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Topic: FGW lay on 60 extra services for Glastonbury (Read 3588 times)
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courgettelawn
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Castle Cary, Swindon and Taunton rail users won't know themselves this Wednesday and next Monday. Enjoy the 60 extra services promised by FGW for the Glastonbury festival goers... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/6761753.stmThis is clearly a money-spinning and publicity-drawing opportunity. Shame they can't see the benefits of running extra services on a regular basis - evidently the 'capacity' _is_ there! |
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Graham Ellis
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Quote from Andrew Griffiths at the Melksham Railway Development Group AGM on Friday, 8th June, when we asked for the 09:00 [Sunday] from Westbury to Weymouth to be started back at Melksham (or Chippenham or Swidnon) for one day of his choice in the high summer. "We are turning down ALL requests for special arrangements this summer due to a shortage of crews". Looks like there are two different stories here!
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courgettelawn
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As I said, money and easy feel-good publicity. This is worth quoting back at them, I think.
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Graham Ellis
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As I said, money and easy feel-good publicity. This is worth quoting back at them, I think.
I think if you read carefully, he said they were not meeting any requests for specials - if FGW don't get asked to run any specials, but do so anyway in the light of an event going on in theire area, it is a totally different matter   A special - and via the TransWilts too! So no stops at Melksham or Trowbridge? I did point out the Glastonbury case in person to the FGW Regional Manager, but I think this is about the point to leave it; my purpose is not to embarass anyone with the illogicallity and - at times - worse of actions such as this, but rather to work with towards an appropriate service to you can make sensible public transport journeys from Salisbury to Chippenham, from Swindon to Trowbridge, and from Melksham to ANY of those four towns. |
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courgettelawn
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True, true. And in any case, it would be more than a full-time job to point out every inconsistency and contradiction, frustrating though it is to feel at every point side-lined.
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whistleblower
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The extra services to Castle Cary are not being crewed by FGW. They are chartered from EWS and Riviera Trains. As there are 180,000 people expected at Glastonbury and a minimum of 15,000 are expected to travel by train, I don't think ignoring it was an option! Leasing trains is expensive and FGW will be lucky to break even. But at least they will keep the majority of filthy smelly muddy tired festival-goers off the regular Weymouth and Plymouth services. All the trains passing through Castle Cary were like farmyards in 2005 and it looks like it'll be the same this year!
This is a similar leasing arrangement to that allegedly arranged for the summer Weymouths and FGW will almost certainly make a loss on those. So I think Andrew Griffith's comments on requests and crewing levels do make sense.
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Sion Bretton
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Yes there was a train At Swindon Virgin rolling stock and EWS each end. Going to Castle Cary
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Graham Ellis
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Lisa went down to the station [Melksham] to meet me off the evening train (which did run last night from Swindon, but I failed to catch due to a late appointment that was nothing to do with the railway!) and noted a lot of activity - FGW special on the way up, Virgin marked special on the way down .... before the train that actually stopped came through.
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courgettelawn
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The control of rolling stock is clearly a major problem across the network, especially on a leased basis which is such a madness, it is difficult to know who to address concerns to on the matter. I believe, though do not have the source to hand, that some rolling stock has been 'paid for' and some due to leasing arrangements with banks.
I don't think anyone is decrying the extra services put on because of the strain that big events like the festival put on the system, only that there are several hundred thousand people who would benefit from better planned services throughout the year, and would also help train operators profit.
There is at least a small measure of iffy double standards here.
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« Last Edit: June 25, 2007, 08:24:17 PM by courgettelawn »
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Graham Ellis
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My understanding is that First own outright 5 (ish) of the HST sets ... and that's all they own on the FGW network. They were purchased in order to give First a cushion while their other (leased) units were being refitted, but they have (or rather will) become a vital and integral part of the fleet when the Adalentes go back in December. It has been noted elsewhere that the presence of trains actually owned by the TOC is a severe dis-incentive to the franchise awarder to take the franchise away in the even of dreadful performance, since the franchise awarder would immediately have a problem with getting resources for a new operator.
I think that South West Trains now own the trains that they operate from Ryde to Shanklin; I don't know of any of the other main TOCs who own the trains they run.
Some of the Glastonbury specials were leased in and operated on behalf of FGW by none--FGW staff, and that also applies to the Saturday extra from Bristol to Weymouth that is set to run on 8 summer Saturdays.
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Lee
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I think that South West Trains now own the trains that they operate from Ryde to Shanklin; I don't know of any of the other main TOCs who own the trains they run. They do , and also own the ex - BR rolling stock that operates on the Brockenhurst - Lymington line. |
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