FGW HST Diversions Feb-Mar 2011

[spark001uk]

FGW are closing the line Taunton - Tiverton at weekends from 19th Feb to 27th Mar apparently, with HSTs dropping down at Castle Cary and round the yeovil curve onto the SWT Exeter line. No timetable details as yet on FGW site though.

 

[jamesr]

The Sunday times are in the NRT - see the dated tables 123 and 160. Interestingly, they're booked to stop at Yeovil Pen Mill and Yeovil Junction (as well as intermediate stops on the Honiton route)

I might be wrong, but I'm not sure the Pen Mill stop has been publicised before. Is it even possible to buy a ticket from Junction to Pen Mill that isn't priced for a big long circuitous route?

Weirdly, the NRT shows the dated FGW services, but doesn't show any amendments to SWT services, which must be happening, unless them 159's have developed wings to fly over the single line sections!

 

[louis97]

The timetables are in journey planner, these indicates that FGW hsts will be operating within a normally SWT path every 2 hours, with the SWT service being retimed half hour ish earlier in both directions, both of which either have a long waiting time at Axminster or Honiton! Most of these services call at Exeter central, honiton and axminster, going by journey planner. With 1 on a sunday evening calling whimple/feniton/crewkerne, as this services uses a path outside of the usual every 2 hour frequency.

No signs of any yeovil junction or pen mill stop, although would make sense as token exchange is required at both for the single line between the 2. Last time they diverted in November 2008, they did call at junction, whether that was just because of the lack of paths i dunno!

 

[TEW]

In the FGW timetables times are shown for Sundays but not Saturdays and all trains are shown as calling at Yeovil Junction but none at Yeovil Pen Mill.

 

[spark001uk]

Anyway, im looking at using a routeing catch to get away with a cheaper fare-
A return from woking to exeter on the normal direct SWT line is 52 quid, or if you want to go reading taunton its 71. Now- the cheaper one states only that i must pass through honiton, which, if i go via reading, and onto a divert, i will be, so the ticket will be valid will it not?

 

[TEW]

Yes, tickets routed Honiton should be valid on these trains unless there is a negative easement preventing it which I very much doubt.

 

[spark001uk]

Well there is an easement, but it just says "customers travelling to yeovil junction may not pass through yeovil pen mill, and customers travelling to yeovil pen mill may not pass through yeovil junction". But, that says TO yeovil junction, i would be going THROUGH it! I think that's just to stop people with a pen mill ticket going right round to yeovil jn and getting off there though?

 

[TEW]

Yes, that doesn't effect travelling through both stations. I've used route Westbury tickets when SWT used this route, reversing at Westbury to get to Salisbury and this is a similar situation to that with tickets routed off the normal route.

 

[embers25]

Route Honiton tickets ARE valid beyond Yeovil on these trains HOWEVER fGW dispute this and last year on arrival at Yeovil Junction the guards made announcements advising all passengers with route Honiton tickets to change there to SWT services as their tickets were invalid beyond Yeovil on fGW. I stayed on too Reading but each time the guards never came through so no argument ensued. Clearly the guards are wrong by the routing guide but be aware you may face an argument.

 

[louis97]

Route Honiton tickets ARE valid beyond Yeovil on these trains HOWEVER fGW dispute this and last year on arrival at Yeovil Junction the guards made announcements advising all passengers with route Honiton tickets to change there to SWT services as their tickets were invalid beyond Yeovil on fGW. I stayed on too Reading but each time the guards never came through so no argument ensued. Clearly the guards are wrong by the routing guide but be aware you may face an argument.

Best bet is castle cary to axminster route yeovil return, then devon day ranger from axminster.

 

[spark001uk]

Don't worry i keep a full copy of the NRG on my phone, and what's more it states that every member of rail staff conducting a ticket inspection will carry a copy, as do all manned stations!

Well, apparently anyway!!

 

[yorkie]

Route Honiton tickets ARE valid beyond Yeovil on these trains HOWEVER fGW dispute this and last year on arrival at Yeovil Junction the guards made announcements advising all passengers with route Honiton tickets to change there to SWT services as their tickets were invalid beyond Yeovil on fGW. I stayed on too Reading but each time the guards never came through so no argument ensued. Clearly the guards are wrong by the routing guide but be aware you may face an argument.

In that case, safety in numbers sounds best.

How about Saturday 5th March? I can get down to Paddington by 11.30am that day, and am staying in Slough that evening.

 

[wintonian]

I might be wrong, but I'm not sure the Pen Mill stop has been publicised before. Is it even possible to buy a ticket from Junction to Pen Mill that isn't priced for a big long circuitous route?

Looks good I may come along.

Just checked NFM08 and it is not possible at all to buy a point to point ticket between the Yeovil stations.

 

[spark001uk]

In that case, safety in numbers sounds best.

How about Saturday 5th March? I can get down to Paddington by 11.30am that day, and am staying in Slough that evening.

Noooooo! 5th March is Royal Scots Grey tour! KX - Edinburgh

 

[spark001uk]

Well so far so good according to NR. I've actually only just realised that because the swt line comes into the south end of EXD these services will be reversing there! Duh!

 

[markjp]

There are some good fares still available from Reading however when I looked at getting off at Yeovil Junction on the way back and walking to Pen Mill to do the Weymouth line before returning to Yeovil again I noticed that FGW do not list one of the Reading trains that calls at Junction as valid to board.

Infact, they show that you have to change at Basingstoke to get back to Reading despite the fact the Reading train stops at Yeovil Junction.
Does anyone know a way around the problem so I can get straight back to Reading?

 

[louis97]

There are some good fares still available from Reading however when I looked at getting off at Yeovil Junction on the way back and walking to Pen Mill to do the Weymouth line before returning to Yeovil again I noticed that FGW do not list one of the Reading trains that calls at Junction as valid to board.

Infact, they show that you have to change at Basingstoke to get back to Reading despite the fact the Reading train stops at Yeovil Junction.
Does anyone know a way around the problem so I can get straight back to Reading?

The Yeovil Junction/Pen Mill stop is only for operational reasons and is not available for journeys through Journey Planner. Both the Yeovil Pen Mill and Junction stops appeared on LDB early on Saturday morning, most of the Pen Mill stops were removed, however most of the Yeovil Junction stops remained.

The only way you could alight the service at Yeovil Junction is if you bought the ticket on the day, but even then there is no guarantee the doors will be released, as it was originally only for operational purposes.

 

[NSEFAN]

According to the National Rail webby, the trains seem to stop at Exeter Central, Honiton and Axminster, but not all stop at Yeovil Junction. The ones which do call should open the doors (this is how things were running on the 19th).

On the Saturday, the ones which don't stop at Yeovil Junction are the 0826 & 1426 from Exeter St Davids, all other trains in both directions call here. Interestingly, the last train from Castle Cary to Exeter St Davids only calls at Yeovil Junction and Exeter Central, missing out Axminster and Honiton. Depending on time keeping, the trains could stop at any of the loops on the line. Timekeeping was good on Saturday, but it only takes one delay to throw the lot into potential chaos! The HST I caught from Honiton-Castle Cary paused at Chard Junction loop (the level crossing barriers were lowered, only to be raised again and the train held for several minutes, even though no other train passed us!)

At Yeovil Pen Mill, the train only stops for a second at the signal box, so the that driver can collect the token. The doors aren't opened: http://www.digitalanorak.fotopic.net/p69117039.html

If you want to get from Pen Mill to Junction at Yeovil, you should use the bus. There is one between the two stations, or you can walk from Pen Mill to Yeovil Bus Station and catch a half-hourly service to Junction station. The road between the stations is a country lane with no pavement and lots of cars!

 

[TEW]

On Sundays the Yeovil Junction stops are printed in timetables, so I'd hope the services would stop. As far as I'm aware every service stopped at Yeovil Junction this weekend, most services had the stops added on the day though. FGW's website had huge lists of trains with extra Yeovil Junction stops. On Saturdays the down services are booked to wait at Yeovil Junction for around ten minutes to allow the up services to pass anyway.

 

[markjp]

Thanks for replies. I suppose it may be a bit of a gamble with getting off anyway due to timings. Also the 68 bus between the two stations is only shown as running Monday-Sat. Unless I am missing something.

I did the road between the two stations 28 years ago, probably not changed much since then.:roll:

 

[swt_passenger]

Route Honiton tickets ARE valid beyond Yeovil on these trains HOWEVER fGW dispute this and last year on arrival at Yeovil Junction the guards made announcements advising all passengers with route Honiton tickets to change there to SWT services as their tickets were invalid beyond Yeovil on fGW. I stayed on too Reading but each time the guards never came through so no argument ensued. Clearly the guards are wrong by the routing guide but be aware you may face an argument.

These easements are also relevant:

"10004 - During engineering works on days when trains which normally run via Taunton are diverted via Honiton, Yeovil Pen Mill and Castle Cary, tickets routed Taunton may be used on the diverted services. This easement applies in both directions."

"30069 - From stations Exeter St Davids to Crewkerne (inclusive) tickets routed Woking, AP Woking, AP Woking London, Salisbury, Honiton, AP Honiton and AP London Honiton may travel via Reading on Great Western services during engineering works."

The second one deals particularly with the Yeovil issue raised above...

 

[anthony263]

Thanks for replies. I suppose it may be a bit of a gamble with getting off anyway due to timings. Also the 68 bus between the two stations is only shown as running Monday-Sat. Unless I am missing something.

I did the road between the two stations 28 years ago, probably not changed much since then.:roll:

According to the latest FGW timetable booklet there is a sunday service every 2 hours or so between Yeovil Pen mill & Yeovil Jct stations

 

[metromuppet]

Are Basingstoke-Exeter tickets valid via Reading when routed Honiton with these diversions?
I am assuming that London-Exeter tickets routed via Honiton tickets are valid and will be sold from the ticket office at Paddington?

 

[louis97]

Are Basingstoke-Exeter tickets valid via Reading when routed Honiton with these diversions?
I am assuming that London-Exeter tickets routed via Honiton tickets are valid and will be sold from the ticket office at Paddington?

Basingstoke to Exeter tickets are already valid via Reading if you buy the correct routed ticket of which is "READING NOT LONDON".

 

[metromuppet]

Basingstoke to Exeter tickets are already valid via Reading if you buy the correct routed ticket of which is "READING NOT LONDON".

Thanks- I guessed that- But I was wondering about with the diversions in place.

 

[spark001uk]

Unfortunately as there is no engineering works on the honiton line then you will still have to stay on route if your ticket states via honiton. As for if you can jump off at yeovil junction and continue on a fgw HST I'm not sure? Don't see why not.

 

[TEW]

If your ticket is via Hontion you are allowed to travel on the FGW services. They travel via Honiton so you aren't travelling off route.

 

[yorkie]

Unfortunately as there is no engineering works on the honiton line then you will still have to stay on route if your ticket states via honiton. As for if you can jump off at yeovil junction and continue on a fgw HST I'm not sure? Don't see why not.

These trains go via Honiton and even call at Honiton! So yes, Route Honiton is valid on these trains.

The engineering work is not on the Honiton line, the Honiton line is being used by trains that are diverted to avoid engineering work on their usual route.

 

[fairysdad]

I went down to Exeter today to see if I could catch one of these trains, and noticed something interesting...

All three companies affected by this had notices up in the foyer of EXD, but there was one notable difference between SWT and CC's ones to FGW's one... FGW had no timetable information on theirs, just that there was an altered service. I asked one of the staff loitering by the ticket gates if they had a printed copy of a timetable, and they told me that 'it's a different timetable because of engineering works'. Yes, I knew that, in fact, I told them that when I asked. 'What time are you wanting to leave?' Well, given that I had to be in Exeter around 4pm again to pick somebody up, I didn't know. I was just interested to know what times they were leaving. 'Well, they're amended times because of engineering work'. *sigh* Eventually they showed me their piece of paper that they had with all the amended trains on it, and told me that I had just missed one to Paddington, that a Waterloo one was leaving in around half an hour, but the next Paddington one would get into London about ten minutes earlier than that one. I thanked them, and went to Plymouth instead (and thought about the irony that a service entitled 'CrossCountry' was only shuttling between Plymouth and Tiverton all day).

Apologies for the rather rambling and pointless story, but does anybody know why First Great Western were/are so reluctant to give out timetable information during the alterations when both South West Trains and CrossCountry both have posters at the station with their amended times on it? I know the information is available online through the National Rail website but only as a 'journey planner', so for the unprepared and spontaneous trainspotters like me it's not that great (though I could've used my phone, I do much prefer to have a paper one plus I've only just thought of it!). They did produce a PDF timetable during the Reading blockade at the end of last year, so what's different this time around?

 

[spark001uk]

Well i went from Reading to Penzance and back (via Honiton) on the 26th feb, and i have to say it was a very pleasurable journey, i would recommend it!!