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

[whole diary]

[devon_metro]

Still no 'this will be a request only stop from 17th May 2009' notices at Perranwell today. I'm still not sure that several people wont be left onboard as the train passes the station. Rolling stock doesn't have push buzzers and communicating with the guard within the seven mins from Truro will on the busier services be difficult.

If the guard cannot get through the whole train then it will stop.

[richard bickford]

And then there are exceptions. I caught the 2308 from Saltash to Plymouth on Monday night to connect with the sleeper. We duly stopped and St Budeaux, and slowed for the request stops of Dockyard and Keyham. Then to my amazement we just slowed for Devonport without stopping. We were parked up in Plymouth at exactly the time we were supposed to depart Devonport!

[RailCornwall]

Project completion press release from Network Rail Media Centre.

[Andy]

Project completion press release from Network Rail Media Centre.

If this project is successful in bringing in the punters, it may - hopefully - encourage the powers that be to take measures to increase patronage on the other Devon & Cornwall branches. Shame on Mavis Choong for choosing to use "manhours" instead of "hours of work", though.

[RailCornwall]

Just a thought if one of these units fails, or another Cornish Branch unit does is there a new hierachy of replacement. Recent policy has seen one of the two cars detached to help out elsewhere. I would assume that the 'All Stations - Perranwell' Unit would remain in use on the Falmouth branch and the Express Truro <> Penryn unit would be the cancelled service and it transferred to assist elsewhere. 

[vacman]

Just a thought if one of these units fails, or another Cornish Branch unit does is there a new hierachy of replacement. Recent policy has seen one of the two cars detached to help out elsewhere. I would assume that the 'All Stations - Perranwell' Unit would remain in use on the Falmouth branch and the Express Truro <> Penryn unit would be the cancelled service and it transferred to assist elsewhere. 

They won't cancel Falmouth trains for elswere, it has only been in emergencies that they have taken one of the 153's from the Falmouth branch lately. there is no set rule but history has taught us that Falmouth and Gunnislake are the two top priorities in Kernow and St Ives in Summer, Newquay and Looe seem to take a back seat.

[RailCornwall]

A reminder of the exhibitions next week ...

from noon to 1900 at the following locations -

^ 11 ^ 13 May 2009, Truro station at Platform 3

^ 14 May, Penryn Town Hall

^ 15 ^ 16 May, Falmouth Arts Centre, Church Street

[Coombe Stn]

Just a thought if one of these units fails, or another Cornish Branch unit does is there a new hierachy of replacement. Recent policy has seen one of the two cars detached to help out elsewhere. I would assume that the 'All Stations - Perranwell' Unit would remain in use on the Falmouth branch and the Express Truro <> Penryn unit would be the cancelled service and it transferred to assist elsewhere. 

They won't cancel Falmouth trains for elswere, it has only been in emergencies that they have taken one of the 153's from the Falmouth branch lately. there is no set rule but history has taught us that Falmouth and Gunnislake are the two top priorities in Kernow and St Ives in Summer, Newquay and Looe seem to take a back seat.

it works the same for St Ives, they would rather cancel a train on the Main line than a St Ives trip.
I once left Penzance with a train only for it to be terminated at St Erth and the train then used on the St Ives leaving us stranded at St Erth for over an hour waiting fo the following train.

[vacman]

Just a thought if one of these units fails, or another Cornish Branch unit does is there a new hierachy of replacement. Recent policy has seen one of the two cars detached to help out elsewhere. I would assume that the 'All Stations - Perranwell' Unit would remain in use on the Falmouth branch and the Express Truro <> Penryn unit would be the cancelled service and it transferred to assist elsewhere. 

They won't cancel Falmouth trains for elswere, it has only been in emergencies that they have taken one of the 153's from the Falmouth branch lately. there is no set rule but history has taught us that Falmouth and Gunnislake are the two top priorities in Kernow and St Ives in Summer, Newquay and Looe seem to take a back seat.

it works the same for St Ives, they would rather cancel a train on the Main line than a St Ives trip.
I once left Penzance with a train only for it to be terminated at St Erth and the train then used on the St Ives leaving us stranded at St Erth for over an hour waiting fo the following train.

The reason they don't like to cancel the st ives is that if the unit fails then up to 58 services could be cancelled (29 each way) where if they nick a main line unit they only cancel one train (one fine)

[FarWestJohn]

I was talking with a conductor the other day about the Perranwell request stop. She said that as the train is only a single 153 they should be able to get through everyone after departure from Truro but if they don't the train would stop at Perranwell anyway to make sure anyone could get off.

I still find it strange that First have already increased frequency [15 mins day time only] and speeded up the 88 Falmouth to Truro bus and this week they have started to put on high capacity double deckers [60 seats + 29 standing]. Almost as if they are trying to compete with the train. I also note most of these buses are very empty!!!

I visited the new Penryn passing loop working model demo at Truro  and thought it was a very good effort. Well done.

Next the Falmouth branch needs a park and ride at Treluswell's busy junction near Ponsanooth which could serve both Falmouth and Truro.
In fact as from next week Treluswell will have going past:
1. A half hourly train between Truro and Falmouth.
2. A 15 minute bus between Truro and Falmouth.
3. A half hourly bus between Redruth and Falmouth
4. A two hourly bus between Truro and Helston.

This is better frequency than a lot of large City park and rides.

There has got to be a great opportunity here especially as the road is not capable of any real improvement.

[eightf48544]

Excellent ideas FarWestJohn but you have to remember DaFT^» (Department for Transport - critical sounding abbreviation I discourage - about).

As far as DaFT is concerned buses compete with trains. Integrated transport is for those cissies on the Continent who don't believe in full blooded market forces in transport.

Park and Ride is only tolerated where it would be actually impossible to get the number of cars into the centre.

Now if you suggested a guided busway they'd start work tommorrow.

[Andy]

I was talking with a conductor the other day about the Perranwell request stop. She said that as the train is only a single 153 they should be able to get through everyone after departure from Truro but if they don't the train would stop at Perranwell anyway to make sure anyone could get off.

I still find it strange that First have already increased frequency [15 mins day time only] and speeded up the 88 Falmouth to Truro bus and this week they have started to put on high capacity double deckers [60 seats + 29 standing]. Almost as if they are trying to compete with the train. I also note most of these buses are very empty!!!

I visited the new Penryn passing loop working model demo at Truro  and thought it was a very good effort. Well done.

Next the Falmouth branch needs a park and ride at Treluswell's busy junction near Ponsanooth which could serve both Falmouth and Truro.
In fact as from next week Treluswell will have going past:
1. A half hourly train between Truro and Falmouth.
2. A 15 minute bus between Truro and Falmouth.
3. A half hourly bus between Redruth and Falmouth
4. A two hourly bus between Truro and Helston.

This is better frequency than a lot of large City park and rides.

There has got to be a great opportunity here especially as the road is not capable of any real improvement.

Hear hear!

However, I'm sure someone is going to say that adding a stop at Ponsanooth/Treluswell would not be possible in view of the tight timings on the half hourly service!
 
 

[TerminalJunkie]

I still find it strange that First have already increased frequency [15 mins day time only] and speeded up the 88 Falmouth to Truro bus

That's because the bus side doesn't talk to the train side. Stagecoach get on better with FGW^▸ (First Great Western) than FD&C do...

[Tim]

I still find it strange that First have already increased frequency [15 mins day time only] and speeded up the 88 Falmouth to Truro bus

That's because the bus side doesn't talk to the train side. Stagecoach get on better with FGW^▸ (First Great Western) than FD&C do...

Of course if they did talk too much to each other about routes on which they compete that would be illegal "anti-competive behaviour"

[cereal_basher]

The 15 minute bus service doesn't actually serve Posanooth and Perranwell now, it goes straight down the A39 between Tremough Campus and Carnon Downs, Perranwell, instead of having a half hourly bus to Truro now has about hourly.