Shorter trains in Cornwall? are you mad?
Why am I mad for suggesting that the IC125's are too long for the loadings that they have in Cornwall for much of the year?
Yes there are certain trains at certains times of day and year where they need full legth trains, but for the most part the trains are fairly lightly loaded and could be run by a 7 coach 222 or evern an 5 coach 222.
For instance FGW long distance HST (2+8) has 375 standard class and 112 or 118 first class (487/493 total seats), whilst the 5 coach 222's have 192 standard and 50 frst class and 10 tip up seats (252 total seats or 51% of the number of seats in an 8 coach IC125) whilst the 7 coach 222's have 236 standard class and 106 first class and 16 tip up seats (358 total seats or 72% of the number of seats in an 8 coach IC125). Either way for much of the year an adiquite amount of seating for most services.
However 2x5 coach 222's would have 504 seats (or slightly more than an IC125, but a few less at 484 if you do not count the tip up seats), whilst 7+4 coach 222's running togeter would have about 515 seats (again slightly more than an IC125, or 492 if you don't count the tip up seats).
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:roll: Hear Hear - now if line speeds could be improved it would certainly help empty A30
I agree that some line speed improvements would bring more passengers, however it would be better to have a more frequent service. Yes you need to be careful that you do not design you capacity on your brand new trains to be only a little better than is currently needed as is happened with XC.
However given we are talking about the 222's which will be over 15 by the time they are likely to be entering service on the GWML, they are (at worst) only going to be there for about 20 years before replacement trains would be needed. Having said that, it may not be that long before electric trains, or ever IEP's, can run to Exeter or Plymouth, which would free up more 222's to run beyond the wires.
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Also, if the 222's are not used by GW, where else would be sutable?
Not MML as that would be mostly electrified and even if they stayed there during CP6 most of the rest of the routes are liekly to be wired up before then end of it.
Not XC, as they are not compatiable with the trains that they already have and XC will be looking for some fo their their own IC EMU's at about the same time anyway.
Not EC, as they are getting IEP.
Not Greater Anglia as a chuck of their network is electrified and the trains that they need for the other routes wouldn't be much slower than the 222's given the line speed limitations.
Unlikely to be WC as they are likely to run out of non electrified routes soon and would result is slower trains as the 222's don't tilt although it would enable the 221's to move to XC, although depending on the operator of the next franchise XC may benefit anyway.
Maybe Chiltern, but they wouldn't need all of them.
Possibly TransPennine Express, but then some of their routes will be electrified at about the same time freeing up their current DMU's to provide capacity enhancements on their remaining routes.
A single or a number of open access operator(s) are also not likely as there would be too many 222's for them to use them all.
Maybe Scotland and/or Wales would find a use for a number of them, but do they really need 7 coach IC class trains?
None of the South East operators would want then due to their lack of capacity compared with what they run at present (and most routes are electrified anyway), and most of the other operators wouldn't really want IC class trains nor would they need them to be that long (although a number of people within the Northern franchise area would be very glad to see one turn up rather than some of the trains they currently have!).
