To be fair though, if it actually caused problems on the Portsmouth services it would improve the business case to do something about it and the SWR services wouldn't be blocking the paths.
Strongly beg to differ.
Especially when GWR throw out a 2 coach 165 or 158 working solo when the previous service got cancelled
Pre COVID the capacity increases on Portsmouth - Cardiff certainly made a difference, but those units now seem conspicuous by their absence. Removal of the early morning SWR Salisbury - Bristol has left what is for that time of day a very large hole in the timetable. That train was well used by school pupils - who are definitely not wfh!
The services via Frome also serve the purpose of retaining route knowledge to enable Waterloo to Exeter services via Westbury. If they were withdrawn there would still be a requirement to run ECS moves that way so there's not so much potential to save money.
Do the Devon metro plans on to SWR land need knocking on their head too?
Back in the run up to the 2017 franchise, there was a spreadsheet version of the train service specification published, and the Salisbury-Bristol service group was separated out with a caveat that it was only required until 2018. Suggests that withdrawal was already on the DfT back burner…
The Romsey services are definitely not suited to 158s, a lot of short-hop journeys made with people piling in and out of narrow carriage-end doorways. Longest journey anyone is likely to make on there is Salisbury to Southampton / Eastleigh, which is around an hour.
No doubt, but that's a pretty niche market.
The connections at Westbury are better towards London than trudging up the SWML anyway.
I always had the problem at Westbury connecting to the South West whilst planning an ALR. Always either a tight connection or a long wait.
I don't see the value of having such through service. The primary service between Bristol and Salisbury is the GWR Cardiff - Southampton service, which can connect to Exeter - Waterloo service at Salisbury and Weymouth - Waterloo service at Southampton. A timetable coordination between the lines is enough to replace the through service.There's a petition opposing the ending of the Waterloo-Salisbury-Bath-Bristol though service. I've found it useful in the past to have through trains linking stations on the London-Salisbury route with ones on the Salisbury-Bath route. I've used that service one in a while over many years.
Bristol Temple Meads Direct Trains
www.twotunnels.org.uk
AIUI the problem is the timetable coordination is usually for the Exeter to Southampton flow, and vice versa. You can’t have connections for both changing/connecting flows unless one of the services sits in Salisbury for maybe 10 minutes, blocking a platform
Yes - it is better, but by no means fixed. On top of that, GWR has announced the internal refurbishment of their Turbos this autumn and winter, presumably meaning at least one unit out of service at any one time.
No, going backwards.
Bristol to Waterloo train: Campaigners fight to save service
Published2 hours ago
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During the pandemic, the government stepped in to underwrite the cost of railways amid fears that rail companies would fold
Several campaign groups are joining forces to fight plans to scrap direct trains between Bristol and Waterloo.
South Western Railway said axing the route would avoid duplication of services with Great Western Railway.
Graham Ellis, who has organised a meeting about the change, claimed the decision was made "on poor and incorrect data".
An online petition opposing the end to the service on 12 December has received nearly 3,000 signatures.
Great Western Railway currently provides services from Bristol to London Paddington.
'Well-used service'
Claire Mann, managing director of South Western Railway, said: "We have sought to identify areas of duplication across the network where the removal of services would reduce the burden on the taxpayer.
"We are confident the withdrawal of our services will not materially impact key flows of commuter or school traffic and agreed with the Department for Transport to realise the cost savings as soon as possible."
Mr Ellis added: "This is a well-used service. It provides the only through trains from London to Trowbridge, Bradford-on-Avon, Oldfield Park and Keynsham and from Bristol and Bath to south London.
"There has been no thought to people travelling for business, leisure, to see family or reach doctors appointments or court."
He said on the new timetable people will have to switch trains in Salisbury and face a 59 minute change, which "is not a 'connection'."
"Even Transport Focus, the Department for Transport's own passenger watchdog, has suggested that the service should be retained until properly consulted and appropriate alternatives provided," he said.
A meeting will be held in Trowbridge on Wednesday and streamed on Zoom.
I'd hardly find an 05x service from Bradford/Trowbridge to London at full anytime fares a comparison to the good value direct services daytime for leisure travellers.
