TransWilts trains - what the next franchise period will bring
Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2012-08-04 11:18:36 - Graham EllisA week ago, the Department for Transport published the Invitation to Tender for the Great Western Franchise - i.e. it detailed what it's asking a company (from the prescreened bidder list) to run in train services for the 15 years from July 2013. With some exceptions, the requested service level (numbers of trains) is broadly as at present, but with many of the tighter rules that were in the previous franchise specification giving way to a decision being left to the operator. Most of the exceptions relate to projects such as Crossrail, the IEP project of train renewal, and the Great Western electrification.
On the TransWilts line, train service numbers in the main document are "controlled" by the ITT Appendix (a), calling pattern at Melksham where 4 calls per day are required Monday through Friday, and a total of 7 over the weekend. Rather curiously, this is listed under "Heart of Wessex" - the Bristol to Weymouth line. That's as running at present - one more train per week than the contract, but there's no longer any statement at all about the particular times. The old timing rules, which were (I understand) designed to allow for return commuter trips into Swindon, didn't have that effect anyway, as they were met in letter but, alas, not in spirit.
What's very positive is the movement of schemes that have been going ahead - in Bristol, Devon and Cornwall helped by the local county councils there into the mainstream, and a request as a costed option for a much more appropriate TransWilts service which steps us along a very clear similar path. It looks rather like all our ducks are coming in to line, and that everyone is rowing in the same direction.
The costed option request for quote states:
| Wiltshire County Council have been working to develop rail connectivity across the county, with a particular focus on providing an improved level of service for the town of Melksham. This scheme seeks to introduce additional weekday rail services, and reinstate Sunday services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham. This Priced Option requires the provision of the following specification: Monday-Friday: six additional trains in each direction, one train approximately every two hours between 08:00 and 19:30 with at least one arrival into Swindon (Northbound) and Westbury (Southbound) before 08:50; and at least one departure from Westbury after 19:15 and one departure from Swindon after 18:00; Saturday: six additional trains in each direction, as per Monday-Friday with the addition that one late service must depart Swindon after 19:00; and Sunday: four additional trains year round, with at least one arriving into and one departing from Swindon by 12:00, and at least one service departing from Westbury after 18:00, and one departing Swindon after 18:00. Additional seasonal extension from Swindon to connect with a Westbury-Weymouth service at Westbury, before 11:00, and one Wesbury-Swindon service to connect with a Weymouth-Westbury service departing Weymouth after 16.59. Assumed start date: December 2013 subject to rolling stock availability. If rolling stock is a constraint, Bidders should indicate this in the submission and start the service from the earliest achievable timetable change date. Weighting: 100% Further information can be found at www.transwiltsrail.org.uk and from Wiltshire County Council. Because this scheme is at an advanced stage of development and has secured 3rd party funding, it may be the case that the current Franchisee and promoter are able to mobilise and introduce the service before the end of the current franchise. In this case a revised assumed start date will be advised to Bidders. |
There are some very significant elements in there.
* The requested minimum service level is 8 round trips per day, Monday to Saturday and 6 (northbound) 5 (southbound) on Sundays. There is some confusion as to the Sunday spec, as the document asks for a quote for "re-instatement" whereas the current service minimum is 2 northbound (and no southbound) trains.
* It is conceivable that the specification could be contorted to still fail to provide commuter services - it's not watertight against a northbound service from Westbury at 05:30, returning from Swindon to Westbury at 06:15 meeting the "before 08:50" requirement, for example. But I believe that the commercial interest with an allday service running too has swung, and now points to true peak services.
* Sunday round trips are explicity possible (and all year too), rather than a very limited Sunday service providing only for long distance single journeys in the late afternoon and early evening as at present.
To some extent, I'm poking myself and saying "can I believe this?". We've had so many false dawns and setbacks over the years, we've been kicked into the long grass to often, that it's very easy indeed to remain cautious and / or cynical. But actually the service levels shown / suggested are slighly slimmer than I might wish, but never the less appear to have correcly taken into account much of the research, survey data and practical informaltion that has been generated.
"So what might a timetable look like?" ... and there you have the ,000 question. The Swindon to Westbury section of the TransWilts line cannot be considered in isolation. Both Swindon and Westbury are interchange points, and there are lots of other trains around each of them, which have to be meshed with and connected with. And some of the TransWilts services may carry on beyond them. In detail ...
* Local Services from Swindon to Cheltenham currently intermesh with the occasional current TransWilts service; those services are expected to change at around 2017, when the local services on that line are replaced by through services from / to London
* Electrification between Swindon and Thingley Junction will result in a recast of trains over that section
* At Westbury, there's a huge question as to whether the TransWilts service should carry on via Dilton Marsh and Warminster to Salisbury (in which case it should arrive at Westbury approx 30 minutes different to the Cardiff to Portsmouth service), or whether it should connect into that Cardiff to Portsmouth service which would also serve Dilton Marsh.
* At Westbury, an important ongoing connection is to Frome, and on to the Weymouth line. That's another line where options are being explored, and the two need to be in sync. You may have noticed that the spec calls for Summer Sunday connections to Weymouth, and there are options to be looked at such as the TransWilts service being extended onto Heart of Wessex metals.
In theory, the services south of Salisbury could be provided in the new franchise by 18 return trips of the Cardiff / Portsmouth train, and 2 return trips to Brighton (which I think can now be off peak - logical for the longer distance traveller, and using resources which has been used for a peak service into Bristol). One of these services needs to run via Eastleigh, the rest via Southampton. That then leaves the South West Trains franchise to provide an hourly Salisbury - Southampton ( - Eastleigh - Romsey) service, the GW franchise providing the 2nd train in the hour, and the remaining "odd train" resources that are vestiges of the period before the SWT service was instigated being redeployed north of Salisbury. All rather sensible.
Back to my question "What might a timetable look like?" ... here's just one example that would meet the specification:
PAD - London (Paddington) connections. Then
SWI (Swindon) CPM (Chippenham) MKM (Melksham) TRO (Trowbridge) and WSB (Westbury)
You'll note 10 trains rather than 8 shown - that's the existing Cheltenham services which probably should run until 2017.
You'll note that the whole thing could be displaced by 30 minutes depending on what's happening South of Westbury.
You'll note a three hour gap in the middle of the day in order to ensure that peak commuter services work.
London (Paddington) connections shown are current services, and are NOT shown if they are overtaken by the following train in the opposite direction.
I wouldn't be surprised if there are an awful lot of scenarios floating around at the moment!
An example of what fits the specification ... Sundays:
From Westbury at 07:25, 09:55, 12:55, 16:55, 19:35 and 21:35
From Swindon at 08:15, 10:45, 13:45, 17:45, 20:45 and 22:55
The 08:15 from Swindon would carry on to Weymouth in the summer.
The 19:35 from Westbury would connect from Weymouth all year.
Two other interesting tables - the Melksham to Bristol flow, changing at either Trowbridge or Chippenham
All trains (Except footnote %) also serve Bath Spa
I can't stress enough - this is just one of a number of options that could be worked out / proposed - no more than a "demonstration of concept".