Penarth councillor objects to loss of through trains beyond Heath

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From Penarth Times

PENARTH commuters are getting ‘the short straw’ as they lose direct train services going north of Cardiff central.

That’s the views of a councillor who is “appalled” by TfW’s plans saying the company has moved in a ‘crafty way’ to remove services from Penarth.

On Facebook, Cllr Ernst wrote: “Penarth commuters are to lose valuable connections into the South Wales Valleys from June, as TfW introduces major improvements for Metro passengers.

“There will be no direct services to Penarth from Rhymney, Bargoed or Ystrad Mynach.

“Put another way, this means that there will be no through trains to anywhere north of Cardiff Central, with all future trains just running to a dead end at the little used Coryton Station near Whitchurch.”

Err - my geography is getting confused here.  Aren't the trains from Penarth still carrying on beyond Cardiff Central to Cardiff Queen Street?

[grahame]

Err - my geography is getting confused here.  Aren't the trains from Penarth still carrying on beyond Cardiff Central to Cardiff Queen Street?

Looking at passenger flows from Penarth to the Rhymny line, they don't look to be very much - the biggest being Heath High Level and I do wonder if Heath Low Level will be an adequate substitute.

[Hafren]

I'm not sure they've done their research! My understanding of the full Metro plan is for Penarth to have 2tph to Coryton and 2tph to Caerphilly. RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) suggests the interim plan from June matches that! So there will still be through trains to CPH which most likely covers the majority of existing traffic flows.

Penarth being the shortest "valley" route (apart from the Bay) was really just somewhere convenient for the Rhymneys to lay over. Matching it with shorter runs the other side of CDF^» (Cardiff - next trains) probably makes good operational sense - AIUI^▸ (as I understand it) eventually to have 3 car trains, while the Rhymney - Barry axis will use 4 car trains for the longer runs.

[froome]

Changing trains at Cardiff Central onto the valley lines is hardly difficult, as they go from just across the platform.

As it happens I went to Penarth yesterday (and came back from Dingle Road). It has been many years since I last visited the town (and I have never been to Dingle Road), so an enjoyable day out to explore the place.

I was impressed with the numbers of services available and stations served more generally in the area, but one thing annoyed and perplexed me. Both times that I changed trains at Cardiff Central, the train that I was catching was a couple of minutes late, and as soon as the time for the train was due, the platform screen took off that train and showed the next one due as the first train. So if you glanced up when your train was actually arriving, the screen told you it was the following train. Why?

[Chris from Nailsea]

Do they use Fujitsu ? 

[Hafren]

Looking at the full article quoted on cllr's fbook page:

• There will be no direct services to Penarth from Rhymney, Bargoed or Ystrad Mynach.
• Instead, Penarth services will run from Caerphilly and Coryton.
Put another way, this means that there will be no through trains to anywhere north of Cardiff Central, with all future trains just running to a dead end at the little used Coryton Station near Whitchurch..

The statement that "put another way" trains won't run north of CDF^» (Cardiff - next trains) is immediately below confirmation that they will!

The "losers" from the interim changes are Cathays & Llandaf. With 2tph diverted via the City Line (I think pending improvements at CDQ) replaced by 2tph to the Bay, the frequency at CYS remains 6tph. However for those going to/from Central (including significant main line connection traffic) the remaining 4tph are very bunched, and the connections via CDQ from the other 2ph are also close to the remaining through trains, so in effect it's not much better than 2ph.

[grahame]

What will go where on the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c888j7722q6o

A colour-coded map, tap in tap out payment, destination boards telling you how long to the next train and switching lines to get to where you want to go quicker.

This sounds like life as a Tube traveller but soon this will not be just reserved for the hustle and bustle of London commuters, it will be for passengers in south Wales too.

The first step towards the Welsh valleys getting its own underground - but overground - rail network starts on Sunday as the service undergoes its biggest timetable overhaul for 30 years.

Rail bosses have advised passengers to check before travel because times and routes may change from Sunday.

[Red Squirrel]

Amused by the phrase ‘underground - but overground’. Would Bristol’s politicians be happier if WECA^» (West of England Combined Authority - about)’s metro plans were phrased that way?