Great Western Coffee Shop

It's the time of year when Track Access applications appear for the next timetable - of course we also into T-12 so the new services will already be in the journey planners...

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/track%20access/1%20current%20consultations/2010.03.02%20first%20great%20western%2055th%20supplemental%20-%20closing%20date%20for%20responses%2029%20march%202010/draft%2022%20for%20fgw%20may%2010%20supp%20at%2001%2003%2010.pdf (http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/track%20access/1%20current%20consultations/2010.03.02%20first%20great%20western%2055th%20supplemental%20-%20closing%20date%20for%20responses%2029%20march%202010/draft%2022%20for%20fgw%20may%2010%20supp%20at%2001%2003%2010.pdf)

Extracts:

^ 1519 SX Taunton ^ Paddington ceases to call at Castle Cary, but calls additionally at
Maidenhead (1730) vice Slough to provide a fast contra-peak commuter service from the
town back to London;
^ 08.09 SX Didcot - Oxford local starts back from Reading (fast Reading-Didcot);
^ To improve fast services to Slough and Twyford and better match capacity to demand
changes are made to Paddington peak services including:
^ 1736 SX Paddington to Oxford is retimed to depart 1733 and ceases to call Radley
which is instead served by an additional call in the 1627 to Oxford giving a more
consistently half hourly service instead of the previously bunched pattern;
^ 1742 SX Paddington to Bourne End is accelerated;
^ 1833 SX Paddington to Oxford is withdrawn. Passengers for local stations beyond
Reading carried by extending 1815 Paddington ^ Reading to Oxford;
^ 1848 SX Paddington to Cheltenham calls additionally at Twyford;
^ 1842 SX Paddington to Bourne End is retimed to depart 1836 and be accelerated;
^ The 0657 SX Cheltenham ^ Bristol TM starts from Gloucester (0711) & merges with
0813 Bristol TM ^ Swindon, providing one through journey opportunity across Bristol. To
provide a greater peak frequency from Gloucester to Bristol the 0725 SX Bristol Parkway ^
Westbury starts back from Cheltenham Spa (0623), calling at Gloucester (dep 0642) &
stations to Bristol going forward as now;
^ 1242 SX and SO Gloucester ^ Westbury extended to Frome returning to Westbury at
1457. This covers withdrawal of the Frome call from the 1218 SX and SO Paddington-
Taunton;
^ To provide additional capacity between Westbury and Exeter reflecting Friday afternoon
passenger flows between the south coast and West of England a 1520 FO Westbury ^
Exeter SD service calling at Taunton operates.
^ 16.10 SX Exeter St Davids ^ St James^ Park becomes a passenger service;
^ The lightly used 1916 SO Oxford ^ Banbury & 2002 SO ex Banbury return are
withdrawn
^ The Summer Sunday 0825 Exeter St Davids ^ Exmouth & return services will also
operate in winter, providing a year-round early start on the branch
^ An additional 0835 Sun Maidenhead ^ Marlow & 0901 return trip run giving the branch a
one hour earlier start on a Sunday compared to the usual service. Long term operation will
depend on sufficient traffic being generated.
^ An additional 0841 Sun Exeter SD - Barnstaple returning at 1000 to Exeter Central will
operate. There are some other minor changes to Barnstaple branch calling patterns in other
trains.
^ The 17.05 Saturdays Exeter St James Park - Exeter St Davids empty stock becomes a
passenger service calling at Exeter Central.
^ The Severn Beach branch is enhanced on Sundays with:
^ Summer: additional services departing Bristol TM at 0908, 1753 and 1853 returning
from Severn Beach at 0946, 1842 and 1942. All other services are also extended
to/from Severn Beach
^ Winter: additional services departing Bristol TM at 0908 and 1753 returning as a 0946
from Severn Beach and a 1822 return from Avonmouth. In addition the 1653 from Bristol
TM is extended to Severn Beach returning at 1742.Key morning and evening branch
services are also joined up with Bristol TM ^ Taunton services to provide direct links
to/from Weston-super-Mare

Hope this is of interest

Paul

The RUS indicates that XC plan to operate an early morning service from Bath Spa to Bristol, presumably to offer a connection into the 1st northbound XC service.

There are probably a lot of opportunities for that sort of short extension, they've probably found the unit has just enough time between arriving ECS at Bristol and its eventual departure up north to do a Bath and return journey.

There is a similar (but longer) once a day departure form Guildford at 'stupid o'clock' in the morning, although it has a matching return in the evening. The return then runs ECS to Eastleigh via Havant and Fareham - so it covers a diversionary route refresher as well.

Paul

Intrigued by the FO 1520 WSB - EXD unit. (timed 75mph)

Running 3 minutes in front of an HST!

Without looking, is the HST not timed to overtake at Taunton?

Its a bit of a mystery train.

Westbury 1520
Taunton 1622 1624
Exeter St Davids 1701

I'm told West crews don't sign the B&H however running via Bristol to Taunton in 62 mins seems quite fast!

Missing from the list are the three Sunday local stopping return services between Oxford and Banbury, which are now part of the regular summer timetable. They are part of the "Canal Line" campaign to get leisure users out to Tackley/Heyford for tourist purposes.

They will have been dealt with in earlier access applications. The list above is only new changes for this summer, IYSWIM...

Paul

Who told you that?

Who do you suppose used to work the PZ-Pompey?

Since that stopped running there has at various times been booked ECS work so most Exeter Link 1 drivers still sign the B&H.

An amendment that hasn't appeared so far in this list ...

The 18:18 Warminster to Westbury will call if required at Dilton Marsh

This plugs the 16:41 to 19:13 gap for Salisbury in Salisbury departures from Dilton Marsh which has appeared in recent years, as it adds a 17:41 (change at Warminster) departure from Salisbury.   This is a significant change; one of the key destinations from Dilton Marsh is Salisbury, but the provision of practical services for commuter trips on this flow was severley reduced when Dilton Marsh was removed from the TransWilts / vestige and replaced by services which went no further south that Warminster for the most part.   I know that Lee played a significant role in suggesting this extra stop, and would like to thank FGW for taking it up.

How nice of them to propose removing my train home (18.33 Paddington to Maidenhead)... >:(

Good to see the Bourne End's accelerated

Well it'll have two trains worth of people crushed on to it so imagine it's being  accelerated to reduce people fainting on the train or worse?  ;D

What do they mean by accelerated anyway? Not stopping at Slough? Or allowed on the fast line? If anyone happens to know...

Paul,

Re the Banbury trains, agree with what you say. In the past, these were run on a trial, partly supported basis, with a decision made each year as to whether or not they would run. The withdrawal of the Saturday evening service has allowed them to be cemented into the timetable, so they will run every summer from hereon. Its a significant achievement for the supporters of the line.