I would think some XC services could be interesting, especially where a 4 or 5 car voyager is provided.
Do we expect or have any indicators already that services will be running at capacity and be much more busy during the upcoming student travel window? If so, are there any particular services, TOCs or routes that are looking to be more adversely effected by this?
Maybe, though all the ones I've had in the past few months have been 7 car HSTs, or 8/9 car Voyagers, and it's rare that I've had more than about 3 other people in my coach. On my last journey, a 3-car Northern train had about three times as many passengers as my next train which was a 9-car Voyager.I would think some XC services could be interesting, especially where a 4 or 5 car voyager is provided.
This is encouraging to know. Thanks. I don't fancy a crammed Voyager Stafford-Reading/Reading-Stafford over the next 2 weeks!Maybe, though all the ones I've had in the past few months have been 7 car HSTs, or 8/9 car Voyagers, and it's rare that I've had more than about 3 other people in my coach. On my last journey, a 3-car Northern train had about three times as many passengers as my next train which was a 9-car Voyager.
In 99+% of cases there are going to be absolutely loads of empty seats. Of course the tiny number of exceptions will grab the headlines from the hysterical brigade, as usual.
Are they putting on more than the minimal routes currently in operation ?I can see NatEx and Megabus doing well out of this.
Perhaps they should be given an exemption for that week from PSVAR provided one vehicle on each timetabled service is compliant (so the non-compliant coaches would be duplicates), so as to get as many coaches in use as possible?
Are they putting on more than the minimal routes currently in operation ?
My impression of National Express is that if they expect to have additional demand then they run duplicate services.
The window is only about 5 days and most people I know are leaving on the last day, so I would say it's a lot less spread out than normalWouldn't the travel window mean that the exodus is more spread out than usual?
Which schools are off during the time that the Uni students travel?Probably quite easy for them to do - call off extra coaches from operators as tickets sell. There won't be a huge demand for coaches for anything else (e.g. schools are off)
Most students will probably be collected by mum or dad (is the case in normal times, even more this year), so unlikely to be a major issue.
Are they putting on more than the minimal routes currently in operation ?
It will all be fine. I thought we’d had this discussion before, perhaps not.
If you look at the total number of students in the country, discount international students and those living at home, then discount those who have already gone home or will do so before or after the window, then discount those who will travel by road (in their own vehicle, lift sharing, being collected, or by coach), you are left with about half a million people. Asssuming they spread themselves out across the window, and across each day (not before midday, obviously), it is still well within the capacity of the network.
A handful of places might have pinch points - on stations as much as on trains - but it will be localised.
Any particular XC services?
There are some single voyagers on the plymouth route including one plymouth drivers regularly pass on from Bristol. I had the misfortune to be on it recently on a Friday, let's just say it wasn't pleasant.Most key XC services are surely coupled sets , as they have been for many months. How much optional travel is there ,with for example, no Xmas Markets, major football matches , pantomimes etc. ?
It will all be fine. I thought we’d had this discussion before, perhaps not.
If you look at the total number of students in the country, discount international students and those living at home, then discount those who have already gone home or will do so before or after the window, then discount those who will travel by road (in their own vehicle, lift sharing, being collected, or by coach), you are left with about half a million people. Asssuming they spread themselves out across the window, and across each day (not before midday, obviously), it is still well within the capacity of the network.
A handful of places might have pinch points - on stations as much as on trains - but it will be localised.
So here we are in the student travel window. Has chaos ensued? Didn’t think so.