240219 Trip Report: Open Jaw SML-SVB & YAE - SML ** WITH SET SWAP & PLATFORM CHANGES! ** - again!

[sleepy_hollow]

On the 19th February 2024, a smooth first journey from Sea Mills (SML) to Severn Beach (SVB), only a few minutes late, a two car class 165 diesel multiple unit (DMU) with four other bicycles, three large. Nearly forgot to tap out at SVB, but walked back 20 metres and all the days PAYG (Pay As You Go) taps were recorded and correctly charged.

Arriving at Yate about 1520 (BST (British Standard Time) 24 hour clock) the 1534 was on the screen for 1537, followed after a while by an announcement that it would be 11 minutes (min) late but the screen did not change and it did arrive about 1637.

This was a three car 165 for Weymouth, nominally without cycle accommodation - plenty of space so used the luggage rack in the centre car as the neatest place

Near Lawrence Hill the guard announced that there would be a 'set swap' at Bristol Temple Meads (BRI) with arrival on Platform (P) 9 and an onward train to Weymouth on Platform 11. (This happened last time I took a Weymouth train from Yate, last autumn, only then it was described as 'will terminate at BRI'. Perhaps 'Set Swap' sounds less as though something has gone wrong. Unfortunately two samples some months apart do not allow a statistically valid assessment of whether this is normal practice for this Weymouth train or whether the railway starts fitting as soon as I sally forth.

There were several short slow moves forward during arrival, which I assumed was coupling, presumably to prepare a job lot of Network Turbo trains for a trip to the scrapyard, although there oddly were people waiting to board. On the platform I checked and the train was indeed coupled to another set and apparently now the 1608 for Gloucester, although I could not find such a thing on Real Time Trains (RTT).

The screens were flashing P3 for Avonmouth (AVN), which I remembered meant a completed, not an imminent, platform change so went straight to 3 for the 1612, which arrived shortly after. During the short wait I heard a platform change for the Weymouth passengers on Platform 11. To P5 according to RTT, which interestingly does not show a failure cause, the journey to Weymouth being shown as seamless with a sudden roughly quarter hour delay at BRI, and the only clue to the anomaly, different DMU sets being listed before and after BRI. The 1612 AVN was a 166 so I used the usual bicycle space in the centre car.

[Date corrected and inserted on 24 Feb 24]

 

[12LDA28C]

There were several short slow moves forward during arrival, which I assumed was coupling, presumably to prepare a job lot of Network Turbo trains for a trip to the scrapyard, although there oddly were people waiting to board. On the platform I checked and the train was indeed coupled to another set and apparently now the 1608 for Gloucester, although I could not find such a thing on Real Time Trains (RTT).

Hardly. Will be a good few years until 165s are scrapped.

 

[Andy Pacer]

When did this trip take place?

 

[Falcon1200]

On the platform I checked and the train was indeed coupled to another set and apparently now the 1608 for Gloucester, although I could not find such a thing on Real Time Trains (RTT).

If this incident was yesterday (23/02/24) rather than 5 years ago (!), there was indeed a 1608 departure from Bristol Temple Meads to Gloucester, this being 2V68 1328 from Weymouth.

 

[30907]

If this incident was yesterday (23/02/24) rather than 5 years ago (!), there was indeed a 1608 departure from Bristol Temple Meads to Gloucester, this being 2V68 1328 from Weymouth.

From the time the report was posted, I suspect it was on 19/02/24 (aka 240219 in US computerese) when 2V68 attached a unit at Bristol. A similar move applied on 20th so I surmise it is booked.

 

[Andy Pacer]

(aka 240219 in US computerese)

But not 230219 as in the title?

 

[sleepy_hollow]

I wrote the date in ISO format but put 23 instead of 24. I have now corrected this.

There appears to be a suggestion that the booked operations do not follow the timetable, both in not providing the through train, and in running the substitute late.

 

[sleepy_hollow]

I have now located the relevant trains on RTT. Here is the train from Gloucester to Weymouth, showing the set swap at BRI in the small print.



And here in two screenshots is the Weymouth to Gloucester train, also showing in the small print a complete set swap at BRI, which explains the passengers waiting on the platform. With details of the exchange at BRI in the second image below, described as coupling to a set coming from St Philips Marsh depot. This train does seem to have an adequate timetable allowance at BRI for the operation to be routine.








Fascinating! Perhaps split training is the railway's revenge on passengers for taking so enthusiastically to split ticketing. I can foresee a future in which all long distance services are implemented using a series of synchronised shuttles between adjacent stations. Sprinting up and down platforms and across major stations could do wonders for the national obesity crisis. Zumba could be organised over the tannoy during intervals waiting for platform change announcements.

Additionally, there would no longer be any question as the validity of split ticketing, although this could be included in the exercise program by a quick march in column of twos to the barriers to check in and out at each place.

 

[Falcon1200]

Perhaps split training is the railway's revenge on passengers for taking so enthusiastically to split ticketing

No. Swapping sets midway during a journey is very, very much the exception to the rule, and is done for very good reasons, usually either due to a fault preventing a train from running in one direction, or to ensure a set gets back to a maintenance depot to repair such a fault or to receive its booked exam. Not doing such a swap would result in sets being out of place and would cause further disruption and probably cancellations.

No comment on the remainder of your post.