Paddington to Plymouth Sunday trains?

[GodAtum]

How come they are extremely busy? I've been on the 1557 and 1757 and there is standing room only.

 

[Greenback]

I expect the simple answer is that Sunday afternoon is a very popular time for travelling. I've been on quite a few trains all over the country that have been full and standing on a Sunday afternoon, so I don't think it is a problem that is confined to this one route.

I am moving this thread into NR General Discussion, by the way.

 

[jonb]

Sunday afternoon is generally one of the busiest times to travel anywhere on the network. I was travelling back from Newcastle a few weeks ago on the 13:12 departure and it was very busy by the time we reached York.

On the flip side I would think Sunday mornings (or perhaps late Saturday evenings?) are the quietest times to travel?

 

[Zoe]

Could there be a case for banning Super Off Peak tickets on Sunday afternoon/evening to encourage travel at less busy times?

 

[FGWman]

Could there be a case for banning Super Off Peak tickets on Sunday afternoon/evening to encourage travel at less busy times?

There could be a case for it but it is not allowed to have restrictions on this ticket type on a sunday.

 

[telstarbox]

Sunday afternoon is generally one of the busiest times to travel anywhere on the network. I was travelling back from Newcastle a few weeks ago on the 13:12 departure and it was very busy by the time we reached York.

On the flip side I would think Sunday mornings (or perhaps late Saturday evenings?) are the quietest times to travel?

Saturday nights are often quiet too, and Saturday mornings except for big football-related flows. People going away for the weekend often travel out on Friday night and back on Sunday night so they get two nights away but are back home for work on Monday.

 

[Zoe]

it is not allowed to have restrictions on this ticket type on a sunday.

The TOCs can't restrict them now but the rules could be changed.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Students make up a big flow on a sunday afternoon, my girlfriend always catches the 20:40 TPE service from leeds to newcastle when shes been down for weekend, and it is always rammed, many students. Also the services towards manchester and london from leeds are rammed too.

 

[Flamingo]

The usual Sunday engineering works don't help, also the large number of suitcases that people travelling on Sunday afternoons seem to have.

Morning and Evening trains are usually OK, though.

 

[LexyBoy]

Very crudely, people travel for a weekend away on Friday evening or Saturday, but invariably return on a Sunday. Thus there's two days worth of outward passengers on one day's worth of return trains.

Except that TOCs generally seem to think that no-one wants to travel on Sunday so run fewer trains than on Saturday. (Well, the franchises don't require them to run as many trains, so they don't).

There could be a case for it but it is not allowed to have restrictions on this ticket type on a sunday.

In general, why is this? I realise that for FGW, the Super Off Peak is in fact the SVR equivalent - so it's a protected fare.

As I've said before, I'd rather have Off Peak tickets remain the protected, "general purpose" fare, and Super Off Peak being a replacement for cheap Advance fares - to try and fill up quiet trains.

 

[Zoe]

As I've said before, I'd rather have Off Peak tickets remain the protected, "general purpose" fare, and Super Off Peak being a replacement for cheap Advance fares - to try and fill up quiet trains.

That's what the old Super Saver used to be but unfortunately the new Super Off Peak has allowed the TOCs to hike the Off Peak fare by keeping the Super Off Peak at the regulated rates.

 

[TheWalrus]

What about the 1657?

 

[dk1]

West of England trains can be extremelly popular on sundays. There used to be a Paddington departure from Newton Abbot around 15.00 that was always very crowded. As it started Penzance i thought i would avoid it next time by catching the train 40 minutes before which was only from Plymouth. It was so busy that i paid the weekend first supplement & even this was full from Taunton.

 

[Flamingo]

IMHO, most routes could do with the "weekday" service on a Sunday afternoon, not a reduced Sunday service. The South Wales line could defenitly use the half-hourly service from Cardiff, not hourly. However, for various reasons (probably connected with staff availability and the desire of Network Rail to have less trains to cope with for the usual Sunday engineering works), I don't think this will ever happen.

 

[dk1]

IMHO, most routes could do with the "weekday" service on a Sunday afternoon, not a reduced Sunday service. The South Wales line could defenitly use the half-hourly service from Cardiff, not hourly. However, for various reasons (probably connected with staff availability and the desire of Network Rail to have less trains to cope with for the usual Sunday engineering works), I don't think this will ever happen.

Virgin Trains lead the pack hands down on this subject. Service ramps up to an almost full VHF from lunchtime on a Sunday.

 

[Greenback]

Virgin Trains lead the pack hands down on this subject. Service ramps up to an almost full VHF from lunchtime on a Sunday.

Are Sundays inside the working week for Virgin traincrew?

 

[Flamingo]

Are Sundays inside the working week for Virgin traincrew?

That's the million $ question!

 

[TEW]

IMHO, most routes could do with the "weekday" service on a Sunday afternoon, not a reduced Sunday service. The South Wales line could defenitly use the half-hourly service from Cardiff, not hourly. However, for various reasons (probably connected with staff availability and the desire of Network Rail to have less trains to cope with for the usual Sunday engineering works), I don't think this will ever happen.

The service on the Plymouth and Penzance route isn't even reduced, the services are just busy. There are actually a few extra services over weekdays because more Bristol trains start back at Plymouth.

 

[Zoe]

The service on the Plymouth and Penzance route isn't even reduced, the services are just busy. There are actually a few extra services over weekdays because more Bristol trains start back at Plymouth.

At one time I remember a roughly half-hourly service from the Westcountry late Sunday afternoon but I'm not sure this still runs.

 

[Flamingo]

The service on the Plymouth and Penzance route isn't even reduced, the services are just busy. There are actually a few extra services over weekdays because more Bristol trains start back at Plymouth.

Fair enough, I don't work that neck of the woods.

Which brings us back to the basic point. Sunday afternoon trains are busy because of the same reason Sunday afternoon roads are busy - lots of people want to travel then.

 

[TheWalrus]

This strengthens my case for a semi-fast up the b&h. It would be quieter, giving exeter/tivvy/taunton an alternative to the busy fasts. This would relieve the fast services and also the bristols.

 

[Zoe]

This strengthens my case for a semi-fast up the b&h. It would be quieter, giving exeter/tivvy/taunton an alternative to the busy fasts. This would relieve the fast services and also the bristols.

There are two trains a day that run to Taunton semi-fast via the Berks and Hants. One of these continues to Exeter. These services however do not run on Sundays.

 

[TEW]

This strengthens my case for a semi-fast up the b&h. It would be quieter, giving exeter/tivvy/taunton an alternative to the busy fasts. This would relieve the fast services and also the bristols.

The problem with the semi-fast services is that they are too slow, nobody will use them. The ones currently running on Monday-Saturdays are so slow that they are either overtaken or arrive close to services leaving an hour later. There is even a Paignton semi-fast on Summer Saturdays that is overtaken twice. In my experience most people using the semi-fasts are travelling to stations not served by the fasts, so Castle Cary to London or Penzance to Westbury. The uncompetitive journey times are unlikely to tempt many of the Exeter, Tiverton and Taunton customers on to them.

 

[TheWalrus]

This strengthens my case for a semi-fast up the b&h. It would be quieter, giving exeter/tivvy/taunton an alternative to the busy fasts. This would relieve the fast services and also the bristols.

The problem with the semi-fast services is that they are too slow, nobody will use them. The ones currently running on Monday-Saturdays are so slow that they are either overtaken or arrive close to services leaving an hour later. There is even a Paignton semi-fast on Summer Saturdays that is overtaken twice. In my experience most people using the semi-fasts are travelling to stations not served by the fasts, so Castle Cary to London or Penzance to Westbury. The uncompetitive journey times are unlikely to tempt many of the Exeter, Tiverton and Taunton customers on to them.

sorry but i dont agree at all. There are ways and means of implementing this.

 

[TEW]

OK then, how? I really don't see huge numbers of people suddenly catching a service which takes an hour longer.

 

[Minilad]

OK then, how? I really don't see huge numbers of people suddenly catching a service which takes an hour longer.

More cheaper tickets available on the semi fasts between stations the fast call at

 

[TEW]

That's the only way I think it would work,would probably lead to some strange pricing anomalies though. On the fasts it would probably have to end up being cheaper to travel further. I do think there should be a semi-fast service from Exeter to London, but I don't think its purpose should be to take lots of the passengers off the fast services. It should be to serve the smaller stations along the Berks and Hants line.

 

[LexyBoy]

More cheaper tickets available on the semi fasts between stations the fast call at

Seems to work for EC with the Newcastle services.

 

[TheWalrus]

That's the only way I think it would work,would probably lead to some strange pricing anomalies though. On the fasts it would probably have to end up being cheaper to travel further. I do think there should be a semi-fast service from Exeter to London, but I don't think its purpose should be to take lots of the passengers off the fast services. It should be to serve the smaller stations along the Berks and Hants line.

only one market not two?

 

[Chafford1]

That's the only way I think it would work,would probably lead to some strange pricing anomalies though. On the fasts it would probably have to end up being cheaper to travel further. I do think there should be a semi-fast service from Exeter to London, but I don't think its purpose should be to take lots of the passengers off the fast services. It should be to serve the smaller stations along the Berks and Hants line.

There is - it runs hourly to Waterloo from Exeter St Davids - first train 9.26am, last through train 7.26pm. Fares are much more competitive than the Paddington route.