A 142 unit got to Cornwall - here is an alternative use

[whole diary]

[grahame]

The 142 units "will not be used West of Newton Abbot" has been promised and written on this forum, but one has turned up in Cornwall. Because of sharp corners, they're not supposed to work down there, and many people aren't too happy with the quality of ride compared to the trains they replaced in the South West peninsula. 

Can I offer an alternative use for such a unit?

06:00 Exeter - Yeovil - Westbury - Swindon (arr 08:30)
08:45 Swindon - Westbury - Salisbury (arr 10:00)
10:15 Salisbury - Swindon (arr 11:30)
11:45 Swindon - Salisbury (arr 13:00)
13:15 Salisbury - Swindon (arr 14:30)
14:45 Swindon - Salisbury (arr 16:00)
16:15 Salisbury - Swindon (arr 17:30)
17:45 Swindon - Westbury - Yeovil - Exeter (arr 20:15)

Not sure of the pathing etc ... I know it would need to be changed somewhat in certain places; I do know that it's clear of the other passenger service on the TransWilts single line section from Chippenham to Trowbridge since the only remaining trains on that under the current timetable are out of the way in the morning BEFORE this schedule makes its first run, or don't run until AFTER it is out of the way!

A promise that one would provide a service North East of Trowbridge - if kept - would be most welcome, and give it a few months to bed in you would have a busy service.

Note the good Swindon commuter provision, the building up (with the 06:18 and 18:45 services off Swindon, 07:45 and 20:20 arrivals back there  remaining) of a sensible TransWilts service, and the ability to reroute some of the Malvern to Warminster services to Frome to provide the more frequent service that town justifies. 

[devon_metro]

You simply can't send it via the WoE, not only is is at capacity at most parts of the days, but FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have no business there!

[grahame]

You simply can't send it via the WoE, not only is is at capacity at most parts of the days, but FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have no business there!

Yeah, I agree that there are capacity issues (but it is going "with the main flow" at both extremes of the day), but I thought that the sleeper and 125s went that way when there was engineering work going on from Exeter to Taunton and it keeps FGW's business running at those times 

I guess I consider the customer passenger too much. Via Yeovil, the service would give a daily train for a practical day in Swindon from Yeovil(41000), Axminster (6000)  and Honiton(11000)

Via Taunton .... the new service would provide a direct link from Exeter and Taunton (county town of Somerset) to Trowbridge (county town on Wiltshire) - I suspect that's not such a big market though.

[devon_metro]

I would allox a 158 on that diagram though, as Exeter - Swindon via Salisbury is a treck

So perhaps SPM^▸ (St Philip's Marsh (Bristol depot)) - Bristol - Westbury - Transwilts - Bristol - SPM would be more sensible with the use of a 142.

[vacman]

There's nothing official to say that 142/143's can't work in Cornwall!

[Lee]

There's nothing official to say that 142/143's can't work in Cornwall!

I thought the quote (and forgive me if I dont get it exactly right) was "Network Rail would have kittens" ?

[Jim]

We've had a thread on Axminster line before  - and didn't we work out it wasn't viable?

[zippy]

Network rail wouldn't let the 142s go beyond Warminster towards Salisbury .

And none of the traincrews are trained on them either .

At the moment!

[devon_metro]

There's nothing official to say that 142/143's can't work in Cornwall!

143619 did its fair share of workings last year. Scratched most of the Devon lines aswell, so to speak 

[Lee]

There's nothing official to say that 142/143's can't work in Cornwall!

143619 did its fair share of workings last year. Scratched most of the Devon lines aswell, so to speak 

Any photos taken of these workings?

[devon_metro]

Our resident 'spotter' (sorry Jim - I will stop now) has some: http://jimsphotoallery.fotopic.net/c1093423_13.html

[Jim]

There's nothing official to say that 142/143's can't work in Cornwall!

143619 did its fair share of workings last year. Scratched most of the Devon lines aswell, so to speak 

Any photos taken of these workings?

That was the year before my friend!

I didn't have a great Cam at the time - but yes - I was on it!

Not good shots:


Eggesford: http://jimsphotoallery.fotopic.net/p34439386.html

Topsham: http://jimsphotoallery.fotopic.net/p34439388.html

Exmouth: http://jimsphotoallery.fotopic.net/p34439390.html

Destination: http://jimsphotoallery.fotopic.net/p34439393.html

[Lee]

Thanks for that.

[Jim]

Thanks for that.

No worries, your resident "spotter" has been of use!

[grahame]

Network rail wouldn't let the 142s go beyond Warminster towards Salisbury .

And none of the traincrews are trained on them either .

At the moment!

We've had a thread on Axminster line before  - and didn't we work out it wasn't viable?

Hi, Zippy ... welcome to the forum!  Your words at the moment could be prophetic 

I have been told "can't be done" about making any improvements at all on the TransWilts service, and had it explained to me the reasons why there would not be any improvement.  But then with a closer look at the case, a closer look at options rather than a knee-jerked "no" without the full facts, and some options have come to light - things are sounding much more positive now.  The cynics may suggest that there's still no chance and the population in these parts is having its "expectations managed" and perhaps there is indeed an element of that.  But I thinks there's also a lot of genuine people who are woking to make that appropriate service happen.

So, Jim, I appreciate the "doesn't look practical" answer and I'll go so far as "haven't yet found a viable solution".  But that doesn't mean there isn't one out there.