawn
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I think it's disgusting, any move to connect more places together via rail. Only joking of course. However I have heard from another source that the SW Trains plan is to create a route from Salisbury, Southampton, Chandlers Ford and Romsey and develop that line. Which way around this will happen I am not sure but I hope it would be a fast jump to Southampton then up the line to CF and Romsey.
Feasibly then people really could choose between FGW and SW trains. For those Portsmouth bound, they could change at Soton and get on the stopping service to Pompey and still get there before the alleged faster FGW train.
I'll be keeping an eye on this.
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Nick Field
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However I have heard from another source that the SW Trains plan is to create a route from Salisbury, Southampton, Chandlers Ford and Romsey and develop that line. Which way around this will happen I am not sure but I hope it would be a fast jump to Southampton then up the line to CF and Romsey.
I have heard this to, apparently they are thinking of developing a Southampton to Salisbury service via Chandlers Ford. |
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