WSMR economical with the truth

[Squaddie]

WSMR's home page shouts, in big, bold letters, "It's business as usual this weekend.", with a big smiley face alongside.

But if you click on that link you can see that there are replacement buses between Wrexham and Tame Bridge Parkway all day - and that it takes up to 5h45 to get from Wrexham to London.

How can they get away with calling that "business as usual"? Shouldn't it say "Replacement buses this weekend" in big bold letters, with an unhappy face alongside?

And no timetables or Advance tickets for the next 12 weekends (but you do get a "free" sandwich if you're foolish enough to buy a "great value" flexible ticket for the pleasure of sitting on a miserable replacement bus service for hours).

 

[thefab444]

Well replacement buses could be seen as business as usual on the railway at weekends! Another misleading snippet from that page - "We're rebuilding your railway at the moment". Since when did WSMR own track, or do any form of track maintenance?

 

[Clip]

Well replacement buses could be seen as business as usual on the railway at weekends! Another misleading snippet from that page - "We're rebuilding your railway at the moment". Since when did WSMR own track, or do any form of track maintenance?

Maybe not as such but are they not funding it all through DB/Chiltern?

So in essence they are.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I WANT MY FREE SANDWICH! Maybe when they said Business as Usual this weekend they meant Saturday

 

[Squaddie]

Maybe when they said Business as Usual this weekend they meant Saturday

Nope. Replacement buses on Saturday too. And not even a free sandwich.

But, hey, it's all good news! Look, you can buy a great value flexible ticket for just two or three times the price of an advance ticket which we can't sell you because we're "rebuilding your railway" so we can get the average speed of our trains above 45mph!

No other country in western Europe would put up with this crap from its train companies.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Come on, you cant really call WSMR a bad company talking crap because of this, they are better than most other TOCs in GB, just because they twist their words over one weekend's service. Virgin would just put you on a bus, and tell you to consider yourself lucky!

 

[MCR247]

Virgin would just put you on a bus, and tell you to consider yourself lucky!

So WSMR didn't put you on a bus?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

So WSMR didn't put you on a bus?

No, but it's the fact that VT just see you as a way to make money, just another face in the crowd, but WSMR see you as an individual, and the offer of free food as compensation is something no regular operator would do (OAO maybe). And when was the last time WSMR etc used buses over such a distance, most others use them every weekend without apologising.

 

[Squaddie]

Come on, you cant really call WSMR a bad company talking crap because of this...

I didn't call them a bad company. I'm just criticising this one piece of PR guff.

...they are better than most other TOCs in GB...

Hardly a glowing endorsement, when the UK's TOCs are the worst in Europe.

Virgin would just put you on a bus, and tell you to consider yourself lucky!

Which is exactly what WSMR are doing.

We're rebuilding your railway at the moment, so our trains are going by an alternative route. For your great value direct train to London, buy a fully flexible ticket...

Since when does a replacement bus service count as a "direct train", or a fully flexible ticket as "great value"?

...the offer of free food as compensation is something no regular operator would do.

But in order to get your "free" sandwich they're making you buy a fully-flexible ticket. Hardly a great deal.

 

[MCR247]

No, but its the fact that VT just see you as a way to make money, just another face in the crowd, but WSMR see you as an individual, and the offer of free food as compensation is something no regular operator would do (OAO maybe). And when was the last time WSMR etc used buses over such a distance, most others use them every weekend without apologising.

But they only offer the sandwich on Sundays, when the engineering is on all weekend.

But other TOCs do use diversionary routes,
East Coast via Lincoln & Spalding is one
East Coast via Tyne Valley
I'm sure VT diverted some trains to Birmingham via Nuneaton & Coventry(?)

One of the most impressive diversions which is a lot better than WSMR IMO is when Virgin ran 15 car Birmingham/Coventry - Chilterns - Euston trains. This required every single super voyager in service for something like 3 days

Also, WSMR are quite lucky, they use 67s, which are cleared to quite a few places, MK3s which are the same. Pendolinos for example aren't cleared on some routes, meaning it isn't always worth it for just two days

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I didn't call them a bad company. I'm just criticising this one piece of PR guff.

Hardly a glowing endorsement, when the UK's TOCs are the worst in Europe.

Which is exactly what WSMR are doing.

We're rebuilding your railway at the moment, so our trains are going by an alternative route. For your great value direct train to London, buy a fully flexible ticket...

Since when does a replacement bus service count as a "direct train", or a fully flexible ticket as "great value"?

OK, fine, but I just don't think we should have a go WSMR for this, they're a great company, and its not like other TOCs don't make these kind of errors.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

But they only offer the sandwich on Sundays, when the engineering is on all weekend.

But other TOCs do use diversionary routes,
East Coast via Lincoln & Spalding is one
East Coast via Tyne Valley
I'm sure VT diverted some trains to Birmingham via Nuneaton & Coventry(?)

One of the most impressive diversions which is a lot better than WSMR IMO is when Virgin ran 15 car Birmingham/Coventry - Chilterns - Euston trains. This required every single super voyager in service for something like 3 days

Also, WSMR are quite lucky, they use 67s, which are cleared to quite a few places, MK3s which are the same. Pendolinos for example aren't cleared on some routes, meaning it isn't always worth it for just two days

Suppose the closest thin they could do to diversion though is Shrewsbury-Wrexham-Chester-Crewe-Wolves-Usual

I'm not trying to say that WSMR are always right, the statement is incorrect on their site, but its a sandwich more than you'd get on VT You've got to stick by WSMR, because in 18 months time they might not be here!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

But in order to get your "free" sandwich they're making you buy a fully-flexible ticket. Hardly a great deal.

Good point

 

[MCR247]

I wasn't saying I don't like WSMR, I was saying that they aren't always as perfect/better than other TOCs as everyone makes out

 

[Polarbear]

I think maybe we're being a tad harsh here?:roll:

OK, so WMSR have arranged rail replacement buses. The reference to maintaining "normal service" is that the company is doing it's best to operate as near a normal service as possible. It's not exactly the best marketing line to say openly that you are not operating a "normal service" as that would deter people from using your service & buying tickets.

Engineering work is a necessary fact of life on the rail network, as are rail replacement buses.

A week or so ago, I used WMSR on a Sunday to get from Wrexham to Wolverhampton. The 10.47 departure went via Chester, Crewe & Shrewsbury. The ever helpful train crew apologised for the longer than normal journey & clearly explained to all passengers in my carrage what their options were & the revised arrival times. Everyone seemed happy enough.

And I'm sorry, the European comparison doesn't wash. I've been on a rail replacement bus in Switzerland of all places! I wouldn't have been any wiser other than the lack of a train in the platform & a tatty paper sign on the notice board which I just about managed to translate from French to English before the coach turned up! There's plenty of rail replacement buses in France too - some on a much more permanent basis that 1 or 2 days a week for engineering work.

 

[The Planner]

Maybe not as such but are they not funding it all through DB/Chiltern? So in essence they are.

Not between Wrexham and Tame Bridge they're not.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I think maybe we're being a tad harsh here?:roll:

Exactly - I'm not trying to superiorise any TOC, but its amazing which will try to find diversionary routes (EC, XC and VT sometimes), and some that don't bother, and the bit you mentioned about going through sorting out passengers very rarely happens on other TOCs. Great avatar btw

 

[Polarbear]

Britains railways went through a pretty awful phase a few years back where none of the TOC's would divert trains on alternative routes. Even GNER was guilty of running buses where a perfectly servicable alternative route was available.

It was all done in the name of costs, (aka penny pinching). The TOC's quickly sussed that it was far cheaper to hire a few mothbitten coaches than to train their crews on diversionary routes & pay them overtime.

I suspect the light dawned with the "en masse" closures during the WCML upgrade. The weekend service was near to non existant for years & passenger numbers dwindled significantly as a consequence. Certainly, I tried to avoid traelling during the blockades.

The fact is that passengers would much rather travel on a train, even if that train take longer than normal. Bus replacements have their place, but not where a realistic alternative route exists.

 

[tbtc]

I just don't think we could have a go WSMR for this, they're a great company, and its not like other TOCs don't make these kind of errors

I think its interesting to compare the reactions between National Express making a questionable statement (They can get from Stansted Airport to London within 35 minutes, just not *central* London) and WMSR making a questionable statement ("normal service" is a long coach journey)... :roll:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The fact is that passengers would much rather travel on a train, even if that train take longer than normal. Bus replacements have their place, but not where a realistic alternative route exists.

The funny thing is that WMSR have made their niche by providing a direct slow service, which some people prefer to the faster alternative (which involves changing)

Force people to change modes of transport and you take away the whole raison detre of WMSR

 

[Clip]

Not between Wrexham and Tame Bridge they're not.

Ah is that where they are doing it then?

 

[thefab444]

Yes, as was mentioned in the second paragraph of the first post in this thread.

 

[Clip]

Yes, as was mentioned in the second paragraph of the first post in this thread.

You may be mistaking me for someone who reads things properly

 

[route:oxford]

Virgin would just put you on a bus, and tell you to consider yourself lucky!

Then try and charge you because you're idea of a "reasonable alternative route" doesn't quite match that of the operators...

 

[Mr Spock]

I always laugh when people make comparisons between WSMR and Virgin.

Of course things are different WSMR run 3/4 trains a day (consisting of 4 coaches which are mostly empty when I see them) each way where as Virgin are running 9 trains an hour each way (mostly of 9 coaches).

By all means tell us how great WSMR are but with the limited service they provide they should always be able to offer a more personal service, and yes I have been on them and enjoyed it but I have also frequently used Virgin and not often found much to complain about.

 

[Greenback]

No matter how the WSMR flag wavers try and dress it up, it was not business as usual last weekend.

 

[57315]

I did the WSMR 'railtour' back at the beginning of August from Smethwick Galton Bridge -London via the WCML.
It was a long journey, but for the 45 passengers that were onboard they were not bothered by this at all.
My guess is as the weekend after it was normal timetable and the trains were a lot busier most passengers decided to buy tickets for the quickest train either via Chester or changing at Wolverhampton on diversion day.

 

[Clip]

No matter how the WSMR flag wavers try and dress it up, it was not business as usual last weekend.

Probably not. Bit like when virgin had to run on Chilterns rails too.. Bet that wasnt nice.

 

[paul1609]

I reckon time is probably running out for WSMR get it while you can. I reckon that come the end of moderation of competition and Evergreen 3 a deal will quietly be done where Chiltern provide 1 or 2 services a day to Shrewsbury which will call at Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton.

The WSMR stock will be converted to Chiltern standard with a trolly service and no more.

A lot of noise will be made in the Wrexham area, the WAG and on here but Chiltern will just release pretty damming passenger figures.

(ps Im not convinced that GC will survive that long either- that York ORCATS gold pot looks pretty vulnerable in the light of a cash strapped Government trying to relet the East Coast Franchise).

 

[Greenback]

You could well be right. Although the service is good, it's the bottom line that matters!