Also available on Bluesky (unless someone has an account, X is pretty much a closed book, Bluesky's essentially a public web site.)

Mark

https://bsky.app/profile/noeldolphin.bsky.social/post/3mle5putw6c2j

 
This is an interesting read, on Twitter/X, the first post is below


https://x.com/noeldolphin/status/2052784732102877671?s=61&t=VlafMC5gF9tidw36b1Y8JQ

 
Yesterday brought the official announcement that GWR (Great Western Railway) is to be nationalised on 13th December. There was no surprise in this - it has been expected or even anticipated around that date.  It means that the First Group will no longer be our train operator in Melksham - rather our trains will be operated by DfT Operator Limited - a public sector operating company. The "Great Western Railway" name will remain as it's a trading name that's actually been owned by the government and licensed to First.  Our operating staff and their managers will be "TUPE"d (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment) across to DFTO and we will initially see little change.  It's unclear to me as to who will transfer at Director level, who will remain with First group, and whether some will chose to move on, start a new career or retire.

I have made some very good friends over the years in First Group (on the bus side too) though not always been in total agreement with their or their company's decisions.  We have understood one another and co-operated in the promotion and improvement of the offering to passengers, explaining the apparently-perverse to the public where necessary, and pointing out to First elements which it's in the common interest to update.  Of late, there has been a regrettable but natural drift for the team at a management level to tow the government line even where it's not fully considerate of the customer's needs, and a tendency for things to get lost in the treacle of bureaucracy or perhaps be put onto a back burner so they can be an early-win success story for DFTO to help show the benefits of nationalisation.

Crystal Ball time - what might we see under DFTO - or in future years "Great British Railways" - the newly integrated single public sector organisation combining tracks and passenger train operation (not, you will note, freight train operation nor ownership of the trains, which will remain largely in the private sector)?

There will be no big windfall income to the government.  Profits to First Group on operations are only a couple of percent, and indeed there's a case for saying that this has been worth paying for their local skilled directors. There may be a saving on admin - things like delay attribution and planning with each train operator having its own team looking after its interests.  Some of that will remain - there will still be a need to analyse issues, and to make payments back and forth when a freight or open access train interferes with, or is interfered by, a nationalised one, or where the nationalised operator has an accident or event that damages one of the trains owned privately by a RoSCo (Rolling Stock Company).

We expect the branding to stay; it was deliberate that the GWR name was only licensed to First, and indeed we may see more branding.  HMG wants to move to "localisation" and we may see more rather than less of a postcode lottery on rail services; it's already notable that South Wales and the Bristol area have seen lots of new stations and improvements and lines, as has Devon, but in Wiltshire and Dorset the last brand new station opened was in 1937, with Melksham a sorta-new station in 1985 having been closed in overenthusiastic zeal 19 years earlier.  Service is still far thinner than it should be.

The rail fare system has grown over the years to the extent it's considered over-complex and not fit for future purpose; the problem has been how to sort that out without creating too many losers who will complain far into the future. An element of the same can be said for certain service patterns.  In both cases, some of the problems relate to multiple operators - it's been worthwhile searching fare databases for good deals set by different companies, for example, or to travel on one train operator rather than another.  There is scope for change, but from the evidence I see "simplification" can often mean the elimination of cheaper and more practical customer options for the "operational convenience" and better overall stats as seen by the Department for Transport. 

There is scope for improvement ... but risk of dumbing down to a basic standard.  How does a nationalised railway operator justify on-train restaurant car catering for example, when the kitchen space could be used for more seats?  And there is scope - governments seem to love it - for making things more complex.  Will bicycles and dogs continue to travel for free?  Or only be allowed on certain trains?  The free reservation system sorta-works but it generates nothing to pay for its operation, and results in lots of unoccupied seats.  Stations with low passenger numbers may be at risk - there are multiple closures proposed on the Bletchley to Bedford line at present and with - in the case of Bow Brickhill - no adequate replacement that I can see.  The jury is out - a golden opportunity, but also an opportunity to reduce to a very basic provision. Not always a problem if modern technology does provide a friendly alternative.

South Western Railway was nationalised a year ago ... and on 20th May, Andrew Ardley of SWR will be talking to the West Wiltshire Rail User Group in Trowbridge.  Easily reachable at the Bethesda Church Hall - 100 yards from Trowbridge Station, and timed for people arriving from and returning to other stations including Melksham and Chippenham.  SWR still have a few services to Warminster and Westbury, though they have "rationalised" away their services at Trowbridge and Bradford-on-Avon leaving those stations without any through trains from London.  It will be very interesting to hear what Andrew - a good friend over may years - has to tell us, including an update on what they are doing on their core line in the south of the county.

In amongst the "don't know" elements is the passenger voice and I worry if and how that will get due weight into the future.  We have good friends at Transport Focus which, however, has lacked authority.  Marketing words suggest a positive future for them, but from what I have seen the toothlessness may still remain.  We will see; as an advocate of public transport I really hope for a mainstream strong and informed passenger voice / advocate.

No conclusions here - an explanation, a look ahead into a rather foggy crystal ball, and an encouragement to come along on 20th May.  Join me on the 18:10 train from Melksham; return on the 21:22 from Trowbridge.