December Timetable Changes - positive and negative

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is a PPM^‡(resolve)?

A Parry People Mover. Basically a glorified Tonka Toy.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parry_People_Movers 

[willc]

The Bristol - Oxford service was (IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion)) doomed when First took over Thames Trains; there was little point in them competing with themselves when the judgement was that the majority of passengers would put up with the inconvenience of a Didcot change.

This service ended in May 2003, a year before Thames' franchise ended. And it was a joint FGW^▸ (First Great Western)/Thames service anyway. The reason the SRA^» (Strategic Rail Authority - about) wanted it killed was that they did not want 90mph two-car Turbos pottering about in the way of 125s, when coal trains heading to Didcot power station already made pathing between Wootton Basset and Didcot a nightmare. That and the fact that passenger numbers on the through trains were always low.

If anyone had ever funded reopening of Corsham and Wantage Road stations, then things might have looked a bit different, since no-one would really want to stop 125s at either place but both schemes are still stuck on the drawing board.

[bemmy]

Does anyone know why the 0911 from Parkway to Weston no longer stops at Parson St? Bizarre, and very annoying to those of us who like to use it.

[John R]

Because it's the loco-hauled set, and thus I think the extra stops will add too much dwell time, given the TM^‡(resolve) needs to ensure the doors are closed. 

[grahame]

I would have thought they were absolutely fine for trundling up and down a half mile branch line that is completely segregated from the main line. Which is what they will be doing on the Stourbridge branch. (only other service that I could see them being used for is the Cardiff Bay branch when it's heritage dmu finally expires.)

I heard a suggestion of Bere Alston to Gunnislake when the Tamar Valley line re-opens to Tavistock and perhaps beyond 

As well as the whole business of mixing with mainline trains, and speed, they're not a viable option on the TransWilts because they carry far too few passengers. Looking back to even 2004 / 2005 usuage figures, seats would be full, standing would be full ... and that's excluding the following 2 years of dramatic growth.  On the TransWilts, even a 153 with 3 times the seating of the PPMs^‡(resolve) on Stourbridge would be leaving people being in a year or two!