train services after Wales v France

[truckman060473]

heard somewhere that due to the rugby late finish Friday night (26th) there won't be many trains available (or no extra ones) for fans leaving Cardiff Central. with the beer flowing earlier, i doubt it'll be a very nice place to be! how many times are the barrier staff going to get asked "what you mean there isn't a train to xxxxx?"

 

[Solent&Wessex]

heard somewhere that due to the rugby late finish Friday night (26th) there won't be many trains available (or no extra ones) for fans leaving Cardiff Central. with the beer flowing earlier, i doubt it'll be a very nice place to be! how many times are the barrier staff going to get asked "what you mean there isn't a train to xxxxx?"

But you could ask why should a train company provide extra trains - at vast expense - just for a sports game? Especially seeing as it is highly likely that over 50% will not buy a ticket and the trains will no doubt end up in a state, thus requiring even more money and effort to put right again? I have no sympathy at all.
.g

 

[the sniper]

But you could ask why should a train company provide extra trains - at vast expense - just for a sports game? Especially seeing as it is highly likely that over 50% will not buy a ticket and the trains will no doubt end up in a state, thus requiring even more money and effort to put right again? I have no sympathy at all.
.g

Not to mention the BTP turnout that would/will be required...

 

[gordonthemoron]

there are always extra trains/trams/buses after sports events and large outdoor concerts in germany, why are british TOCs so useless?

 

[87015]

there are always extra trains/trams/buses after sports events and large outdoor concerts in germany, why are british TOCs so useless?

If its not easy, guaranteed money they tend not to be interested.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

But you could ask why should a train company provide extra trains - at vast expense - just for a sports game? Especially seeing as it is highly likely that over 50% will not buy a ticket and the trains will no doubt end up in a state, thus requiring even more money and effort to put right again? I have no sympathy at all.
.g

Little idea of providing a service??

 

[Bellwater]

i don't blame ATW for not putting on extra Trains for the Drunken, self-obsessed fools. they'll only smash them up anyway.

 

[merlodlliw]

The local daily ran a story by ATW press office on Tuesday, informing any rugby fans, there would be no trains from Cardiff to the North after the match.
They suggested using other forms of transport or stay overnight.

Golf buggies come to mind,as the idea as already been set by idiots.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

i don't blame ATW for not putting on extra Trains for the Drunken, self-obsessed fools. they'll only smash them up anyway.

1. You are confusing Cardiff & Swansea football fans with the national team.
2. I am not aware ATW have extra trains
3. What as the planner got to do with this thread,

 

[yorksrob]

But you could ask why should a train company provide extra trains - at vast expense - just for a sports game? Especially seeing as it is highly likely that over 50% will not buy a ticket and the trains will no doubt end up in a state, thus requiring even more money and effort to put right again? I have no sympathy at all.
.g

Arguably because the railways are a public service and if a reasonable number of members of the public require transport to such events then it should be provided.

I can remember going to see a concert in the Bolton Reebok stadium once which finished late and many of us were left queueing some time after normal local services in the area had finished. To it's credit, Northern Rail put on a rake of units from Horwich Parkway to take the rest of us back to Victoria when they could easily have made us wait to cram onto the next TPE in two hours time.

 

[Bellwater]

1. You are confusing Cardiff & Swansea football fans with the national team.
2. I am not aware ATW have extra trains
3. What as the planner got to do with this thread,

1. Rugby union Fans are worse than Football Fans
2. i said they aren't going to
3. Er, it's my Signature

 

[ivanhoe]

Excellent Opportunities here for National Express Coaches. Official link up with Wales RFU and guaranteed rides home for fans from Rhyl, Aberystwth and Abergevenny(apologies for spelling). Quicker than the train anyway in Wales!

As for those who stated that only 50% have tickets,you have obviously not been to Cardiff Central after such events. Arriva Trains have ticket inspectors before you enter the Station.

 

[tbtc]

The local daily ran a story by ATW press office on Tuesday, informing any rugby fans, there would be no trains from Cardiff to the North after the match

So?

I wouldn't expect East Cost/ Virgin/ FGW to put on services to Penrith/ Alnwick/ Truro after an England rugby match.

I wouldn't expect Scotrail to put on services to Brora after a Scotland rugby match.

Fair enough if ATW want to put on extra rugby trains to the nearby rugby areas of Wales, of course

 

[merlodlliw]

So?

I wouldn't expect East Cost/ Virgin/ FGW to put on services to Penrith/ Alnwick/ Truro after an England rugby match.

I wouldn't expect Scotrail to put on services to Brora after a Scotland rugby match.

Fair enough if ATW want to put on extra rugby trains to the nearby rugby areas of Wales, of course

Well ATW did put on a 7 coach loco hauled special train Holyhead to Cardiff on the 13th, running and returning via Crewe. This was for the Wales Scotland rugby match.

 

[Greenback]

In fairness to both ATW and FGW, they did inform the WRU that there would be no additional services when the idea of a Friday night KO was first put forward a couple of years ago. From an operational viewpoint, I imagine it's more difficult finding staff to work on extra trains in the late evening, as they would no tbe ablt wo work on the net day until after their statutory rest period. This would undoubtedly impact on the regular Saturday services this weekend.

 

[devon_metro]

FGW are running numerous different Adex services. Its Arriva that aren't bothering.

 

[Greenback]

I remember reading that both companies originally said they wouldn't run extra trains, this was when the WRU consulted them about the proposed 8pm kick offs when they were first proposed.

What extra trains are First running? I can;t find any info on their website!

 

[devon_metro]

From the info i've been given:

Runs 26/02/10 Only (from Cardiff Central)
22:00 London Paddington
22:08 Swansea
22:26 London Paddington
22:50 Bristol Temple Meads
22:57 Swansea
23:02 London Paddington
23:15 Bristol Temple Meads
23:26 Swansea
23:30 Bristol Temple Meads
00:22 Swansea

 

[mumrar]

Why should Arriva run additional services? When they were asked about it, they said they wouldn't. The people in charge of the rugby still went ahead knowing this. Arriva would have to run extra services, with extra crew, possible BTP presence, extra costs of the train, extra path from NR, poxxible damage caused to unit(s) - the costs mount up. In return, would the bars, pubs and clubs provide any of their vast increase in revenue over? Not a chance. If it were my company, I wouldn't do it either.

 

[merlodlliw]

Why should Arriva run additional services? When they were asked about it, they said they wouldn't. The people in charge of the rugby still went ahead knowing this. Arriva would have to run extra services, with extra crew, possible BTP presence, extra costs of the train, extra path from NR, poxxible damage caused to unit(s) - the costs mount up. In return, would the bars, pubs and clubs provide any of their vast increase in revenue over? Not a chance. If it were my company, I wouldn't do it either.

As I quoted in the previous thread on the other page, ATW did run a Rugby special Holyhead to Cardiff two weeks ago, this was on a Saturday, so whats so special about a Friday. And no reports of any damage whatsoever.
If you bid for a Toc,win the bid, give yourself a national title, then expect to cater for the public you serve. A total shambles. Good on FGW. ATW & a few other tocs are too quick to
give any reason not to run a service.

my opinion

 

[tbtc]

As I quoted in the previous thread on the other page, ATW did run a Rugby special Holyhead to Cardiff two weeks ago, this was on a Saturday, so whats so special about a Friday. And no reports of any damage whatsoever

The service you wrote about was just the normal path from Crewe (inconveniencing Manchester passengers who had to change when its normally a direct service).

And you're obviously more likely to get damage at eleven on a Friday night than for a "family friendly" kick off on a Saturday

If you bid for a Toc,win the bid, give yourself a national title, then expect to cater for the public you serve. A total shambles

So ATW should serve every stupidly times sports event in the Principality, just because they have the word "Wales" in their title?

 

[daikilo]

Glad to see ATW operated their usual high frequency service including the 2210 to Central and Nth Wales after the match, delayed to 2216.

As for the risk of damage to stock, unlikely.

 

[A60K]

M: My opinion is that you're blinkered and obsessed with how wonderful WSMR and how bad ATW are to the point where it's sometimes embarrassing and often tedious. I know you're you're not being paid to provide PR for WSMR, because no professional firm would ever operate like this.

 

[merlodlliw]

The service you wrote about was just the normal path from Crewe (inconveniencing Manchester passengers who had to change when its normally a direct service).

The service I mention was a Rugby special to cater for the North Wales passengers, it ran as a special Holyhead to Crewe and returned as a rugby special between Crewe & Holyhead, whatever happened at Crewe does not disguise the fact this was a rugby special, pulled by a class 57 with 7 coaches
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

M: My opinion is that you're blinkered and obsessed with how wonderful WSMR and how bad ATW are to the point where it's sometimes embarrassing and often tedious. I know you're you're not being paid to provide PR for WSMR, because no professional firm would ever operate like this.

I did not start the thread and have not mentioned W/S in this thread only you have,

 

[A60K]

I didn't say you started the thread, but you have posted another of your ATW digs. I also didn't say that you mentioned WSMR in this thread, just pointed out that's your usual comparator to ATW.

 

[tbtc]

The service I mention was a Rugby special to cater for the North Wales passengers, it ran as a special Holyhead to Crewe and returned as a rugby special between Crewe & Holyhead, whatever happened at Crewe does not disguise the fact this was a rugby special, pulled by a class 57 with 7 coaches

It was a few more coaches on the existing train from Crewe to Cardiff that would have run anyway (albeit at the cost of disrupting passengers coming from Manchester, but they're not important because they're not Welsh)

Not an extra path in Cardiff

 

[mumrar]

The service I mention was a Rugby special to cater for the North Wales passengers, it ran as a special Holyhead to Crewe and returned as a rugby special between Crewe & Holyhead, whatever happened at Crewe does not disguise the fact this was a rugby special, pulled by a class 57 with 7 coaches

http://www.dwphotos.fotopic.net/p63294166.html
Erm, did the seventh coach get detached at Church Stretton then???
And I believe reports were out that 1W41 was retimed and formed of a Class 57 with 7 coaches. XC also did a later service to Birmngham New Street to ferry all the eggchasers back to local stops.

Whilst you may not have started this thread, or mentioned WSMR, I do think it would be difficult to find someone on here to disagree that ATW are like an ex-wife to you and your new girlfriend is WSMR

 

[krus_aragon]

http://www.dwphotos.fotopic.net/p63294166.html
Erm, did the seventh coach get detached at Church Stretton then???

I think it was just six all the way down: three extra coaches (locked out) were brought up north the day before, but the first class & buffet car was left behind at holyhead for the rugby train.

 

[HSTfan!!!]

Why should we run extra services, we told the wru last year we wouldn't do it, and although we did run some extras (as we do every international match day) stuck to our word near enough. You want extra services, you going to have to compromise which will mean next to no service the next morning as all the train crew will have been out late the night before (will needs 12hours rest under hidden) the amount of staffing atw have to bring in for a match day is pathetic, i've seen behind the scenes and theres alot going on that you wouldn't imagine to happen, but it's the only way it works. You can't slag atw off, majority of match days have increased services, shuttles into/out of cardiff etc etc and quite simply where do you find the additional rolling stock when the entire audience of the millenium stadium all want to go home at the same time.

FGW are running numerous different Adex services. Its Arriva that aren't bothering.

We ran plenty of adex actually, we always do? Not all of them were advertised, just the slag off arriva gang will have failed to notice/mention this because they probably didn't even attend.

 

[campainr]

The football/rugby union lot have ridiculous amounts of money anyway (I believe Rooneys on £179,000 per week ), so perhaps if they value their fans, they certainly have the money and the power to run these trains themselves. But of course, they don't.

 

[mumrar]

I think it was just six all the way down: three extra coaches (locked out) were brought up north the day before, but the first class & buffet car was left behind at holyhead for the rugby train.

Thanks for that, I had really genuinely thought they'd detached the carriage en route...........

 

[merlodlliw]

I didn't say you started the thread, but you have posted another of your ATW digs. I also didn't say that you mentioned WSMR in this thread, just pointed out that's your usual comparator to ATW.

well have a look at this,nothing to do with me other than post it. It was 0731 from Salop

http://www.shropshirestar.com/2010/02/26/train-packed-like-sardine-tin/#comment-85557