GWR Christmas timetable

[cactustwirly]

Does anyone know why GWR aren't bothering to run the usual 2tph to Bristol & Bath, over the Christmas period?
I understand there's a 2 track railway in the London area, but they've still managed to run 2tph in the past!
I went to Bath yesterday, and both trains were heavily overcrowded, the train back was standing room only upon departure from Bath to London.

 

[43055]

Looking at the timetable for today there is 2 per hour between Paddington and Bristol but 1 per hour is going via Bristol Parkway and the other is going via Bath.

 

[Mag_seven]

Looking at the timetable for today there is 2 per hour between Paddington and Bristol but 1 per hour is going via Bristol Parkway and the other is going via Bath.

One train needs to go via Parkway to service the rail replacement buses to Newport. Why they couldn't just run a Swindon - Parkway shuttle for this and thus provide the Bath route with two trains per hour I don't know.

(as an aside there was an HST on one of the Swindon Cheltenham shuttles yesterday when surely a 5 car IET would have been suffice)

 

[cactustwirly]

One train needs to go via Parkway to service the rail replacement buses to Newport. Why they couldn't just run a Swindon - Parkway shuttle for this and thus provide the Bath route with two trains per hour I don't know.

(as an aside there was an HST on one of the Swindon Cheltenham shuttles yesterday when surely a 5 car IET would have been suffice)

There were actually 2 HSTs, and have been all week!
Complete waste of a HST!

The 2 track TT is normally 2tph Bristol via Bath, 1tph South Wales, 1tph South West, 2tph Oxford, 2tph HEX.
The local service is normally 2tph all stations Reading & Didcot, and 1tph HC (now TfL rail)
With Cheltenham cut back at Swindon, and Bedwyn cut back at Reading.

 

[LordCreed]

There were actually 2 HSTs, and have been all week!
Complete waste of a HST!

The 2 track TT is normally 2tph Bristol via Bath, 1tph South Wales, 1tph South West, 2tph Oxford, 2tph HEX.
The local service is normally 2tph all stations Reading & Didcot, and 1tph HC (now TfL rail)
With Cheltenham cut back at Swindon, and Bedwyn cut back at Reading.

Little bit hard to run a South Wales service when the line is shut at Severn Tunnel Jn...

One train needs to go via Parkway to service the rail replacement buses to Newport. Why they couldn't just run a Swindon - Parkway shuttle for this and thus provide the Bath route with two trains per hour I don't know.

(as an aside there was an HST on one of the Swindon Cheltenham shuttles yesterday when surely a 5 car IET would have been suffice)

Not sure where you propose the crew for this service is magic'd up from? South Wales services are normally crewed by Paddington, Cardiff and Swansea. None of which are suitable for running a Swindon - Parkway shuttle. Getting any staff on overtime during the Christmas period is a non-starter.

 

[cactustwirly]

Little bit hard to run a South Wales service when the line is shut at Severn Tunnel Jn...



Not sure where you propose the crew for this service is magic'd up from? South Wales services are normally crewed by Paddington, Cardiff and Swansea. None of which are suitable for running a Swindon - Parkway shuttle. Getting any staff on overtime during the Christmas period is a non-starter.

Well obviously terminate it at Bristol Parkway!
But the current fudge isn't working, as there aren't enough services serving Bath & Chippenham leading to lots of overcrowding!

 

[LordCreed]

Well obviously terminate it at Bristol Parkway!
But the current fudge isn't working, as there aren't enough services serving Bath & Chippenham leading to lots of overcrowding!

And how do you propose doing this without costing additional turns, as these simply will not be covered at this time of year? The South Wales services are primarily worked by Welsh crew, with a few Bristol / Paddington thrown in the mix (but few and far between).

 

[cactustwirly]

And how do you propose doing this without costing additional turns, as these simply will not be covered at this time of year? The South Wales services are primarily worked by Welsh crew, with a few Bristol / Paddington thrown in the mix (but few and far between).

By whoever's crewing the existing services to Bristol Parkway?
But move it to the xx40 path, and add an extra Bristol via Bath service at xx55

 

[LordCreed]

By whoever's crewing the existing services to Bristol Parkway?
But move it to the xx40 path, and add an extra Bristol via Bath service at xx55

The reason the current services can run, is because it's the crew who'd normally work the second via Bath service. Can't have both...

 

[Kite159]

There were actually 2 HSTs, and have been all week!
Complete waste of a HST!

The 2 track TT is normally 2tph Bristol via Bath, 1tph South Wales, 1tph South West, 2tph Oxford, 2tph HEX.
The local service is normally 2tph all stations Reading & Didcot, and 1tph HC (now TfL rail)
With Cheltenham cut back at Swindon, and Bedwyn cut back at Reading.

TfL Rail to Heathrow is 2tph when it's two track operation

(Normally both depart a few minutes before the 2tph stoppers towards Didcot so those 360s can get busy with Ealing/Southall/Hayes folk)

 

[tgrb]

Can confirm Chippenham to Bath return was not amusing!

Got looked at like I had 2 heads when I asked for 2 of our 4 reserved seats so at least the little people could sit down!

I nearly didn’t go on the train as the hourly service meant we were there an hour longer than needed - I guessed GWR were being lazy but they probably missing a trick looking at the loadings

Now I (kinda) know why

 

[SwindonBert]

Needed an HST on the Swindon Cheltenham yesterday afternoon the rugby

 

[tgrb]

Well I did think Bath must have been playing yesterday when I got on the train - Bath was pretty mental too but I see they are playing today so I’d anticipate the next few services being rammed!!