Draft IEP Timetables Dec18/Jan19

[whole diary]

[Adelante_CCT]

Good point, although I had it in my head the part about running fast to Exeter, and was considering Tiverton as

the intermediate stations between EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) and PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)

[Kernow Otter]

How could I forget Tiverton !

So, fast Paddington to Taunton.  Split Taunton with front unit then fast to PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains) for all stations to PNZ, with the rear unit all stations to PLY.

I wonder what the journey time would be ?

[ChrisB]

Can't see that - major flow EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains)-PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains) will sant to travel on the faster service

[Zoe]

Every 2 hours Paddington - Reading - Theale - Newbury - Stations to Pewsey - Westbury - Castle Cary - Taunton - Exeter (some extensions, Paignton and / or Plymouth)

Also Paddington - Reading - key stations via Newbury to Bedwyn to make services to Bedwyn hourly overall.

Is that definite rather than the semi-fast just calling at Newbury, Pewsey, Westbury, Castle Cary, Taunton and Exeter with an hourly Bedwyn service continuing to run as now?

[grahame]

Every 2 hours Paddington - Reading - Theale - Newbury - Stations to Pewsey - Westbury - Castle Cary - Taunton - Exeter (some extensions, Paignton and / or Plymouth)

Also Paddington - Reading - key stations via Newbury to Bedwyn to make services to Bedwyn hourly overall.

Is that definite rather than the semi-fast just calling at Newbury, Pewsey, Westbury, Castle Cary, Taunton and Exeter with an hourly Bedwyn service continuing to run as now?

Not sure of structure east of Pewsey; Bedwyn should get hourly - may be hourly turn back, or alternate turn backs;

[WSW Frome]

Recently I have started an awareness exercise in Frome concerning the new IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)/IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) timetables and the opportunities this may present to improve services at Frome. Two of the local newspapers have recently published my letter and the text is shown below.

Many of us are aware that there are operational issues linked with Frome calls. Not least of these is that the current plans (apparently) require the down semi-fasts to arrive in Taunton just ahead of the fast service, for connectional purposes (and presumably equivalent for up services). However, the issue should be given a reasonable consideration and response. The MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) for Somerton and Frome is an active rail campaigner and supports these suggestions. We will meet later in November to discuss further.

Future Train Services at Frome
Readers may be aware that the (now partial) Great Western Railway electrification scheme will be completed in 2018. The timetables will be completely revised in late 2018 and this will affect the Frome/Westbury areas.  The draft timetables are in advanced planning but not yet in the public domain.
Information from various sources show the proposed GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) service patterns as they affect this region are:
1.   Every hour- fast service London to/from the West Country, calling at Reading and Taunton.
2.   (Generally) Every two hours - semi-fast service London to/from Exeter, calling at Newbury, Pewsey, Westbury, Castle Cary and Taunton.
The morning and evening commuter services between Frome and London are retained but the afternoon service will likely disappear. Under these plans Frome will generally be served by connections at Westbury in/out of Heart of Wessex trains similar to the current arrangements.
These major timetable revisions accompanying the introduction of new rolling stock represent an opportunity to try to put Frome more firmly back on the inter-city map, with improved direct services to London and importantly, greater connectivity within Somerset to Taunton.
We must ask anyone with lobbying influence to strongly recommend that “some of” the semi-fast services call at Frome. It must be noted that there are time penalties and other technical issues associated with calling at Frome so that practicalities may just prevail – but it is definitely worth a serious ask. Wider thinking might consider the use of skip-stop working for certain services or an extension of some services which will otherwise terminate at Bedwyn, Wilts.
Separately, South Western Railway have recently published (for comment) their draft timetable for December 2018. The services to/from Frome are slightly enhanced and include an early morning service to London Waterloo and a late afternoon return.
It is not clear if there will be any public consultation on the GWR timetables but I plan to circulate this information more widely and anyone interested should try to influence a positive outcome.

[ChrisB]

2. You forgot Tiverton Parkway.

Also, I'm not not sure skip stopping on a service every 2 hours would be welcomed at stations due to be served every two hours. Skip stopping would mean a service once in a 4-hour period

[Adelante_CCT]

2. You forgot Tiverton Parkway.

I thought Tiverton was being served by the hourly fasts, and not by the two hourly semi-fasts.

[CMRail]

As the thread is already here I won’t start a new one unless required by mods.

It’s closer to the time now (nearly 1 year) and I wonder what the situation with the timetables are. What’s still expected across whole network, will this still be delivered in January (as suggested by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) themselves) and what will be the situation with extended IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) journeys replacing stoppers (e.g Cheltenham, will peaks still be local or in addition to?)

[ChrisB]

First bid & response has been received by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway),second round started I understand. In front of where they were in the May round timewise

[IndustryInsider]

Over to Network Rail then...  Oh dear!    Mind you is this the full timetable recast or are ambitions being scaled back a little in favour of a staged approach?

[ChrisB]

I think the former(currently)

[stuving]

Over to Network Rail then...  Oh dear!    Mind you is this the full timetable recast or are ambitions being scaled back a little in favour of a staged approach?

What would staging look like? Would it be working out the full new timetable, then leaving out a few trains (or at least identifying which they are) if you suspect initial problems? Doing that obviously needs to work in terms of diagrams and rostering, but that's GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s job and they ought to be getting good at sorting that out by now. By problems I mean e.g. stock or staff numbers, or reliability of pushing the full tph in and out of Paddington.

The effect of that might be less pretty, in terms of even intervals, interconnections, etc. than a complete new Working Timetable for each stage. However, it does allow for reintroduction of services as and when rather than only May and December. Plus of course the shortage of effort for fully planning all the fiddly bits of a WTT^▸ (Working Time-Table) means doing two or three probably isn't possible anyway.

[IndustryInsider]

Both service reliability and staffing levels might be good reasons not to introduce everything at once.  New timetables always take a little time to bed in, and as we have seen at GTR and Northern major changes can go badly wrong.  We're not at all sure exactly when electrification will be available to Cardiff either.  The obvious candidate to bring in afterwards is the extra 2tph planned to run between Paddington and Bristol via Bristol Parkway as few adjustments would be needed to introduce them later - possibly a couple of extra stops at Bristol Parkway and Swindon on some of the other trains to compensate, if the original timetable iteration is still being pursued.  Two 'spare' paths between Paddington and Didcot each hour would mean a little breathing space for everything else to settle in, and you would then have those paths free to introduce the extras whenever you feel confident enough to do so.

[CMRail]

I have just been told that it is being put back until December 2019. I seriously  can’t process this and how annoyed I am.