Community passenger train along the Portbury branch

free2grice · Post by **free2grice** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 8:56 am

From the Portishead Rail Group. Enjoy!! <BJ>

http://www.fgwevents.co.uk/communityrailfestival/

Community Rail Festival 2012

First Great Western are running free rail trips along the Bristol to Royal Portbury Docks line on Saturday 29 September 2012 on a special charter train. There will be 5 trips, each taking up to 100 passengers.

A station gala featuring stalls and information about Community Rail Partnerships throughout the UK is also being planned and will be based at Bristol Temple Meads Station.

Order your tickets as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Robin Summerhill · Post by **Robin Summerhill** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 11:10 am

Repost - Jules beat you to it

http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/forum/vie ... php?t=2442

nickt · Post by **nickt** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 7:06 pm

would be good if they would include tunnel tours at station seeing as they cancelled the open doors tours because of olmpics.
Ah well theres always next year.

free2grice · Post by **free2grice** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 8:48 am

Robin Summerhill wrote:Repost - Jules beat you to it

http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/forum/vie ... php?t=2442

Ah, so he did. Sorry.

It does sound as if it's a very good opportunity to travel over the Portbury branch. <BJ>

mow · Post by **mow** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 3:58 pm

All tickets gone.

Robin Summerhill · Post by **Robin Summerhill** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 4:03 pm

mow wrote:All tickets gone.

The fact you said that has concerned me a little.

When I "booked" online, all I got was a message that said "your comment has been received successfully (or some such). As the system asked for my address I presumed that they would post the ticket to me.

I wonder if I've got a ticket coming?

mow · Post by **mow** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 4:25 pm

I had an email about an hour ago.

"Thank you for registering your details for the First Great Western Community Rail Festival on Saturday 29 September.

Unfortunately the 09.05 service was very popular and all the tickets have now been taken."

If you click the link at the beginning of the thread this message appears.

"All tickets for the Community Festival have now been allocated."

Robin Summerhill · Post by **Robin Summerhill** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 4:27 pm

Sounds like I'll be doing something else on the 29th September...

Robin Summerhill · Post by **Robin Summerhill** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 4:43 pm

Robin Summerhill wrote:Sounds like I'll be doing something else on the 29th September...

Now confirmed by FGW by an email received 5 minutes ago:

Thank you for registering your details for the First Great Western Community Rail Festival on Saturday 29 September.

Unfortunately the 12.09 service was very popular and all the tickets have now been taken. Please feel free to come along and take a look at the stalls, attractions and information, also available on the day from Platform 3 of Bristol Temple Meads, promoting the achievements of local charities and Community Rail Partnerships throughout the UK.

Best wishes

Vicky Cropper | Communications Coordinator| First Great Western

If anybody has actually managed to get a ticket for this little jaunt please let us know!

Paul G · Post by **Paul G** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 5:38 pm

I Am Booked on the 12.09 departure. Thank you for registering your details for the First Great Western Community Rail Festival on Saturday 29 September.

IÃ†m writing to confirm that youÃ†ve been successful in your bid for tickets on the 12.09 service from Bristol Temple Meads along the Portbury Branch, departing from Platform 8.

DonÃ†t forget to check out the other stalls, attractions and information, available on the day from Platform 3, promoting the achievements of local charities and Community Rail Partnerships throughout the UK.

Your tickets will be posted to you within the next 7 days, if you have not received these by Friday 14 September, please contact me on the below details.

carpetcone · Post by **carpetcone** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 5:48 pm

Patronising email received from Ms Cropper today....

It gave the impression that choosing the 12:09 train was a mistake.....but don't worry as now all the other tickets have gone anyway.
But why not come on the day and watch everyone else having a great time travelling on the trains?

No thanks. I think i'll stay at home

For something not widely publicised, the tickets went quickly.

Robin Summerhill · Post by **Robin Summerhill** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 6:05 pm

carpetcone wrote:Patronising email received from Ms Cropper today....

For something not widely publicised, the tickets went quickly.

Hmmm..... Yes.

Not particularly well publicised, yet all the tickets appear to have gone very quickly (or at least the three of us that have posted so far won't be getting one).

It might be interesting to go along and just see a) whether these trains are actually running at all and b) whether there are a rather large number of FGW staff on them.

Two proverbs spring to mind:

"There is no such thing as a free lunch"

and

"If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is"

Splodge · Post by **Splodge** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 6:09 pm

mmm... thinking the same, I applied for the 12.09 as soon as the thread started on here, like everyone else I've had the email saying its full, I asked if any othere times were available & again, everything has been taken.

So who has got tickets & how did they get so lucky? All sounds a bit strange to me

Robin Summerhill · Post by **Robin Summerhill** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 6:14 pm

Paul G wrote:I Am Booked on the 12.09 departure. Thank you for registering your details for the First Great Western Community Rail Festival on Saturday 29 September.

IÃ†m writing to confirm that youÃ†ve been successful in your bid for tickets on the 12.09 service from Bristol Temple Meads along the Portbury Branch, departing from Platform 8.

I missed your post!

So when did you actually book? I went online as soon as I saw Jules' initial post, which was within an hours of him posting it on Friday evening.

Paul G · Post by **Paul G** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 6:21 pm

I Booked on Tuesday 28th August about 9PM