Taking the Saturday service, how is 7 shuttles better than 6 through trains and one shuttle. Sunday likewise: 6 shuttles as against 4 shuttles and 2 long distance. That is a demonstrably worse service.
The intermediate stations all get a service throughout the day on Saturdays (two trains operate non-stop) which they didn’t during high summer before (previously there was only one stopper - the last train of the day). That’s an improvement surely?
I imagine with the generally reduced IET availability at present, it is highly unlikely to be activated.
In fact, they say they've sold out already.
True - I was just making the point that GWR did keep paths for potentially operating direct trains to Newquay if needed.
Whether they operate or not given the rolling stock constraints is indeed questionable.
It would need some creative diagramming to say the least.
They have to be spread through the day because of the single track on the Newquay branch.
Have you ever actually been on one of the Newquay trains? If you had maybe you'd understand why through trains are needed.
I get the impression that demand on the route that would justify through trains, is focussed on certain times of the summer and not every single weekend?
It’s a tough one to balance - GWR clearly are making an effort to build up local usage after years of poor timetables on the line. There are trains on weekdays now every two hours from 06:00 to 20:30 out of Par - unheard of before.
All bar one of the trains on Saturday will be four car Class 150 with an extra set coming down from Exeter.
My own experience is limited to the last weekend of the summer schedule in 2019 when on the Sunday morning the first shuttle had a 2/3 seated load out of Newquay but it was not exceptionally busy.