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

[whole diary]

[Lee]

From the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website :

18:24 Truro to Falmouth Docks due 18:47
This train will run short formed with 1 carriages.

Additional road transport will operate between Truro and Falmouth Docks.

19:12 Falmouth Docks to Truro due 19:36
This train will run short formed with 1 carriages.

Additional road transport will operate between Falmouth Docks and Truro.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Rail services on a cramped Cornish branch line are set to double thanks to a ^7.8 million cash injection. The line between Truro and Falmouth will be upgraded with most of the money coming from the EU^» (European Union - about), Cornwall County Council and Network Rail, which oversees Britain's rail infrastructure.

The scheme will create passing points on the popular commuter and tourist line, which will mean that more than one train can shuttle back and forth at any time.

The Truro to Falmouth route, which is promoted as The Maritime Line by the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership, has witnessed an increase in passenger numbers of nearly 70 per cent in ten years. In 1997, an estimated 156,000 journeys were made on the line, while a decade later, the number had mushroomed to 261,000 journeys.

The scheme won backing worth just under ^5 million from the EU's Convergence Programme, plus ^2.5 million from Cornwall County Council and ^600,000 from Network Rail.

Train operator First Great Western also gave its support.

Detailed design work is expected to begin in October with a new timetable commencing next May.

The project will provide a passing loop near Penryn Station and mean a once-an-hour service will double.
It is also planned that passengers using Truro's new park-and-ride, which opens in August, will be able to buy through tickets.

See http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/homepagenews/Branch-line-boost-Cornwall/article-206346-detail/article.html

See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7489554.stm

[signalandtelegraph]

The scheme will create passing points on the popular commuter and tourist line, which will mean that more than one train can shuttle back and forth at any time.

Just the one I was aware of at Penrhyn! 

Signalling equipment due to be commissioned first weekend in April

[IndustryInsider]

Good stuff - where are they gonna get the stock from though?

[Btline]

Perhaps they will use LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise)'s 153 (soon to be replaced by a bus) from the Stourbridge branch line?

[Karl]

Evening

April is the contractors 'target' to finalise, but
not 100% it may slightly over run that.

When the loop is ready and in action, it will be
booked two c153 single cars, one coming one way and
one the other, this will be refurb stock as per we
have now.  I can see this going down like a lead
baloon with the locals and I have to agree.

Hope this helps!

Regards

Karl.

[John R]

When the loop is ready and in action, it will be
booked two c153 single cars, one coming one way and
one the other, this will be refurb stock as per we
have now.  I can see this going down like a lead
baloon with the locals and I have to agree.

I'm not sure I understand this view. The service will have the same capacity per hour but instead of 1 2 coach train ph (or less), it'll be more spread with 2 1 coach tph. At the moment there's an arrival into Truro at 0819 which I suspect is heavily loaded with commuters. If there are also arrivals at 0750 and 0850 then the commuter load will be spread over 3 services, hence more capacity.

I know which is the more attractive service for passengers, and it appears a very pragmatic way of doubling frequency without any additional costs in leasing rolling stock. By spreading passenger loads, it should avoid any problems with 1 peak hour train taking all the load, whereas in future the load will be spread over several trains.     

[Lee]

Background quote :

My thanks to Andrew Pennington for the following info on the aspired enhanced frequency and pattern :

The core "standard hour" elements are:

1/2 hourly service
 
branch resourced by 2 x 153 vice 1 x 150
 
trains cross with loop provided at Penryn

alternate trains do not call Perranwell due to pathing to make 1/2 hourly core branch service work

[Karl]

Afternoon Lee and all

I've seen this statement posted before and I put it
forward to 'someone' who deals alot with the
partnerships TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s e.t.c and he said that all trains
will stop at Perranwell.  Its only booked a 2min stop,
so I don't think it will throw the timetable out,
although most people I see at meetings usually use the
term a 45min timetable!

If FGW^▸ (First Great Western) try to alternate the Perranwell stop, I got a
very good idea that "Perranworthal Town Council" plus
Perranwell and surrounding village's will have something
very strong to say about that; like errr no!  And they do
attend partnership meetings frequently!

Regards

Karl.

trains cross with loop provided at Penryn alternate
trains do not call Perranwell due to pathing to make
1/2 hourly core branch service work.

[Btline]

Their are still problems.

People will still use the key peak trains, so overcrowding will get worse. Virgin XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) found this out when they did Operation Princess - spreading did not occur.

A more frequent service will result in additional passengers being drawn in (more convenient, reliable etc.), so loadings will increase.

Will a single carriage cope?

Where is the 150 going? And where did the 2*153s come from?

[devon_metro]

Their are still problems.

People will still use the key peak trains, so overcrowding will get worse. Virgin XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) found this out when they did Operation Princess - spreading did not occur.

A more frequent service will result in additional passengers being drawn in (more convenient, reliable etc.), so loadings will increase.

Will a single carriage cope?

Where is the 150 going? And where did the 2*153s come from?

It totally depends at what time the trains arrive and depart from truro.

[Karl]

Afternoon

As already said it will be two FGW^▸ (First Great Western) c153's which there
are enough to choose from!

As regards to overcrowding, I agrued that point at a
previous meeting (especially the 08:00 and 17:00
departures which will have the most), but was told
it will be c153's.  Remember a coment something to
do with funding?  As for 150's they will be deployed
alse where on the FGW network.  As for more, I think
you will have to ask FGW!  Are all the Welsh ones
going back?

Regards

Karl.

Their are still problems.

People will still use the key peak trains, so
overcrowding will get worse. Virgin XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) found this
out when they did Operation Princess - spreading
did not occur. A more frequent service will result
in additional passengers being drawn in (more
convenient, reliable etc.), so loadings will increase.

Will a single carriage cope? Where is the 150 going?
And where did the 2*153s come from?

[Karl]

Evening

One extra bit of info I forgot to add earlier is
'I think' after 7:00pm, it will revert to one train
and a normal style timetable, whether they will couple
up the other c153 to make a two car formation I don't
know.  Not sure if the first train of the day will be
only one or two?

On my travels bumped into a friend at Dawlish, he
comented on Spotlight Friday.  Funny he said on the
day of filming they used an "Arriva Trains" c150/2
and they filmed a not very attractive Falmouth Town -
The Dell station!

Regards

Karl.

[Lee]

Afternoon Lee and all

I've seen this statement posted before and I put it
forward to 'someone' who deals alot with the
partnerships TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s e.t.c and he said that all trains
will stop at Perranwell.  Its only booked a 2min stop,
so I don't think it will throw the timetable out,
although most people I see at meetings usually use the
term a 45min timetable!

If FGW^▸ (First Great Western) try to alternate the Perranwell stop, I got a
very good idea that "Perranworthal Town Council" plus
Perranwell and surrounding village's will have something
very strong to say about that; like errr no!  And they do
attend partnership meetings frequently!

Regards

Karl.

trains cross with loop provided at Penryn alternate
trains do not call Perranwell due to pathing to make
1/2 hourly core branch service work.

Update from Andrew Pennington :

No change on previous advice with alternate calls

The previous advice was :

The core "standard hour" elements are:

1/2 hourly service
 
branch resourced by 2 x 153 vice 1 x 150
 
trains cross with loop provided at Penryn

alternate trains do not call Perranwell due to pathing to make 1/2 hourly core branch service work

[Karl]

Morning

Have had a word with another source of mine and
yep Lee is alternate.  My other source (who I will
have a word with his shell when I see him next as
he should know details), has good muddled up
somewhere!  I did ask him about Perranwell in
detail.

Also first train of the day is likely to be one
c153 then from 7am - 7pm will be the two c153's,
then it will revert back to a normal service.
There might be the possibility of later service
as well.

Regards

Karl.