Plymouth MP slams city's rail link with the capital

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From thisisplymouth:

A task force behind a campaign to bring a ^94million boost to Plymouth's economy has been launched.

The case for improved rail links between Plymouth and London comes as MP for Plymouth Moorview, Alison Seabeck slammed the current timetable as "ridiculous".

The first London train currently reaches Plymouth at 11.17am ^ too late for business work according to the task force.

Ms Seabeck was due to attend the launch of the campaign at Plymouth City Rail Station yesterday at 10.30am but could not be at the meeting due to the train times.

"This illustrates perfectly why we need better connectivity between Plymouth and London. It is ridiculous that I am unable to travel to Plymouth in time for a meeting starting at 10:30am," she said.

"Businesses have told me time and time again that if we want to attract business to Plymouth we need a regular and reliable train service, which will allow businesses to travel to the capital and back in a day."

The MP's words were echoed by campaigners from the City Council, Chamber of Commerce and Plymouth University.

David Parlby, Chief Executive of the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: "We need to have a good and effective means of connecting with our investors in London and the rest of the country.

"With the demise of the airport, rail service is the way to go. We have this opportunity to influence the selection for the new franchise. It is a rare opportunity that only comes up so often."

Part of the campaign calls for three hour journeys between the two cities to start early and finish later.

Professor David Wheeler, Dean of Plymouth Business School, said the link is vital for students and local business.

"We are very keen to support the City Council and the Chamber of Commerce in ensuring Plymouth and the South West gets the best deal from the rail franchise. We have tens of thousands of students who also view this transportation as important. Rail links for the long term are going to be more important for business opportunity and economic development."

The task force's campaign calls for businesses and individuals to get across the message that rail links are vital to the city and the region's growth.

Campaigners will be telling ministers that for an annual extra investment of ^10 million into rail links between the city and London, the returns would be almost ten times the value.

Ms Seabeck added: "The current consultation on the new 15-year franchise gives us a unique opportunity to ensure that we get the improvements we need to the rail service, after all it is estimated that these improvements will bring an estimated ^94 million a year to the local economy."

As well as aiming for faster trains, a key demand is for better on-board facilities such as WIFI and continuous mobile coverage to enable the business community to work en-route.

[Ollie]

I'm guessing this MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) for Plymouth doesn't live that close to Plymouth if she couldn't get there for 10:30?

[Chris from Nailsea]

She spends most of her time in London, according to her own website: see http://www.alisonseabeck.org.uk/about-alison 

[JayMac]

Parliament is in London, so it's understandable she spends most of her working week there. I agree with her, 1117 is very late for the first arrival from London to a large city like Plymouth.

I suppose she could use the Night Riviera, but a 5am arrival isn't very practical either.

[Chris from Nailsea]

The 'comments' on that particular news article include some quite interesting suggestions, too ... 

[Henry]

  Would a service leaving London at 0630 in the morning to arrive at Plymouth at 0930 be financially
 viable.
 How many people leaving London need to be in Plymouth at 0930 ?. (Could always run a 153).

[grahame]

Would a service leaving London at 0630 in the morning to arrive at Plymouth at 0930 be financially viable.

Logic says it would be likely to be viable. The 05:27, 05:36, 06:30 and 06:45 HST^▸ (High Speed Train) services off Paddington are all peak rather than off-peak fares [checked to Swindon], so there must be a demand there  and I can't imagine it being any different via the Berks and Hants.   Mind you - there's only one fast line out of Paddington so you can't have an 06:30.   How about an 06:15, giving time to add stops at Newbury and Westbury.  Many of the very early services off Paddington load later into their journey rather that being full out from London as is the case later on, and there are significant flows west from Westbury.   An 07:30 commuter train from there to Taunton and Exeter might be significant.

[devon_metro]

You can of course get the 0645 from Paddington and arrive in Plymouth at 10.46, by changing at BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains), just to provide some balance to the article.

[JayMac]

Still of little use to the MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) for her '10.30am meeting'

[devon_metro]

Still of little use to the MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) for her '10.30am meeting'

Agreed, however the situation isn't quite as dire as the papers make out.

In fact, leaving at 0706, changing at Newton Abbot gets you into Plymouth at 10.40.

[JayMac]

A tight 5 minute connection (is this one held if the ex London is a few minutes late?) with the last 40 minutes of that journey on a local DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit). Hardly attractive for business travellers.

I think that 0706 should be re-timed to depart at say 0615 (or thereabouts), with the same B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury) stops but re-routed to Plymouth rather than Paignton. Arriving Plymouth around 0945-1000.

If it can be pathed of course.

[jester]

Sorry hit the wrong button. would be ideal to run it all the way through to Pz, as the stopper from Exeter is always 'rammed' and in the summer even worse. From Plymouth it forms the first 'cheap day' train!


Mod note: Fixed double post. bignosemac

[woody]

It is glaringly obvious as bignosemac says that 1117 is very late for the first direct daytime arrival from London to a large city like Plymouth which incidentally for those in Swindon who dont know is in Devon just 225 miles from London and not in the Scottish Highlands.It is a glaring example of why South West MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) are adament that the mistakes of the present Great Western franchise are not repeated in the next franchise.Changing trains at Newton Abbot onto a class 150 with no first class which then sloggs its way over the South Devon banks to eventually arrive in Plymouth at 10.41 is hardly an attractive alternative for a business traveller from London to Plymouth especially when Exeter and Torbay are already served by the direct 0706 HST^▸ (High Speed Train) from Paddington,indeed it is rediculous to suggest such.As for the sleeper alternative well has its place serving Cornwall maybe but given this is the 21st century and the only other sleeper services in Britain operating are the London/Scotland Caledonian sleeper trains to such far flung Scottish destinations as Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Fort William, Glasgow and Inverness which given the distances involved are understandable, but Plymouth/London which is only rail 225 miles from London!:Something very wrong there which MPs of all political persuasions now agree needs sorting as part of the next Great Western franchise specification.

[grahame]

First arrivals for business travellers from London to various towns and cities are important - and here (following on from my final connection table is a table of earliest current arrivals, leaving London on the first service in the morning (I've defined that as 5 a.m.). I've added in some more distant points this time, and the times shown are the arrivals at destination station.

See how Plymouth compares to other places ... in GW^▸ (Great Western) land and beyond

06:08 Didcot
06:22 Oxford
06:25 Swindon
06:38 Chippenham
06:47 Newbury
06:52 Bath
07:00 Southampton
07:07 Bristol Temple Meads
07:22 Bradford-on-Avon
07:22 Stroud
07:28 Trowbridge
07:33 Bristol Parkway
07:35 Westbury
07:44 Newport
07:45 Gloucester
07:47 Weston-super-Mare
07:49 Solihull
07:57 Poole
07:57 Yate
08:00 Cardiff
08:01 Cheltenham Spa
08:03 Salisbury
08:09 Warminster
08:14 Worcester Shrub Hill
08:24 Taunton
08:31 Avonmouth
08:44 Weymouth
08:57 Swansea
09:07 Hereford
09:08 Exeter
09:21 Stratford-upon-Avon
09:40 Frome
09:47 Paignton
09:50 Exmouth
09:53 Severn Beach
10:12 Yeovil (Pen Mill)
10:35 Barnstaple
10:41 Plymouth
10:43 Carmarthen
12:01 Truro
12:42 Penzance
12:44 Falmouth
12:48 Milford Haven
13:26 Fishguard Harbour
19:11 Melksham

First and last trains have often been specified if SLC^▸ (Service Level Commitment) documents (the timetable service level that's required of a franchise operator), so there appears to be common ground that first and last times can be important.

P.S. from King's Cross or Euston ...

08:01 Liverpool
08:13 Preston
08:23 Leeds
08:28 Manchester
09:43 Newcastle
10:31 Glasgow
11:04 Edinburgh
16:09 Fort William

[eightf48544]

Most at an astronomical price unless you can get an advanced.

Is Melksham Off Peak or evening peak?