A TM told me that they were told there wasn't a path, but whatever, until a relief runs, the train should be nonstop to at least Swindon on busy days.
I'm sorry, but where does the rolling stock come from to run a relief? FGW is sweating its HSTs to the max on weekday evenings as it is.
Despite that, and despite being told there isn't a path, its a case of 'whatever' until a relief runs in this non-existent path? How's that work?
To say nothing of there being no spare 125mph capable rolling stock to run a relief. Slower loco-hauled stock would eat up precious paths on the mains.
The only answer from the armchair train planners appears to be sod the passengers from Reading to South Wales (of whom there are many) by having a 90 minute gap in the shoulder peak.
Everything that can be done is being done. Increasing Standard Class capacity on the existing stock, electrification and new rolling stock in the pipeline. Demand has far outstripped current capacity on the GWML. Should that have been forecast and acted on earlier? Most definitely. The aging HSTs should have been replaced by now and electrification of the GWML is long overdue.
When the electrification is complete, the new rolling stock is ready for squadron service, and the Reading re-modelling is finished, is the time to introduce a new timetable. Absolutely pointless to do so at the moment.
As for the issues of current poor timekeeping, this has almost always been, in the past two years, down to capacity constraints at Reading caused by the re-building project. Another example of something being done to improve the situation on the GWML.
Reducing long distance capacity in the shoulder peak at Reading is not the answer. I do agree however that pick-up only should be more rigorously enforced.
I think its worth saying again. Remove the Reading call from the 1915 to South Wales and you create a 90 minute gap in the timetable. I see zero possibility of the DfT allowing such a change to the Service Level Commitment.
