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Using the BBC homepage (still set to Exeter as opposed to my hometown) I noticed this article about overcrowding on the line between Exmouth and Barnstaple (AKA the Tarka line)
Has anyone had any experience of this? Is it as bad as the reporting makes out? I only used the line to Barnstaple once on a Sunday - I'd have said there was about 50 people waiting for the service towards Exeter at Barnstaple, but the Pacer + 153 combo was perfectly sufficient on that day. Although Exmouth trains can be busy, particularly when all the students (not me, I still had exams on ) decide to go to the beach, but I didn't think it was that bad.
One user compares the line to trains out of Delhi, India (I know it's a busy pacer but really? ) whilst a DFT spokesperson reminds us that 'any company can invest in additional carriages if it wanted' :roll:
Article link here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-18517190
Has anyone had any experience of this? Is it as bad as the reporting makes out? I only used the line to Barnstaple once on a Sunday - I'd have said there was about 50 people waiting for the service towards Exeter at Barnstaple, but the Pacer + 153 combo was perfectly sufficient on that day. Although Exmouth trains can be busy, particularly when all the students (not me, I still had exams on ) decide to go to the beach, but I didn't think it was that bad.
One user compares the line to trains out of Delhi, India (I know it's a busy pacer but really? ) whilst a DFT spokesperson reminds us that 'any company can invest in additional carriages if it wanted' :roll:
Article link here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-18517190
(EDIT: Also note the presumably stock image of a 142, not seen in Devon since December last year. Well, they tried - at least they got one of a train in that TOCs livery!)BBC News said:
Devon Tarka Line trains overcrowding 'madness'
Overcrowding on trains in parts of Devon has been described as "madness".
Passenger Anne Turner said conditions on the Tarka Line trains, which have two carriages between Barnstaple and Exeter, were unacceptable.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said the government funded additional carriages for First Great Western (FGW) to deal with crowding issues.
But FGW said there were no more carriages available to use on the Tarka Line.
'Prefer Delhi trains'
Ms Turner, from Barnstaple, regularly uses the 40-mile (64km) Tarka Line and takes trains in India on backpacking holidays.
She said: "I would say that I would prefer to get the train out of Delhi along through Rajasthan than to try and get on the train when it's packed at Exeter or Barnstaple.
"It just seems madness. I really can't understand why they can't add another carriage to it, especially when they know it's going to be crowded." (more)
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