Rich McLean
Established Member
- Joined
- 6 Feb 2012
- Messages
- 1,684
What the GWR data shows, as was explained this morning by GWR's interim development director during the Cotswold Line Pronotion's Group online AGM is that overall traffic is currently running at around 20 per cent of the normal volumes (same goes for XC and WMR, the meeting also heard). What happens in September is going to depend heavily on whether the return to school does happen smoothly, which is clearly far from guaranteed.
It is indeed busy in the tourist areas of the South West right now - not exactly going to be a revelation in August unless we were still in full lockdown mode - but that is not the case elsewhere on GWR and what the long-term trends are going to look like is still anyone's guess.
But one thing I can predict is that it will still be the case that for large parts of the year there will be no justification whatever - based on the number of passengers travelling west of Plymouth - for all London-Penzance services to be formed of nine-car IETs past Plymouth.
Unless, of course, people think that getting rid of the recently-introduced 2/3tph frequency through Cornwall is a good idea, so lots of empty seats can be carted up and down on IETs as part of a reduced frequency timetable. As that is what would happen to balance the books on the costs of operations in Cornwall, as Clarence Yard has explained here over and over.
Agreed. If people have to get off at Plymouth from the rear set (as the front set was full) and wait for the next available service into Cornwall on a 158 or Castle set, then so be it and claim for Delay Repay. The services are every 30 mins usually, and I am sure PU/SD orders can be issued for problem trains at times of the year where they are most busiest (Christmas rush, Easter Getaway, High Summer) west of Plymouth (such as the 1004 & 1204) off Paddington, or even make them even more limited stop throughout Cornwall (say fast to Truro) with VAR alterations to remove station stops.
Even in HST days, during peak times of the year, the Limited stop 0844 as it was back then from Penzance was often Full and Standing from Truro onwards, with passengers left behind at Bodmin, Liskeard and Plymouth, where it then went fast to Exeter, then non Stop Reading and final stop Paddington. At Plymouth, several annoucements went out telling everyone to get the previous train to Exeter to change onto another London Service (from Paignton) which had plenty of room. Yet people ignored it, and limited number of people squeezed on and the rest got left behind to get the next XC to Bristol and change there.
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