GWRF2020-09 Seasonal and special event services

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Consultation Question 9

What additional seasonal train services do you consider to be particularly important to retain or improve in the next franchise?
Why?


Explanatory text

Many routes served by the Great Western franchise experience substantial fluctuations in demand, e.g. during summer and other holiday periods, or associated with Christmas shopping, such as Bath or Bristol Christmas markets.

For predictable, seasonal variations in travel demand, we anticipate that the train service specification for the next franchise will include some specific requirements, e.g. for changes to service patterns to reflect summer patterns of demand, continuing the current practice, unless there is a good reason to do anything differently.

For special events, it is not feasible to include specific requirements about every event that might take place across such a wide franchise geography, but we will strengthen the requirement for the next franchisee to have a clear plan for how it will meet the needs of passengers travelling to and from special events, working with event organisers, the police and other local partners.

See http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19037 for the background to this topic

[grahame]

I find myself wondering if this is the place to register in consultation inputs that Boxing Day should be far less of a special event than it has been in the past 

[ellendune]

I find myself wondering if this is the place to register in consultation inputs that Boxing Day should be far less of a special event than it has been in the past 

I remain unconvinced of the need for a Boxing Day service.  The quid pro quo is that it will increase the cost of some engineering projects significantly as there will become an expectation of such a service.