Trains down in Devon and Cornwall- busy yet?

[M7R]

Holiday season is here, and as we can now go away etc are the trains getting busier?

we are away mid to late August and plan on going a few places by train as day trips like we have done before as it is easier to leave the camper van on the site and hop on a train at Dawlish Warren.. last year we went to be Newquay on the train (3hr ride for £16 or so bargain!) and had most of a GTi HST coach to our selfs on the way and the same on a 800 on the way back... so just wondering if loadings are starting to pick up again already or is there a chance we could have a whole carriage just for us still?

the few trains I have seen of late up near Nottingham on the MML all still appear to be pretty quiet but that has been random evenings in the week between 6 and 7 so sort of end of commuter peak

 

[Jamesrob637]

I went on a train only between Dawlish Warren and Dawlish last month. It was fairly quiet but it was a Wednesday not weekend. It was however in the really warm few days the UK experienced so that could have attracted a few people whom it wouldn't have ordinarily attracted, notwithstanding that more people were on furlough before the 6th of July (many still are though)

I was on TPE Monday just gone Manchester to Sheffield which was very quiet both ways.

 

[philosopher]

I went to the Seven Sisters on Saturday from London. The train from Victoria to Lewes probably was about a third full, while on the train from Lewes to Seaford at least 80% of the seats were taken and there were quite a few people standing. Both these journeys were in the mid morning. The return train from Eastbourne to London was quieter though.

Victoria station at nine did not look any less busy then it would do normally at that time. Most of the shops and cafes there were still closed though.

 

[Bishopstone]

Exeter-Exmouth last Thursday, outbound late morning and return about 4pm: approx 10% of seats taken in both directions on the four carriage train, so plenty of room

Exeter-Eggesford yesterday, with similar outbound and return journey times: slightly busier, say 15%-20% of seats taken on the 3-car class 158, both ways, but still plenty of space

Exeter-Paddington trains I used, or saw, were very lightly loaded for this time of year, but rather busier this week than last. First Class was cosier than it should have been on one Down trip, because the half-coach adjoining the kitchen (5-car unit) was 'reserved for staff, for reasons of social distancing' and we were shoo-ed out to the remaining half-coach composite in the set. I thought this might be associated with a catering re-introduction trial, but no trolley or attendant were present.

 

[steamybrian]

On Friday 10th July- I travelled Paddington- Plymouth- St Erth and the train was between 15-20% full. Returned St- Erth-Plymouth- Paddington and it was also less than 20% full. Stock in both directions Paddington- Plymouth 2 X Class 800 units where I changed to a 4 car HST set for the journey between Plymouth and St. Erth
During the week I made several trips on the branch between St Erth and St. Ives where the 4 car class 150 was very busy probably 50 or 60 passengers but still plenty of space for everyone.

 

[brad465]

Was in Devon (and Somerset) between the 4-12th July: trains from London-Taunton and back were fairly quiet, as were services to Exeter and onwards to Dawlish (7th), Exmouth (8th) and to Paignton (11th). However the Dartmouth Steam railway on Saturday 11th was more or less at capacity on their reservation system (as a lone user I had my own 4 seat booth however), and numerically the carriages were busy compared to any National rail service I'd been on over that whole week.

 

[M7R]

Doesn’t sound too bad then. We plan on visiting a heritage railway or two while down south so will see how that goes as well. I do wonder how busy dawlish will be as normally we do see a fair few arriving by train for their holiday and day trips etc

 

[45107]

My observations from a couple of days in the area is that the services are lightly loaded, certainly in relation to loadings I have seen in the past.
All services seen were 4 cars, probably max 40% full.
I didn’t venture onto the Paignton branch so don’t know how full those services were - certainly not busy over the ‘sea wall’ section.
A walk from Cockwood Harbour to Dawlish along the coast and noticed that ’the fairground’ at Dawlish Warren was very busy
Gunnislake branch was lightly loaded on the services I caught (enough time to visit the Tamar Inn at Calstock for a pint), but I don’t know how busy these normally are.

I very much doubt if you will get a coach to yourself