Ivybridge: Rail Users Group, services and cancellations (merged topics)

[whole diary]

[Btline]

It is bad news IMO^▸ (in my opinion).

HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) should not be calling at Ivybridge.

How much longer will journey times be this year? The fact that one of them comes from Penzance makes it worse.

HST = InterCity - the only exceptions are Ox-Wor and Penz-Plym.

Other than that, it is InterCity stops only.

What has happened to all the local DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)? Yes, I know SWT^▸ (South West Trains) are withdrawing them, but surely their FGW^▸ (First Great Western) replacements could stop?

[devon_metro]

Its a waste of money running half of the Ivybridge trains, so its far more sensible just to stop and HST^▸ (High Speed Train). Besides, knock a few mins slack off the TT and you will arrive at the same time anyway!

[Conner]

Btline, find the DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) stoppers and they all stop, they just aren't very often. The HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s replace SWT^▸ (South West Trains) services.

[Btline]

The HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s replace SWT^▸ (South West Trains) services.

[Conner]

The HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s replace SWT^▸ (South West Trains) services.

No, I think it is brilliant. You can't put long distance customers coming off a 159 on a 150.
So it is. 

[Lee]

The way I read the IRUG^» (Ivybridge Rail Users Group - about) link, and going by the Ivybridge stop times quoted, it looks like the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) stops are replacing FGW^▸ (First Great Western) DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) stops from December 2008.

I am awaiting clarification on that, though.

[mjthomson]

 ???I think there appears to be some selfishness from some members. Don't begrudge the fact that some HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s will be stopping at Ivybridge because if they don't we will most likely lose services. It only adds on 2 or 3 minutes to a journey to London, in the scheme of things that's nothing. The argument should be for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to provide more services.

[Conner]

???I think there appears to be some selfishness from some members. Don't begrudge the fact that some HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s will be stopping at Ivybridge because if they don't we will most likely lose services. It only adds on 2 or 3 minutes to a journey to London, in the scheme of things that's nothing. The argument should be for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to provide more services.

Definatly, Ivybridge should have HST's to London, but they should also have more regular DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)'s which are currently very irregular.

[Btline]

I am certainly not wishing to deprive Ivybridge of services! I think the cuts proposed in the past were dreadful.

However, Ivybridge is a smaller station. It therefore should not be called at by "InterCity" trains!

More DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) should stop. What about a Newton Abbot to Newquay/Ginnislake service every two hours calling at all statoins, alternating at Plymouth to go to either Newquay or Guinisslake?

The journey time of HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) are too long at the moment, and stopping trains here will mean that more SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) will be used (the stops will not be reliable!).

please do not call me selfish. I could, in a way, call residents of Ivybridge selfish for making HSTs call!

But I suppose, HSTs are better than nothing.....

[Conner]

Well, I think you going to have al lot of complaints putting Gunnislake and Newquay to a four hourly service.

There should be a Plymouth-Newton Abbot shuttle and Gunnislake and Newquay should have dedicated units.

HST^▸ (High Speed Train) journey times are not too long at all, they are good from Plymouth, SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) doesn't take that long down in Cornwall, they are good at it.

And the trains stopping at Ivybridge are the slower services already.

HST's are the best thing for Ivybridge.

Ivybridge is like Saltash, been neglected as a smaller station but in reality they serve very large areas.

Intercity trains in Devon and Cornwall are most stations to Exeter then pretty fast to London.
There traffic is from all the stations not Penzanc Plymouth and Exeter. The train would be very un profitable doing that, Intercity in Cornwall is inter city to London not intercity in Cornwall.

[Lee]

I know how much you opposed the originally proposed cuts, Btline, and I do see the point you are trying to make.

A couple of comments, though.

I'm not sure its a case of Ivybridge residents "making" HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s call. I think we need to wait for further details to emerge regarding the background to the December 2008 timetable proposals.

On your idea of linking Ivybridge/Gunnislake services, it is interesting that the current service does that to a certain extent.

I agree with mjthomson. The argument should be for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to provide more services overall for Ivybridge, in whatever provision mix works out best.

[Btline]

PS - Newquay/Guinislake would have extra services as well!

[John R]

???I think there appears to be some selfishness from some members. Don't begrudge the fact that some HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s will be stopping at Ivybridge because if they don't we will most likely lose services. It only adds on 2 or 3 minutes to a journey to London, in the scheme of things that's nothing. The argument should be for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to provide more services.

Definatly, Ivybridge should have HST's to London, but they should also have more regular DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)'s which are currently very irregular.

I beg to differ. To say that a town with a population of 12,000  over 150 miles from London "should" have a service to London is to confuse the issue. What Ivybridge needs is a decent service to Plymouth and Exeter. If that's achieved by stopping a few services to and from London for operational convenience or economy then so be it, although I think some of the other comments show the downsides of having express services to London calling at smaller stations. But I don't think you could ever run a railway on the basis of towns that size needing a service to London.       

[vacman]

The Gunnislake service currently requires two units to operate the GSL-NTA^» (Newton Abbott - next trains)/EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) services to serve Ivybridge, from Dec 2008 the Gunnislake will be a deddicated unit, as all services will be PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains)-GSL thus freeing up a unit, this unit is then going to be used to operate SEVEN trains per day to Newquay from Par, basicly giving Cornwalls second largest town a proper service for the first time in over TWENTY YEARS! in principal i'm against HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s stopping at these small stations on London services but in this case i'm all for it, Newquay is LONG overdue a decent train service and FGW^▸ (First Great Western) should be given a medal for finally doing this, afterall, none of their predecessors have ever given Newquay a second glance!

[Conner]

???I think there appears to be some selfishness from some members. Don't begrudge the fact that some HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s will be stopping at Ivybridge because if they don't we will most likely lose services. It only adds on 2 or 3 minutes to a journey to London, in the scheme of things that's nothing. The argument should be for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to provide more services.

Definatly, Ivybridge should have HST's to London, but they should also have more regular DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)'s which are currently very irregular.

I beg to differ. To say that a town with a population of 12,000  over 150 miles from London "should" have a service to London is to confuse the issue. What Ivybridge needs is a decent service to Plymouth and Exeter. If that's achieved by stopping a few services to and from London for operational convenience or economy then so be it, although I think some of the other comments show the downsides of having express services to London calling at smaller stations. But I don't think you could ever run a railway on the basis of towns that size needing a service to London.       

So according to you John, stopping trains at St.Erth is out of the question.
That has a poulation of 1384 and that is in the parish.
As are Hayle, Redruth, Par, Lostwithiel, Bodmin and Liskeard.
I can tell you that Redruth, Bodmin and Liskeard have some of the highest loadings in cornwall on Lodon trains and they have populations of 12,000 or less.
And they are further away from London than Ivybridge.