Lad got a train to Exeter from Chrustchurch this week.
It stopped at Weymouth and he was told tough, no more trains. Station manager ordered passengers to leave the station.
Cue a long call to GWR. About 30 minutes on hold and insisted on a taxi to the next station on the route with a working service.
Very reluctantly they provided a 1 hour 20 minute taxi to Salisbury and two hours late to Exeter.
Shoddy service and its a shame they have their own rules that protect them from being sued if they don't run the service purchased!
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How did he end up at Weymouth?
Normal route would be Christchurch>Southampton>Salisbury or Westbury then Exeter.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 15 Jul 18 at 21:55
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Having used Copenhagen's metro system last week, it makes out crappy service look positively Victorian.
Driverless trains that run to time 24/7.
Refund of your taxi fare if there's a delay >30 mins.
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>> Having used Copenhagen's metro system last week, it makes out crappy service look positively Victorian.
>>
>> Driverless trains that run to time 24/7.
>>
Your own local underground, opened in Victorian times, was doing a pretty good job, albeit with drivers, of running long hours and to time 40 odd years ago when I used to use it regularly. I would hope it still does the same today.
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>> Lad got a train to Exeter from Chrustchurch this week.
>>
>> It stopped at Weymouth
Not surprised it stopped at Weymouth, its a terminus. It cant go any further (I suppose he could have got the tramway to the dock, but that's been OOU for years.)
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Definitely Weymouth. Not sure why. Definitely the correct train.
Taxi had four passengers in it. Lad for Salisbury and others for another station.
Taxi co knew the train was cancelled before the station staff but were sent packing as the station manager said it was up to the passengers to sort themselves out.
I have to catch one to Glasgow later this week; I am not looking forward to it.
Last edited by: Driver on Sun 15 Jul 18 at 22:50
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>> Taxi co knew the train was cancelled before the station staff but were sent packing
>> as the station manager said it was up to the passengers to sort themselves out.
Assuming passengers were on a proper through booking then operator at Weymouth (South West Trains) is obliged to sort out taxis etc - there are means for him to recover cost. If he denied that then he needs reporting.
>> I have to catch one to Glasgow later this week; I am not looking forward
>> to it.
Where from? I'd much rather travel from here (Northampton) via Birmingham to Glasgow by train and have time to think and work then drive.
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>> Assuming passengers were on a proper through booking then operator at Weymouth (South West Trains) South Western Railway
We had a franchise change
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>> Definitely Weymouth. Not sure why. Definitely the correct train.
There is no valid route from Christchurch to Exeter via Weymouth*
* Its possible by split ticketing, with multiple changes, at certain times of the day and by walking from one Dorchester station to the other.
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>> >> Definitely Weymouth. Not sure why. Definitely the correct train.
>>
>> There is no valid route from Christchurch to Exeter via Weymouth*
Is that per the routing guide for permitted/reasonable routes? via Dorchester and/or Yeovil is possible with change of station.
I was surprised 10 or more years ago to find that Newcastle upon Tyne to Euston via Birmingham and Northampton was not permitted/reasonable - too many miles c/p direct or via Leeds to KX.
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>> >> >> Definitely Weymouth. Not sure why. Definitely the correct train.
>> >>
>> >> There is no valid route from Christchurch to Exeter via Weymouth*
>>
>> Is that per the routing guide for permitted/reasonable routes? via Dorchester and/or Yeovil is possible
>> with change of station.
It's because you would have to split ticket GWR/ SWR, when there is a valid SWR only route
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>> >> There is no valid route from Christchurch to Exeter via Weymouth*
Lad was expecting to change at Southampton and Salisbury stations.
The ticket was a standard off peak single. Seems the train just went to Weymouth.
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>>Where from? I'd much rather travel from here (Northampton) via Birmingham to Glasgow by train and have time to think and work then drive.
Tunbridge Wells.
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>> Lad was expecting to change at Southampton and Salisbury stations.
>>
>> The ticket was a standard off peak single. Seems the train just went to Weymouth.
Something here does not add up. Starting from Christchurch Weymouth is in opposite direction to Southampton - west rather than east. Train would stop at Bournemouth, Poole and probably a few more intermediate stops.
Either people boarded the wrong train, perhaps due to bad announcements/departure board info, or SWR staff directed them via Weymouth, which is not an authorised route, to by pass a problem between Christchurch and S'oton/Salisbury. Late running meant that plan went titzup and people were stranded.
I agree manager at Weymouth should have sorted the problem and worried about the reasons afterwards but there's more to this than was apparent from OP.
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>> Something here does not add up. Starting from Christchurch Weymouth is in opposite direction to
>> Southampton - west rather than east. Train would stop at Bournemouth, Poole and probably a
>> few more intermediate stops.
>>
No conspiracy here.
Train was Christchurch to Southampton, Southampton to Salisbury and Salisbury to Exeter St David's.
Train at Southampton was on time and correct platform and announcer on the train confirmed that it was the Salisbury train.
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>> Train was Christchurch to Southampton, Southampton to Salisbury and Salisbury to Exeter St David's.
>>
>> Train at Southampton was on time and correct platform and announcer on the train confirmed
>> that it was the Salisbury train.
Right, so after significant interrogation, C4P version of waterboarding, lack of sleep and bright lights we are now nearer the truth.
He caught the wrong train and ended up in the wrong place.
Now dont get me wrong it could well have been a Network Rail issue, I know trains into wrong platforms does happen, more often than you think, but I would get a little suspicious that it was going back the way I came, and 40 minutes after I changed trains, I was back at the station I originally got on and then carried on going the wrong way for another 50 minutes.
To compound the Issue, he then demanded another train company, one that does not even offer that route, fix the problem.
Which it seems they did
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>> He caught the wrong train and ended up in the wrong place.
Just a thought.....
Are there trains that arrive at Southampton from the east then divide with a portion for Bournemouth/Weymouth and another via Romsey to Salisbury?
A large number of trains divide/combine at Northampton with one portion for Birmingham and the other terminating to return to London. It's a process a lot of people struggle to grasp.
Doesn't help that kids today seem to have no grasp of geography either north from south or the relative positions of major conurbations. Met a woman at Norton Canes services once who'd spent half an afternoon back and forth on M6 toll looking for IKEA at Wednesbury.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 16 Jul 18 at 11:23
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>> >> He caught the wrong train and ended up in the wrong place.
>>
>> Just a thought.....
>>
>> Are there trains that arrive at Southampton from the east then divide with a portion
>> for Bournemouth/Weymouth and another via Romsey to Salisbury?
Dont think so, the Bournemouth to London train waits for the Poole service to couple up on the back of it. And vice versa of course on the down services
Its probably a train on wrong platform job, I know of one occasion this year where the regional signalling centre stuffed a steam service onto a platform where it wasn't supposed to be, problem was the water tanker to refill the tender was on the other platform. Its not funny reversing a steam train on a non reversible line.
They did it again the next month.
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 16 Jul 18 at 11:51
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Time you looked at a map Bromp.
Southampton is west of Christchurch...
Weymouth is west of Southampton....
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Southampton is East of Christchurch . Get a new map.
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>>Southampton is west of Christchurch...
When did it relocate?
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OK ... I was wrong... I was thinking Chichester , not Christchurch.
Still seems strange routing .
I will avoid using trains when I can as I live in Southern / Thameslink area ..enough said.
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I'm thinking of Christchurch on eastern outskirts of Bournemouth between Hinton Admiral and Bournemouth itself. Other side of New Forest to, and west of, Southampton.
Is there another?
Or am I going mad?
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>> Is there another?
New Zealand.
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>>He caught the wrong train and ended up in the wrong place.
No, he caught the right train, it went to the wrong place.
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>> >>He caught the wrong train and ended up in the wrong place.
>>
>> No, he caught the right train, it went to the wrong place.
I'm sorry but I don't think you're being told the whole story here.
A train that is supposed to be going to Salisbury cannot get to Weymouth by mistake. Even if a train is wrongly signaled for a few yards the driver stops it and the Accident Investigation people get involved.
I did consider possibility of falling asleep through Salisbury. IIRC it's possible to reach Weymouth directly from Salisbury but such a routing would involve track between Yeovil Pen Mill and Yeovil Junction not normally used by passenger services.
Zero will know answer to that.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 16 Jul 18 at 12:51
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Afterthought:
OP says there were four people in the taxi from Weymouth. That suggests an announcing/platforming issue or some other misdirection.
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I thought the route was as published on National Rail.
Son confirms this was the route - cheapest - non split ticket...
Christchurch to Bournemouth.
Bournemouth to Weymouth.
Weymouth to Castle Cary
Castle Cary to Exeter St David's
No trains to Castle Cary were running. Told tough by station manager - as were other passengers.
Eventually taxis provided to take passengers to connecting stations including son to most sensible station to continue route as there were no further connections from Castle Cary either and that turned out to be Salisbury!
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>> I thought the route was as published on National Rail.
>>
>> Son confirms this was the route - cheapest - non split ticket...
>>
>> Christchurch to Bournemouth.
>> Bournemouth to Weymouth.
>> Weymouth to Castle Cary
>> Castle Cary to Exeter St David's
Put that way the pieces fall into place. Don't know if that's a 'reasonable route' or not and the routing guide's a right s o d to make sense of.
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>> >> Christchurch to Bournemouth.
SWR
>> >> Bournemouth to Weymouth.
SWR
>> >> Weymouth to Castle Cary
GWR
>> >> Castle Cary to Exeter St David's
GWR
A ticket that is not available to purchase at Christchurch or Bournemouth. Not an authorised route, has to be done on split ticketing.
(Good Cop, Bad Cop Routine now)
Earlier on you told us it was "Christchurch to Southampton, Southampton to Salisbury and Salisbury to Exeter St David's."
Whats the real story, HUH, you think we are fools Huh < Slap>
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>> A ticket that is not available to purchase at Christchurch or Bournemouth. Not an authorised
>> route, has to be done on split ticketing.
If the ticket is 'any reasonable route' and not endorsed for a specific TOC then SWR/GWR makes no difference. National Rail uses Southampton>Salisbury as main route from Bournemouth too. Some things may differ though as Christchurch is grouped with Brockenhurst for routing purposes whereas Bournemouth is a routing point in its own right.
For some journeys though National Rail does route via Castle Cary albeit asking passengers to find their own way between Dorchester's stations rather than use Weymouth. There may though be a 'double back' easement to permit such a route without having to change stations.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 16 Jul 18 at 16:10
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>> A ticket that is not available to purchase at Christchurch or Bournemouth. Not an authorised
>> Whats the real story, HUH, you think we are fools Huh < Slap>
>>
See my post below. Season ticket held between Christchurch and Bournemouth.
Tickets for the specific journey from Bournemouth are available on National Rail Enquiries on the Bournemouth, Weymouth, Castle Cary, Exeter route.
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Sorry Driver,
can you just confirm where he found this route, what he was searching for and what day/time he was travelling.
Both my normal train finder options, Trainline and GWR suggest a route via Southampton and salisbury, which is what I would have expected, and far less chance of being stranded off major routes.
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I *think* the routing guide permits this as a reasonable route. You'd need a good knowledge of the railway system to find it though. Is Driver junior a rail enthusiast by any chance?
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 16 Jul 18 at 14:57
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Route planned from Christchurch to Bournemouth as season ticket held.
Christchurch to Bournemouth 15:52, arriving 16:00
Then used National Rail Enquiries for the connecting Bournemouth route, 16:24, arriving Exeter St David's at 20:10. Monday.
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>>Is Driver junior a rail enthusiast by any chance?
Student with very limited budget. Cheapest route found. Saved £9 before rail card.
That, and going backwards to Southampton didn't make sense.
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>> Student with very limited budget. Cheapest route found. Saved £9 before rail card.
>>
>> That, and going backwards to Southampton didn't make sense.
>>
except that would have given him a number of alternate trains in the event of a problem.
His planned train should not have been cancelled but these things happen, a lesson in life choices and why cheapest is not always best.
Puts it in perspective a bit
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Mrs B on way to London this morning on visit to Primary School re possible research.
Delayed between Bletchley and Leighton Buzzard due to a reported 'bridge bash'. Crawling now so presumably passing site at reduced speed.
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Bet it's one of ours, we've just hired in 24 x 15' 5'' trailers for a new contract:)
Pat
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Trains are rubbish - Bromptonaut
