Falmouth Branch Line - stations, facilities, services and improvements - ongoing discussion, merged posts

[whole diary]

[John R]

We have similar requests from passengers on the Swindon -> Westbury service, where the final train on Monday to Friday is as early as 20:06 from Swindon.  As the train's then parked up at Westbury overnight, the rolling stock's available to run a 21:20 from Westbury and a 22:36 from Swindon. 

So latest departure from Paddington would push back from 1900 to a much more useful 2115, and evening events in Swindon (football, theatre etc) would be do-able by train.

[ChrisB]

You'd also need additional 'free' hours on a drivers turn to make that feasible. Presumably this was the case for that Falmouth train.

[grahame]

You'd also need additional 'free' hours on a drivers turn to make that feasible. Presumably this was the case for that Falmouth train.

We have similar requests from passengers on the Swindon -> Westbury service, where the final train on Monday to Friday is as early as 20:06 from Swindon.  As the train's then parked up at Westbury overnight, the rolling stock's available to run a 21:20 from Westbury and a 22:36 from Swindon. 

So latest departure from Paddington would push back from 1900 to a much more useful 2115, and evening events in Swindon (football, theatre etc) would be do-able by train.

Agreed all around.   Crew is not quiet so hard to find as a train if it were in the peak, though.   I limited initial comment so as not to dilute a Cornwall thread away to Wiltshire, but as this is a follow up I can split it off if need be, so here goes ...

I commented before that mid-eveing is quieter than late evening.  We have local bus evidence for that as well as train evidence. The 20:06 off Swindon on Wednesday carried 18 people between Chippenham and Trowbridge - not a massive number, but pretty good for the quietest train of the day when we were called on to average 20 to be deemed a success. So a 22:36 would be on the right side of the balance.

A 22:36 (or perhaps a few minutes earlier, but we need to let events finish!) off Swindon would - in addition to John R's earlier comment - also reduce the longest gap in the day on London / Swindon to Chippenham services.  Half an hour all day, then a gap of over an hour at this one point in the evening.

A 21:20 off Westbury would provide excellent connections off the 19:23 from Portsmouth Harbour, the 19:45 from Paddington and the 19:55 from Exeter St David's. None would be huge flows, but they would add up and they would encourage people who would otherwise use their cars all day onto the trains [daytime, outward leg]

Currently, the final Bristol to Melksham connection is off the 19:30 from Temple Meads (arrives 20:32). Later services would be available - 20:22 and 21:51, giving Melksham arrivals 21:37 and 23:05.  And finally it would make those long evening journeys for me home so much easier ... last connection off Birmingham New Street moving from a 17:42 departure to a 20:12 departure.

[John R]

It seems such a "no-brainer" and is not dependent on additional stock (which is so often the constraint).  Ironically, once the 153 is replaced by a 2 car unit the marginal cost will increase of running it, (fuel, track access charges), so it's a shame it hasn't been trialled before that happens to enable custom to build.

[ChrisB]

Dependent on a driver with hours available though

[John R]

Dependent on a driver with hours available though

I can't believe that is beyond the wit of those who plan such things. Indeed I would expect rostering of staff to be the least of the hurdles to jump after stock (no issue), pathing (apparently no issue) and financing (which is I guess where the real issue arises).

[grahame]

Dependent on a driver with hours available though

I can't believe that is beyond the wit of those who plan such things. Indeed I would expect rostering of staff to be the least of the hurdles to jump after stock (no issue), pathing (apparently no issue) and financing (which is I guess where the real issue arises).

Finding staff is easier than finding a train.   Financing is an interesting case and we have a number of learn-ed gentlemen looking at various elements of that.

[RailCornwall]

This'll be great for all the Falmouth Week evening events.

[RailCornwall]

In addition to the standard GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) display and push to talk terminal and the recently installed (and working) WiFi at the station a new platform indicator and speakers have been installed in the past few days ....

[bobm]

Just need to stop the local supermarket crashing their lorries into the bridge next to the station as one did yesterday...

http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/15888660.M_S_lorry_gets_more_than_it_bargained_for_when_it_gets_stuck_under_railway_bridge/

[old original]

In addition to the standard GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) display and push to talk terminal and the recently installed (and working) WiFi at the station a new platform indicator and speakers have been installed in the past few days ....

Good news but how long before the neighbours complain about the noise from the announcements!

[Chris from Nailsea]

That's not the First time that particular bridge has been bashed - from the Falmouth Packet of 1 April 2011:

Bus smashes into Falmouth bridge



A bus has crashed into a railway bridge next to Falmouth Town train station this morning.

The vehicle has become lodged under the railway bridge in Avenue Road.

It has sustained severe damage to the upper deck, and appears to be wedged.

The road was closed, and the railway line shut between Falmouth Town and Falmouth Docks while the bridge is checked for structural damage.

Both have since reopened.

Luckily, there were no passengers on board at the time of the accident.

[LiskeardRich]

A touring coach hit it in the summer as well. I suspect this weekends m&s lorry would have cleared it if he got down the centre... he hit the arch!

[Chris from Nailsea]

Hmm.  I'm not convinced it was ever possible: the Falmouth Post picture shows he tried the central approach, but still failed:



The maximum height of that bridge is apparently 11’ 9” (3.58m) (arch bridge).

[LiskeardRich]

Another photo I saw on a friends Facebook was more square from the rear and he’s over to the left side and off centre. It would have been tight though...
I came across a 10ft arch bridge today in my 9’10 sprinter. That was taken very cautiously