Passenger usage in different south-west towns

[whole diary]

[The Grecian]

Found this document:
http://www.heartofwessex.org.uk/downloads/Heart%20of%20Wessex%20case%20for%20improvement%20report.pdf

which relates to the Heart of Wessex line specifically. However the passenger figures on p18 might be of more general interest, as they show various different medium-sized south-west towns' populations, passenger services per weekday and footfall. Some interesting figures as extrapolated from the link. It's not very easy reading in this format, so it may be easier to go to the page in the document:


Population (k)  Services   Footfall (k) 
 Yeovil        38  60  327
 Dorchester 18  78  543
 Weymouth 53  78  747
 Frome 26  26  121
 Trowbridge 35  84  652
 Bradford-on-Avon 11  78  378
 Chippenham 28  68 1517
 Salisbury 50 116 1758
 Honiton 12  38  293
 Weston-super-Mare 72  86  936
 Exmouth 33  62  723
 Barnstaple 21  28  303
 Newton Abbot 24 110  941
 St.Austell 23  46  395
 Truro 17 106 1042
 Falmouth 22  58  233
                                               
Some interesting statistics there - Yeovil does appear notably worse than many places, e.g. Junction has fewer passengers than Honiton even though both are on the same line and Honiton is much smaller. Probably due to Honiton serving Ottery and Sidmouth, being centrally located and having significant commuter and leisure traffic to Exeter. Whereas Junction is out in the sticks and doesn't have much of a catchment area beyond Yeovil itself.

Another is the discrepancy between Frome and Bradford-on-Avon when you compare relative populations with train numbers and footfall.

The main conclusion I'd draw is that if you have an easily accessible station with regular interval trains to places people want to go, they'll be used. If you have stations out in the sticks with irregular services, they won't be. Easier said than done of course.

[grahame]

Population (k)  Services   Footfall (k) 
 Yeovil        38  60  327
 Dorchester 18  78  543
 Weymouth 53  78  747
 Frome 26  26  121
 Trowbridge 35  84  652
 Bradford-on-Avon 11  78  378
 Chippenham 28  68 1517
 Salisbury 50 116 1758
 Honiton 12  38  293

[snip]

The main conclusion I'd draw is that if you have an easily accessible station with regular interval trains to places people want to go, they'll be used. If you have stations out in the sticks with irregular services, they won't be. Easier said than done of course.

Let's try another

 Where's This 23  4  11

Rather makes the point about the irregular service not being used, doesn't it?

[EBrown]

Melksham.

[TerminalJunkie]

Let's try another

 Where's This 23  4  11

Rather makes the point about the irregular service not being used, doesn't it?

I have another for you to ponder:

 Where's This 8  6  119

[grahame]

I have another for you to ponder:

 Where's This 8  6  119

Initial reaction was "Gunnislake", but it isn't ... I'm thinking tourist destination, terminus (so all 6 trains go one way to make a service ...) - not Mallaig, Kyle of Locahalsh, Oban, Stranraer, nor Sheringham nor Skegness, nor Pwllheli nor Bleaunea.  TJ - are we looking in FGW^▸ (First Great Western) area?

[TerminalJunkie]

Initial reaction was "Gunnislake", but it isn't ... I'm thinking tourist destination, terminus (so all 6 trains go one way to make a service ...) - not Mallaig, Kyle of Locahalsh, Oban, Stranraer, nor Sheringham nor Skegness, nor Pwllheli nor Bleaunea.  TJ - are we looking in FGW^▸ (First Great Western) area?

I'm not sure you're allowed all 9 guesses

You got it right fourth time. Although now I think about it, there may be four trains a day to Oban in the summer...

[grahame]

You got it right fourth time. Although now I think about it, there may be four trains a day to Oban in the summer...

Ah - your data is a year old then (121k are the latest Oban figures) ... and we could argue 3, 4, 6 or 8 services.  I also note the title says "South West Towns" on the thread and wonder when Oban moved 

Long distance service ... doesn't need to be as frequent for people to use it.  Different metrics to other places listed which have significant day return traffic.   Besides, Oban's really  "Oban Parkway for the Inner Hebrides".

Fascinating study ...

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

is that both yeovil stations?

[LiskeardRich]

Melksham.

Melksham is Perhaps compareable to falmouth population wise, I've only managed to find 2001 census details, when melksham had 21000, and Falmouth 21635. Just look at the difference in services and passenger numbers though!

[The Grecian]

is that both yeovil stations?

Yep. As it is both Dorchester stations. Yeovil is twice the size of Dorch, has 75% of the number of services but only 60% of the number of footfalls. Given that both towns have London services with similar journey times I suspect that apart from the relatively central location of the stations and the fact Dorchester is a railhead for much of West Dorset, the regular service to Poole, Bournemouth and Southampton adds to Dorchester's popularity.

[grahame]

Melksham.

Melksham is Perhaps compareable to falmouth population wise, I've only managed to find 2001 census details, when melksham had 21000, and Falmouth 21635. Just look at the difference in services and passenger numbers though!

Indeed - what a difference.   The 23k figure that I used for Melksham earlier on is somewhat on the low side - around 2000 new homes have been built since 2001, but then the average occupancy of a house has dropped a little, so the sums are complex (and as ever you have difficulty defining where any town ends).

Currently
 Melksham 23  4  11
 Falmouth 22  58  233

Should change to
 Melksham 24  18  120
in three years time (that's allowing for a new service to bed in and build).   You'll note that I'm not predicting the same ridership levels per head of population as Falmouth, though interestingly I *am* talking more people per train.  Presumably that 58 figure includes 3 stops / calls per half hour during the day - 2 from town and 1 from Docks?

[Yeovilpenmill]

Re : Yeovil
I have a copy of station entries & exits for 2010 which show : Junction =105,393 Entries + 105,393 Exits
and Pen Mill @ 57,941 of each.
I use Junction fairly regularly mainly in the London direction and am happy with the service frequency of hourly.I am a leisure traveller.
Pen Mill on the other hand which is my only real Northbound option is a mess from a timetable point of view.
There is only the 09:41 which is of much use for journeys I make to Bristol ,Oxford, Midlands and Cheshire.
I have driven to Taunton on occasions to catch Northbound Cross Country trains because of the abysmal service on this part of the HOW line.

Please , Please improve this service !!!

[JayMac]

Welcome to the forum Yeovilpenmill! 

[LiskeardRich]

Melksham.

Melksham is Perhaps compareable to falmouth population wise, I've only managed to find 2001 census details, when melksham had 21000, and Falmouth 21635. Just look at the difference in services and passenger numbers though!

Indeed - what a difference.   The 23k figure that I used for Melksham earlier on is somewhat on the low side - around 2000 new homes have been built since 2001, but then the average occupancy of a house has dropped a little, so the sums are complex (and as ever you have difficulty defining where any town ends).

Currently
 Melksham 23  4  11
 Falmouth 22  58  233

Should change to
 Melksham 24  18  120
in three years time (that's allowing for a new service to bed in and build).   You'll note that I'm not predicting the same ridership levels per head of population as Falmouth, though interestingly I *am* talking more people per train.  Presumably that 58 figure includes 3 stops / calls per half hour during the day - 2 from town and 1 from Docks?

Falmouth has 5 calls per hour if you include Penmere as well which is closest station to the town centre.Bear in mind the university and all the students wasnt built in 2001 so this will boost the Falmouth Population by a few thousand, although probably wont show in the census.