New Go-op train service between Swindon, Taunton and Weston-super-Mare approved by ORR

[realemil]

Today, the ORR has approved a new Go-op train service.

Tweet from ORR: https://x.com/railandroad/status/1857427965417566461?s=46&t=OScs08OBW208ZMvP8y1gWA

We have today approved a new Go-op train service between Swindon, Taunton and Weston-super-Mare.

The operator must meet set conditions to begin operations.

Read more

Press release: http://orr.gov.uk/search-news/regul...vice-between-swindon-taunton-and-weston-super

The rail regulator has given the go ahead for new train services between Swindon, Taunton and Weston-super-Mare from the end of 2025. The regulator has also set conditions on its approval to ensure the new, co-operatively owned operator has sufficient finance and rolling stock in place in good time.

Good to see more open access operators

Edit:
Part of the tweet included an image with the following:

Martin Jones, Deputy Director, Access, Licensing & International, said:

“Our decision gives Go-op the opportunity to bring the first co-operatively owned train service and the first regional open access service in the UK. We think this novel proposal can benefit passengers across Somerset and Wiltshire.

“We will closely monitor Go-op’s progress towards meeting the financial and rolling stock requirements that are needed before it can bring the services into operation.”

ORR logo

Edit 2: Their website is certainly something: https://go-op.coop/

 

[Mikey C]

What are they going to use? Suitable DMUs are at a premium, depending on what happens to the 175s and if any are still spare.

 

[brad465]

Excellent, will be interesting to see what rolling stock they get for it (IIRC they were floating the idea of 153s initially). This should also provide a catalyst for a new station in the Langport-Somerton area.

 

[The_Train]

Well this seemed to appear out of nowhere

Have we finally found out where the Class 93s are going to be used?

 

[realemil]

IIRC they were floating the idea of 153s initially

Yes - as part of their original application (found https://www.orr.gov.uk/sites/defaul...-access-application-form-p-go-op-2023-may.pdf), they wanted to use Class 153s. I couldn’t find what they plan to use otherwise (I may have missed it though).

 

[superalbs]

This lot have been trying to run a service for years. Previous iterations involved CSR "Pacesetter" diesel units, and Vivarail D-trains. Is it actually going to happen now?

 

[The exile]

Today, the ORR has approved a new Go-op train service.

Tweet from ORR: https://x.com/railandroad/status/1857427965417566461?s=46&t=OScs08OBW208ZMvP8y1gWA



Press release: http://orr.gov.uk/search-news/regul...vice-between-swindon-taunton-and-weston-super



Good to see more open access operators

Edit:
Part of the tweet included an image with the following:

Suggest the sentence about ensuring the operator has sufficient finances is the key!

 

[The Planner]

How many years have they been trying? They have come up with more routes than most have had hot dinners.

 

[realemil]

The bottom of their website certainly has a lot of interesting routes they’d like to operate: https://go-op.coop/our-planned-services/

 

[irish_rail]

Great, that can battle with the Weymouths over who is going to cause the biggest delay to the Padd Penzance fasts.....

 

[brad465]

This lot have been trying to run a service for years. Previous iterations involved CSR "Pacesetter" diesel units, and Vivarail D-trains. Is it actually going to happen now?

How many years have they been trying? They have come up with more routes than most have had hot dinners.

Has the ORR ever approved a proposal of theirs prior to this one?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Our planned services

Making vital connections across Somerset and Wiltshire Our proposal for 2025 This shows the route that we plan to operate from the end of 2025 onwards – and which now has the approval of the …

go-op.coop

What rolling stock will you use?

There is a shortage of diesel multiple units in the UK, which has made rolling stock one of the most challenging elements in our planning (to say nothing of our desire to move beyond fossil fuels). However, there are several class 153 units in storage that have come out of service because they do not meet modern standards of accessibility. We’re inspired by the way that Transport for Wales has given similar units a new lease of life with a major modification and refurbishment programme, so our plan is to do the same.

Looks like they're all in on 153s.

 

[Simon11]

How have they managed to pass the Not Primarily Abstractive (NPA) test, as they appear just to matched the routes of GWR already take and thus it makes it very hard to show that they will grow new demand?

 

[weeklycommuter]

I note the following so I doubt if this open access service will ever run.

https://www.orr.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2024-11/2024-11-15-go-op-s17-decision-letter.pdf

44. Go-op’s limited rail experience and novel (in the rail sector) commercial model meant we considered it necessary to gather a reasonable degree of further evidence on Go-op’s ability to use the capacity in its application.
45. Following our assessment of Go-op’s operational plans and business model, we have concluded that the ongoing viability of these services is less clearly established than previous open access proposals approved by ORR. The resultant risks mean that we will be setting strict conditions precedent around Go-op’s ability to use the rights.
46.These conditions precedent will include a requirement to evidence, to ORR’s satisfaction and within 12 months of the contract being entered into:
• the necessary finance to start operations;
• the necessary finance to fund £1.5m of level crossing enhancements in advance of operations commencing; and
• that the necessary rolling stock has been secured.
47. We will discuss the exact terms of the contract with the parties following publication of this decision letter. We recognise that the completion of level crossing enhancements is reliant on Network Rail, which has responsibilities as a competent infrastructure manager under its licence.

The following refers to 14 class 153 single carriage trains in storage each with 59 seats. The services would have more seats if they were run on the roads using 70 seat double decker buses.

British Rail Class 153 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Stored 14 153301, 153304, 153315, 153319, 153351, 153354–153357, 153375, 153378, 153381, 153383, 153384

 

[Starmill]

This idea made slightly more sense when there were only two trains a day which served Melksham.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

The following refers to 14 class 153 single carriage trains in storage each with 59 seats. The services would have more seats if they were run on the roads using 70 seat double decker buses.

153s can be coupled together, as TfW do.

 

[Starmill]

I note the following so I doubt this open access service will ever run.


The following refers to 14 class 153 single carriage trains in storage each with 59 seats. The services would have more seats if they were run on the roads using 70 seat double decker buses.

I do wonder what condition the fourteen units mentioned are actually in. If that's an up to date list that is.

 

[LUYMun]

The only indicative timetable I could find was their link to a Dropbox for their previous proposal for Swindon-Taunton-Bishops Lydeard service: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wgc1....pdf?rlkey=9f8mqegy2a3nzt2kbm24wrwgm&e=2&dl=0

 

[Iskra]

Could they not have found something a little more useful than linking the notoriously sprawling metropolis’ of Taunton and Swindon?

 

[superalbs]

The only indicative timetable I could find was their link to a Dropbox for their previous proposal for Swindon-Taunton-Bishops Lydeard service: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wgc1....pdf?rlkey=9f8mqegy2a3nzt2kbm24wrwgm&e=2&dl=0

Trains cancelled one day every 24wk and one day every 4wk???

 

[Jacob Porrett]

Will be interesting to see if they use 153s because many have been stored for years and are not in very good shape.

 

[Tazi Hupefi]

Trains cancelled one day every 24wk and one day every 4wk???

Network Rail infrastructure trains / engineering access.

 

[weeklycommuter]

The following track access application has more details on the intended train services. Firm rights requested for:
11 a day in total each way Monday to Friday 4 TAU SWI 3 TAU WSB 2 TAU WSM 2 FRO WSB
8 a day in total each way Saturday and Sunday 4 TAU SWI 2 TAU WSB 2 TAU WSM

https://www.orr.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2022-11/passenger-access-application-form-p-go-op-2023-may.pdf

1.5 Executive summary of the proposed contract or amendment: Service Group GO01 will operate from 2023 to 2035 using class 153 rolling stock (with modifications for PRM compliance). All timing loads are therefore 15x. There will initially be two diagrams operated by three sets.

Other documents related to the track access application can be referenced on the following web page under New Contracts (section 17 and 18)

Current track access applications | Office of Rail and Road

All documents relating to track access applications we are currently considering. This may include application forms, draft agreements, any related documents and responses we make public.

www.orr.gov.uk

 

[meld3]

• the necessary finance to fund £1.5m of level crossing enhancements in advance of operations commencing

Seems a bit rough to make them pay for this when surely there are currently acceptable level crossings already in place ??

 

[LUYMun]

A key point I highly appreciate is that GBRF objected to the Go-Op proposal because even they knew 153s weren't suited to such routes!

(page 4 of ORR Decision letter)
18. Two industry responses were not supportive of the proposal: • GB Railfreight queried the contract length, the proposed start date (which has been delayed since then), and the feasibility of using Class 153 rolling stock in the long term. It also asked to see the outcome of the timetable development work when available

 

[reb0118]

Seems a bit rough to make them pay for this when surely there are currently acceptable level crossings already in place ??

A level crossing may be deemed acceptable for a certain number of trains per day at certain times. Any improvement (i.e. increase) in that number of trains could affect the acceptability of those same level crossings.

 

[Snow1964]

How have they managed to pass the Not Primarily Abstractive (NPA) test, as they appear just to matched the routes of GWR already take and thus it makes it very hard to show that they will grow new demand?

GWR sort of run route in sections, so many of the combinations of trains require connections (and because they are are part of different timetable groups rather than feeders to each other, the connection times are often long and unattractive)

Swindon-Chippenham has generally half hour service (Paddington via Bath services)

Chippenham-Melksham-Trowbridge is sparse service, and prone to interruptions due to long single line section.

Trowbridge - Westbury mainly served by trains to Bristol (and although nominally 3 per hour, often bunched within same 30 mins)

Westbury - Frome - Castle Cary mainly 2 hourly with some terminators from Bristol at Frome. Rather irregular spaced local service and connections to London via Newbury

Castle -Cary - Taunton served by London to Devon / Cornwall trains, but don't connect brilliantly with some of the services via Westbury

Taunton - Weston super Mare has local services between non stop services, but don't connect that well at Taunton if you want to go to Frome etc

In blunt terms GWR has rather treated it as an intermediate part of other services, and not really done anything to encourage travel between the local stations. And there are pretty rubbish connections from the area if you want to go to/from Midlands or North West etc (and cross country pricing via Birmingham is hefty, not to mention that many services are crowded 4 car voyagers), so not much incentive to take train to/from the area.

 

[brad465]

How have they managed to pass the Not Primarily Abstractive (NPA) test, as they appear just to matched the routes of GWR already take and thus it makes it very hard to show that they will grow new demand?

The core flow doesn't have the best frequency, which is currently once every 2 hours with a few extras making some hourly periods. There are also some direct flows that are either not currently possible or only happen once or twice a day (like Taunton-Frome). If the Taunton reversal also happens that will definitely create some new direct flows.

Furthermore, while not currently the case, if a new station in the Langport-Somerton area opens, this service could easily be the main one serving it, maybe with a few extra GWR services.

 

[Horizon22]

It's certainly an odd but potentially useful route which doesn't have a core freqeuncy (although parts of it all do separately) but I also don't think there will be loads of demand. As stated above, there's still quite a few caveats before this comes into service.

Melksham is also a key diversionary route for WoE when anything happens on the B&H, so could cause more delay on what already extends the journey time by about 20-30 mins.

 

[Chris125]

I doubt we'll ever hear about this again.