| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
First Great Western December 2007 Timetable Now Online - 4274/7934 Written by Lee on Monday, 1st October 2007 See link below. http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=1786 Re: First Great Western December 2007 Timetable Now Online - 4274/7935 Written by Industry Insider on Monday, 1st October 2007 Just taken a look at the Cotswold Line service from December, as I don't think it will go down particularly well (any late amendements notwithstanding of course). An additional 08:01 down service from Oxford is provided, but surely without any infrastructure improvements this will be an all too regular cancellation like it was when it used to depart at 08:05 and there was any form of delay on the up peak services. Also two up services have very long layovers at Evesham/Moreton totalling half an hour each, one of which is supposed to be an express from Hereford. Apart from adding to the journey time, it also means that there is very little 'give' in the timetable for when there is late running because they're waiting there for a reason! I can see the Cotswold Line performance getting worse if anything, but at least the refreshed HST's should offer adequate seating capacity. Re: First Great Western December 2007 Timetable Now Online - 4274/7950 Written by Steve Bray on Tuesday, 2nd October 2007 Industry Insider, I agree with your comments. The 08.01 is a lesson that's not been learnt from 2 years ago. Expect to see the Charlbury Commuter blog erupt when the new timetable is introduced!! Time and work permitting, in due course, I'll add my thoughts on the winter timetable, notwithstanding the devil of a job it is to produce a schedule to please everyone on that line. I'll hope to compare the timings of the old Cotswold and Malvern Express with the new train, which must be about 45 minutes to an hour longer than it was 10 years or so ago!! At least Malvern will have a direct service to Brighton!!! Re: First Great Western December 2007 Timetable Now Online - 4274/7970 Written by Lee on Wednesday, 3rd October 2007 Here is an FGW press release on this (link below.) http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?id=555 Re: First Great Western December 2007 Timetable Now Online - 4274/7988 Written by Gwr2006 on Wednesday, 3rd October 2007 Don't forget that the local user group along the Cotswold Line (The Cotswold Line Promotion Group) has been working with FGW throughout the year on developing the new timetable. They are always very active at putting forward suggestions and have actually requested many of the changes that will be introduced in December. Don't lay the blame solely at FGW's door! Re: First Great Western December 2007 Timetable Now Online - 4274/7991 Written by WyvusArconius on Wednesday, 3rd October 2007 From what ive been reading... and correct me if im wrong... they look as if they have slightly rejigged Melksham service times Southbound - 06:43 and 19:11 Northbound - 07:17 and 19:47 minor changes im sure. and still not the improvement that is needed. Re: First Great Western December 2007 Timetable Now Online - 4274/7992 Written by Industry Insider on Wednesday, 3rd October 2007 [quote author=Gwr2006 link=topic=4274.msg7988#msg7988 date=1191430094] Don't forget that the local user group along the Cotswold Line (The Cotswold Line Promotion Group) has been working with FGW throughout the year on developing the new timetable. They are always very active at putting forward suggestions and have actually requested many of the changes that will be introduced in December. Don't lay the blame solely at FGW's door! [/quote] Here's a more in-depth look by the Cotswold Line Promotion Group http://www.clpg.co.uk/newsDec%202007.htm Indeed, there are some positive aspects, especially additional down peak stops at Hanborough. Perhaps the CLPG will post its opinion on the changes as it has done before. Regardless of who's suggested what, FirstGroup operate the service and therefore any blame that may result from the changes WILL be layed at their door, like it or not! Re: First Great Western December 2007 Timetable Now Online - 4274/7994 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Wednesday, 3rd October 2007 [quote author=WyvusArconius link=topic=4274.msg7991#msg7991 date=1191431385] From what ive been reading... and correct me if im wrong... they look as if they have slightly rejigged Melksham service times Southbound - 06:43 and 19:11 Northbound - 07:17 and 19:47 minor changes im sure. and still not the improvement that is needed. [/quote] The morning trains run even earlier (just a couple of minutes) and the evening train runs even later (again just a couple of minutes). This is in spite of strong input requesting that - if we must be limited to 2 trains a day - the timing should be later in teh morning and earlier in the evening. The three extra trains that were in the May drafts and much discussed - round trips from Salisbury to Swindon at 07:40, 10:30 and 13:30 have NOT materialised. Re: First Great Western December 2007 Timetable Now Online - 4274/7996 Written by WyvusArconius on Wednesday, 3rd October 2007 The lack of improvement is another significant let down from FGW. Let us hope that they are not trying to run the service down by driving away all potential customers. Is there anythign we can do to raise the profile fo the service? True, it should be FGW's job to do that. But if we want to keep the service, we need to do all we can to build up a signiifcant user base so that there is more standing to our case for greater service provision. Daniel Re: First Great Western December 2007 Timetable Now Online - 4274/8080 Written by Mookiemoo on Monday, 8th October 2007 I commute daily from Shrub Hill to Paddington. Normally on the 632 up and the 1822 down. The new time table sucks. In the odd even I have to be on site before 9 I get the 0552 - it will now be the 0533 - not a chance in hell I'll be on it. Recently, due to the refurbishment of the trains, the 1922 is always a two car 165 turbo unit. I travel first class (an extravagance but after tax less so) because I do do it every day - the 165 units have 16 first class seats only, no tables, and no trolley service when they replace the adelantes' with one. Also, the hereford line is supposed to be keeing the buffet cars on the HSTs yet more and more we have no stock since "they are running the buffet cars down". er.............. Oh - and whilst I'm on the subject, the new first class seats are useless for short females - you wnd up with back ache whenever you try to work from the table. The ONLY thing FGW do well is not declassifying first class in the way Virgin does when standard is overly busy.l I startd this in 2004 - u sually six months at a time - and a season ticket was Re: First Great Western December 2007 Timetable Now Online - 4274/8089 Written by Industry Insider on Monday, 8th October 2007 [quote author=Mookiemoo link=topic=4274.msg8080#msg8080 date=1191798891] I commute daily from Shrub Hill to Paddington. Normally on the 632 up and the 1822 down. I travel first class (an extravagance but after tax less so) because I do do it every day - the 165 units have 16 first class seats only, no tables, and no trolley service when they replace the adelantes' with one. I startd this in 2004 - u sually six months at a time - and a season ticket was Re: First Great Western December 2007 Timetable Now Online - 4274/8398 Written by Lee on Wednesday, 31st October 2007 The weekend timetables have now been added. 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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