Great Western Coffee Shop

Hmm. We'll need to start revising some of the topic headings on this forum, then.  :P ::) :o

Well, London to Worcester via Euston and New Street is quicker than the slow Cotswold line!

1 hr 25 min EUS - BHM + 40 min BHM - WOS = 2 hr 05 min. (Add in interchange time and it is about the same.)

Shocking really - FGW need to sort it out!

After HS2 could be interesting: 45 min EUS - BMO + 40 min BHM - WOS = 1 hr 25 min
Let's be generous and add in 30 min connection - still 30 min quicker than Cotswold!

I am sure the hard-pressed commuters are appalled!  ;D

I think the Cotswolds is still quicker than waiting for HS2...  ;)

BUt how many travel that route? 6?....(if you're lucky)

Well, probably more if the via Birmingham fares weren't higher, as it is more frequent.

Perhaps Virgin should start extending some services to Worcester. :p Forget Shrewsbury, Worcestershire needs a decent service!

Where is your evidence for that particular claim, Btline?  :-\

Just a reminder it is possible to reach Euston from the GWML via Acton East Junction up the ramp to Acton Wells and take the middle Junction to West London Junction and into Euston.

I believe that Virgin Voyagers have done the route when the WCML has had blockages.

Don't see the point of BTLine's comment. Worcestershire doesn't have a bad service to London Paddington but would be better if the Cotswold redoubling were complete (see other thread). Perhaps some Cross Country services could call at Worcester though to improve the service between Worcs and Bristol/Cheltenham and Birmingham.

Don't forget Chiltern go from Kidderminster to Marylebone, I think.

And as for going via Acton to get to Euston, whilst doubtless technically feasible, I'd rather catch the tube from Paddington.

There is a 2 hour 30 minute journey from Kidderminster to Marlebone departing 08.13 but from Worcester there is a 2 hour 37 minute journey to Paddington. Addon the time to get from Worceter to kidderminster and I cannot see many people wanting to go by Chiltern from Worcester. As has been said, there would appear to be many opportunities to speed up CL travel but most would mean major timetable changes that are just not going to happen, at least not before SET trains start running on the line. CLPG is however meeting FGW shortly to discuss what improvements could be possible by a little rejigging of the present timetable.

My point was that Kidderminster is, I think, in Worcestershire......

Worcester DOES has a bad service to Paddington. It takes almost 1/2 hour longer than it should do (before any upgrades) due to:

*excessive padding, which leads to slack operations, extending times more;
*double track in the wrong place to be of major use, leading to extra performance padding;
*too many stops, esp on peak trains
*90 mph timings as HSTs are not guaranteed

There is no reason why services can't run to Worcester in 2 hours. After upgrades, etc, I would expect 1 hr 45 min to be a target for peak time expresses.

Travelling all the way via Birmingham on Virgin or Chiltern leads to similar timings - this is ridiculous.

Worcester's poor service to the South West is a topic for another thread.