| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
7.02 from Westbury to Cheltenham - 1064/2985 Written by Ruthg on Saturday, 13th January 2007 I've regularly been getting the morning train from Westbury to Swindon, but unfortunately I sometimes have problems connecting to it from Frome. I leave Frome at 06.47 and expect to arrive at Westbury with about 6 minutes to spare, but on more than one occasion we have pulled in late and it pulls out just as we arrive or step off the train. Yesterday it happened again and a fellow commuter complained to a Westbury Station staff member who said no one told us you were coming (that old excuse). It's so annoying, they know people from Frome use this service so it's frustrating to say the least. I notice there aren't many people getting on at Melksham these days and who can blame them, although just before Christmas there was one morning when about 11 got on. Encouragingly more people are now using it at Chippenham, I suppose as they've gradually become aware of it. I was quite worried in December when only 1 or 2 were getting on but it has picked up, so hopefully it will continue to do so. Re: 7.02 from Westbury to Cheltenham - 1064/2989 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Saturday, 13th January 2007 Thanks, Ruth .. the numbers at Melksham have been pretty poor. Re: 7.02 from Westbury to Cheltenham - 1064/2991 Written by Sion Bretton on Saturday, 13th January 2007 I got on the 7.17 at Melksham on Friday 12/1/07. 1 got off & 3 got on at Melksham, there were 31 people on the train. A number of off a Chippenham as the board at Trowbridge but got onto wrong train, they throught it was going to Bath/Bristol not Cheltenham via Melksham & Chippenham. Re: 7.02 from Westbury to Cheltenham - 1064/2995 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Saturday, 13th January 2007 Now there is something else I had not thought of - the 07:02 from Westbury, change at Chippenham for a more comfortable ride to Bath and Bristol. Perhaps we should suggest it to the "More train, less Strain" folks Re: 7.02 from Westbury to Cheltenham - 1064/3001 Written by Ruthg on Saturday, 13th January 2007 Another thing that really bugs me about the 7.02 from Westbury to Cheltenham is that FGW can't seem to decide what time it actually leaves Westbury. If you do an enquiry on their website it says 7.00, if you look at the digital display boards at Westbury it also says 7.00 and yet the paper timetable and PDF say 7.02 and that's the time it does leave. Not only this but the train leaves from platform 1, where the train to Southampton can often be found at the same time. There was one occasion when only one train was stood on the platform and a conductor got on the train saying I'm going to Cheltenham and the driver said well I'm going to Southampton. As a consequence of this confused FGW staff were seen to be making calls on their mobile phones to find out which direction the train was heading. As you can imagine it didn't inspire confidence. Re: 7.02 from Westbury to Cheltenham - 1064/3007 Written by Graz on Sunday, 14th January 2007 [quote author=Sion Bretton link=topic=1064.msg2991#msg2991 date=1168720601] I got on the 7.17 at Melksham on Friday 12/1/07. 1 got off & 3 got on at Melksham, there were 31 people on the train. A number of off a Chippenham as the board at Trowbridge but got onto wrong train, they throught it was going to Bath/Bristol not Cheltenham via Melksham & Chippenham. [/quote] I mentioned this to Lee- the public address system at Trowbridge is awful. Monitors are OK, but the one on the Bristol platform is inside the ticket office making it tough to be seen and noticed. Also, the announcements are barely audible as there is just one speaker on the Bristol bound platform. [Quote]Now there is something else I had not thought of - the 07:02 from Westbury, change at Chippenham for a more comfortable ride to Bath and Bristol. Re: 7.02 from Westbury to Cheltenham - 1064/3013 Written by Lee on Sunday, 14th January 2007 [quote author=Graz link=topic=1064.msg3007#msg3007 date=1168768156] I mentioned this to Lee- the public address system at Trowbridge is awful. Monitors are OK, but the one on the Bristol platform is inside the ticket office making it tough to be seen and noticed. Also, the announcements are barely audible as there is just one speaker on the Bristol bound platform.[/quote] I have checked this (& mentioned it to others) , and the PA system is truly awful. An example of a possible FGW "gesture of commitment." ? They could improve this particular problem without having to run it by the DfT..... Re: 7.02 from Westbury to Cheltenham - 1064/3018 Written by Lee on Sunday, 14th January 2007 [quote author=Graham Ellis link=topic=1064.msg2989#msg2989 date=1168713744]Thanks, Ruth .. the numbers at Melksham have been pretty poor. Re: 7.02 from Westbury to Cheltenham - 1064/3026 Written by streety7 on Sunday, 14th January 2007 [quote]Another thing that really bugs me about the 7.02 from Westbury to Cheltenham is that FGW can't seem to decide what time it actually leaves Westbury. If you do an enquiry on their website it says 7.00, if you look at the digital display boards at Westbury it also says 7.00 and yet the paper timetable and PDF say 7.02 and that's the time it does leave. [/quote] I also noticed this on the FGW timetable, which one is right? Last Monday my 16:02 Cheltenham - Taunton ACTUALLY RAN and the train dispatcher guy made the train leave at 16:00 - again are they actually organised or does this person still think he is in pre-December 2006 timetable mode... The 0702 Westbury-Cheltenham argument... The fact that they had to come up with so many alterations to the train times booklets when they first came out... [url]http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=780.msg2265#msg2265[/url] AND the fact that there have been new services introduced... [url]http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1016.msg2833#msg2833[/url] AND the fact that they have had to suspend an entire week's worth of Liskeard - Looe and St. Ive's - St. Erth along with the Par - Newquay line closure (although this was not FGW's fault) PLUS other daily cancellations for the last 2 weeks due to stock shortages... http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=941.msg2776#msg2776 makes me agree with Graz I think... Re: 7.02 from Westbury to Cheltenham - 1064/3771 Written by Ruthg on Monday, 5th February 2007 I finally got a reply to my email to FGW about what time the 07:00 or 07:02 was supposed to leave Westbury. This is the reply I got after 2 weeks - "I regret we do not hold full fares and timetable information in this office. However railway timetables and fares can be accessed through the National Rail Enquiries website on www.nationalrail.co.uk. You can also receive fares and timetable information on the telephone, on 08457 484950. I hope this information helps and I trust that you will enjoy your trip." I was livid when I received this back, it's dealt with me as though I just had a general enquiry about times out of Westbury, when in fact I was quite clear about discrepancies in timetables. Anyway I've replied telling them it hasn't answered my original enquiry and that I'm pretty certain it's not National Rail Enquiries I need to speak to. I wait expectantly... Re: 7.02 from Westbury to Cheltenham - 1064/3776 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Tuesday, 6th February 2007 Ah ... I know that feeling. A "polititian's answer" as I used to call it - one that answers a different question to the one asked and for which the person replying has a good answer, even if it isn't relevant. Although I've gained a lot more respect for some of the polititians through this whole business and I might need to come up with a new term. I have a couple of interesting initiatives coming up over the next couple of weeks - we may get an answer. And, Ruth, at least you didn't get "The connection is not held because it's not into the last train of the day - a later service is available" .... but reading back, I'm not sure if you asked that question either ;) Re: 7.02 from Westbury to Cheltenham - 1064/3808 Written by James on Wednesday, 7th February 2007 [quote author=Ruthg link=topic=1064.msg2985#msg2985 date=1168708240] I've regularly been getting the morning train from Westbury to Swindon, but unfortunately I sometimes have problems connecting to it from Frome. I leave Frome at 06.47 and expect to arrive at Westbury with about 6 minutes to spare, but on more than one occasion we have pulled in late and it pulls out just as we arrive or step off the train. Yesterday it happened again and a fellow commuter complained to a Westbury Station staff member who said no one told us you were coming (that old excuse). It's so annoying, they know people from Frome use this service so it's frustrating to say the least. I notice there aren't many people getting on at Melksham these days and who can blame them, although just before Christmas there was one morning when about 11 got on. Encouragingly more people are now using it at Chippenham, I suppose as they've gradually become aware of it. I was quite worried in December when only 1 or 2 were getting on but it has picked up, so hopefully it will continue to do so. [/quote]May I ask who the "member of staff" was? Re: 7.02 from Westbury to Cheltenham - 1064/3817 Written by Ruthg on Wednesday, 7th February 2007 Sorry, I can't remember who it was but it's not the first time I've heard that excuse anyway. Re: 7.02 from Westbury to Cheltenham - 1064/4286 Written by Ruthg on Monday, 12th March 2007 Finally after about 2 months and 3 emails trying to get a sensible answer, I have one - FGW have confirmed that the train is timetabled to leave Westbury at 07:00 (I've been told it was one of the timetable amendments that was made after they printed the booklets). Re: 7.02 from Westbury to Cheltenham - 1064/4291 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Tuesday, 13th March 2007 [quote author=Ruthg link=topic=1064.msg4286#msg4286 date=1173727885] Finally after about 2 months and 3 emails trying to get a sensible answer, I have one - FGW have confirmed that the train is timetabled to leave Westbury at 07:00 (I've been told it was one of the timetable amendments that was made after they printed the booklets). [/quote] That's VERY interesting ... because I thought that there was a maximum schedule of 49 minutes allowed for the service. I'm in Cambridge at the moment - no easy way to check - but they could be out of spec. Technicallity really - last time we grumbled they were out of spec ("one train must arrive in Swindon between 8 and 8:30"), they simply changed the spec :-\ link to index of articles |
|||
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 | |||
|
|||
Further Information:
Home
Current Summary
Daily update
User forum
Consultation
Service now
Service future
Future Analysis
Recent Statistics
Recent letters
Letter to DfT
Save the train
Presentation
Support us
Other Maps
Station facilities
Station approach
Pictures
Trains diverted
History
About Melksham
Site Map
About this site