Cotswold line timetable - not fit for purpose.

[whole diary]

[Btline]

When are they going to sort out the mess that it the Cotswold line timetable?
There is still: too much padding, too many stops and too many Thames Turbos.

Thankfully, I no longer have to use FGW^▸ (First Great Western) services.
After putting up for ages, I moved away from the Worcester area.
I still have ties with the area, but Chiltern gets my custom I'm afraid.

I really thought it would improve with the redoubling, but it hasn't. Electrification and the Reading rebuild are no excuse for not cutting at least 20 mins out of the timetable.

FGW/NR^» (Network Rail - home page) need to get their act together. With Cotswold car parks bursting at the seams even at 6am, frustrated commuters are already salivating at the prospect of Water Eaton Parkway. This new station could decimate the Southern Cotswold line just like Warwick Parkway in the North!

[martvw]

I, like many others, find it very frustrating that Worcester seems to be at the near bottom of the pile when it comes to improvements on the railway. Ok a little bit of money is spent here and there because something has broken or is wearing out, but no major investment. This is despite Worcester being a busy and growing city.

[James]

Oh dear, i thought since the upgrade had been completed that there are now hourly even half hourly operations on the Cotswold Line. Better than what was provided back in 2004 and 2006 when there was nearly 2-3 hour gaps in service.
So what's the issue with that, Btline, unfortunately the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) can't have all trains running fast, as there are stations that need a faster and more frequent service such as Slough and Ealing Broadway.

[Busboy W1]

Indeed what is the problem with the current timetable ? Agreed there can be at times too much padding and dwell time but in the instance of service disruption or PPM^▸ (Parry People Mover, or Pence Per Mile, or Public Performance Measure - depending on context) this can be an advantage !
 There are only three turbos timetabled on the Cotswold line Mon - Fri and two of which terminate at MIM with the other being 2E92 the 06:52 WOF - OXF^» (Oxford - next trains) up stopper !! Ok so you might find a Turbotisation from time to time recently for 180s faulting across the network.
  As for timings and faster journeys I'm afraid the answer is probably the re doubling of the line between Charlbury Junction and Wolvercote Junction until then I can't see any other way of making it any faster without reducing stops I.e 2Y94 15:32 GMV^▸ (Great Malvern station) - DID^▸ (Didcot Parkway).

 And before anybody starts on about the weekend that's a whole different story mainly with that turbo to Hereford on a Sunday. I'm afraid that a turbo is the only realistic option until the 180s have some money spent on them and improved like Hull Trains have done.There just is not enough serviceable HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) around afaik.  

[stebbo]

And are FGW^▸ (First Great Western) going to spend a shedload on the 180s when the franchise runs out in two years? Or on the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) when electrification and the dreaded bi-modes are coming?

[ChrisB]

Not until the new franchise is issued, no they're not....pretty understandable that.

The 180s might be kept on post-electrification together with some HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)), I reckon. 180s on PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains)-PNZ runs might make the current busy 3car units a more comfortable offering....for example

[stebbo]

The line is now getting so popular that customers at Kingham are having to park down the road to Bledington as the car park fills up so quickly.

[Btline]

There is still no noticeable improvement in the Cotswold timetable. With Chiltern's Oxford Parkway coming ever closer, I assume FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are going to attempt some improvements?

[a-driver]

And are FGW^▸ (First Great Western) going to spend a shedload on the 180s when the franchise runs out in two years? Or on the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) when electrification and the dreaded bi-modes are coming?

They already are spending a shedload just in keeping them running.  If there was an alternative available the 180s would be gone tomorrow!

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Oxford Mail:

More trains and faster journeys on cards for Cotswold Line stations


A Class 180 Adelante train at Charlbury station on the Cotswold Line

COTSWOLD Line rail passengers could see more and faster trains as early as next year, they were told on Saturday.

Train operator First Great Western^s franchise bid director Matthew Golton told the annual meeting of the Cotswold Line Promotion Group that proposals for an enhanced service from May 2015 had been submitted to the Department for Transport.

It is understood these could include additional trains on the section of the line through West Oxfordshire, provided by extending some services between Oxford and London to run to and from Charlbury or Moreton-in-Marsh, in Gloucestershire.

Subject to DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) consent, the company hopes to begin consultation on its proposals shortly.

Mr Golton told the meeting, held in Moreton-in-Marsh, that the aim was to improve Cotswold Line services in advance of the introduction of new InterCity Express Programme (IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project. This will offer more capacity on routes, save money, give a consistent and safe service and meet customer requirements. Intended to replace HSTs.)) bi-mode, electro-diesel trains on the line from 2017, following electrification of the Oxford-London route, and to cope with continued growth in passenger traffic.

He said the number of journeys made using Cotswold Line stations had grown by 43 per cent since 2009-10, up from 3.6 million journeys then to 5.2 million in the past 12 months.

He added: ^We have been looking very hard at what we can achieve with the [fast-accelerating] Class 180 Adelante trains and how we can get from here to 2017-18. We have drawn up what we regard as an exciting package.

^It does have faster journey times and it does have service extensions. It does fill some of the key gaps in the current timetable, but not all.^

And Shipton station will see a better spread of services on Saturdays from December this year, with mid-morning and early afternoon trains to Oxford and London and an early afternoon train back.

CLPG^» (Cotswold Line Promotion Group - about) chairman John Ellis raised passengers^ concerns about the use since last summer of a 280-seat Adelante, instead of a 500-seat High Speed Train, on the busy 3.52pm train from London Paddington to Oxford and Worcester, due to an overhaul programme for the HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) fleet.

He said: ^We understand the dilemma faced by FGW^▸ (First Great Western) in having to remove a set for heavy maintenance, but people using this service are equally understandably angry with the conditions on board this train.^

Mr Golton said that the company had to take tough choices, as the HSTs needed to be given life-extension work, due to delays to the IEP project.

He added: ^We very much regret the situation with the 3.52pm and continue to think how we might bring relief to that train, but it is a by-product of the situation we find ourselves in.^

The meeting also heard that FGW^s Cotswold Line stations manager, Teresa Ceesay, will retire in August, after seven years in the post and 15 years working for the company.

[JayMac]

Well done to the Oxford Mail's correspondent for a totally accurate story accompanied by a relevant picture of rolling stock. Something of a rarity these days. Nice to see local journalists obviously taking pride in their submissions.

Even the name of the Cotswolds Line stations' manager was spelled correctly. 

[Southern Stag]

I wonder if a better spread of services at Shipton means 180s are finally going to be used at Weekends. The current Saturday service is dictated by the fact that 3-car Turbos can't call in the Oxford/London bound direction, and the majority on the Saturday service is provided by 3-car Turbos. If more 180s are used instead a better spread of services could call at Shipton, rather than the current situation where Shipton calls have to be fitted around the times HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) run.

[TonyK]

Well done to the Oxford Mail's correspondent for a totally accurate story accompanied by a relevant picture of rolling stock. Something of a rarity these days. Nice to see local journalists obviously taking pride in their submissions.

Even the name of the Cotswolds Line stations' manager was spelled correctly. 

Makes me think that reporter is either a frequent traveller, an enthusiast, a Coffee Shop lurker (at least), or all three.

[John R]

Was indeed a valued and articulate contributor until he took umbrage at btline, also a contributor to this forum. So hasn't posted since, which is a great shame. 

[Rhydgaled]

the aim was to improve Cotswold Line services in advance of the introduction of new InterCity Express Programme (IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project. This will offer more capacity on routes, save money, give a consistent and safe service and meet customer requirements. Intended to replace HSTs.)) bi-mode, electro-diesel trains on the line from 2017, following electrification of the Oxford-London route, and to cope with continued growth in passenger traffic.

...

CLPG^» (Cotswold Line Promotion Group - about) chairman John Ellis raised passengers^ concerns about the use since last summer of a 280-seat Adelante, instead of a 500-seat High Speed Train, on the busy 3.52pm train from London Paddington to Oxford and Worcester, due to an overhaul programme for the HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) fleet.

My bold. While the 15:52 may be a 180, it sounds as if that would be an IC125 if at all possible and I assume there are still IC125s on some other Cotswolds diagrams. Then why, with "continued growth in passenger traffic" to cope with, will ALL the IEP trains for the Cotswolds (and other diesel lines on GW^» (Great Western - used as an abbreviation for the area / lines under the Great Western franchise, as opposed to FGW which includes "First", the company operating them too. For tickets - about)) be limited to 315 seat 5-car units? 5-car bi-modes will hopefully turn out to be a suitable replacment for class 180s on the Cotswolds, but they need some longer bi-mode units too to cover work that currently requires an IC125. Sure there are frequency enhancments planned for some lines under IEP, but the government's IEP proposals don't show any significant increase for other routes, including the Cotswolds. They could double up 5-car bi-modes to make a 10-car train, but I don't think the planned fleet is big enough to do that on many services.