Great Western Franchise Extension 2020 to?

[Ashley Hill]

Door controls were modified a few years ago as part of the West cascade.

Yes they were modified upon transfer to West. Those that stayed East remained unmodified at that time.When I last travelled over RDG-BSK (Jan) it was 10 bells (on that set). Working to the West system makes far more sense.

 

[fgwrich]

Out of interest, how does it apply to some of the DOO routes in the East? Same as now or will guards now be working routes like Windsor / Greenford etc?

 

[CC 72100]

Out of interest, how does it apply to some of the DOO routes in the East? Same as now or will guards now be working routes like Windsor / Greenford etc?

Current DOO routes still stay DOO. Only change is on the Guard routes, with them now closing the doors and the more widespread dispatch as opposed to '10 bells' in which they instruct the driver to shut the doors.

 

[JonathanH]

How much guard work is there on LTV Turbos? Just Marlow [1], North Downs and Reading to Basingstoke? Is there any LTV guard work out of Oxford?

[1] Maidenhead to Bourne End DOO if not going to Marlow.

 

[JN114]

How much guard work is there on LTV Turbos? Just Marlow [1], North Downs and Reading to Basingstoke? Is there any LTV guard work out of Oxford?

[1] Maidenhead to Bourne End DOO if not going to Marlow.

In the ordinary timetable you also have the two N Cotswolds “halts” trains - Oxford - Worcester and back in the morning, Moreton-in-Marsh in the evening. Usually a Reading TM on both return trips.

LTV Guards also cover a fair bit of HSS work, although that’s on IET traction not Turbos.

 

[fgwrich]

Current DOO routes still stay DOO. Only change is on the Guard routes, with them now closing the doors and the more widespread dispatch as opposed to '10 bells' in which they instruct the driver to shut the doors.

Thanks @CC 72100 , I thought that might be the case. I rather doubt having a guard on the Windsors would really be viable given short how the journey is.

While were on the subject, was something similar trialled when we had the prototype Sprinter twins on the branch? (Reading-Basingstoke) I recall they were being fitted with the local door guards panels but I'm not sure if they were ever used in service.

 

[Ashley Hill]

I don't think the intermediate door control panels were fitted when at Reading. It was done after their transfer West. It was never fitted to the center car.

 

[father_jack]

LL, it was booking office staff to which my worry is directed. It is reported that ticket purchasing is down 98% !!! And that refunds are in the region of a 7 figure amount.

Quoting my own post, on the 5pm briefing today the gubberment transport secretary Mr Shapps found a chance to try sound the death knell of the "cardboard" ticket and direct even more business towards mobile technology.

 

[Mintona]

I’ve just read a few bits of change going forward. Gloucester - Bristol going half hourly. Three day season ticket trials between Banbury, Oxford and Didcot. Additional capacity on the sleeper. New smart ticket system for Cornwall and Plymouth.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

I’ve just read a few bits of change going forward. Gloucester - Bristol going half hourly. Three day season ticket trials between Banbury, Oxford and Didcot. Additional capacity on the sleeper. New smart ticket system for Cornwall and Plymouth.

Brilliant - where can I read more details?

 

[JN114]

It was on our latest staff newsletter - I don’t know how much of it is truly public yet

 

[Mintona]

It was on our latest staff newsletter - I don’t know how much of it is truly public yet

I presumed it was public if they were telling us. I hope I didn’t let any cats out of bags.

 

[JN114]

I presumed it was public if they were telling us. I hope I didn’t let any cats out of bags.

I think the aspirations were in the DA3 public announcements, it was more in response to the “where can I read more details” post.

 

[Brissle Girl]

Expecting anything published in a staff newsletter for an organisation the size and type that GWR is to stay confidential would be highly unrealistic, particularly in this day and age of social media overload.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

Right, thanks. Sorry about that - sometimes there's been news items on here and people have asked for a link and it's been provided.

Don't worry, I'm call with confidentially !

 

[Weekender]

I’ve just read a few bits of change going forward. Gloucester - Bristol going half hourly. Three day season ticket trials between Banbury, Oxford and Didcot. Additional capacity on the sleeper. New smart ticket system for Cornwall and Plymouth.

Very good news regarding Gloucester-Bristol, hopefully the extra train will have limited stops.
although i accept that leisure travel is unlikely to return in the foreseeable future.

 

[Wyrleybart]

I don't like it that I cant have both. I want both. I want investment so that I can get both when I travel long distance.

And I know its not overnight and any capacity increase in welcomed but our railways should be better and a lack of vision and long term planning and investment - at least visibly - makes me feel that we should do more

As a matter of interest, how many many Mars bars and bags of Quavers d you think XC might need to sell on each train to offset the costs of providing catering vehicles, on board staff, catering services shore provision etc ?

 

[ABB125]

I’ve just read a few bits of change going forward. Gloucester - Bristol going half hourly. Three day season ticket trials between Banbury, Oxford and Didcot. Additional capacity on the sleeper. New smart ticket system for Cornwall and Plymouth.

If they're making Bristol-Gloucester half-hourly, is Gloucester-Worcester/Malvern going hourly? I suspect the answer is no, because the extra Bristol-Gloucester will likely use up any spare stock that might have been used.

 

[Weekender]

If they're making Bristol-Gloucester half-hourly, is Gloucester-Worcester/Malvern going hourly? I suspect the answer is no, because the extra Bristol-Gloucester will likely use up any spare stock that might have been used.

I would be very surprised if it was just a shuttle between Bristol and Gloucester, which would just be a waste of rolling stock.
I would think it some would run to Worcester and at the other end maybe Taunton.

 

[Brissle Girl]

I would be very surprised if it was just a shuttle between Bristol and Gloucester, which would just be a waste of rolling stock.
I would think it some would run to Worcester and at the other end maybe Taunton.

I'm not sure why you think that. A stopping service takes between 45 and 50 minutes, so in terms of rolling stock utilisation, reasonably efficient. I'm assuming that the services will stop at Yate and Cam & Dursley - I gather the existing service was, pre-COVID very overcrowded in the rush hour being only hourly, with passenger volumes at Yate and C&D having flatlines possibly due to overcrowding, so would be somewhat odd not to call at them.

Though obviously if more units are available, an extension to Worcester would be very welcome, as the through service on the Bristol, Gloucester, Worcester axis is definitely deficient at the moment.

 

[Clarence Yard]

The concept in the DA3 timetable proposal was to run half hourly (inc. "Yate and Cam" stations) on the Bristol-Gloucester axis with an hourly extension to Worcester/Malvern. The Gloucester service would be linked into the Westbury (and destinations) services through Bristol.

The lack of GWR information on the exact service is because the DfT have instructed them not to go public yet. All to do with Covid-19 being the primary focus for Government announcements.

 

[Brissle Girl]

That sounds really good news. Thanks!

 

[ABB125]

The concept in the DA3 timetable proposal was to run half hourly (inc. "Yate and Cam" stations) on the Bristol-Gloucester axis with an hourly extension to Worcester/Malvern. The Gloucester service would be linked into the Westbury (and destinations) services through Bristol.

The lack of GWR information on the exact service is because the DfT have instructed them not to go public yet. All to do with Covid-19 being the primary focus for Government announcements.

Excellent news if it happens!
Am I interpreting you correctly that the Worcester services will terminate in Bristol, with only the Gloucester services being extended?

 

[Clarence Yard]

Excellent news if it happens!
Am I interpreting you correctly that the Worcester services will terminate in Bristol, with only the Gloucester services being extended?

Not all of them - the cross Bristol workings on the Worcester services have a number of possible permutations, depending on the available paths around Bristol.

 

[ABB125]

Not all of them - the cross Bristol workings on the Worcester services have a number of possible permutations, depending on the available paths around Bristol.

Ok, thanks

 

[clagmonster]

I’ve just read a few bits of change going forward. Gloucester - Bristol going half hourly. Three day season ticket trials between Banbury, Oxford and Didcot. Additional capacity on the sleeper. New smart ticket system for Cornwall and Plymouth.

Are the three day season tickets going to take the same form as the three day plus weekend seasons in Devon or will they be a rigid three day period? I would have thought the former more appropriate for part time workers, but it would seem odd to trial the latter if it is already in existence.