First Great Western announces extra capacity across network

[whole diary]

[Richard Fairhurst]

HMm, som,ewhere I have read that the Adelantes are only for use on weekdays.

Yep. But I'm told the CLPG^» (Cotswold Line Promotion Group - about) is pressing for at least one of them to be allowed out to do the notorious Sunday Hereford run.

[anthony215]

Good to see this going ahead, all this additional rollowing stock is badly needed.

Now all I am waiting for is rumoured annoucement about IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) etc according to reports on WNXX^▸ (Stored Unserviceable, Mainline Locos HQ All Classes).

[ChrisB]

Are you sure about that? Both the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) & FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have referred to this being the case....I thought the DfT (or was it the SRA^» (Strategic Rail Authority - about)?) specified both TT and stock....

[IndustryInsider]

HMm, som,ewhere I have read that the Adelantes are only for use on weekdays.

Yep. But I'm told the CLPG^» (Cotswold Line Promotion Group - about) is pressing for at least one of them to be allowed out to do the notorious Sunday Hereford run.

Several of the Saturday services would actually be problematic with an Adelante, as growth over the last few years means that on the Oxford to London leg several of them now run as 5/6 car Turbos.

[ChrisB]

Which equates to a 10car double-180....hmmm

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

nothing specific about cardiff-pompy then?

a friend of mine traveled last weekend on a 5 car formation between bristol and salisbury and it was full and standing

[grahame]

DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) Press release online at  http://www.dft.gov.uk/news/press-releases/dft-press-20111122 (I don't think anyone's posted the link yet)

Generally to be welcomed - I certainly had the journey from Hell last week, but that that was a service that was a carriage down even on what is should have been - "this train has no coach A ..."

It seems - exclusively as far as I can see - to be about making existing trains longer.  No new services AT ALL, right?

The total cost of providing these services until the expected end of the First Great Western franchise in April 2013 is ^28.9m. And how much extra income will be raised from extra ticket sales?

The carriages providing additional capacity to Falmouth, Truro and Torbay are being part funded by Devon and Cornwall County Councils as well as a contribution from the Devon & Cornwall Community Rail Partnership. Does that mean that their allocation is based on the highest bid rather than the greatest need?

The extra carriages will create a total of 2,266 seats in the morning three hour peak and 2,233 seats in the evening three hour peak into and out of London Paddington.  Other locations will also benefit including Reading, which will see 1,483 extra seats in the morning peak and 1,731 extra seats in the evening peak  Some of extra seats that leave Reading are extra seats that will arrive at Paddington, right?

As I say - general welcome, no surprises to me.  Slight disappointment (but heavily pre-warned) that not even a couple of the 48 carriages of extra stock are being used for service enhancements on a certain line which is crying out for fill in trains.  Perhaps the fear is it would generate too much traffic for them to cope?

[ChrisB]

nothing specific about cardiff-pompy then?

a friend of mine traveled last weekend on a 5 car formation between bristol and salisbury and it was full and standing

What's the shortest platform length on that route. Could you add another vehicle? Although as I said earlier, those RDG^‡(resolve)-BSK^▸ (Brake Standard Corridor (carriage)) 150s are in the Bristyol area over weekends, so it may be possible?.....

Re Graham's post.....

Just extra seats, no new services, correct. Those are specified at franchise, or paid for by the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company). Not a chance with 16 months to go.

Why are people equating extra seats with extra sales? Are people going to say - "oh, that train now has an extra coach, I may as well go for a ride now"....? No, of course they're not. So why? All this is going to do in the main is to allow those standing commuters to get a better chance of a seat. Nothing more.

Any sales that do occur will a) pay for the RPIs^▸ (Revenue Protection Inspector (or Retail Price Index, depending on the context))/gates/depot upgrading....or be deducted from the cap 'n collar payments - so revenue will be practically neutral.

NO, it means those coaches wouldn't have materialised if those organisations hadn't put their hands in their pockets. So come on Wiltshire - you missed another opportunity to spend some council tax! I would suggest also that standing, crushed passengers are in greater need of extra seats than a line with few services?

Yes, those Reading extra seats will be included in the Paddington extra seats!

[paul7575]

DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) Press release online at  http://www.dft.gov.uk/news/press-releases/dft-press-20111122 (I don't think anyone's posted the link yet)

Er..  reply #2 from Richard Fairhurst?

Paul

[Btline]

Good to see that the 180s are replacing Thames Turbos and no HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) on Cotswold line. Any idea if this will enable a more frequent service? i.e. hourly to Worcester.

[ChrisB]

No, no extra services. This is purely adding seating capacity.

[bigdaz]

Does this mean that the turbos no longer used on the Cotswold line could lead perhaps to some 6-coach turbos on the North Downs Line during the morning and evening peak, as once again I notice no proposed improvement to services on this well-used line!

[dog box]

Grahame ...An HST^▸ (High Speed Train) cannot run with out Coach A was it there but locked out of use

[northwesterntrains]

Remember, the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) screwed up at the start of this franchise by supplying to little stock within it to satisfy demand.

Hang on. Chris ... each bidder for the franchise was asked to specify how much stock they would require, so the responsibility is surely with the bidder.   If I go into my local Asda and buy a small turkey to feed 20 people at Christmas and they all leave still feeling hungry, I'm the one that's made the mistake for underbuying - I can't blame Asda for tempting me to buy a too-small bird at a lower price than a bigger one.

It's not always the case though.  In their TransPennine bid First and Kelios specified new 3 car DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit), which could be extended to 4 car DMUs, in contrast Arriva specified the more expensive option of 4 car DEMUs^▸ (Diesel Electric Multiple Unit).  The First/Kelios bid won.  However, what should have been an order of 56 x 3 car units, finished up as an order of 51 x 3 car units plus 9 cascaded 2 car 170s.  The 4th carriage option was not taken up despite huge growth in passenger numbers.  Then to top it off the Virgin Voyager service between Manchester and Scotland was withdrawn and TPE^▸ (Trans Pennine Express) had to use their existing stock to run a Scottish service, so they withdrew their Manchester Airport to Windermere service (except for a token service) and reduced capacity on other TPE routes by using the 170s in 2 car formation instead of 4 car formation.

Then it's accepted Manchester-Bolton-Preston needs more capacity so Northern get told to run additional services, they get the extra stock to run the additional services, then DfT say look we're giving Northern extra carriages.

[John R]

Just trying to understand the Mk 3 buffet point.  It talks about converting them to standard, and being extra, so am I right to assume that they are taking the off lease vehicles, stripping out the buffets and making them all seating (TSOs^▸ (The Stationary Office (now OPSI))).  Or are they simply taking the in service full buffets and converting the seating to standard.

If the former, it'll be a bit ironic that they went to all the trouble of building the micro buffets into existing TSOs and now they are converting full buffets to TSOs. Still, mustn't complain too much.

It appears that the only impact on Bristol commuters is in respect of the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) lengthening, as the extra Class 150 vehicles replace Class 153 vehicles?