I`m not talking halcyon days stuff here. This is the current timetable I`m talking about. A couple of 3.45 hour/minute daily wouldn`t have changed things much surely in the scheme of things, and yes, I willingly accept slower trains which has always been the way. It`s personal choice on two well used services. I take your point however this not on this occasion being solely about the W of E. Doesn`t mean I have to agree with this though.
I never bought into the "Bullet Trains in Cornwall" truck that was touted and this is where GWR and various other agencies need to stand up admit just a bit of a con trick. Whilst you and others correctly point out there was never going to be massive speed increases Mr Average Dave Joseph was never really going to be sold "it`s all about averages across the network" was he? Might be why tripadvisor and their like are swarming in anti GWR posts (some which aren`t their fault either).
You and I can believe what we will.
Well lots of other people's personal choices and journey needs that don't happen to line up with a super-fast train each day couldn't care less if such services exist - e.g. the ones between London and Birmingham and London and Manchester that Virgin operates amid a 3tph frequency.
PS: Back on Monday, you gave us a little list of journey times between Bodmin and Paddington. On actually dissecting it just now, I find that all is not what you made it seem, is it?
Pre Dec 19 Bodmin Parkway - Padd 06:12 - 10:02 = 3:50 Post Dec 19 06:04 - 09:59 = 3:55.
06.57 - 11.21 = 4.24 07.16 - 11.29 = 4.13.
08.07 - 12.21 = 4.14 07.39 - 12.09 = 4.30
09.01 - 13.15 = 4.14 08.26 - 12.29 = 4.03
10.16 - 14.01 = 3.45 09.29 - 13.29 = 4
The 07.39 departure is not a direct service to London - it requires a change at Newton Abbot from XC to GWR, with a 14-mimute connection allowance there.
Had you instead compared the current 08.07 with the new 08.26 departure from Bodmin - which the rest of us awkward people would probably do, as it is a through GWR train - then the 4hr 14min current journey becomes a 4hr 3min one to London.
Comparing the 09.01 with the new 09.29, the current 4hr 14min run to London becomes a 4hr journey, while comparing the current 10.16 Cornish Riviera with the new 10.29 sees the 3hr 45 min journey become 3hrs 58 min, with three extra calls in Devon to fit in.
And so on - seven of the day's nine through trains between Bodmin and London will get to Paddington in between 3hrs 55mins and 4hrs 3mins. That near enough standard running time is going to be a better selling point than saying to people, 'if you happen to want/need to set off around that time, then that one train gets there 10 minutes faster than the others'.
Seven direct trains the other way have journey times to Bodmin of around 3hrs 50mins - and the 11.04 Paddington to Plymouth has a five-minute connection for Cornwall there, with arrival at Bodmin in 3hrs 51mins.
And Mr Average Dave Joseph of Penzance, Cornwall, will indeed be getting journey times that are up to 15 (20 in one case) minutes better than now. Not a con trick.
