9 Reasons Why Passengers Get Cheesed Off With Rail Services In The South West

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

From the Western Morning News:

February 4 marks a year since the only railway line from London to Cornwall collapsed at Dawlish, Devon, leaving much of the region cut-off by train for almost two months. Despite pledges of improvements, the line remains (probably) the most moaned about in Britain. Here's why.

1. The mainline from London to Cornwall was down at Dawlish for 59 days ^ but some Cornwall journeys were quicker on the bus-replacement services.

2. Great Western main line speeds west of Exeter fall to 60 mph. The speed is 125mph to Bristol and South Wales. HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) speeds from London to the Midlands will be 225mph.

3. Treasury figures show the South West gets ^41 per head spent on rail compared to ^294 in London.

4. The average age of the First Great Western rolling stock is just short of 32 years ^ making the fleet more than 10 years older than the national average.

5. Plymouth is 50 miles closer to London than Newcastle ^ but you can get to the capital an hour faster from Newcastle.

6. Two new inland railway lines, shoring up the Dawlish line, electric trains, a Devon metro and improvements to stop flooding west of Exeter would cost around ^7 billion. HS2 will cost ^45 billion.

7. There^s still no wi-fi.

8. There are no plans to electrify the Great Western line west of Bristol. The line from London to Bristol and Swansea will get quicker, more efficient trains ^ the ^second^ Great Western mainline to Exeter and into Cornwall will have to make do with diesels.

9. The earliest train from London into Plymouth, the biggest city in the far South West, arrives at 10:35am.

[chrisr_75]

The speed is 125mph to Bristol and South Wales.

Not true, through South Wales it is 90mph to Bridgend and largely 75mph from there as far as Swansea, if I remember correctly.

[Rhydgaled]

The speed is 125mph to Bristol and South Wales.

Not true, through South Wales it is 90mph to Bridgend and largely 75mph from there as far as Swansea, if I remember correctly.

I think there is some 100mph (HST^▸ (High Speed Train) differential) in south Wales.

[devon_metro]

3. Treasury figures show the South West gets ^41 per head spent on rail compared to ^294 in London.

I'd be interested to see the comparison of contribution to the economy between London and the south west...

[The Tall Controller]

I think you can argue a fair case against half of those points.

[chrisr_75]

The speed is 125mph to Bristol and South Wales.

Not true, through South Wales it is 90mph to Bridgend and largely 75mph from there as far as Swansea, if I remember correctly.

I think there is some 100mph (HST^▸ (High Speed Train) differential) in south Wales.

According to Wikipedia (admittedly not necessarily the most reliable source) there is a small section of 100mph line through Pyle station and that's it.

I found that information in about 30 seconds, thanks to Google, so yet another example of poor journalism in the original quoted article!

[TaplowGreen]

I think you can argue a fair case against half of those points.

I can only see an argument against one of the points in the article at the moment, the one re: speed.

[JayMac]

And the one about WiFi. It's available on some of FGWs^▸ (First Great Western) fleet. I'm using it now.

[Super Guard]

9. The earliest train from London into Plymouth, the biggest city in the far South West, arrives at 10:35am.

Ignoring the fact it's approximately 40 minutes earlier than it used to be, perhaps re-time the sleeper to leave Paddington at 00:01 and they can grumble about the first train of the day from London arriving in Plymouth too early  .




Edit note: Quote marks amended, for clarity.  CfN. 

[TaplowGreen]

9. The earliest train from London into Plymouth, the biggest city in the far South West, arrives at 10:35am.

Ignoring the fact it's approximately 40 minutes earlier than it used to be, perhaps re-time the sleeper to leave Paddington at 00:01 and they can grumble about the first train of the day from London arriving in Plymouth too early  .

........or (avoiding sarcasm) just timetable a service to leave Paddington earlier, say 0530 so it gets to Plymouth around 0900, to enable a full day's business to take place? I don't see that as an unreasonable expectation for the South West's biggest city?




Edit note: Quote marks amended, for clarity.  CfN. 

[Super Guard]

9. The earliest train from London into Plymouth, the biggest city in the far South West, arrives at 10:35am.

Ignoring the fact it's approximately 40 minutes earlier than it used to be, perhaps re-time the sleeper to leave Paddington at 00:01 and they can grumble about the first train of the day from London arriving in Plymouth too early  .

........or (avoiding sarcasm) just timetable a service to leave Paddington earlier, say 0530 so it gets to Plymouth around 0900, to enable a full day's business to take place? I don't see that as an unreasonable expectation for the South West's biggest city?

I agree, 0800 in Exeter, 0900 Plymouth would be welcome in the SW, but which service are you cutting to provide the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) for it?  The 0706 I hear is much busier now it heads to PZ, whereas the unit connection previous was not ideal.



Edit note: Quote marks amended, for clarity.  CfN. 

[TaplowGreen]

9. The earliest train from London into Plymouth, the biggest city in the far South West, arrives at 10:35am.

Ignoring the fact it's approximately 40 minutes earlier than it used to be, perhaps re-time the sleeper to leave Paddington at 00:01 and they can grumble about the first train of the day from London arriving in Plymouth too early  .

........or (avoiding sarcasm) just timetable a service to leave Paddington earlier, say 0530 so it gets to Plymouth around 0900, to enable a full day's business to take place? I don't see that as an unreasonable expectation for the South West's biggest city?

I agree, 0800 in Exeter, 0900 Plymouth would be welcome in the SW, but which service are you cutting to provide the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) for it?  The 0706 I hear is much busier now it heads to PZ, whereas the unit connection previous was not ideal.

I really don't know.......there do seem to be a lot of Bristol/Cardiff services in the morning, could one of those be cut? I often use them and they don't seem to be particularly busy, at least as far as Bristol? (just off the top of my head!)............is every single set really fully committed at the moment? Is nothing in reserve/spare?



Edit note: Quote marks amended, for clarity.  CfN. 

[grahame]

Is nothing in reserve/spare?

I recall in "Wales and West" days a 158 unit running a service to London after the last HST^▸ (High Speed Train), and returning to Maesteg before the first HST of the morning.

Without the need for extra stock, the 21:49 Exeter St David's to Temple Meads could be extended to Paddington (arrive around 01:30) and leave again at around 04:30 to arrive pick up the diagram of the 06:42 which would get to Plymouth at 09:19 - well over an hour earlier than the current first arrival there from London.  Probably not justified just based on Devon and Cornwall traffic, but I suspect that a really late / really early service between London and Didcot / Swindon / Chippenham / Bath / Bristol might find a few customers.

P.S.  Slightly silly suggestion.  But silly ideas sometimes get refined to something rather interesting; the last train off Bristol to Chippenham and Swindon is too early for some, and the first train into Bristol from Chippenham and Swindon customers is rather later than some would like.

[Super Guard]

There will probably be a standby set, but if anything fails on the depot, fatality, emergency maintenance, you are then guaranteed cancellations.

[Adelante_CCT]

Is nothing in reserve/spare?

I recall in "Wales and West" days a 158 unit running a service to London after the last HST^▸ (High Speed Train), and returning to Maesteg before the first HST of the morning.

P.S.  Slightly silly suggestion.  But silly ideas sometimes get refined to something rather interesting; the last train off Bristol to Chippenham and Swindon is too early for some, and the first train into Bristol from Chippenham and Swindon customers is rather later than some would like.

I remember a variation of this running though it was from Cardiff (Or Maesteg) which would then run late evening to (depending on timetable periods) Reading, Paddington or even had a spell of running to Waterloo via Kensington, this would then depart around 4/5ish and head to Penzance via Bristol.

I too have heard numerous Swindon people complaining about getting back from Bristol in the late evening so as you say another good reason for running such a service.