Tarka Line - Exeter to Barnstaple - services, passenger numbers, carriages, engineering works, incidents and events

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Overcrowding on trains in parts of Devon has been described as "madness".

Passenger Anne Turner said conditions on the Tarka^▸ (Line from Barnstaple to Exeter) Line trains, which have two carriages between Barnstaple and Exeter, were unacceptable.

The Department for Transport (DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)) said the government funded additional carriages for First Great Western (FGW^▸ (First Great Western)) to deal with crowding issues.

But FGW said there were no more carriages available to use on the Tarka Line.

'Prefer Delhi trains'

Ms Turner, from Barnstaple, regularly uses the 40-mile (64km) Tarka Line and takes trains in India on backpacking holidays.

She said: "I would say that I would prefer to get the train out of Delhi along through Rajasthan than to try and get on the train when it's packed at Exeter or Barnstaple.

"It just seems madness. I really can't understand why they can't add another carriage to it, especially when they know it's going to be crowded."

Each of the largest carriages used on the line, which carries about 512,000 passengers a year, can seat up to 147 people.

Julian Crow, FGW's regional manager for the West of England, said the service had seen a 157% rise in the last 10 years and a 15% rise in the last year.

He said: "We have seen a huge increase in people using the line.

"We don't want people standing, but the problem is the sheer number of people using the service.

"And there are simply not any more carriages.

"We are very conscious of the numbers. We want to see the use of the network maximised with new stations and rolling stock and we will be doing our utmost to deliver that as soon as we can."

The Tarka Rail Association said more people were using the train because of the rising cost of petrol and an increase in numbers of people living in the area.

A DfT spokesman said: "In February the government funded additional carriages for First Great Western to deal with crowding issues throughout the franchise, including specifically for the Exeter area and it still expects the train company to make best use of their existing carriages.

"Any train company is free to invest in additional carriages to benefit passengers."

[TerminalJunkie]

Each of the largest carriages used on the line [...] can seat up to 147 people.

If that was true then they probably wouldn't be overcrowded... 

[eightf48544]

Somebody else confusing carriages, multi units, and trains.

Unfortunately with fixed formation DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)  you can't just get a spare carriage (s) out he sidings and shove it on the back as and whne required.

It has to be a whole unit and we know there aren't enough to cover all the demand for extra capacity or extra trains.

Picked up a bit in Rail about TFL^▸ (Transport for London) wanting to order some 3/4 car units for GOB. Another line that should be electrified. Although it will release some 172s.

[phile]

DFT^▸ (Department for Transport) are quoted as saying FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could invest in additional carriages but I thought they would have to come through the DFT anyway.   They are only interested in counting beans and keep on suggesting more units would be available cascaded as result of electrification.  This will probably slip back anyway but the Tarka^▸ (Line from Barnstaple to Exeter) Line wants them now and not have to wait for several years.

[Timmer]

I suspect what DFT^▸ (Department for Transport) are referring to is that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could hire loco and coach stock releasing DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) to strengthen services where they are needed. Something that without subsidy they just won't do.

[phile]

I don't think the DFT^▸ (Department for Transport) are very happy over FGW^▸ (First Great Western) owning a few HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) themselves as it prevents them from playing trains with them at some time.

[vacman]

The problem is crappy 143's which have been inflicted on Exeter! Like i've said before, if every Barny was a 2 car 150 or 2x153's then (apart from when chiefs are playing) that would suffice! you can almost fit as many pax into a single 153 than you can into one of those pathetic bouncey buses!

[inspector_blakey]

Unfortunately with fixed formation DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)  you can't just get a spare carriage (s) out he sidings and shove it on the back as and whne required.

Let's be realistic and honest though - strengthening a train has never been a matter of yanking the odd spare vehicle out of the sidings and bunging it on the back as required. It's always been a significant pain in the backside operationally, even on a dinky heritage line where you have one person in control and one-train operation (yes, I've been there!).

[eightf48544]

Agreed carriage shunting is a time consuming and expensive business but don't forget that's what Clapham Jn did all day for the Bournemeouth line. As did OOC^▸ (Old Oak Common (depot)) and all the other large carriage sidings around the country.

But BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) was up too Beeching  too profligate with the number of carriages spare at anyone time (see Beeching report many carriages only did one trip a year!), however, now we've gone the other way and don't have enough units to run all the services required.

Working on the maths you actually get better reliabilty not thrashing a unit for 18 hours a day. You only have to look at how the reliabilty of  the Meridians of Hull Trains dropped when they lost their spare unit.

A couple of extra units (over and above maintenace spares) in each service only running up to 3/4 hours a day would improve the reliabilty of the service as well as providing extra capacity and/or trains. 

[Milky Bar Kid]

It is worth pointing out that most of the 'BUSY' services occur at weekends and during the school holidays, peak flows seem to fairly brisk but not overcrowded. its also worth pointing out that people have a tendency to catch the same train all at once on saturdays instead of an even spread and these specific services are usually the 143's.

[des5564]

Last Thursday the wife had to stand on the 15.27 from exeter st david's to barnstaple as far as eggesford, where I met her. There were several others standing as well,  it was a 143 though!

[Milky Bar Kid]

Which is the last service for over 90 mins, making the service hourly would ease issues alot but as already stated 143's do not help the slightest.

[Btline]

MAJOR improvements are to be made to the Tarka^▸ (Line from Barnstaple to Exeter) Line between Barnstaple and Exeter following a surge in passenger numbers.
The main rail link from the city to North Devon has seen a 67 per cent increase in passenger numbers in the past five years.
Devon county councillor, Rodney Cann, said the railway had become a victim of its own success and the overcrowded conditions were at times "embarrassing".
Devon County Council wants to upgrade 10.5 miles of the Tarka Line between Barnstaple and Exeter.
Mr Cann said: "The 10.5 mile upgrade will provide a smoother ride and help reduce travel times. The target is one hour and it will go some way towards achieving this."The Tarka Line is a tremendous success."

Link: http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/story-16584301-detail/story.html?

[JayMac]

Ssshh.

The three* members of the North Devon Public Transport Users' Group will use this news item to further their myopic aims. 


* I say 'three'. They could be into double figures now. 

[John R]

Is this just a wish by the council or is there more substance to it?

Also, I can't see that reducing the journey time will help overcrowding - exactly the opposite - unless there is a change/increase in rolling stock or an infrastructure improvement that could result in an increased frequency (which based on the Maritmie Line upgrade would be very expensive).