PLEA FOR FASTER HEREFORD/WORCESTER TRAINS

[whole diary]

[stebbo]

I know I've posted on this subject elsewhere, but I really believe something needs to be done to speed up the Hereford/Worcester services to Paddington.

Yesterday I went up to London from Hereford with my eldest daughter. For reasons of timing, we travelled up via Newport but came back on the 1621 ex Paddington, having just missed the Swansea train with connection at Newport. Imagine our horror to discover it stops at Slough and Shipton u Wychwood apart from Hanborough/Honeybourne/Pershore. (At least we didn't have to stop at Didcot).

For heaven's sake can't FGW^▸ (First Great Western) provide at least one fast service each way to Worcester and Hereford? A family bound for Malvern Link also seemed pretty tee'd off with our progress. Also doesn't seem the best way to use an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) with all the stopping and starting. Also, after Oxford, only Shrub Hill and Hereford have platforms long enough to accomodate the entire train.

If trains really must stop at Hanborough, Honeybourne, Pershore then can't some other stops get ditched? I noticed two passengers get off at Shipton and one at Colwall and not that many at Hanborough, Honeybourne or Pershore. And why stop at Slough?

And things were compounded by a 15 minute delay outside Shrub Hill because a London bound HST was waiting in the down platform. There are two platforms at Shrub Hill, so why the London bound one can't use the up platform beats me.

[devon_metro]

If it doesn't stop at Slough it will only catch up with the 1618 to bedwyn which is limited to 90mph. Also, you'd have Slough passengers moaning that their fast services were being cut. Would it be faster if Cheltenham services got extended?

[stebbo]

Good idea, but possibly marginal. Paddington to Cheltenham is 2hrs 15mins, so allowing approx 25 mins Cheltenham to Shrub Hill, plus 50 minutes Shrub Hill to Hereford gives 3hrs 30mins (assuming all the stops between Hereford and Worcester).

I understand that during the Cotswold closures this summer, they'll be running some Hereford trains via Cheltenham, so we'll see. Can't remember the old timings when the Cathedrals Express ran via Cheltenham following the loss of one train set at Ladbroke Grove - although I used it a couple of times.

One other possibility would be to run to Hereford via Newport.

The real solution is one proper fast in each direction each day, ie cut out some of the Cotswold stops.

[stebbo]

I also meant to say in my original post that my daughter goes to uni in Newcastle and it "only" takes her four and a half hours to go from Newcastle to Cheltenham (where we usually pick her up). Took us nearly four hours to go from London to Hereford yesterday with the delay at Shrub Hill - absurd.

[willc]

And what if that one fast train didn't fit in with your journey? If there was one to Hereford on a Saturday, it would be far more likely to be the 18.21 anyway.

The 16.21, whether you like it or not, is also a 'shoppers going home from Oxford' train (departure 17.19) and the stop at Shipton is a franchise requirement and long-standing feature of the weekend timetable. Do they somehow have less right to a service than someone travelling further? On Saturdays, just as with off-peak weekday services, everything from the Cotswold Line stops at Slough as part of the Oxford fast trains standard pattern and for Windsor branch connections.

This train is booked to spend seven minutes sitting at Shrub Hill anyway but I can only assume that last night there was some sort of signalling or points problem at Shrub Hill, putting a platform out of use, as the other HST^▸ (High Speed Train) was only doing what the timetable says it should - sitting at Shrub Hill from 18.47 to 19.00, so as to clear the single line to Foregate Street for the 16.21.

I'm not sure what your point about Newcastle is. It's an entirely different kettle of fish. Long-distance train, running for long stretches at 110-125mph on lines built to be fast direct routes between large population centres, which generate lots of traffic. The Cotswold and Malvern lines are hardly laid out for high-speed running and the population centres they serve are pretty modest by comparison.

You need to fill the seats to pay for the service. CrossCountry can do that easily (and not just because their trains are too small). Hereford and Worcester aren't big enough places to fill London trains on their own, so that's where all us inconvenient types living along the way to Oxford come in. For example, how many people were on board last night beyond Malvern?

[John R]

Imagine our horror to discover it stops at Slough and Shipton u Wychwood

Dear or dear, what is the world coming to. Credit crisis, global warming, and worst of all the Worcester train stopped at Slough and Shipton.

[Btline]

I think that a peak train which missed out stops would easily be filled.

Slough need fast trains (just like Worcester and Hereford), so you can't cut their stops - unless you put them on the Cheltenham service instead.

When the Didcot - Morteon shuttle starts, the Shipton won't need calls on the express trains. (except perhaps one peak train)

[devon_metro]

I think that a peak train which missed out stops would easily be filled.

Slough need fast trains (just like Worcester and Hereford), so you can't cut their stops - unless you put them on the Cheltenham service instead.

When the Didcot - Morteon shuttle starts, the Shipton won't need calls on the express trains. (except perhaps one peak train)

However, putting a Slough stop on the Cheltenhams would hold up the Worcesters, as it only leaves three minutes in front.

[stebbo]

Slough may need fasts - so why not run Turbos with limited stops as was done for many years when I lived in Ealing Broadway.

As for numbers still on train at Hereford, actually quite a few. Of course, an Adelante would have been ideal

And thank you for the sarcasm about global warming - I could exchange 4 hours in a train for 3 hours in the car. I know quite a few people around Herefordshire who drive straight to London or to Bristol or Brum to get the train. I used to drive to Swindon. Now I work in Cheltenham, I often drive to Cheltenham to get the train, especially if I have to meet colleagues in London. In fact, one of my colleagues lives close to Evesham so we could co-ordinate our travel plans, but we are agreed that using the Cotswold line to travel to business meetings is too risky.

Also, a number of colleagues habitually drive to Hillingdon and catch the tube into central London.

Plain fact is that if places like Hereford or Worcester don't get reasonably fast/reliable train services, then the punters will get on the roads.

[John R]

And thank you for the sarcasm about global warming -

Maybe it was a bit sarcastic, but the word "horror" didn't seem appropriate when leading on to stating that your service made stops at two more stations than you're used to. It's hardly the stuff to raise questions in the House or a fare strike by More Train Less Strain is it?

[willc]

we are agreed that using the Cotswold line to travel to business meetings is too risky

Well maybe you ought to try looking at the actual punctuality figures they are achieving now, not what was happening early last year or in 2006 or 2007. Some days I gather that the Cotswold Line and Thames Valley area generally is hitting 96-97 per cent on time and overall it's well into the 90s. The figures on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website from February 2 are distorted by the effects of the snow at the start of that month.

Things have changed but we will have to wait a bit longer for speeded-up journeys - though arrangements at Worcester will still pose problems for some years to come.

[Andy W]

we are agreed that using the Cotswold line to travel to business meetings is too risky

Well maybe you ought to try looking at the actual punctuality figures they are achieving now, not what was happening early last year or in 2006 or 2007. Some days I gather that the Cotswold Line and Thames Valley area generally is hitting 96-97 per cent on time and overall it's well into the 90s. The figures on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website from February 2 are distorted by the effects of the snow at the start of that month.

Things have changed but we will have to wait a bit longer for speeded-up journeys - though arrangements at Worcester will still pose problems for some years to come.

The punctuality comes at the price of spending time gazing at the architectural wonder of the (almost) new pedestrian bridge at Moreton and other extended stops. The FACT is that while trains are both excessively padded and stop frequently for the Oxford Park and Rider brigade you will not get the long distance business, throwing in the chance of a Turbo turning up is the icing on the cake. - end of.

William, however much your enjoy your role as FGW cheerleader that's the reality.

[stebbo]

Punctuality figures may be fine but since the mid 90s, on the few occasions I've used the Cotswold line, I've ALWAYS been late. So, simple experience says avoid the line if you can.

[stebbo]

Maybe it was a bit sarcastic, but the word "horror" didn't seem appropriate when leading on to stating that your service made stops at two more stations than you're used to

Six more stops than I was used to when I felt I could rely on the service - Slough, Reading, Hanborough, Shipton, Honeybourne, Pershore.

[Btline]

I don't care what the stats say. I still have to factor in Cotswold time and FGW^▸ (First Great Western) time - often, it is a good job that you do. And the stats only apply to the final destination - so people getting off before the end could still be late, but the train arrives on time due to the slack.

When the 180s go (have they gone already?), it'll mean more Turbos. When there is an hourly service - even more. This will put off even more long distance passengers, who will drive so they can catch an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) (Chelt/Ditcot/Swindon) / a Pendolino (B'ham Int) or a Clubman (Warwick P'way).

Stebbo - I take you point about Pershore, Honeybourne, Shipton and Hanborough. But you can't start removing Slough and DEFINITELY not Reading.

I also think that splitting trains should be looked at. This happens a lot in Kent, Sussex, Surrey etc, where extra train paths closer to London are unavailable. In most cases, one portion serves all stops, whilst another portion runs fast, calling at the main towns only. e.g. London Victoria to Portsmouth Harbour and Bognor Regis (Bognor bound coaches detach at Horsham and stop everywhere, whilst the Portsmouth portion continues fast to give Chichester etc. a fast train), and London Charing Cross to Hastings. Splits at Tunbridge Wells. One portion is an all stopper, one is semi fast.

So when the IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) comes to FGW, why not have the Hereford and Worcester trains as 2 x 5 car trains. Split at Oxford. One semi fast to Hereford, one all stops to Shrub Hill. Both would be filled.