Avocet Line Rail Users Group

[whole diary]

[martyjon]

A rail users group has been set up for the Exmouth Branch and is known as the Avocet^▸ (Branch line from Exeter to Exmouth) Line Rail Users Group. More information will be found on the link below.

http://avocetlinerailusers.wikispaces.com/

In these early days the group needs all the help it can get to fight
the re-introduction of Pacer rubbish from December. The 12 units will be diagrammed for Exmouth to Paignton/Barnstaple ; they will not be used in Cornwall.

Apart from being the least reliable DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) on the planet the 142s have 30 less seats than a 150 and to use them on a line that is groaning at the seams due to a significant increase in passenger usuage is sheer FGW^▸ (First Great Western) madness. FGW say that they have been stuffed by the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about); probably so but FGW deserve what they get for a significantly less than satisfactory performance.

[martyjon]

At the recent Passenger Focus meeting Alison Forster (for what its worth now) stated that the 142 pacers would be used doubled up and provide more seats per journey than a class 150 sprinter. With the proven unreliability of these units how many times will the services be short formed

[martyjon]

Lee.

Leave the first two posts but move the further three to Bristol Commuters

[Lee]

Lee.

Leave the first two posts but move the further three to Bristol Commuters

Done. You can find the further three posts in the link below.
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=754.msg2844#msg2844

[Jim]

Perhaps they can moan when they can't manage to get on 2 or 3 trains in a row, until then, TOUGH. at least they have a half hourly train service. But if the group is set up to do more than moan about 142's, they still get some backing from me

[TJ]

I can assure you that the Group has not been set up just because of the 142s, the arrival of the wretched 142s is purely co-incidental. Visit the web site and read our constitution.

It would be be nice is we had a guaranteed half hourly service during the day, thanks to FGW^▸ (First Great Western) mis-management this is not always the case.

Pease note the the correct name is Avocet^▸ (Branch line from Exeter to Exmouth) Line Rail Uers Group, or ALRUG for short.

TJ.

[martyjon]

Pease note the the correct name is Avocet^▸ (Branch line from Exeter to Exmouth) Line Rail Uers Group, or ALRUG for short.

I do apologise for the error, have corrected title on my posts and also included the missing "s" in "Users".

[Lee]

The quoted loss of 5 x 150s puzzles me - is it a loss from Devon/Cornwall or from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) totally?

Return of the Arriva Wales units to Wales.  So it would be completely from FGW.   Sums are -24 carriages and +21, but 14 of the carriages lost are from 142s which are lower capacity than 150 carriages, so it's net "no change" with regard to capacity.

Thanks Grahame, I had overlooked those.

Doesn't do much to improve the overcowding situation, does it.

I am looking forward to hearing what FGW's management has to say for itself at the ALRUG (Avocet^▸ (Branch line from Exeter to Exmouth) Line Rail Users Group) AGM^▸ (Annual General Meeting) this (Monday) evening, The Globe Topsham at 19:00.

As ever the West Country is the runt of the railway family in my opinion.

TJ.

[John R]

Though a 3 car 150 will have around 220 seats, compared with around 200 on a 4 car pacer (I'm using a 143 as my reference point here).

So it might not be all bad news.