From the TSSA website[/url

 

But there's another graph going round which shows the same sort of drop in performance on the privatised TOC's, to me, that's more indicative of the state of the infrastructure then anything.

 

Now ... it may be biased by a careful choice of starting date and making no reference to other factors, but I found this diagram from  The Time via "Down the line" rather interesting to consider.

 
I started this thread far, far away - the far north of Scotland - and from there, whatever the fares, the railway takes a long and winding road across the vast peat bogs covering the moorlands of Caithness to avoid the great scars sliced into the coastal cliffs  along the North Sea coast.     After following the coast from Helmsdale through Brora and to Golspie, it then cuts inland again via Lairg to cross the Kyles of Sutherland upriver of the estuary at Invershin/Culrain, before making another great detour around the head of the Black Isle via Dingwall, to arrive into Inverness - although it's the "Far North Line" from the West.

There have - always - been roads with difficult gradients from Wick to Helmsdale, going down and up the magnificent valley slopes from the high moorland to nearly sea level, crossing the valley, and back up the other side.  Modern railway engineering would, no doubt, allow for high viaducts to be built, and modern traction would allow far fiercer gradients, but it has not been done. 

Across the Kyles of Sutherland at the Dornoch Firth, a long causeway now provides a road access to the south from Brora and north thereof, cutting the road distance from Golspie to the south by many miles and many, many minutes.  No engineering reason it could not have included a railway line, but it didn't.

The again, across the two great sea slashes into the coast that form the "Black Isle" - really a peninsular, high quality / speed roads have been built which get you from Invergordon to Inverness in a fraction of the time - and with a fraction of the fuel burn - that the road around the end (and that's the way the railway still goes) would take.  In days gone by, the Kessock Ferry would take you part of this road route.  No need these days - it's bridged - but for road only.

Looking at Google for Journey planning this morning, I am offered around 3 hours by bus / coach and 4 hours and 15 minutes by train from Wick to Inverness.   Even if the cost were equal, most people would elect for the bus?    Of course, it's not that simple - the train and bus also both serve Thurso though in opposite directions, and there the timings are broadly equal at 3 hours and 45 minutes.  And, I would suggest, cost becomes a far more headline consideration.  And looking further south, intermediate places served by one but not the other mode help justify both, as does the comfort, tourist nature, and ability to connect south within the same station for the train.



A picture found online - shared "members only" here as it's not mine - was a stark reminded of road v rail, USA style



[MO]

 

No, I don’t think it’s the air con.  They both went through the depot train wash and the water poured in.

 
Of course they’ll be no radical change!  The DfT have always been in control, nationalisation just cuts out the middle man and gives the DfT accountants more control so expect a gradual decline in all areas with no one publicly answerable to it.

 

Exactly this.

No-one is expecting to wake up on 14 December to a magically transformed railway and it's actually a little condescending to suggest that.

What we need to see is the plan - for long term stability and reliability rather than just tapes and bits of string - the failures in LTV, well documented here, are often daily now - what difference is GBR going to make to this? How? Over what timescale? With what resources?

"A more integrated railway system" in and of itself, is not going to change that and it's the sort of empty phrase that manages to promise much without providing any detail as to how the change and outcomes necessary are going to be achieved.

The irony of "GWR managing director Mark Hopwood said staff had been working hard behind the scenes to ensure passengers do not notice too much change" will take some beating! 

 

And therein, certainly as far as the GWML - particularly the PAD<>NBY section - is concerned, lies the problem; unless and until Network Rail do their job properly and engage in a bit of root cause fault finding rather than, it seems to me, quick fix and forget about it until the next time service performance will not improve.

As to the rolling stock, specifically the IETs, Hitachi don't appear to have exactly covered themselves in glory with these machines. However I do wonder if any 'mean time/distance between failure' data comparison has been carried out across all TOCs that use IETs to possibly identify any variations in failures and their causes. 

 
A couple of points from me, if I may?

The positioning of that trio on the platform at Chippenham for a photo shot was irresponsible. Trains arrive at that platform from the West - behind them.  The narrowing of the platform due to the substantial scaffolding structure accentuates the issue.  When I've been at Chippenham station (and I have, several times recently), the platform staff (and the public address announcements) repeatedly tell people to stay behind the yellow line.  It's there for a reason - safety.

There is a far more suitable photographic site outside the station - there's a wide pedestrian approach, with the historic architecture in the background to validate it as a railway station.  They should note that for next time.

CfN.

 

May I thank you both for your forthright and very polite posts here.

As I started this particular topic, I'll add my own observations to it.

I think Mark Hopwood has done an excellent job here, in explaining why the 'change of ownership' of the railways isn't going to 'wave a magic wand' (see grahame's post elsewhere! ) and solve all of these problems overnight.

The ongoing issues of the lack of reliability of rolling stock and infrastructure, such as signalling, points and overhead line problems, for example, aren't going to be magically resolved on 13 December 2026.

What I do find encouraging is that, after that date, it will no longer be a case of TOC v TOC, or TOCs v Network Rail: it should help to develop a more integrated railway system.  That will benefit everyone on the railways - passengers and staff.

Sorry: my cage was rattled, again.

CfN.

 
I have also merged a couple of topics here, as they both relate specifically to railways in Australia.

For clarity, continuity and ease of future reference to our readers.

CfN.

 
I have, by the way, added an explanation of 'Darwin Award' to our Coffee Shop forum's 'abbreviations & acronyms page' - lest any of our readers might be puzzled as to the term.

CfN.

 
There are no Microsoft servers or products in use in the Coffee Shop, so we haven't any problems like other have today

 
From the BBC:

 

Thanks to the broken rail at Exeter St David's, the Sleeper spent  an hour or so at Exeter Central, then was sent up to Taunton (presumably because of lack of space at St David's) and stabled there for a short while before reversing and continuing its journey down to Penzance some 5 hours down.

 
From the BBC:

 

Real time trains shows it due in Penzance at 07:55 but actually there at 12:45 - that's 290 minutes late.  At it's worst it was 5 hours down - arrive Plymouth at 10:38 as opposed to timetable of 05:38.  Almost as bad as out Leipzig to Frankfurt and then Aachen journey in August, but at least the GWR run looks like it was the train and not standing on an overcrowded bus for the last 90 minutes.

 

I recall suggesting to you several times over the last couple of years not to expect much change at all.  Mirroring exactly what 'Hopwood' said in his statement.

Interestingly though, I am hearing that the 'Sunday in the working' week discussions have been ramping up of late and that the DfT/Unions are close to being able to put it out to the driver membership to vote on. 

Obviously it must be just a coincidence that having sat on them for ages, it's at the point the DfT take over from First Group that these breakthroughs have been made and a deal looking likely soon. 

 

There are so many causes some deep-rooted in the privatisation process
There have been many mid control period budget cuts forced on the industry by the DfT this means renewals get deferred, staff numbers get cut,   

 

I did read elsewhere that it finally arrived over 4 hours late - not sure if that's accurate however.

 

It *is* bidirectional though used as left hand running 99% of the time.   In other words, if something is coming through "wrong road" it is liable to take people by surprise.

 

If that's the case, and all those decades worth of experience exists with vastly improved communications between operators/infrastructure management, how on Earth has said infrastructure been allowed to descend into such a state of utter decreptitude over the past few decades?

(The LTV corridor being a perfect example, which of course contains the sites of two of the major incidents to which you refer)

Surely if safety is the first priority (and I am sure no-one would dispute that it should be), the constant failures of track, signals, points, OHL etc must surely  present a very real risk to it?

It sounds very much to me as if all we have to look forward to is more of the same, with perhaps a few differently painted trains.

I recall asking the experts when all the excitement was triggered on this forum several years ago by the announcement of GWR, what tangibly could customers expect as an improvement. I never really got an answer, but perhaps this has indirectly provided it - very little, for the foreseeable future at least.

 
From the BBC:

 
I see GWR have released the new logo that will appear before the completer repaint
Does seem all a bit of waste of time, energy and money

 
...I should have read the OP better as I thought it was Melksham (note to self for any subsequent picture quiz), don't know if that Chippenham platform is bi-directional?

 
From which direction?

 
They'll no doubt say (and probably were) keeping an eye out for approaching trains, but still a fair point Graham as it's easy to get distracted and sets a bad example to others who may not be aware of potential dangers. It's an odd choice of location anyway and not particularly photogenic with that temporary fencing clearly visible, road cones in the background etc.

 
1. Because participants may not be railway familiar or risk aware

2. Because a herd mentality can click in and people can be swept along with others in group risk-taking

3. Because the special events get wide publicity and pictures will be shared and lauded widely, and will set an example

From Chippenham Town Council on Facebook

[/i]

 
5 cars only for today's 0503 Penzance to Paddington.
Another 'cozy' run!

 

Those down to a broken rail just outside Exeter St David's - that also prevented trains from leaving the Exeter depot.
I posted about the sleeper being held there earlier (didn't realise a broken rail could cause so much of a problem)!
https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=31911.msg381887#msg381887
(My post being
Currently sat at Exeter St David's.
Held at Exeter Central and 72 late.
Arrived EXD▸ 145 minutes late.
As of 0724 still at EXD.
Not much moving around EXD, with many cancellations so far).