# First train services



## BlackArab (Jan 26, 2011)

Good to see that we are getting new trains on the Severn Beach line but someone needs to sort out the scheduling locally. Some examples of my recent trips:

Montpelier to Lawrence Hill - the train stopped at Lawrence Hill while I waited for the doors open, they didn't we then moved off to TM. I asked the guard why she hadn't opened the doors only to be told the timetable for this train does not include Lawrence Hill so even though we had stopped there waiting for a clear line to TM they could not open the doors and let me off. Instead I had to go to TM, wait 10 mins on the same train and then go back where this time I was allowed off the train.

Lawrence Hill to Montpelier - I had to change at Stapleton Road with a ten minute wait. The second train arrives which is the Severn Beach one and I realize why I'd had to change, once again but from a different direction this train for some mysterious reason can't stop at Lawrence Hill and pick up forcing us to go a stop down the line. 

Lawrence Hill to Patchway - The 6.24 which is understandably quiet that early, is 4 carriages long. The 7.24 which is packed with commuters, is 2 carriages long.


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## teccuk (Jan 27, 2011)

Well to be fair, the local service have to fir around the mainline and the increasing traffic paid for by BCC means they need to skip Lawrence Hill every few journeys. Don't know why FGW prioritise Stapleton Rd 

On the 2 v 4 coaches, that;s just FGW being FGW i.e. fucking useless. 

What annoys me is I'd often like to get all the way from Parson St, my local station up to Clifton etc and the timings are always _awful_.


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## bi0boy (Jan 27, 2011)

Do they still have pacers? What new stock you getting?


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## teccuk (Jan 27, 2011)

I think we're just getting more trains, not new ones.

There are some 'new' old ones that are green and blue and came from London. Only reason i know is becuase they still had London maps and Oyster card info on them when they first got here!

We still have the crappy little single car bus things yeah. They usually put them on the crappy two car bus things to make crappy three car bus things.


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## joevsimp (Jan 27, 2011)

teccuk said:


> I think we're just getting more trains, not new ones.
> 
> There are some 'new' old ones that are green and blue and came from London. Only reason i know is becuase they still had London maps and Oyster card info on them when they first got here!
> 
> We still have the crappy little single car bus things yeah. They usually put them on the crappy two car bus things to make crappy three car bus things.


 
we have them on the coastway lines in sussex now, they're ex-silverlink metro, which has been took over by tfl and renamed "london overground", are the lines in Bristol electric or desil though? if they're the diesel ones, I've seen them struggle to get uphill a few times when they were still in london.

Southern have done a nice enough job sprucing theirs up, but having spent several hours today on FGW's reading-redhill route, I'd not be too hopeful


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## BlackArab (Jan 28, 2011)

teccuk said:


> Well to be fair, the local service have to fir around the mainline and the increasing traffic paid for by BCC means they need to skip Lawrence Hill every few journeys. Don't know why FGW prioritise Stapleton Rd
> 
> On the 2 v 4 coaches, that;s just FGW being FGW i.e. fucking useless.
> 
> What annoys me is I'd often like to get all the way from Parson St, my local station up to Clifton etc and the timings are always _awful_.



That's clears something up but I'm still confused over the first journey, I should have explained that the train waited at Lawrence Hill for a couple of mins before moving off, which was more than enough time to open the doors and let me off. I'm sure the guard could have used some discretion as it would have made no difference to the journey time.


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## teccuk (Jan 30, 2011)

BlackArab said:


> That's clears something up but I'm still confused over the first journey, I should have explained that the train waited at Lawrence Hill for a couple of mins before moving off, which was more than enough time to open the doors and let me off. I'm sure the guard could have used some discretion as it would have made no difference to the journey time.


 
Aye, but it was probably not meant to wait there, it was probably just a signal or something. They're not buses you can't just pull over and let people off at a red light 

@joevsimp
Nah i reckon they'll do ok. SW is pretty tough terrain and they are the same as the ones they use on the Devon and Cornwall branch lines.


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## stavros (Jan 30, 2011)

All of Worst Great Western's stock here in Zummerzet still have manually-opening doors, which confuses the hell out people visiting (it did me when I initially came here).


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## big eejit (Feb 2, 2011)

I used to take the Severn Beach line train every day. Now I have to go by bus, by First Fucking Bus. Whatever it's oddities, the Severn Beach line is paradise compared to the ridiculously expensive, consistently late and overall absolute fucking shite of their bus service.


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## teccuk (Feb 3, 2011)

big eejit said:


> I used to take the Severn Beach line train every day. Now I have to go by bus, by First Fucking Bus. Whatever it's oddities, the Severn Beach line is paradise compared to the ridiculously expensive, consistently late and overall absolute fucking shite of their bus service.


 
Couldn't disagree with that  but what you going to do? /rhetorical


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## agricola (Feb 4, 2011)

Nothing to do with the topic, but a wonderful story involing FGW appeared on the Railway Eye blog today:



> It's been all action on the 12:06 Paddington to Penzance today ...
> 
> A gentleman got on at Reading and after having his ticket checked was told that it was not valid.
> 
> ...


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## Geri (Feb 4, 2011)

There was a story in the paper a few weeks ago about a woman who was threatened with arrest and thrown off the train for having the wrong ticket (well, not thrown off but chose to get off as the train refused to go until she got off, and they announced to passengers over the tannoy that the train was being held up due to a fare dodger). Of course it turned out she had the right ticket, and they had to send a letter of apology.

Idiots.


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## teccuk (Feb 4, 2011)

agricola said:


> Nothing to do with the topic, but a wonderful story involing FGW appeared on the Railway Eye blog today:


 
Good god.

The problem is tickets are such a minefield now... bonkers.

Power crazed ticket guy. Plus arrest comes with so much shit now, do they still DNA swab?


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## big eejit (Feb 8, 2011)

Having slagged off First Bus for being the useless buggers that they are, I just came accross this site which promises live info about certain buses. And it seems to work ok from a single experiment:

http://bristol.acislive.com/

OK it's not rocket science but I had assumed that bus science was beyond First.


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## teccuk (Feb 8, 2011)

Its the real time service, radio tracking devices in buses, along most routes now? Council runs the site and the system is open to other operators I think.

Brilliant, but I'd like a site where you can see route maps, timetables and the real time in one place rather than lots of different sites. As well as road congestion updates and the trains now I think of it.

Used google... its all here: www.travelbristol.org but it just sends you to where the info is.


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## teccuk (Mar 2, 2011)

Bristol and South Wales to get nice shiny electric trains! 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12606470

If they sorted out the silly fares... which they won't... i'd be doubly happy. But nice shiny things!


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