| Checkpoint September 2025 - looking back 20 years, and forward 10. Posted by grahame at 10:21, 19th September 2025 |     |
For a West Wiltshire Rail Users Group meeting on Wednesday and the Melksham Transport User Group (postponed) from last night to next Thursday, I put together "checkpoint" documents of what has happened and what may happen. In .pdf format they are at https://www.passenger.chat/wwrug_update.pdf and https://www.passenger.chat/mtug_update.pdf and to complete the series I have put together a draft Coffee Shop document at https://www.passenger.chat/cs_update.pdf
On the latter - have I overlooked anything? Got anything wrong?
Past 20 years - what has changed
* GB Passenger journeys up from 1 billion to 1.75 billion p.a. (precovid)
* Electrification from London to nearly-Chippenham and Cardiff
* Reopened main network passenger line to Okehampton
* New stations in Devon and WECA sponsored
* Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Connect
* Birth of mass social media and smartphone use
* Service reliability issues - never the best but now dreadful
* Coffee Shop drifted from general passenger to more expert user
* New bi-mode main line trains and commuter area electrics
* Same old diesel trains on secondary main line, regional and local
* Far more trains on main arteries, with additional stops
* Some local train improvements
* Trains on quicker turn around with reduced boarding
* Buffets, restaurants closing - stations and on trains
* Ticket offices closing and with reduced hours; ticket gates return
* Tickets largely electronic, those not bought online / via TVMs
* Fare and ticket system remains and becomes ever more complex
* Driver and train manager staff numbers reduced to bare minimum
* Protracted staff disputes
* Franchising -> Management Contracts -> many now DfT operated
* Open Access
* Micromanagement and Dft <-> operator blame associaition
* Delay / Repay
* New trains and retrofitted old ones become ever more complex
* Infrastructure availability and train availability reduced
* Toll of "person hit by train" continues unabated
* Major works at some major stations - Paddington, Reading. Bristol?
* Covid and social changes from commuter dominant
* End of many occasional long distance servicees
* Studies/consultancies; BCR, Optimism factor, risk assessment
* Community Rail moves to accredited status
* Battery Train Trial
* Friendly, professional working with operational staff and managers
* Passenger representation (especially independent) muted and patchy
Next decade – what may change
* GBR and restructure of rail industry
* Public Transport to support housing growth and modern working
* Reliability – we can only hope that it improves
* Fares, including cross-mode. Expect simplification not reduction
* Bus Integration, cycle, walking, etc
* Environmental. Already a major issue
* New lines / services and frequency increases, but patchy
* Replacement of old fossil fuelled trains
* Further reduced need for staff
* Improvement of passenger experience and its ease of access
* How will independent passenger input work?
* Local input without a postcode lottery?
* World and social driven changes we cannot predict
* Passenger experience? For the majority or for everyone?
* Technology use / development – for what end?
* GB Passenger journeys up from 1 billion to 1.75 billion p.a. (precovid)
* Electrification from London to nearly-Chippenham and Cardiff
* Reopened main network passenger line to Okehampton
* New stations in Devon and WECA sponsored
* Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Connect
* Birth of mass social media and smartphone use
* Service reliability issues - never the best but now dreadful
* Coffee Shop drifted from general passenger to more expert user
* New bi-mode main line trains and commuter area electrics
* Same old diesel trains on secondary main line, regional and local
* Far more trains on main arteries, with additional stops
* Some local train improvements
* Trains on quicker turn around with reduced boarding
* Buffets, restaurants closing - stations and on trains
* Ticket offices closing and with reduced hours; ticket gates return
* Tickets largely electronic, those not bought online / via TVMs
* Fare and ticket system remains and becomes ever more complex
* Driver and train manager staff numbers reduced to bare minimum
* Protracted staff disputes
* Franchising -> Management Contracts -> many now DfT operated
* Open Access
* Micromanagement and Dft <-> operator blame associaition
* Delay / Repay
* New trains and retrofitted old ones become ever more complex
* Infrastructure availability and train availability reduced
* Toll of "person hit by train" continues unabated
* Major works at some major stations - Paddington, Reading. Bristol?
* Covid and social changes from commuter dominant
* End of many occasional long distance servicees
* Studies/consultancies; BCR, Optimism factor, risk assessment
* Community Rail moves to accredited status
* Battery Train Trial
* Friendly, professional working with operational staff and managers
* Passenger representation (especially independent) muted and patchy
Next decade – what may change
* GBR and restructure of rail industry
* Public Transport to support housing growth and modern working
* Reliability – we can only hope that it improves
* Fares, including cross-mode. Expect simplification not reduction
* Bus Integration, cycle, walking, etc
* Environmental. Already a major issue
* New lines / services and frequency increases, but patchy
* Replacement of old fossil fuelled trains
* Further reduced need for staff
* Improvement of passenger experience and its ease of access
* How will independent passenger input work?
* Local input without a postcode lottery?
* World and social driven changes we cannot predict
* Passenger experience? For the majority or for everyone?
* Technology use / development – for what end?
The lists are intended as headlines - so a great deal of important specific stuff is lost into one-liners. Each of the "Next Decade" bullets could do with a complete thread and discussion ...
