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GWR Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth - what a joke...

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Schweir

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I travel on this service frequently, and often for the whole journey (Weymouth to Bristol TM) and it has honestly got to be one of the worst routes there is.

- There are several request stops (Chetnole, Yetminster, Thornford) which a lot of the time no one will get on or off adding on several minutes.
- Several other stations (e.g Avoncliff, Freshford) no one will get on or off.
- About 75% of trains are late, often frequently 20+ minutes.
- No wifi / plug sockets.
- The stock used is awful and varies each day, GWR do not seem to understand stock allocation, sometimes there will be a 4 car service for a 11:00 service, and yet there will be only 2 cars (without adding at Westbury) for the morning peak.
- Infrequent services.

What a joke!
 
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AndrewE

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I travel on this service frequently, and often for the whole journey (Weymouth to Bristol TM) and it has honestly got to be one of the worst routes there is.

- There are several request stops (Chetnole, Yetminster, Thornford) which a lot of the time no one will get on or off adding on several minutes.
- Several other stations (e.g Avoncliff, Freshford) no one will get on or off.
- About 75% of trains are late, often frequently 20+ minutes.
- No wifi / plug sockets.
- The stock used is awful and varies each day, GWR do not seem to understand stock allocation, sometimes there will be a 4 car service for a 11:00 service, and yet there will be only 2 cars (without adding at Westbury) for the morning peak.
- Infrequent services.

What a joke!

Better than no trains at all (which is nearly what you got 40 or 50 years ago when I lived, worked and travelled there.) Welcome to the world of trains that don't go to London. Ever tried to travel from Crewe (let alone Chester) to Nottingham?
 
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6Gman

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I travel on this service frequently, and often for the whole journey (Weymouth to Bristol TM) and it has honestly got to be one of the worst routes there is.

- There are several request stops (Chetnole, Yetminster, Thornford) which a lot of the time no one will get on or off adding on several minutes.
- Several other stations (e.g Avoncliff, Freshford) no one will get on or off.
- About 75% of trains are late, often frequently 20+ minutes.
- No wifi / plug sockets.
- The stock used is awful and varies each day, GWR do not seem to understand stock allocation, sometimes there will be a 4 car service for a 11:00 service, and yet there will be only 2 cars (without adding at Westbury) for the morning peak.
- Infrequent services.

What a joke!

I've never understood why people refer to something as a "joke" when they seem to mean the exact opposite ...

But on your specific points:
1. Are you suggesting the request stops should be shut?
2. And the same for the little-used stations?
3. Do you have any figures to prove this?
4. Plenty of trains have no wifi/ plug sockets.
5. Not sure exactly what you mean by this but presumably they use what's available?
6. What frequency would you want?
 

brad465

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I've used this service before from Bath to Weymouth and understand some of what you mean, although I've used Wifi on the 150s doing it so not sure on that one. As for other things:

-The single nature of most of the line from Castle Cary to Dorchester limits capacity
-I have seen aspirations to improve the line to hourly frequency, but whether that will happen soon is another matter.
-I think lateness and train size can be linked, because, especially at busy stations like Bath Spa and BTM, more space speeds up getting on and off. :idea:
 

HowardGWR

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I've never understood why people refer to something as a "joke" when they seem to mean the exact opposite ...

It's called ironic comment.

The service is better than nothing, as was previously pointed out, but it is dire.

The route needs doubling in some places where single, and a two tier service with a speed up for the non-stop, or the request stops south of Yeovil are just not worth it.

Every time I consider travelling to Bath or Bristol or further north, from Maiden Newton, the two hour gaps work out very badly.
 

Andy2308

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I travel on this service frequently, and often for the whole journey (Weymouth to Bristol TM) and it has honestly got to be one of the worst routes there is.

- There are several request stops (Chetnole, Yetminster, Thornford) which a lot of the time no one will get on or off adding on several minutes.
- Several other stations (e.g Avoncliff, Freshford) no one will get on or off.
- About 75% of trains are late, often frequently 20+ minutes.
- No wifi / plug sockets.
- The stock used is awful and varies each day, GWR do not seem to understand stock allocation, sometimes there will be a 4 car service for a 11:00 service, and yet there will be only 2 cars (without adding at Westbury) for the morning peak.
- Infrequent services.

What a joke!

I've been an infrequent user of this line over the last couple of years but have had to make a couple of trips to Cardiff in recent weeks.

I have to disagree with you.

The request stops - the train only stops if someone is getting on / off, otherwise the train slows and sounds the horn on approach to the stations. Whether each and every service needs to call at Chetnole, Yetminster & Thornford I really don't know!

GWR can't do much about the stock they're given. In their defence, the 150s, though not terribly suited to the route, have all been clean on the services I've used and apart from the trip home on a broken 158 last Friday evening, have all been on time. I know they're suffering from a lack of rolling stock at the moment and I hope we see more 158 / turbo formed services in future. The journey on a 158 is far smoother. It wasn't so long ago however that services were regularly formed of a single 153 so seeing four coaches turn up is a bonus!

On Friday our 158 couldn't go more than about 60mph, that made us late and of course with so many long sections of single rail, made a few other services late too. Blame previous governments for that one but be thankful the line survived at all.

The trackwork, espcially the remaining jointed track between Dorchester West and Pen Mill, is pretty poor in places. I note though that some sections have been replaced.

In an ideal world we'd see more suitable rolling stock, higher line speeds and more passing loops / redoubling but with so many other projects running behind time and over budget I doubt we'll see much future improvement.

A pity because it's a real gem of a line that has so much future potential.

Andy.
 

Llanigraham

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- There are several request stops (Chetnole, Yetminster, Thornford) which a lot of the time no one will get on or off adding on several minutes.
How do you know no-one ever gets on or off?
Would you prefer to have these stations closed, because that seems to be what you are suggesting.
- Several other stations (e.g Avoncliff, Freshford) no one will get on or off.
As above.
I suggest that you are not on every train calls at those stations, so you comment is inaccurate and incorrect.
- About 75% of trains are late, often frequently 20+ minutes.
Really?
And you have been on every one of them?
Perhaps you can provide evidence of your figures?
- No wifi / plug sockets.
Oh dear!!
Perhaps you haven't realised but neither do a lot of other trains.
And is there really a need to be connected all the time?
- The stock used is awful and varies each day, GWR do not seem to understand stock allocation, sometimes there will be a 4 car service for a 11:00 service, and yet there will be only 2 cars (without adding at Westbury) for the morning peak.
Oh dear! Funnily enough that happens on a lot of other lines as well, normally for very good reasons over the WHOLE network and not just your "personal" line.
- Infrequent services.
Obviously you will be willing to pay for all these extra trains that you personally require.
What a joke!
Wrong.
 

ooo

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GWR have fitted / are fitting WiFi to lots of their local trains recently. I've found its become much rarer to find a GWR train without it
 
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SpacePhoenix

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Has it ever been double track all the way? I wonder how different things would be for the line had there been a chord leading to it from the SWML
 

brad465

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Has it ever been double track all the way? I wonder how different things would be for the line had there been a chord leading to it from the SWML

I think it has, given I've seen empty spacing at least south of Yeovil.

The former Somerset and Dorset railway may have made the need for a chord not necessary back before its Beeching closure, given it ran from Bath down to the South coast in the same way the Heart of Wessex line does, except it went to Poole and Bournemouth rather then Weymouth, if that's in any way relevant.
 

Andy2308

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It was double track until the late 60s.

You can still see the abandoned second platform at Yetminster.

Andy.
 

Starmill

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There is horrific overcrowding during the summer months too. I was recently left behind by a Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth service - there was simply no way I could possibly fit onto the train, and a number of other passengers were left behind too. I eventiually travelled via Salisbury instead (which costs much more) and was more than 2 hours late.
 

Chris M

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Wessex Trains used to run loco hauled sets on this route in the summer. Top and tail Class 31s with I think three or four mark 2s. When FGW took over, like many other of the local routes in the Bristol area, they ran services with one or two seemingly random DMUs - in the very early days at least they seemed to think that 143s, 150s 153s and 158s were pretty much interchangeable.
 

Right Away

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- There are several request stops (Chetnole, Yetminster, Thornford) which a lot of the time no one will get on or off adding on several minutes.

Interestingly, these three halts were reprieved from closure in the 1960s as the narrow local lanes would make a replacement bus service impractical. The current procedure is if the guard has confirmed there are no passengers to alight, they will give 2 on the buzzer to the driver before the train gets to that halt. The driver then only needs to stop at the halt if there is someone wishing to board. On busy trains where it is not possible for the guard to ascertain if there are no passengers for a halt, the guard will not send the buzzer signal to the driver and the train must stop. On such trains it is better to stop and have nobody requiring the halt as opposed to sailing through and later discovering passengers have been overcarried. In the northbound direction, most of the trains have a minute or two slack in the timings between Thornford and Yeovil to allow for stopping at the halts. Stopping at Chetnole in the down direction is a pain as the platform is on the 1 in 50ish climb all the way up to Evershot Tunnel.

- Several other stations (e.g Avoncliff, Freshford) no one will get on or off.
-

A few years ago, both of these were request stops. However, it was decided to make these full stops. These are reflected in the schedule so calling there does not delay the train. Some days every train will have custom at these stations, other days not. Heading towards Bath you usually follow an HST from Bathampton Junction. Removing both of those calls would invariably lead to waiting time at B302 signal at Bathampton or at Bath Spa station.

- About 75% of trains are late, often frequently 20+ minutes.

The joys of a largely single track route. Originally a GWR main double track route, economy measures of the 1960s have left us with what we have today. Many of the Weymouth services come from north of Bristol, mainly Gloucester. There is plenty of potential for delay throughout the route. This can have a snowball effect when services are booked to cross at Dorchester West, Maiden Newton, Yeovil Pen Mill or Castle Cary. A delayed train will then affect the service it is booked to cross, which can then cause a delay on the route later on depending on how much turn around time the train has at its destination.

- The stock used is awful and varies each day, GWR do not seem to understand stock allocation, sometimes there will be a 4 car service for a 11:00 service, and yet there will be only 2 cars (without adding at Westbury) for the morning peak.

The unit availability on the West side can currently be described as dire, with some days recently struggling
with 7 units short to cover all the diagrams! It is a constant juggling act to keep the timetable covered, regrettably often meaning short formed services.As I understand it, SPM depot in Bristol is currently understaffed as many have jumped ship to join Hitachi at Stoke Gifford. The Weymouth route sees a mix of 150/1, 150/2, 153 and 158 units. Although the 158 units are nicer for the customer with better saloon interiors and luggage racks, the 150 units keep to time better as the line speed between Castle Cary and Dorchester Junction doesn't go above 75 mph. The 150s accelerate faster and have reduced dwell time with their faster door operation cycles.

From a personal point of view, I like the Weymouth route. Yes, the timetable is far from perfect with large gaps throughout the day. However the line does have some very interesting features as well. The wooden station and train shed at Frome, a country junction station at Castle Cary, semaphores at Yeovil Pen Mill, the signalbox with Tom the resident cat patrolling his patch, the No Signaller token operation between Yeovil and Maiden Newton, rural halts that dodged the bullet in the 1960s and some lovely countryside.
 

Envoy

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Anybody who goes from Cardiff to Weymouth should be made aware that they should split the ticket at Bristol Temple Meads (BRI). A peak ticket from CDF > BRI is £17.90 return with off-peak at £13 return. A BRI>WEY ticket is £18.50 return so by combing the 2, we have a total of £36.40/£31.50. A through ticket return from CDF> WEY is a whopping £53.30 return!

So, it would appear that GWR can’t even set a fair fare system for their own services.
 

NSEFAN

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Anybody who goes from Cardiff to Weymouth should be made aware that they should split the ticket at Bristol Temple Meads (BRI). A peak ticket from CDF > BRI is £17.90 return with off-peak at £13 return. A BRI>WEY ticket is £18.50 return so by combing the 2, we have a total of £36.40/£31.50. A through ticket return from CDF> WEY is a whopping £53.30 return!

So, it would appear that GWR can’t even set a fair fare system for their own services.
Given how busy the trains are, it's not surprising that they can get away with charging that much.
 

OwlMan

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Anybody who goes from Cardiff to Weymouth should be made aware that they should split the ticket at Bristol Temple Meads (BRI). A peak ticket from CDF > BRI is £17.90 return with off-peak at £13 return. A BRI>WEY ticket is £18.50 return so by combing the 2, we have a total of £36.40/£31.50. A through ticket return from CDF> WEY is a whopping £53.30 return!

So, it would appear that GWR can’t even set a fair fare system for their own services.
You are comparing day returns with a monthly return:D. The difference for a ticket valid for more than a day is only about £3
 

Whistler40145

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Would it improve the service if it was cut back to start at Bristol Temple Meads and route clear for 165/166s, I'm sure the Severn Beach branch could easily cope with a Sprinter.
 

scrapy

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Anybody who goes from Cardiff to Weymouth should be made aware that they should split the ticket at Bristol Temple Meads (BRI). A peak ticket from CDF > BRI is £17.90 return with off-peak at £13 return. A BRI>WEY ticket is £18.50 return so by combing the 2, we have a total of £36.40/£31.50. A through ticket return from CDF> WEY is a whopping £53.30 return!

So, it would appear that GWR can’t even set a fair fare system for their own services.

The Cardiff to Weymouth fare is set by Arriva Trains Wales.
Cardiff to Bristol and Bristol to Weymouth is set by GWR. So it seems the fares GWR set are more reasonable.
 

SpacePhoenix

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What are the passenger numbers like for the Cardiff-Bristol section of the Cardiff-Weymouth trains?
 

NorthernSpirit

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As the OP mentioned Chetnole, Yetminster and Thornford, would it be more feasible to retain peak calls at these three request stops and skip them at other times?

Should the services start from Swindon instead of Great Malvern? This would mean that Melksham would finally get the service it deserves and it does mean that the service is not having to run that far as it does currently.

TBH I think the express services should be seperately franchised as per Northern/Transpennine with the Cardiff to Pompey and Westbury to Weymouth services being franchised off to a seperate TOC leaving GWR with the stoppers.
 

70014IronDuke

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How do you know no-one ever gets on or off?
Would you prefer to have these stations closed, because that seems to be what you are suggesting....

recent avg passenger usage

Chetnole 2,000 pa (approx 5.5 per day)
Yetminster 7,000 pa (near 20 per day)
Thornford 3,000 pa (a bit over 8 per day)

So Yetminster has OK number, but Chetnole would appear to have nobody joining most trains on most days. Thornford not that much better.
Of course, it could be that the trains are so full, at least in summer, that these stations do see more activity, just the conductor never gets the chance to collect the fares.

Just looking at RTT, the line (like the Melksham line) does see a lot of cancellations and short forming in summer. And given the typical 2-hour + gaps, I can see why punters could get cheesed off.
 

WelshBluebird

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I commute on part of this line (and have done for the last 5 years) and I have always had issues with delays, cancellations and short forming. But this summer does seem to be the worst. One a few occasions now GWR have resorted to stopping some of the Bristol - Paddington HST's at Keynsham in the evening peak just to take some of the pressure off the normal stoppers.
 

A0wen

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Ever tried to travel from Crewe (let alone Chester) to Nottingham?

Ah - that well known traffic flow which surely justifies a regular service.....

As it happens it's not exactly a difficult journey to make - from Crewe it needs 1 change - either at Derby or Stockport, not exactly a hardship.
 

A0wen

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Anybody who goes from Cardiff to Weymouth should be made aware that they should split the ticket at Bristol Temple Meads (BRI). A peak ticket from CDF > BRI is £17.90 return with off-peak at £13 return. A BRI>WEY ticket is £18.50 return so by combing the 2, we have a total of £36.40/£31.50. A through ticket return from CDF> WEY is a whopping £53.30 return!

So, it would appear that GWR can’t even set a fair fare system for their own services.

Even at £ 50 that's remarkably good value.

Compare that with Wellingborough - St Pancras at over £ 100 return.
 

Schweir

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Thanks everyone for the replies. Maybe the original post was out of frustration, but when you have to see 70+ year olds standing for over an hour on old non-air conditioned trains it does make you wonder why they do not invest more time/money into this line, especially when it has been so busy over the summer.
 

221129

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Thanks everyone for the replies. Maybe the original post was out of frustration, but when you have to see 70+ year olds standing for over an hour on old non-air conditioned trains it does make you wonder why they do not invest more time/money into this line, especially when it has been so busy over the summer.

If they are standing then why does no one else offer their seat? GWR have on summer Saturdays to their credit offered additional capacity. I am not sure what else can be done without a major route upgrade.
 

Schweir

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If they are standing then why does no one else offer their seat? GWR have on summer Saturdays to their credit offered additional capacity. I am not sure what else can be done without a major route upgrade.

It was extremely busy, people were standing throughout most of the coaches, so I presume they could not see the elderly standing there. To be fair they did, I bet that was much quieter...
 
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