ATW Publicity Engineering Work

[PHILIPE]

The Marches route was closed today between Hereford and Shrewsbury with bustitution in place but it seems that they don't want you to know about it..
There was no publicity at Neath which sees an hourly service along the route and neither were there any announcements on stations or trains, merely describing trains as Hereford services. The CIS did not give any indication either. No mention either or verbally of necessity to change to a bus for passengers travelling beyond Hereford.
The information is available on the Website but, at least, people should be advised there is something to look for. This is not an isolated incident, by any means, and it would appear that ATW expect everybody to check up either by Internet, Telephone enquiry or via Booking Office every time they make a journey anywhere. You would hardly expect somebody who travels day in and day out on the route and is familiar with the Timetable to do this every time.. At
least, at stations, people could be told there is something to enquire about.
Another point re publicity is whenever a Rugby International takes place at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff a Special using Gerallt Loco and Stock runs from Holyhead to Cardiff and return but with no publicity. Anybody enquiring re services would not necessarily identify a Special for this purpose on Journey Planner so they possible select to travel at a time suitable for them so overcrowding normal services and letting the Special running comparatively empty. If you have a product to offer any normal Company would want to advertise it and also if a person went into to shop to ask about a product they had seen advertised the shop wouldn,t tell the Customer to refer to the Internet.
When ATW do publicise information re any event it is often only to say there is an event, so do, in effect, say "We are not telling you about, it is up to you to find out". There would be fewere still shops on the High St if customers were treated like. They could at least give you an outline and refer you to Website etc., for fuller details.

 

[Pride Of Crewe]

There was lots of publicity at my local station of Cwmbran posters and the information boards told you of the line being closed and the buses runing in place of trains.

 

[Rhydgaled]

They could at least give you an outline and refer you to Website etc., for fuller details.

Even that would not necessarily be sufficient. Suppose I turn up at a station and am told to refer to the internet, just how am I supposed to do that? Go home and goto their website? What if going home would mean missing the next train with several hours before the following one? What if I didn't have the internet, or even a computer, at home (as some might have and I would if there was a power cut)? So, am I supposed to try and find the nearest library that offers computers with internet access?

It shouldn't just be assumed that eveyone has access to the internet. Another example was when I tried to renew my railcard (unfortunately not at my 'local' staffed stations of Haverfordwest and Aberystwyth due to not being able to get to either at a time the office was open before needing to use the railcard). At first asked the man in the ticket office for a three year one, but was told that was only available online. Now, in this case I had already tried to renew online and found that requires a valid passport or driving licence. I don't have a driving licence and, not having gone abroad for some time, my passport has expired. No three-year railcard for me, why can't you buy one at the station?

 

[Greenback]

There are usually at least a couple of posters on display at Llanelli about forthcoming engineering work, but I can't remember whether there was anything referring to Hereford - Shrewsbury this weekend. I'll have a look tomorrow.

I've definitely seen the monthly outline one at Swansea, but it not always displayed at Llanelli. More consistency is needed to ensure that the most relevant posters are featured at appropriate stations, and I think a good measurement would be if the station has direct trains serving the affected section of route engineering work should be advertised there.

 

[Rhydgaled]

I think a good measurement would be if the station has direct trains serving the affected section of route engineering work should be advertised there.

I wouldn't call the trains between Carmarthen and Hereford/Manchester 'direct'. There are through trains between the two, but the route is decidedly indirect, via Swansea and Cardiff.

 

[Greenback]

It is a direct train, as there is no need to change trains. To say anything else would fly in the face of accepted custom in other transport.

I'm not sure I know of any 'direct' ropute betwene Carmarthen and Hereford in any case.

 

[Rhydgaled]

I'm not sure I know of any 'direct' ropute betwene Carmarthen and Hereford in any case.

There isn't a direct rail route for certain.

 

[Llanigraham]

Philipe,
I presume that you have written to ATW with your "complaint" before having a moan on here?
The closure of the Marches line north of Hereford has certainly been included on the standard Engineering Works Notices I've seen on various stations.

 

[transmanche]

I've definitely seen the monthly outline one at Swansea, but it not always displayed at Llanelli.

I certainly saw the monthly outline one (including this closure) at Chester, Gobowen and (I think) Aberystwyth.

 

[PHILIPE]

It would appear that the lack of publicity is West of Cardiff only. Still reminders could have been given on board and on stations when announcing thee trains advising passengers travelling beyond at Herdford of the need to change to a bus. I have taken up with ATW in the past and been brushed off with a reply to the effect that it's all on line or phone enquiries.

 

[transmanche]

It would appear that the lack of publicity is West of Cardiff only. Still reminders could have been given on board and on stations when announcing thee trains advising passengers travelling beyond at Herdford of the need to change to a bus. I have taken up with ATW in the past and been brushed off with a reply to the effect that it's all on line or phone enquiries.

To counteract the 'positive' example I gave earlier. Last weekend Chester-Manchester trains were running non-stop via Altrincham and Stockport - with buses running to serve the normal route. My connecting ATW train arrived at Chester a bit late, so only 3-4 mins before the Manchester service left. There were no announcements about replacement buses, no platform or on-board announcements about the train being non-stop (although I did notice the platform PIS stated it the train was non-stop). The on-board PIS announced that; "We will call at the following principal stations [pause] and Manchester Piccadilly. And then it decided to announce our arrival into Piccadilly as we approached Stockport (which prompted a lot of people to moce to the doors) but it was not corrected by the conductor.

So definitely a poor show there...

 

[dvboy]

Whenever there's disruption late night to Birmingham-Holyhead trains there's always a poster at Wolverhampton advising that ferry connections will not be met. It's always in the same place so ATW must have a dedicated frame there.

 

[PHILIPE]

My prime complaint was the fact the trains were announced as for Hereford and CIS likewise which, to be fair, was correct. However, I feel provision should have been made to announce that passengers travelling beyond Hereford should change at that point. Orl announcements also omitted this.
I recall some 4/5 years ago there was a problem in the Chesterfield area with bustitution between Derby and Sheffield, forget what exactly the cause now and as it lasted for a number of days. Due to the period involved, train alterations were uploaded to TRUST so that northbound trains were announced as for Derby. There was a person at Bristol Temple Meads who had pre-booked to Newcastle and when the train was announced did not connect with the fact that it was their train as it was announced as Derby so duly missed it. There was no advice re problems and alternative arrangements. This may not be quite the same as the Post but it shows you can never have too much information in the event of deviation from normal working.

 

[Greenback]

I've looked in different parts of Llanelli station every day this week, and there is no sign of any monthly poster, nor have I seen anyhting baout Hereford - Shrewsbury.

To be fair though, there are so many posters about alterations between Fishguard and Cardiff, Carmarthen and Cardiff, and Swansea and Cardiff, there isn't much display space left for anything else.