Topic: Community Rail Partnership Launches For Swindon/TransWilts Area

[Transwilts]

The TransWilts Community Rail Partnership will be holding a launch event on 26th March 2010 at 19:30 at Bridge House, Trowbridge.

The core aims of the Partnership are:


- To work with community partners and the rail industry to promote existing rail services and facilitate future improvements to them on the TransWilts Salisbury-Warminster-Dilton Marsh-Westbury-Trowbridge-Melksham-Chippenham-Swindon route, including those from TransWilts stations to other destinations further afield.



- To work with community partners and the rail industry to seek and facilitate improvements to TransWilts station facilities, and to provide volunteers to assist in this regard.



- To raise awareness of and increase community involvement with rail issues along the TransWilts route.



- To act as a bridge between the rail industry and TransWilts communities, and facilitate better communication between them.



They are now looking for input from the people of Swindon regarding how their community would like to see their rail services and station facilities develop/improve, and for their help in working with the Partnership to achieve that.

For more details on how to get involved visit http://www.transwilts.org.uk/whatis.html , call Graham Ellis on 01225 708225 or e-mail info@transwilts.org.uk

[Mart]

I am going to Camden on Thursday.

£114.50.

I would like something done about that.

[moley]

I am going to Camden on Thursday.

£114.50.

I would like something done about that.

Buy 2 singles... it's usually cheaper than the return (except on a Friday) as you can probably get an off-peak London->Swindon ticket.

Moley

[Mart]

I can't.

I'm tied in to a competitive supplier.

That said £114.50 should be laughable and it isn't.

That's laughable.

[moley]

I can't.

I'm tied in to a competitive supplier.

That said £114.50 should be laughable and it isn't.

That's laughable.

that is rubbish...  (actually I have to go to London on Thursday as well but at least can do the 2 singles trick).



Moley

[Muggins]

If you are both going why don't you car share?  How much would that cost?

Not that I , of all people, should be encouraging you to use petrol instead of public transport.

[moley]

If you are both going why don't you car share?  How much would that cost?

Not that I , of all people, should be encouraging you to use petrol instead of public transport.

probably not practical - I have to be in London pretty early in the morning (and won't be coming back till pretty late) so traffic likely to be too painful 

[Transwilts]

Many thanks for that.

We'll be discussing fares as part of our meeting with First Great Western on March 30th, and I'll be sure to let you know on here how that goes.

Any other issues you want raised, please do mention them.

[grahame]

Hi ... a brief "hello" from me - I'm the "Graham" referred to in the first post in this thread, and I get fairly heavily involved in fares issues from the passenger's viewpoint as well as being concerned with the "TransWilts" service.

Swindon to London by train - if you simply walk up and buy a ticket - is just about the most expensive journey per mile anywhere in Europe.  But here are some thoughts which may help you if you happen to fit into any of these marketing groups:

a)  If you can book ahead and know what train you'll be travelling on in both directions, advanced fares are available and even if you can't save in one direction you may be able to save in the other.  And if you're peak one way, buy singles, but if you're peak both ways, then a return is cheaper

b) If you travel from Swindon to Didcot ... then you travel from Didcot to London with a separate ticket, it can be much cheaper.  That sounds crazy, I know ... but look up some trains on the national rail site and you'll see what I mean.   The best bit is that you can buy Swindon to Didcot and Didcot to London tickets at Swindon station (they are obliged to sell them to you), so you don't need to get off the train at Didcot at all. The rules state, however, that you must use a train which calls at Didcot if you're going to do this.

c) There are some special fares called "GroupSave" which are available on offpeak fares ... if there are 3 or 4 of you going, then if you're tarvelling together you can get "3 for the price of 2" or even "4 for the price of 2".  Children are a pound each, as I recall.

There are times I feel that the system is overcomplex ... but that does mean there are a lot of opportunities if you look carefully. 

[Muggins]

"There are times I feel that the system is overcomplex"

Just sometimes?

If I had to go through that todo I'd rather stop home.

Terrible marketing too.

[grahame]

"There are times I feel that the system is overcomplex"

Just sometimes?

No - I was being sarcastic but it doesn't come across in a first post, does it?  The whole fares system needs a radical shakeout, and some of the services need proper marketing.   Actually that's a lot of what the Rail Partership's about - getting information out there in sensible chunks, and looking to help move the things that are being marketed forward in a sensible way.


If I get the 06:16 on Monday morning from Swindon to Salisbury, it's a direct train and it takes 80 minutes.  If I catch the 06:25, it takes 127 minutes with a change in Bath. 

The fare on the 06:16 is 50 pounds, no advanced fares available. On the 06:25, I can at present get an advanced fare of 12 pounds, or a single on the day at 21 pounds.  Or if I buy a Swindon to Melksham and a Melksham to Salisbury ticket, I pay 6.40 + 10.00 = 16.40, and can pay on the day and travel on the 06:16, saving 47 minutes on my journey and 33.40 on the 50 pound fare.

Come to thing of it, sarcasm doesn't come in to it - it's madness.

[Mart]

Like I said. Laughable.

And, I 'll probably stand all the feckin way.

[Drone]

*bump*


6% fare rises. miserable.

[Muggins]

I've just realised this thread is about a North to south (and back again) rail system - nothing to do with going to London, except as an changing place.

The North to south thing has come up at many meetings about transport (or rather in the bit of the meetings about transport). 

So come on you lot, what do you think about that?  Good or Bad?  Would you use it if it was there? if it sis already what would improve it?

[Mellon]

I see Mr buckland asked out the platform in parliament this morning (ill post it once I get home)