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FGW Dec 2006 Timetable

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Andrew

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Can't find this anywhere else on the forum. Apologies if already here.

Info on draft timeable for greater western is at http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/franchise/en/Timetable.php

As I see it, the basic points are:
Even more HSTs stopping at Reading (think the only non-stop now - if there will be any - could be the 0645 from Oxford to Paddington which calls Didcot then Maidenhead. But they'll most probably add a Reading stop there too!)
Reduced service on many branches (Thames and Wessex)
Many early morning/late evening trains withdrawn on most routes (pity- GW seems to have done well in this respect up til now)
Retiming on InterCity services on the BristolTM - PAD and Oxford - PAD corridors (ie gwet away from the "nice" 00/30 services)
Reading - Gatwick is half hourly off peak (keeps sameish service during the peaks) at the expense of local station services on the line.
Reduced service at many smaller stations on Wessex (and between Oxford and Banbury)
Reduced InterCity calls on the Berks&Hants (basically withdrawl of Exeter Adelante semifasts). All trains now call at Taunton instead/as well (no more non-stop Reading to Exeter). Turbos to Westbury.

First is really getting to grips with its £gazillions payments to the DfT, and is using the DfT as the excuse for reductions in service! Not more than was to be expected though. And they seem to have a lot of "reinstatements" which haven't actually gone yet - "being positive" no doubt.
 
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Dennis

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Coincidentally, I was having a look at this earlier. Not good news on the Melksham services althoough these are underused. Services on some of the D&C branches look like they are going to be cut back a bit as well.

Hourly Westbury services towards London seems sensible as the service is very irregular at the moment. Couple of hours on a turbo or change at Newbury / Reading...not a quality improvement.

Extending Weymouth services (which become regular 2 hourly all stations) to Cardiff seems a bit of a retrograde step - having to run further than BTM is going to increase the risk of delays and cancellations.

Did not study the whole TT in detail but I also seem to remember seeing that some services which currently terminate at Cardiff will run on to Rhoose or Barry.

I also noticed that the first weekday train southbound from BTM through to Trowbridge and Salisbury has been retimed later - bit of a pain this as connections from Salisbury to London Waterloo will mean a later arrival into London, potentially forcing passengers onto significantly more expensive FGW services.
 

heart-of-wessex

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2 trains at Melksham? sigh hope our campaign works well, its getting somehwere though, i read if enough people get it back it would be every 2 hours (as ive done on my Westbury TT, requires one train at every 2 hours departing Westbury/Swindon and works wonders)

Less services to use more units on improved services then
 

AlexS

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Melksham trains now all only go as far north as Westbury also.

Apparently First Great Western ShortHaul HST sets are the mooted traction for Westbury services. These are HSTs with a trolley service, no buffet in the formation, and less First Class accomodation, to be used on Oxford, Bristol and probably Westbury services. 26 of these sets are coming about, the rest are to be refurbished as First demonstrated before.
 

ikar

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The Westbury services are deffo a 125mph trains, the times between Paddington and Reading (and there's a 125 before and after them xx:15 and xx:22) are to fast for a 100mphtrains.

The 2 hour gap between 18:30 and 20:30 at Swansea is fixed with a 19:30 service.

The Cardiff-Portsmouth xx.30 services are shortned to Westbury, with some continuing to Weymouth.

There are no longer terminate at Swindon trains sme from Westbury continue to Cheltenham.

The Exeter Area didn't reduce, as far as I can see.

The Looe to Liskeard Branch has many reduced trains:
From Liskeard: 6:55; 8:03; 10:00; 11:39; 13:12; 15:07; 17:37 and 19:08

Overall I see that the next TT will be better, but some branch lines will suffer.
 

Coxster

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I live on the North Downs line (Farnborugh with an hourly service, although I use Blackwater/North Camp as half-hourly services) which hasn't really changed north of Shalford. I like the idea of many more direct Gatwick trains, rather than the stoppers that terminate at Shalford/Redhill) although it does mean Chilworth, Gomshall, Dorking West and Betchworth have to suffer with late first trains of the day (as late as 11am on some occasions) with gaps of upto 2/3 hours between trains!
 
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