Chiltern charm offensive

[whole diary]

[willc]

Reading my copy of this week's Cotswold Journal, I came across a full-page advert headed "Putting 'reliable' and 'trains to London' in the same sentence".

Needless to say, it wasn't published on behalf of FGW^▸ (First Great Western). Chiltern are offering season ticket holders from Evesham, Honeybourne, Moreton and Kingham a free return ticket to London to sample their service. Judging by the web page, similar ads must be running around Maidenhead. See http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/better

Unfortunately, they seem to have had problems with spelling Moreton-in-Marsh correctly. The newspaper ad calls it Morton-in-Marsh and the website has Moreton-in-the-Marsh.

And the newspaper ad is a bit naughty, as it doesn't make clear the offer only applies to season ticket holders.

[Btline]

I wonder why they don't include Pershore in the offer?

A very good offer though, and well timed - before the WCML^▸ (West Coast Main Line) mod/Cotswold doubling benefits have fully kicked in.

But can Warwick Parkway take more cars?

[IndustryInsider]

A very good offer though, and well timed - before the WCML^▸ (West Coast Main Line) mod/Cotswold doubling benefits have fully kicked in.

But can Warwick Parkway take more cars?

I expect during the Cotswold Line works they'll make even more of a push to pinch FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s passengers. You can't blame them! I've never seen Warwick Parkway car park more than about 80% full since they added more spaces about 5 years ago.

[paul7575]

There is a massive car park at the new Aylesbury Vale Parkway to fill - might be that it's also aimed at Leighton and Cheddington users, or possibly people who drive to Tring rather than into the middle of Aylesbury?

Paul

[johoare]

Reading my copy of this week's Cotswold Journal, I came across a full-page advert headed "Putting 'reliable' and 'trains to London' in the same sentence".

Needless to say, it wasn't published on behalf of FGW^▸ (First Great Western). Chiltern are offering season ticket holders from Evesham, Honeybourne, Moreton and Kingham a free return ticket to London to sample their service. Judging by the web page, similar ads must be running around Maidenhead. See http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/better

Unfortunately, they seem to have had problems with spelling Moreton-in-Marsh correctly. The newspaper ad calls it Morton-in-Marsh and the website has Moreton-in-the-Marsh.

And the newspaper ad is a bit naughty, as it doesn't make clear the offer only applies to season ticket holders.

We have had the advert in the Maidenhead advertiser for the last couple of weeks. I have just looked at it, and definitely no mention of only applying to season ticket holders (although obvious as soon as you get into their web site).. Apparently Beaconsfield is our option, although it would take a fair amount of time to get there!

[Electric train]

The 'Tizer' has a very wide coverage, across to Stoke Poges etc not to mention Marlow which lets face it the journey time from there to Paddington to not as good as FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could make it.  I live in Maidenhead and I must admit up until the Dec 2007 FGW timetable change I was looking at Chiltern as a viable option even adding on car parking and traveling to Beaconsfield it was starting to look better all the time, I will review it again post the Dec 2008 FGW timetable change as the combining of the 07:02 and 07:04 is madness of the first order and there general service that connect with the Marlow branch during the day and weekends is poor and as for the late afternoon / early evening service to Maidenhead 

Loohs like FGW need to lift their game for the mid Thames and upper Thames parts of their area

[eightf48544]

Givern the Wolmar question, "What are TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company)?" for Chiltern is probably the least worse TOC. At least they seem to like running trains reasonably briskly, but are still pretty high up the punctuality table. They've redoubled Risborough to Anhyo and have ambitous plans to run from Oxford. They also work well with Wrexham and Shrewsbury.

As Electric train says the Tizer has quite a wide circulation in South Bucks where Beconsfield is a viable alternative to the Marlow branch, Maidenhead or Taplow. I knew someone in Bourne End who gave up on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and drove to Beconsfield. Until they gave her a parking place in London when she drove!

I say good for them, especialy if it gets FGW to put its socks up. Wasn't competition why the railways were privatised? However, as above the real competiton comes from road.

 

[Andy W]

It's a shame Chiltern didn't replace Thames keeping the Paddington Oxford Worcester route with two TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company). Competition would benefit the line.

[willc]

It's a shame Chiltern didn't replace Thames keeping the Paddington Oxford Worcester route with two TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company). Competition would benefit the line.

What competition? There was never any competition in the two-company era. Pre-2004, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) operated a handful of services on this corridor, which were complementary to Thames, in the shape of the peak Hereford-London services, and not forgetting the comedy off-peak out and back working from London which was officially operated by FGW, but was actually a hired-in Turbo!

[Btline]

It's a shame Chiltern didn't replace Thames keeping the Paddington Oxford Worcester route with two TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company). Competition would benefit the line.

What competition? There was never any competition in the two-company era. Pre-2004, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) operated a handful of services on this corridor, which were complementary to Thames, in the shape of the peak Hereford-London services, and not forgetting the comedy off-peak out and back working from London which was officially operated by FGW, but was actually a hired-in Turbo!

Why did FGW run it then?

[Andy W]

"What competition? There was never any competition in the two-company era. Pre-2004, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) operated a handful of services on this corridor, which were complementary to Thames, in the shape of the peak Hereford-London services, and not forgetting the comedy off-peak out and back working from London which was officially operated by FGW, but was actually a hired-in Turbo!"

You can't have competition without a multiple choice. I would not claim that in the Thames days there was real competition however get a good TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) who understands pricing, service etc. and FGW would have to raise their game without the need for pressure groups such as the CLPG^» (Cotswold Line Promotion Group - about). For example tried to get an advanced purchase ticket on this line recently?

I personally don't agree with privatisation but as it stands we get the worst of all worlds, a private company running the line as a monopoly.

[willc]

There is multiple choice, it's called cars, coaches, planes...

On-rail competition for passengers on the same set of rails is nonsense and even the most ardent Tory advocates of privatisation in the 1990s couldn't come up with a way to make it work. Only parallel routes can provide that and they usually aren't operating on a level playing field to start with, eg Reading-London. Even runnning non-stop to Waterloo, SWT^▸ (South West Trains) could never match the time on the GW^▸ (Great Western) route.

If Chiltern do get to Oxford, I expect FGW^▸ (First Great Western) might up their game, but with Reading rebuilding looming, there may not be that much they can do for a few years anyway.

Cheap advance purchase tickets are used to fill seats that would otherwise run empty. There's no point FGW offering them from the Cotswold Line into London until after lunchtime because the trains are already busy. And after lunchtime coming out of London, the same applies. Not forgetting that if you have a Network Card, you can get 1/3 off fares outside the peaks as well, which doesn't apply to the likes of Swindon or Chippenham. Plus for local journeys there is the Cotswold Railcard, so there are ways to get discounts.

THE FGW Turbo ran because before privatisation BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) InterCity operated an off-peak HST^▸ (High Speed Train) out to Malvern and back - Cotswold and Malverns Express - so Great Western Trains had it written into the service requirement that they provided a train at this time of day. As far as I know, a combination of rising demand elsewhere and stock shortages after incidents like the Southall crash meant the HST was used on better-loaded duties and the Turbo hire deal was arranged.

[ReWind]

How long does a typical journey on a Chiltern 165 Unit take from Warwick to Marylebone then?

It would be interesting to see which is quicker, a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) HST^▸ (High Speed Train) or a Chiltern 165 unit?

Im sure I know which is cheaper? 

[Btline]

Why don't FGW^▸ (First Great Western) offer advance fares on off peak services, which are normally empty?

[eightf48544]

How long does a typical journey on a Chiltern 165 Unit take from Warwick to Marylebone then?

It would be interesting to see which is quicker, a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) HST^▸ (High Speed Train) or a Chiltern 165 unit?

Im sure I know which is cheaper? 

A quick look at National Rail Enquiries gives 1:41 for the 11:21 off Warwick Parkway to Marylebone
^5 Advanced Single.

Putting via Reading gives 2:06 for 11:21. 2 changes. Actual running time 1:40. with 168, Voyager, HST so would be rough running time for through train.

^28 Advaced single. Although ^16.90 at 12:21.

So time would be roughly the same but considerably cheaper to Marylebone.

Your guess was correct.