Blow to county train users

[whole diary]

[Btline]

Here is some excellently researched journalism.

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/9842916.Blow_to_county_train_users/

TRAIN users across Worcestershire have been dealt a bitter blow ^ with hopes of an hourly service to London effectively scrapped until at least 2028.

The Government has started the hunt for a new provider to run the Cotswold Line, but has revealed it will not be asking for more frequent pick-ups.

At the moment commuters travelling from Worcester, Malvern or Evesham to the capital must use First Great Western^s services, which is one train every two hours at best.

The Department for Transport is calling for ^broadly the same number of trains^ to be in operation, infuriating the county^s MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament).

West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin said: ^These minimum service levels are well below what I think a successful bidder should achieve and I hope the short-listed firms will aim high.

^If there was a regular, reliable, hourly service from the area to London it would attract passengers that are currently being lost to Birmingham, Warwick, Newport and Swindon.^

The call for bidders to ^aim high^ was echoed by Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff , who said: ^m bitterly disappointed at this spectacular missed opportunity.

^We must have an hourly service, it is crucial to the county^s prosperity. It^s highly unlikely the tender document will be changed, all we can do now is put pressure on any bidders to voluntarily offer a better service and hope they win the contract.^

The Department for Transport^s tendering document states: ^The new franchise will require broadly the same number of trains to run between end-to-end destinations as is the case today, while giving the operator greater flexibility over timetabling and station calls.^

It also insists the service offers ^frequent journey opportunities^.

The department has short-listed four bidders, one of which is First Great Western, and will be selecting the winner to run the line from July 2013 to 2028.

The rival contenders will have to submit bids by October, with an announcement due in March next year.

First Great Western has just rolled out a raft of bigger trains on the route.

[IndustryInsider]

Here is some excelently researched journalism.

Ignoring the spelling error, I assume you're being ironic?

[Btline]

Here is some excelently researched journalism.

Ignoring the spelling error, I assume you're being ironic?

Sorry. :-(
Yes. I never knew the Cotswold line only had 1tp2h at best!

[ChrisB]

And Harriett Baldwin doesn't understand either....

How will moving already-travelling-to-London pax from "Birmingham, Warwick, Newport and Swindon" to travelling direct from Worcester benefit the county's economy? Surely what she really means is that an hourly service might encourage more travel to London?

But would that improve the county's economy anyway? It's a moot point....

Has anyone / Baldwin ever done a survey to discover whether there's even a latent demand for London travel from that County?....I doubt it very much. In which case, all that would be saved is exhaust fumes from those already travelling out-county.

[JayMac]

Can the hacks at Worcester news not count? Itp2h over the period 5am to 11pm, which is roughly when services to London run, would equates to 9 trains. Worcester/Evesham to London actually has 17 services via the Cotswold line with Worcester having an additional 2 via Kemble. It is only the period 10am-2pm which has 1tp2h at best for Worcester/Evesham.

It's only Malvern that has a 2tph service at best, but Gt Malvern and Malvern Link still have connections into those other Cotswold Line services at Worcester.

[Worcester_Passenger]

Worcester/Evesham to London actually has 17 services via the Cotswold line with Worcester having an additional 2 via Kemble.

The "additional 2 via Kemble" are irrelevant. I for one can't affod to upgrade my ticket  so as to travel via a slow and roundabout route. Thanks to the complexities of the Forst Great Western / Thames trains pricing structure, the serious numbers are these:

                                via Evesham   via Stroud
First Open Return       ^137.00        ^232.00      Any train
First Off-peak Return  ^95.00          ^136.00      Arrive London 11:00 or later, return 15:50 or earlier, 19:22 or later
Std Open Return        ^71.00          ^146.00

[ellendune]

Sounds like some more common sense on fares is required!

[Worcester_Passenger]

Sorry, something went wrong with my earlier post.

Worcester/Evesham to London actually has 17 services via the Cotswold line with Worcester having an additional 2 via Kemble.

The "additional 2 via Kemble" are irrelevant. I for one can't affod to upgrade my ticket  so as to travel via a slow and roundabout route. Thanks to the complexities of the Forst Great Western / Thames trains pricing structure, the serious numbers are these:

                                via Evesham   via Stroud
First Open Return       ^137.00        ^232.00      Any train
First Off-peak Return  ^95.00          ^136.00      Arrive London 11:00 or later, return 15:50 or earlier, 19:22 or later
Std Open Return        ^71.00          ^146.00      Any train
Std Off-peak Return   ^47.50                            Depart Worcester on 07:30, return on any train
                                                    ^62.50        Depart Worcester on 07:30, return 15:50 or earlier, 19:22 or later
Std Cheap Day Ret     ^39.00                            Arrive London 11:00 or later, return 15:50 or earlier, 19:22 or later

These are operated via Kemble for the convenience of First Great Western and NOT for the use of Worcester passengers. Don't let's hear ant more about these.

[IndustryInsider]

These are operated via Kemble for the convenience of First Great Western and NOT for the use of Worcester passengers. Don't let's hear ant more about these.

Presumably they're quite useful for Worcester passengers travelling to/from places en-route like Stroud and Swindon?   

[Worcester_Passenger]

Presumably they're quite useful for Worcester passengers travelling to/from places en-route like Stroud and Swindon?  

Actually, they're mainly of use if you're going to Cheltenham or Gloucester, cos London Midland took out their half of the hourly service a while back. In 20 years of travelling, I've used them to go to Swindon once. And that was only because I had to go to Warminster, and the timings meant that I could actually go by way of Melksham, just to see what was there. Long before our Glorious Webmaster started his campaign, and I apologise for buying a through ticket and not splitting my journey at Melksham so as to boost the passenger figures.

Meanwhile, back on the Londons ... I don't often have a rant on these pages, but this is going to be one of them.

Carrying on from previous posts let's have a look at when the via-Eveshams get into London (and vice versa).

From Worcester SH, there are trains at
    dep       arr. Pad
    05:11    07:30
    05:37    07:59
    06:33    08:51
    07:34    09:47
    08:39    11:00
    10:08    12:29
    12:08    14:29
    14:08    16:27
    14:41    17:00
    16:03    18:28
    17:31    20:06
    18:55    21:29    
    20:03    22:39
    21:03    23:36
    22:43    01:17

15 trains spread over a period of 17:32, giving an average gap of 1:15.

They take an average of 2:24 for the journey, with the fastest taking 2:13. Back in 1995/96, the fastest took 1:56. DGIH, back in 1908, the crack train, pulled by a steam engine, took 2:15. In 104 years, we've managed to reduce the running time by two minutes.

And when do we get our most-frequent service? yes, there's a pair of trains that are 26 minutes apart, at 05:11 and 05:37. Well, I hope somebody uses them because in 20 years of travelling from Worcester I have never used either of them.

And the next-best headway is the 33-minute gap between 14:08 and 14:41. Wowee, just when I really want to travel.

And as the day wears on, they slow down. The five after 17:00 average 2:35.

And I haven't started on the return journey yet. But perhaps I should take my medication first.

But first, remind me why we spent all that money on re-doubling the track. Slowing the trains down, as FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have done, would have achieved exactly the same apparent improvement in the timekeeping.

[grahame]

                                via Evesham   via Stroud
Std Open Return        ^71.00          ^146.00      Any train

And - indeed - that is why Worcester passengers won't look at the "via Swindon" service.  Speaking personally, I'll take a slower train if it's leaving at the time I want / going to be more comfortable ... (even if overtaken sometimes; even if a change needed).  But paying over twice as much would stick in my gullet.   

This isn't a unique comment re: Cotswolds - arriving at Paddington in time for a 17:45 train and travelling to Westbury, I would prefer to change at Swindon and get to destination at 19:27.  But - unless time was critical, I would wait for the 18:33 and get to destination at 20:04.   It's simply not worth stepping up from 35.60 to 84.00 to gain half an hour (and an extra TransWilts journey  )

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

A significant proportion of daily commuters boarding trains at Kingham and Charlbury originate from the area along the South Cotswold Line but find that they can save a fortune to drive to the CL instead of using their local trains via Kemble. Unfortunately it would be difficult to quantify that proportion. It has been rumoured that when possible FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and presumably any successor if not First, would want to narrow the differential by raising CL unregulated fares. However probably most of the people coming from South Glos to the CL use regulated fares as they are early morning commuters to Reading and beyond.

[ChrisB]

Don't forget there's still a +/- flex of 5% available each year. The CL fares are recognised as being lower than they should be. Suspect Han13 might be interesting if HMG don't play with the formula

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

What is "HAN13"?

[Btline]

The CL fares are recognised as being lower than they should be.

Well if anyone raises the fares further, just watch the flow of people switching to Chiltern! I think it is other fares that are much higher than they should be!

The second link to Oxford can't come soon enough, to provide fares competition that should prevent massive fare rises on the Cotswold line.

I agree with Worcester passenger that the service is still woeful. I only made the point that the article was wrong with its figures.

And I find it very difficult to believe that anyone would drive TO the Cotswold line to commute - they must be desperate.