1206 Paddington-Penzance FGW service

[Martin_1981]

Are any of you on this site regular users of the 1206 FGW HST service from Paddington to Penzance? My parents holiday in Cornwall approximately twice a year and have used this service on 8 occasions over the last 4 years to return from Truro to St Erth. On 7 of these occasions, this train has been anywhere from 15 to 50 minutes late, with no genuine reasons given. However today, the train was bang on time which my old man says is a 'First'!

Just wondered if anyone else on this site has experience of using this particular train and may have encountered repeated delays?

 

[mralexn]

Are any of you on this site regular users of the 1206 FGW HST service from Paddington to Penzance? My parents holiday in Cornwall approximately twice a year and have used this service on 8 occasions over the last 4 years to return from Truro to St Erth. On 7 of these occasions, this train has been anywhere from 15 to 50 minutes late, with no genuine reasons given. However today, the train was bang on time which my old man says is a 'First'!

Just wondered if anyone else on this site has experience of using this particular train and may have encountered repeated delays?

I live in Plymouth, and have caught this service a few times, as it turns around when it gets to Penzance to work the 1739 Back to London Via Bristol, and can say its normally on time, where are you going to?
i will also say there is not many stops on this service, and lots of slack too, ie, 6 minutes at Plymouth, so you should be ok, most services going through Cornwall normally run 3 - 5 minutes late anyway,

 

[richw]

its been on time in Truro each time i have used it recently and full and standing from Truro on several occasions, this is the 1626 from Truro to Penzance if im not mistaken?

 

[Martin_1981]

Yes it is the 1626 departure from Truro. After leaving Paddington, it calls at Reading before running non-stop to Exeter, then calling Newton Abbot, Plymouth and all the usual shacks down to Penzance where it is scheduled to arrive at 1712, leaving only 27 mins before its return diagram at 17.39.

My folks stay in St Ives and normally have a day out to Falmouth by train. They return to St Ives on this train, changing at St Erth. They have often found this train to be very busy, especially at Christmas time, so I guess that could partially explain some of the delays they have encountered.

 

[Roylang]

I have to say that services often seem to lose some time from about Truro onwards and then make up time by St Erth. The last service I caught was 4 down at Hayle but was only 1 down leaving St Erth even though it was timetabled at 4 minutes between the two!

Don't often see them as late as you quote though.

Roy

 

[asylumxl]

I used to use this service alot. it was usually on time, and if not was only a few minutes down by the time it arrived in Plymouth. The previous train, the 1106, seems far more susceptible to delays.

I found it to be suprisingly quiet, probably because most passengers want intermediate stations.

 

[richw]

The 1626 from Truro to penzance, the 1641 to paddington from Truro, and the 1620 to Falmouth from Truro, all seem to get very busy with Truro School, and Truro High School for Girls students going home, and it can be a struggle to find a seat.
I took the attached photo on Friday 23rd at Truro as the single 153 to Falmouth arrived to return as the 1620 departure.
Fortunately the Falmouth clock face departures mean the Falmouth Branch left 6 mins before the arrival from Paddington, where i'd estimated a further 40 passengers got off to connect to Falmouth!

 

[Greenback]

The 1626 from Truro to penzance, the 1641 to paddington from Truro, and the 1620 to Falmouth from Truro, all seem to get very busy with Truro School, and Truro High School for Girls students going home, and it can be a struggle to find a seat.
I took the attached photo on Friday 23rd at Truro as the single 153 to Falmouth arrived to return as the 1620 departure.
Fortunately the Falmouth clock face departures mean the Falmouth Branch left 6 mins before the arrival from Paddington, where i'd estimated a further 40 passengers got off to connect to Falmouth!

I'd better make a note to avoid those services on school days!