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

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

The "load spreading" worked well indeed! one unit failed this morning though so only hourly service for a couple of hours, another unit (a 150!) was sent up about 1000.

... a rather unfortunate occurrence, picked up by the Falmouth Packet :

Penryn train service has early "teething problems"

Trains on the new Falmouth to Truro branch line service were stopped in their tracks within hours of launching the new service.

The 9.04 train to Truro failed to turn up on Tuesday without an announcement and passengers had to arrange alternative travel.

Penryn mayor Mary May was at the official opening of the rail loop at Penryn train station on Monday which enabled a service that runs every 30 minutes. In her mayor making ceremony on Thursday, she said: ^There was an early blip with the service, it must be having a few teething problems. My brother had to end up catching a bus to Truro.^

Prospective MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) Terrye Teverson contacted First Great Western after she heard the train had been cancelled. Mrs Teverson said: ^I am particularly concerned that passengers were left standing with no announcement and no means of knowing when or if a train would eventually turn up.^

Julian Crowe, from First Great Western said that one of the train^s engines had broken down and there was no information system in place at Penryn Station but one should be in place by next march. He said that he would check that a phone number was in place for passengers to check on trains.

[RailCornwall]

I have a small shopping list, which normally I'd drive to ASDA in Penryn (which I hate as a store) for, I am now going to try and use the new services to go to Tesco Metro at the Events Sq in Falmouth. Intention is to get the 1526 from Perranwell, and return there by the 1620 ex Falmouth Docks. Will report back on how it goes.

[devon_metro]

Bet usage will be high this weekend!

[RailCornwall]

Both services about a 1/3rd full no problems at all.

[vacman]

The "load spreading" worked well indeed! one unit failed this morning though so only hourly service for a couple of hours, another unit (a 150!) was sent up about 1000.

... a rather unfortunate occurrence, picked up by the Falmouth Packet :

Penryn train service has early "teething problems"

Trains on the new Falmouth to Truro branch line service were stopped in their tracks within hours of launching the new service.

The 9.04 train to Truro failed to turn up on Tuesday without an announcement and passengers had to arrange alternative travel.

Penryn mayor Mary May was at the official opening of the rail loop at Penryn train station on Monday which enabled a service that runs every 30 minutes. In her mayor making ceremony on Thursday, she said: ^There was an early blip with the service, it must be having a few teething problems. My brother had to end up catching a bus to Truro.^

Prospective MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) Terrye Teverson contacted First Great Western after she heard the train had been cancelled. Mrs Teverson said: ^I am particularly concerned that passengers were left standing with no announcement and no means of knowing when or if a train would eventually turn up.^

Julian Crowe, from First Great Western said that one of the train^s engines had broken down and there was no information system in place at Penryn Station but one should be in place by next march. He said that he would check that a phone number was in place for passengers to check on trains.

The service still ran hourly on the day in questions soto say that passengers had to make their own way to Truro is rubbish, they just had to wait 30 mins til the next train!

[Chris from Nailsea]

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

Free shuttle bus service extended

A free shuttle bus service brought in to ease heavy congestion in Falmouth is to extend its route over the summer.

The new service includes stops which are closer to the town's car parks, railway station and University College Falmouth's Wood Lane Campus.

It is funded by Falmouth and District Hoteliers Association, the Town Council and Falmouth Tourism Partnership.

Organisers say the new route allows people to reach areas of Falmouth they may not have otherwise visited.

The free shuttle runs between 0900 BST and 1640 BST Monday to Saturday.

[RailCornwall]

Gave that a try this afternoon, very effective service which would, if run at 30 minute intervals and linked in with the Rail arrivals / departures be great. Shame the route can't be shortened to make it every 15 mins though.

I suspect it'll die a death though, would be difficult to justify on the number of passengers carried today.

[RailCornwall]

... and so all the construction equipment, portakabins and debris has been removed and the old Car Auctions site cleared. Penryn Station is now complete.

[RailCornwall]

Travelled on the line today which was notable for the conductor NOT having a ticket machine on one service ex Truro. I was more interested however by the considerable activity around the new semaphore signal installed as part of the upgrade westbound on platform 3 at Truro Station. 

[RailCornwall]

The Red Arrows are doing a display at 6.15pm off Falmouth Waterfront on Wed 12th August. This is beginning to get publicity and will be heavily plugged by Radio Cornwall, they are OBing during the display. Streets are being closed from midday and a couple of key car parks are shut for the day too. 

I can see considerable pressure on the Branch all day if the weather is favourable.

Hopefully FGW^▸ (First Great Western) is aware and is prepared for any overspill and ready to act if required.

[Phil]

I have to say, an outside broadcast of an air display by a radio station sounds about as exciting and pointless to me as watching snooker on a black and white TV.

With the picture turned off.

[eightf48544]

I have to say, an outside broadcast of an air display by a radio station sounds about as exciting and pointless to me as watching snooker on a black and white TV.

With the picture turned off.

I don't know the radio broadcast of the Hindenburg explosion is pretty vivid and didn't The radio broadcast of H. G. Wells War of the World cause major panic it was so realisitc. Probably more so than any television play where most people would see  the Martians  were models.

But I agree it's a challenge for the reporter, Raymond Baxter would have done it well.

[RailCornwall]

First the obvious, the down trains late afternoon were packed to standing.

Return saw both half-hourly day service units linked AND a reserve road coach on standby at Falmouth Docks.

I returned on the 2029 which was well loaded but had spare seats, some attempt at revenue collection was made after Penryn too.

As for the show.... superb despite the low cloud base.

[The Tall Controller]

I finished work just in time to watch the show! Great display, more please!! Both trains run by single coaches but with the current shortage, it hardly surprises me!

[Chris from Nailsea]

A report from the Falmouth Packet, with a couple of pictures, is at http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/fpfalmouth/4542852.Red_Arrows_arrive_in_Falmouth_on_time/