| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
South West Gains - 1184/3380 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Wednesday, 24th January 2007 1. Lack of trains at times they're required 2. Poor reliability 3. Poor conditions on trains that do run 4. Lack of effective action as a result of consultation input 5. Increased fares 6. Removal of non-regulated lower cost ticket options. 7. Mis-information and propoganda 8. Arrogant attitude to customers First Great Western have been accused of all of the above of late, and they say there's no smoke without fire. Re: South West Gains - 1184/3388 Written by Graz on Wednesday, 24th January 2007 I wish South West Trains would provide more competition to FGW in our area (Bristol-Salisbury), and perhaps even consider running a Melksham service. (Didn't we consider that a while ago?) Not only would passengers be happier with cleaner, more reliable, more frequent, and better overall conditions, but they'd get much more custom, and it would teach FGW a thing or two as well. I'd be interested to know what passengers feel about the existing SWT Bristol-Waterloo services when travelling to the same stations as the FGW Cardiff-Portsmouth trains (and others as you mentioned Graham.) Re: South West Gains - 1184/3396 Written by Steve35 on Wednesday, 24th January 2007 [quote author=Graz link=topic=1184.msg3388#msg3388 date=1169634295] I wish South West Trains would provide more competition to FGW in our area (Bristol-Salisbury), and perhaps even consider running a Melksham service.[/quote] I don't suppose SWT has got much say in the matter to be honest. When the SWT franchise was out to tender last year retention of the Bristol-Waterloo services wasn't part of the Base Timetable specified by the DfT. The Bristol services were an optional 'Priced Option' i.e. the bidders had to quote a price for running them. In the event the price can't have been too much as the DfT decided to 'buy' the option of the Bristol services. Three priced options were bought. This quote is from a DfT press release: 9. Priced Options: DfT will buy the following priced options in addition to the base case. These are: * Bristol - Waterloo services will be retained throughout the franchise, operating as today * A new hourly Waterloo - Exeter service will be operated on completion of a Network Rail funded infrastructure project * Further increase in station security such that 95% of passengers across the franchise area will be travelling through stations with Secure Stations Accreditation Note the fact that the Bristol-Waterloo services will be "operating as today". That sounds as if they'll be operating at the same frequency as today (3 trains in each direction between Bristol and Salisbury) for the duration of the franchise - which expires in 2017. Re: South West Gains - 1184/3398 Written by Ruthg on Wednesday, 24th January 2007 [quote author=Graz link=topic=1184.msg3388#msg3388 date=1169634295] I'd be interested to know what passengers feel about the existing SWT Bristol-Waterloo services when travelling to the same stations as the FGW Cardiff-Portsmouth trains (and others as you mentioned Graham.) [/quote] I travelled on one of their 450 trains the other day from Westbury to Bath Spa (a number of passengers jumped off the late running 06.47 from Frome at Westbury and got on the SW train instead) and was impressed on how clean and comfortable it was in comparison to what we get from FGW. Re: South West Gains - 1184/3399 Written by Lee on Wednesday, 24th January 2007 Background to this can be found in the link below. http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=510.msg1488#msg1488 Whenever I have travelled on the Bristol-Waterloo service , I have been similarly impressed with cleanliness / comfort. It is important to note that they are generally run using Class 159 units. Re: South West Gains - 1184/3403 Written by Ruthg on Wednesday, 24th January 2007 Whoops, my mistake, I've just seen a photo of a 450 with disgruntled looking passengers sat 3 in a row. The SW train I went on was clean and comfy though, better than any local FGW train I've been on and running on time I think. Re: South West Gains - 1184/3405 Written by Sion Bretton on Wednesday, 24th January 2007 Ruth I have also been on the early morning South West train from Trowbidge to Bristol TM. Yes the train is clean and comfortable. Most people seems to think it is 110% better the the old Wessex trains. Not very often later or cancelled. Re: South West Gains - 1184/3408 Written by Nick Field on Wednesday, 24th January 2007 Ruth I dont think you could of been on a 450 from Westbury to Bath as these are DC electric trains: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_450 You must of been on a 158 or 159 SWT are taking more 158's into their fleet and sending their 170's to transpennine. The 158's are then being converted to 159's. I can echo others comments about the cleanliness and comfort of SWT services, I havent got a bad thing to say about them and would love to see them run on the Trans Wilts line. I will be moving in a year or two's time and one of my options could be to Salisbury. The fact that I could get futher away from FGW's territory and use SWT more could be a deciding factor! Re: South West Gains - 1184/3409 Written by Ruthg on Wednesday, 24th January 2007 Hi Nick No I wasn't in a 450, I've seen a photo of one since my earlier post. Thanks for the link Ruth Re: South West Gains - 1184/3432 Written by courgettelawn on Wednesday, 24th January 2007 Just a rumour, and it is a rumour, but over-heard just before the timetable cuts in December, that S W Trains were thinking of bidding to run the service from Cardiff to Portsmouth Harbour taking in Bristol, Salisbury and Southampton as they already serve the latter two. However I also heard the the DfT were 'concerned' at the number of trains terminating and going through Southampton Central. A station with lots of trains stopping at it?? Surely not. Don't take these as anything other than anecdotal evidence that S W Trains do seem to have an eye on the madness caused by FGW. Re: South West Gains - 1184/3441 Written by Graz on Wednesday, 24th January 2007 ^ If only...sigh! Clean, comfy, on-time 4-car SWT trains running up and down every hour would be a dream come true for all concerned... Re: South West Gains - 1184/3443 Written by Sion Bretton on Wednesday, 24th January 2007 Courgettelawn isn't Southampton a cross roads ;D I.E. you have: Line for Trains to London. Line for Trains to Bournemouth/Poole/Weymouth Line for Trains to Salisbury/Bristol/Cardiff Line for Trains to Portsmouth/Brighton Re: South West Gains - 1184/3451 Written by courgettelawn on Thursday, 25th January 2007 I think it's disgusting, any move to connect more places together via rail. Only joking of course. However I have heard from another source that the SW Trains plan is to create a route from Salisbury, Southampton, Chandlers Ford and Romsey and develop that line. Which way around this will happen I am not sure but I hope it would be a fast jump to Southampton then up the line to CF and Romsey. Feasibly then people really could choose between FGW and SW trains. For those Portsmouth bound, they could change at Soton and get on the stopping service to Pompey and still get there before the alleged faster FGW train. I'll be keeping an eye on this. Re: South West Gains - 1184/3454 Written by Nick Field on Thursday, 25th January 2007 [quote author=courgettelawn link=topic=1184.msg3451#msg3451 date=1169713433] However I have heard from another source that the SW Trains plan is to create a route from Salisbury, Southampton, Chandlers Ford and Romsey and develop that line. Re: South West Gains - 1184/3458 Written by Lee on Thursday, 25th January 2007 Its in the franchise. Background info on all this can be found in the link below. http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=275.msg736#msg736 Re: South West Gains - 1184/3480 Written by courgettelawn on Thursday, 25th January 2007 Thank you for this. So will we see it, I wonder. And why on earth can they not see how useful a regular link between Swindon, Salisbury and Southampton would be?? It's hard enough as it is to get from south Wiltshire to north Wiltshire. It would encourage more people to find jobs nearer than London too (depending how greedy they are). I am curious as to how this SW Trains shuttle will come about in the end. 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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