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Topic: Draft Timetable - TransWilts service - from December 2007. (Read 2118 times)
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Graham Ellis
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Here is the current MONDAY to FRIDAY proposal from First Great Western. This information supplied in paper form only by FGW to just a few people (as a part of a timetable covering certain other lines too). From notes I took during a phone call, we would have ONLY the following services:
a) 06:19 from Swindon to Westbury, arriving 07:02
b) 07:02 from Westbury to Swindon, arriving 07:54
c) 18:42 from Swindon to Westbury, arriving 19:24
d) 19:35 from Westbury to Swindon, arriving circa 20:20
Some through trains - notable to / from Gloucester and Cheltenham.
The 06:19 from Swindon is shown as part of a Gloucester to Southampton run.
The Saturday and Sunday draft has not been published at all to my knowledge.
This is very disappointing indeed.
At the end of last year, First Great Western were talking very seriously (or at least it appeared to be serious) about an appropriate service - with a single train being used to provide EITHER a 2-hourly Swindon - Westbury, or a 3-hourly Swindon - Salisbury service.
In March this year, we were advised that a full-time train may be too much to ask for as the first stage, and to concentrate on looking for a service that was enhanced around peak hours, but allow a crew / serviing gap in the middle of the day.
In June, we were told that there was no extra train available, BUT that resources released by the reworking of services south of Salisbury would release an extra unit for some of the day; "not perfect" timing, but something.
Then - in the last few days - I heard that there aren't the paths to actually run the trains proposed and we're back to a totally INAPPROPRIATE SERVICE.
One of the phrases that stuck me during this process was it's my job to manage expectations ... now, to be fair that was NOT an FGW quote, but it WAS from one of the other key parties. And I can't help wondering if, all along, there has been some sort of master plan.
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Graham Ellis
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A further note ... that "reflecting" the 06:19 from Swindon back at Salisbury ... so that's 07:35 from Salisbury, 08:00 from Westbury and 08:45 into Swindon, they south again to Salisbury (09:00 from Swindon, around 10:10 in Salisbury) would have sorted out so many of the morning issues.
Similarly taking the train that forms the 19:35 from Westbury to Swindon (which starts back at Southampton, I think) and starting it at Salisbury instead at 19:05 ... after a 19:00 arrival there from a 17:45 off Swindon. And that would be a 17:30 arrival in Swindon from a departure at about 16:15 off Salisbury.
This all looks just too sensible, doesn't it? Trains from Swindon at 06:19, 09:00, 17:45 and 18:45. Trains to Swindon arriving there at 07:50, 08:50, 17:30 and 20:20. And I could have sold and used that as an appropriate service!. If the trains service was put back, in those timings, to just 80% of 2006 levels, I can confidently predict that (subject to reliable operation) traveller levels would confortably exceed 2006 levels in 2008, and would grow year on year from there.
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« Last Edit: July 04, 2007, 11:40:10 AM by Graham Ellis »
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Graz
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Sigh, after all that hope, FGW turn around and say that it's not possible? there aren't the paths to actually run the trains proposed ... Was this just a throwaway statement to disguise the truth? How come there were the paths availible before? Surely it wouldn't be that difficult to fit the trains in somewhere, even if they were to start from Westbury. Could First shed some light on this in the near future? Your proposals may be worth investigating further with First, Graham... Seeing as there's no need for FGW local services to come from Southampton anymore, it may be worth proposing this. |
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