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Topic: Questions on the new timetable (Read 3254 times)
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Graham Ellis
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I have just addressed the following to First ... will keep you posted
1. On the current timetable, if I want to make a day return trip to London from Melksham I can use the 09:12 train and buy a Saver or SuperSaver ticket for 38 or 45 pounds. If I travel on the 07:45 and can't book in advance, it costs 108 pounds.
If the proposed timetable is brought into effect, what arrangements will be made to allow for day trips to London for residents of Melksham - will the price for such trips rise from 38 to 108 pounds overnight, or will there to an alternative available?
2. At present, many visitors to our business arrive in Melksham on the 09:12 train, which has a connection off the 07:45 from Paddington. Reading the new timetable, it appears that there is no connection from London into Melksham until the London departure at 17:00, arriving at 18:38.
If the proposed timetable is brought into effect, what alternative arrangements will be made for people coming IN to Melksham at around 09:00 and wishing to LEAVE at around 17:00? Will you be providing a rail replacement bus service, or will the local First bus company modify their route 234 to serve the staton at Chippenham and provide connections?
3. Many users of the train to Westbury make ongoing connections.
I note in the proposed timetable that after the 07:02 arrival from Swindon, there's an 07:03 departure for London and an 07:06 departure for Southampton.
After the 18:53 arrival from Swindon, there's an 18:54 departure for Frome, an 18:57 departure for Paington and an 18:59 departure for Portsmouth.
Which of these are connections that you'll hold in the event of the train from Swindon running a few minutes late?
4. Peter West at the Department for Transport tells me there will be two trains each way on Saturdays and Sundays. Can you tell me the times that these will run at and what proportion will in fact be rail replacement buses due to engineering?
Any further thoughts / questions?
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Graham Ellis
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Here's the answer ...
Dear Mr Ellis
Thank you for your email commenting on the proposed changes to the timetable, to be implemented in December 2006.
Please be assured that I have forwarded your comments to the Timetable Planning Department for the information of all relevant parties; your feedback is very important to us. If we receive any further information specific to your area of interest, and in response to your comments, we will contact you again at the earliest opportunity and keep you updated.
Thank you once again for taking the time to contact me, and for your valued feedback regarding our rescheduled services.
Yours Sincerely
Nikki Lake
Customer Relations
Hmmm ... that looks like the wrong form letter |
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Nick Field
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Well having only just had a chance to catch up on the news and look at the new timetable I have to say its very disappointing. Personally I believe Trans Wilts has been put well down the pecking order. I think that we are playing second fiddle to sevices on the Stroud Valley line and no thought what so ever has been put into our timings, they are simply the best operational fit around the Stroud Valley trains.
i dont think these services are of much use to commuters (I thought that the DfT specified that it was supposed to be morning and evening peak?) They arrive to early into Swindon and leave too late out. My fear is that many current commuters will switch to cars and this crap offer of a service will wither and die and they will pull out completely. (closure by stealth in other words)
Also if it is just two a day would it be better if the evening service was re timed to midday so at least some shoppers / users of the new record office or people who just need to travel between the towns could do for half a day and be encouraged to use the train?
The tight timings of connections look worrying as well (they dont hold trains now like they used to under BR)
It's such a shame that patronage built up over the last few years will fall away.
I feel like going and smashing down the door to Twiggs office, do this government want to get people out of their cars?
Anyone know what Melksham Rail Developement / Wilts County Council and others think and are doing?
Anyway initial rant over, I'll try and add some more reasonable postins over the next few days.
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« Last Edit: February 18, 2006, 08:42:50 PM by Nick Field »
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Graham Ellis
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Nick, I'll post further / fill you in on what I know in terms of answers in the next day or two; I've been offline for 48 hours and even now I'm only back via a borrowed system at my customer's office in Dublin.
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Graham Ellis
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Answering some questions ... (forgive briefness - I'm on a slow hotel line)
1. I have been asked about ongoing connections from Westbury (e.g. to Frome) and I have asked First in turn. They say that they don't yet have an answer for me on what will (and what won't) be a connection.
2. There will be no cheap day return fares to London bookable on the day from Melksham. As both of the trains that connect to London do so into rush hour trains, the standard class fare will be 108 pounds. No special derogation will be offered because "it could lead to abuse of the system further up the line" according to Nikki Lake of First.
3. The Melksham Rail Development Group continues to actively lobby; they're much more of a behind-the-scenes operation ... I have come out screaming and shouting on this web site and they are taking the different approach. In my judgement, having both approaches active and having decision makers hearing in all sorts of different ways is the best way.
4. Wiltshire County Council directors plead poverty and lack of responsibility when asked to support the train service. There are, though, a number of councillors and officers who are as supportive as they can be. WCC is in favour of retaining the service at a decent level, but I have yet to find any decision maker who can / will put resources into meeting that goal.
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Graham Ellis
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An answer (just received) on connections
"3. Thank you for your comments on the connections at Westbury. As part of the development of the timetable we will continue, where we can, to ensure that robust connections are available. It is not normal practice for FGW to hold trains for connections except in certain circumstances such as last trains of the day."
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