Overcrowding on the Tarka Line

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

Topics now merged, for completeness. 

[Rapidash]

I guess they are bunging a 153 on one end then?

Wonder where *that* came from? *goes off to check the Paignton - Newton Abbot shuttles*

[RichardB]

I guess they are bunging a 153 on one end then?

Wonder where *that* came from? *goes off to check the Paignton - Newton Abbot shuttles*

Yes, you're right - the morning 153 is the Paignton one, made possible by running the 08 23 EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) - PGN 19 mins later (and starting it from Central).  This train currently has 17 mins at Paignton so the retiming can be accommodated without compromising the aim of the shuttles.

The PM strengthening is made possible by reducing maintenance time for 1 x 153 in Exeter Depot.

Clever stock diagramming and timetabling by FGW^▸ (First Great Western). 

[Super Guard]

...NR^» (Network Rail - home page) are never going to spend money to automate this when the "delay" is probably a whopping 30 seconds going towards Barnstaple.  There is no delay going towards Exeter, as the token exchange is happening at the same time.

But the token exchange is just as, if not more antiquated, as the level crossing. It often takes over 5 minutes to sort them out, not including any time taken waiting for passing trains which itself is massively delayed by the same process.

Unless there is a fault, each phone-call to the signaller (normally 2 in 1 direction 1 in other), should take maximum 1 minute.  As you say, the delay comes with one train being late and passing at these loops.  Unless the track is doubled ( ), these delays will always remain.

[grahame]

http://www.middevongazette.co.uk/COMMUTERS-SEATS/story-25716726-detail/story.html?

Passengers insist one extra coach on busiest Tarka^▸ (Line from Barnstaple to Exeter) trains 'not enough'

Nicola Cadogan said: "Just the 7am seems a bit mad. What about the return journeys between 4pm and 6pm that are packed like sardines, and school holidays?

"Surely if there's a free carriage for 7am it can be on there all the time?"

Sue Warren added: "This time of the year four carriages are needed for both journeys. There are so many people standing at 5pm."

Steven Jefferies said it was about time the trains were all updated.

And Debbie Pennington said that other trains were also busy ^ it was not just the case at 7am.

Have some people have only half-read the news - I understood the 16:57 back to being strengthened too.

[Rapidash]

Considering even the x2 143 services are full and standing, both to Paignton and Barnstaple....and thats with the stock being squeezed as much as possible! Unless someone wants to go and bribe SWT^▸ (South West Trains) for a few spare 158/9's to cover the Bristol - Penzanzes and Plymouth/Paignton - Cardiffs then they won't be sufficient metro style DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)'s for a fair few years, sadly.

It really is mental how busy the Metro is these days. With all the housing developments in Torbay/Exeter/Plymouth and further afield, it's only going to get busier!

[Rhydgaled]

Considering even the x2 143 services are full and standing, both to Paignton and Barnstaple....and thats with the stock being squeezed as much as possible! Unless someone wants to go and bribe SWT^▸ (South West Trains) for a few spare 158/9's to cover the Bristol - Penzanzes and Plymouth/Paignton - Cardiffs then they won't be sufficient metro style DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)'s for a fair few years, sadly.

It really is mental how busy the Metro is these days. With all the housing developments in Torbay/Exeter/Plymouth and further afield, it's only going to get busier!

Did nothing ever come of FirstGW's Invitation To Tender for additional stock (probably loco-hauled) to run Cardiff-Taunton services? The ITT^▸ (Invitation to Tender) is quoted in the first post of this topic

[MarkRanger]

Am I being way too simplistic here, but if the overcrowding is confined to certain journeys, might not a loco hauled set - top and tailed for reliability security - work, and indeed provide an added reason for people to use the line?

You've got stock and locos at Okehampton, with a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) owning that line. Maybe it would give an additional revenue Stream to BARS providing a Thunderbird service from a well located base?

I am sure there are many reasons why not, but equally, sometimes I wonder if the easy options get drowned in the procedural 'this is the way we do it' thinking.

I apologise if I am using too rose coloured glasses on this one, and would be interested in your thoughts

Mark

PS I know I am not local to you guys, but when I was involved in trying to stop the Cambridge-St.Ives line being turned into a guided busway, one source of stock we looked at was Class 31s top and tailed with four coaches, and they seemed to offer to a realistic option at the time.

[Super Guard]

http://www.middevongazette.co.uk/COMMUTERS-SEATS/story-25716726-detail/story.html?

Passengers insist one extra coach on busiest Tarka^▸ (Line from Barnstaple to Exeter) trains 'not enough'

Nicola Cadogan said: "Just the 7am seems a bit mad. What about the return journeys between 4pm and 6pm that are packed like sardines, and school holidays?

"Surely if there's a free carriage for 7am it can be on there all the time?"

Sue Warren added: "This time of the year four carriages are needed for both journeys. There are so many people standing at 5pm."

Steven Jefferies said it was about time the trains were all updated.

And Debbie Pennington said that other trains were also busy ^ it was not just the case at 7am.

Have some people have only half-read the news - I understood the 16:57 back to being strengthened too.

I despair at times at some comments.  Passengers were complaining this week "why do you put 3 coaches on (the 0700) now the college has broken up for xmas?  It's a slap in the face.." 

Indeed, the 16:57 is diagrammed to have an attachment of a 153 added at EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) for what is now the 17:02 departure to Barnstaple. 

The 153 additional in the morning is detached and then forms the additional Paignton shuttles that run through the day.  It doesn't sit around on the shed all day having a jolly! No doubt these same passengers would complain if we cancel a train because we have no spares sitting around! 

Yes merry baaaaa humbug! 

From the article:

"First Great Western, the current franchise holder, has done wonders with the limited equipment that the Department for Transport makes available to them.

"Finding these additional coaches is no small achievement.

"It's the result of innovative scheduling and the fine-tuning of complex service rotas."

Glad the rail user group understand at least, and having spoken to the performance manager, being able to rejig the schedules, planning and maintenance it really is an achievement.

[grahame]

I despair at times at some comments. Passengers were complaining this week ...

Glad the rail user group understand at least, and having spoken to the performance manager, being able to rejig the schedules, planning and maintenance it really is an achievement.

I cannot speak specifically for the Tarka^▸ (Line from Barnstaple to Exeter) line, but sadly one of the things I've noticed in the stuff I've done in the past few years is the relatively small overlap between regular (i.e. frequent user) passengers and rail user group members.  And I can't help but feel that some better overlap / communication in that area, and with train operator support (which for most rail user groups would be forthcoming, I suspect) it could be mutually beneficial to all.

I'm personally very much aware that my criticism of this lack of connection effects a couple of the groups I'm a member of very badly indeed, and others to a lesser but never the less unfortunate extent ... something I could elaborate on and indeed float a few ideas.  We have made some progress in the community facilitated by electronic media, but there is so much more that could be done.

[John R]

Good to see that passenger numbers continue to rise on the Tarka^▸ (Line from Barnstaple to Exeter) Line.

http://www.tarkarail.org/Tarka%20Line%202001-15%20210415.pdf

Bearing in mind that 2014 was somewhat depressed due to the flooding and engineering work that affected many lines in Devon, the first three months shows an increase of 22.5% over 2013. Some of this will have been down to the half price northbound fares, but I wonder whether the additional capacity on the peak commuter trains is also starting to have an impact.

[TonyK]

I cannot speak specifically for the Tarka^▸ (Line from Barnstaple to Exeter) line, but sadly one of the things I've noticed in the stuff I've done in the past few years is the relatively small overlap between regular (i.e. frequent user) passengers and rail user group members.  And I can't help but feel that some better overlap / communication in that area, and with train operator support (which for most rail user groups would be forthcoming, I suspect) it could be mutually beneficial to all.

I'm personally very much aware that my criticism of this lack of connection effects a couple of the groups I'm a member of very badly indeed, and others to a lesser but never the less unfortunate extent ... something I could elaborate on and indeed float a few ideas.  We have made some progress in the community facilitated by electronic media, but there is so much more that could be done.

I pay tribute to your sterling efforts, grahame, and to those of the many other groups at times fighting an uphill battle. (That doesn't include Weston super duper Mare, where it would be an Uphill battle). Maybe the trans-Wilts would have risen from the ashes without you. maybe the Severn Beach Line would have avoided being ripped up for a guided busway, as suggested by Atkins in 2005 without the fulsome protests by FOSBR^▸ (Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways) et al.

I doubt it. The actions of the few have kept smaller rail routes available for what is becoming the many. Consider it a job well done when so many have no idea that it didn't all used to work like it does now.