Westbury East Loop Jn & Hawkeridge Jn

[trainfanatic]

Public notice in the Daily Telegraph today regarding this area. Quote 'Under the terms of the Railways Act 2005, the Secretary of State may designate a new passenger rail service as experimental. this is to allow the services long term viability to be demonstrated before it becomes permanent. The following have been designated (Title heading)

1) The Secretary of State , blah blah blah...hereby designates as experimental, in relation to the line between Westbury East loop Jn and Hawkeridge Jn in Wiltshire, services to be provided on that line.

2) Designation to run for 5 years commencing May 22nd 2011.

Whats this all about?

Not sure where to put this...if incorrect location, please move.

 

[imagination]

Is this to do with the 17:06 from London Paddington to Westbury changing to the 17:06 London Paddington to Bristol via Newbury and Pewsey?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Isn't it the new Paddington-Newbury-above curve-Trowbridge-Bristol Temple Meads train M-F from 22 May? First direct train from Trowbridge etc to Paddington for 40-odd years, diverted from Castle cary, whose lost services are fully covered by others.

 

[trainfanatic]

No idea....I'm not from that area but thought local people might be interested if it helps them?

 

[imagination]

The train used to be:
London paddington
Twyford
Reading
Theale
Thatcham
Newbury
Kintbury
Hungerford
Bedwyn
Pewsey
Westbury

It's losing the stop at Westbury (which has a train 7 mins later anyway that takes 20 mins less from paddington) and adding Trowbridge, Bradford-on-avon, Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads.

 

[Zoe]

Since the Railways Act 1993 the Secretary of State must from time to time decide which services should be provided under a franchise agreement, it was this power that allowed services to be franchised originally. The Railways Act 2005 allows an experimental designation and that is clearly what has been done here.

 

[swt_passenger]

The main point about it being declared experimental is that there is no need for formal closure procedures during the 5 year period, they can just delete it from the timetable, job done.