70014IronDuke
Established Member
- Joined
- 13 Jun 2015
- Messages
- 3,699
I have been wondering for some time if Scotrail care about the G&SW, at least the Kilmarnock-Carlisle section. It doesn't seem to have had any service improvements for years, during which time Scotrail have been busily enhancing services and/or infrastructure on eg Dundee - Aberdeen, Aberdeen - Inverness, and the Highland main line.
OK, the weekday Dumfries - Carlisle frequency is ok-ish, I suppose, but it's still fairly slow. (Is the line speed 60 mph or 70 mph?)
The Dumfries - Kilmarnock section really feels almost like its being treated a la BR with secondary routes in 1966. As for the Sunday service, it's poor at the southern end, and appalling in the mid section.
Yet, in spite of the luke-warm attitude at the top, passenger numbers for 2018-9 show healthy growth on the previous 12 months.
Gretna is up nearly 6,000 to 45,880 (+14.9%)
Annan up 10,000 to 139,000 (+ 7.2%)
Dumfries up 20,000 to 402K (+ 5.2%)
Sanquhar (28,000) is down a bit, Kirckonel (21,820) up a bit,
New Cumnock up 1,580 (+ 5.9%)
Auckinleck up 10,350 (+ 15.4%)
Kilmarnock - which of course sees a decent service to Glasgow - is a wee bit down at 609,000.
I can accept that lines like Dundee - Aberdeen until recently held out out obvious untapped potential and should take priority in terms of service improvements, but the G&SW definitely comes over as a Cinderalla line - just seems odd that Scotrail seem barely interested in the line. Is there no effective rail lobby in the area or what?
OK, the weekday Dumfries - Carlisle frequency is ok-ish, I suppose, but it's still fairly slow. (Is the line speed 60 mph or 70 mph?)
The Dumfries - Kilmarnock section really feels almost like its being treated a la BR with secondary routes in 1966. As for the Sunday service, it's poor at the southern end, and appalling in the mid section.
Yet, in spite of the luke-warm attitude at the top, passenger numbers for 2018-9 show healthy growth on the previous 12 months.
Gretna is up nearly 6,000 to 45,880 (+14.9%)
Annan up 10,000 to 139,000 (+ 7.2%)
Dumfries up 20,000 to 402K (+ 5.2%)
Sanquhar (28,000) is down a bit, Kirckonel (21,820) up a bit,
New Cumnock up 1,580 (+ 5.9%)
Auckinleck up 10,350 (+ 15.4%)
Kilmarnock - which of course sees a decent service to Glasgow - is a wee bit down at 609,000.
I can accept that lines like Dundee - Aberdeen until recently held out out obvious untapped potential and should take priority in terms of service improvements, but the G&SW definitely comes over as a Cinderalla line - just seems odd that Scotrail seem barely interested in the line. Is there no effective rail lobby in the area or what?