| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
DfT - Understanding Travel Aspirations - 4773/8709 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 20th November 2007 I wish they would understand ours..... Getting back to the point , why not visit the links below and read the latest DfT research. http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?ReleaseID=331987&NewsAreaID=2&NavigatedFromDepartment=False http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/scienceresearch/social/youngaspirations http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/scienceresearch/social/olderaspirations Re: DfT - Understanding Travel Aspirations - 4773/8712 Written by Industry Insider on Tuesday, 20th November 2007 Without sounding too churlish, I wonder how much money was spent on this 'report' which states the following as its principal findings... "One finding showed that for younger people, the transition from education to employment is a key development stage in their lives during which it might be most effective to target efforts to influence their transport choices". "The report also showed that improving frequency and reliability of public transport services was a key concern of both older and younger people". Is it just me, or are those two gems so obvious as to be practically insulting!? Re: DfT - Understanding Travel Aspirations - 4773/8718 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Tuesday, 20th November 2007 [quote author=Industry Insider link=topic=4773.msg8712#msg8712 date=1195569142] "One finding showed that for younger people, the transition from education to employment is a key development stage in their lives during which it might be most effective to target efforts to influence their transport choices". "The report also showed that improving frequency and reliability of public transport services was a key concern of both older and younger people". Is it just me, or are those two gems so obvious as to be practically insulting!? [/quote] They may be obvious to you ... but they are not everyone's obvious priority. See http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=926.0 where the passenger's official watchdog has told us that it's priorities are Fares, Seats for Passengers, Disruption Management, Complaints, Accessibility, Stations. Not a mention of a sensible frequency service in site! Re: DfT - Understanding Travel Aspirations - 4773/8722 Written by Industry Insider on Wednesday, 21st November 2007 If that's the case, Graham, why does the Passenger Focus website quite clearly make reference to focusing on the level (i.e. frequency) of services? Quote... "we focus on a number of key issues: * fares and tickets * quality and level of services * investment in the railway" Re: DfT - Understanding Travel Aspirations - 4773/8725 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Wednesday, 21st November 2007 [quote author=Industry Insider link=topic=4773.msg8722#msg8722 date=1195605311] If that's the case, Graham, why does the Passenger Focus website quite clearly make reference to focusing on the level (i.e. frequency) of services? Quote... "we focus on a number of key issues: * fares and tickets * quality and level of services * investment in the railway" [/quote] Don't get me wrong - I wasn't saying that Passenger Focus wouldn't like to see an increased service - rather I was reporting on the statement of priorities given by one of their officers speaking on a national public platform. And the comment that an appropriate level of service (however worded) isn't high on their agenda is backed up by local contacts with Passenger Focus which say (and demonstrate) a similar priority. Looking through their web site, the best I came up with for goals was at: http://www.passengerfocus.org.uk/about-us/our-goals.asp [quote] Over the next three years, our work will be based on the following five objectives, which underpin the vision and mission. 1. Understanding the needs and experiences of rail passengers 2. Securing tangible and measurable improvements for rail passengers 3. Empowering rail passengers with information, advice and advocacy 4. Influencing major long-term decisions that affect rail passengers 5. Being visible, accessible and understood by rail passengers and stakeholders [/quote] And their Hot issue page lists [quote] # West Coast Main Line 2009 timetable # Penalty fares and South West Trains # South West Trains rolling stock changes [/quote] Which (on West Coast timetables) does give some indication of a service timing / frequency interest. Can you post up the URL of the page from which your quote came? I'm notoriously blind in missing things that are right under my nose, but I couldn't see it so that I can fairly put that content into context. Thanks! Re: DfT - Understanding Travel Aspirations - 4773/8729 Written by Industry Insider on Wednesday, 21st November 2007 [quote author=Graham Ellis link=topic=4773.msg8725#msg8725 date=1195629738] Can you post up the URL of the page from which your quote came? I'm notoriously blind in missing things that are right under my nose, but I couldn't see it so that I can fairly put that content into context. Thanks! [/quote] Yes of course. You can get to it by navigating from the home page via 'About Us' and then 'Our Role' and is under a Chapter Heading of 'What is Passenger Focus doing for me?' The direct link is at: [url]http://www.passengerfocus.org.uk/about-us/our-role-and-history.asp[/url] Re: DfT - Understanding Travel Aspirations - 4773/8730 Written by courgettelawn on Wednesday, 21st November 2007 I have often found contradicting or at least not entirely coherent information on company and organisation websites. This usually stems from different people copy and pasting things from various policy documents,meetings, strategic plans on the site, supplemented by a marketing person's spin. It would therefore not surprise me that one person finds one set of priorities and other person finds another. Taken in sum this doesn't inspire much faith in the unity of their voice. Perhaps one of us should alert them to the fact that they are not singing from exactly the same hymn sheet! It would certainly help out causes if the national passenger watchdog could get their list of priorities exactly right. Re: DfT - Understanding Travel Aspirations - 4773/8731 Written by Industry Insider on Wednesday, 21st November 2007 I think part of the reason they might not bang the frequency drum so often is that with regard to increased service frequencies they are 'banging their heads against a brick wall'. The reply from TOC's will always be that their franchise aggrement specifies the minimum number of services required on a given route, and as long as they are meeting that figure there's nothing Passenger Focus can do about it however aspirationally good a service increase may be. I doubt they'd tackle the government too strongly where the real fault of course lies... Re: DfT - Understanding Travel Aspirations - 4773/8732 Written by courgettelawn on Wednesday, 21st November 2007 All this will be really good fodder for future social and government historians. Collectively the various organisations have created a status quo which is almost impenetrable to change from 'below' yet can still be used as a great success story for companies such as the TOCs and the government for offering excellent value for money to the 'taxpayer'. Not to mention the absolutely incredible contradiction in government policies on energy conservation and sustainibility on the one hand and sustainable transport on the other. I did note on the latest National Passenger Survey conducted by PF that in April 2007 people's satisfaction with frequency declined by 2%, value for money down 4% and the way TOCs dealt with delays down the most since Autumn 2006 at 5% (figures from national totals). Analysing FGW's region, all indicators show no change or a decline. The satisfaction with frequency declined by 6%, satisfaction with punctuality and reliability down 7% and value for money down 6%. Now I haven't read up on who Passenger Focus canvassed for their surveys but clearly frequency still is an issue that can be kept live. Government and TOCs would of course prefer it not to be a key priority but at least on intra-regional routes it will always remain one and therefore one we must keep raising with our local transport authority, local representatives and the TOCs themselves. link to index of articles |
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Save the Train was the campaign to bring an approriate train service back to and through Melksham. Most big contributors are still around writing at the Coffee shop forum where new members are very welcome. The train has been saved - sort of - we have stepped back up from an unusable service to a poorish one but it's doing very well. We did that through setting up the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership. That fulfilled its early objectives; it has been taken over by local and regional government types who are now doing medium and long term work. The team from this forun can also be found at the Melksham Rail User Group (which was the Melksham Rail Development Group at the time these articles were written and we had no users. We mustn't loose sight, though, that the train service remains poor and needs our community support in marketing and campaigning to keep it going in a positive direction ... and all the more so when we're expecting to find a different normallity once we get out of the Coronavirus Pandemic and head for zero carbon via the climate crisis. Yes, it's saved ... it's now a key community facility ... the need for enhancement and the strong and near-universal local support remain, and the rail industry and goverment remain slow to move and provide the enhancements even to level us up with other towns. Please support the Melksham Rail User Group - now very much in partnership rather than protest with the rail industry and local government, including GWR, TransWilts and unitary and town councils. And please use the trains and buses, and cycle and walk when you can. -- Graham Ellis, (webmaster), February 2021 | |||
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