What would you like to see in the next Great Western Franchise?

[absolutelymilk]

The ITT for the next Great Western franchise will be released in Feb 2018, what do people think will be in it/what would you like to see in it?

I assume that there would be at least replacement of the Sprinters left over, but will new trains be ordered to replace the Turbos? Would these be diesel only or would bimodes be better?

 

[route:oxford]

What would you like to see in it?

The transfer of the Manchester to Reading/Southampton services from XC to GWR along with the procurement of suitable bimode stock.

 

[ooo]

The transfer of the Manchester to Reading/Southampton services from XC to GWR along with the procurement of suitable bimode stock.

What would be the point of that? Surely XC makes more sense as they are centered on Birmingham

 

[swt_passenger]

The transfer of the Manchester to Reading/Southampton services from XC to GWR along with the procurement of suitable bimode stock.

It's Manchester to Bournemouth surely? Reading/Southamptons come from the north east? Equally unlikely of course, but I expect you knew that.

My idea would be to wait for the consultation, to get a steer for what the DfT are thinking of. That way there'd be no need to discuss completely impossible ideas...

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The DfT are still supposed to be following a devolution agenda and a "more, smaller" franchise model, even though not much has been achieved on either front to date.
A franchise for Devon and Cornwall is on the cards, plus some devolution of Wessex franchise management to Bristol.
I also think the Wales & Borders franchise should have a route through the Severn Tunnel.
Generally, the current "Greater Western" franchise is regarded as "too big".
The DfT will publish a prospectus of some sort first, and run a consultation.
However, they still have to do 5 franchise renewals before GW and I doubt it is high up the priority just now (other than for IEP/electrification).
One of these prior renewals is XC, which will have some bearing in GW territory.
What rolling stock is on the agenda is hardly important yet, it depends on the shape and size of what emerges.
There's lots of water to go under the bi-mode and electrification/stock cascade bridges first, across several franchises.
What GW trains will stop at the new Old Oak Common HS2 interchange?
And what of Heathrow Western Extension and through running via Heathrow?

 

[Chester1]

Most of the big stuff will have been done by the time the new franchise starts. More capacity for the sleepers while secondhand stock is available to extend all sleeper services to maximum length of 9 carriages (4-6 more required including spares?). Id like to see some sort of battery train trial in Devon and Cornwall. Plenty of EMUs going spare soon and a large seasonal variation in demand might make it a good area to do a trial of a 3 or 4 coach unit on a branch during a summer. Id like to see some sort of regular service from Okehampton too. Even just increasing services to summer Saturdays or a year round weekend service would be an improvement.

 

[JohnRegular]

What would be the point of that? Surely XC makes more sense as they are centered on Birmingham

I agree, however in terms of stock it might make some sense. If the new GW franchise were to introduce flex units (more class 800s anyone?) there are plenty of routes that could make use of them, such as some currently XC routes, and Portsmouth-Cardiff services, which not only need more capacity (the 158s that currently work the route are often packed the whole way) but also do a lot of running on 3rd rail, and OLE sections once Cardiff- Bristol Parkway is wired.

 

[cactustwirly]

The transfer of the Manchester to Reading/Southampton services from XC to GWR along with the procurement of suitable bimode stock.

That's a very idiotic idea, XC is a much more suitable TOC.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

Separate the Reading - Gatwick & Reading - Basingstoke services from it, that means that they can focus their attentions to the Westbury/Bedwyn - Reading corridor, plus the Thames branches and what would be much more the GW traditional home ground.

 

[coppercapped]

That's a very idiotic idea, XC is a much more suitable TOC.

Why? The real Great Western Railway ran through trains to Birkenhead from Paddington and through coaches from various points in the west country to Manchester and other cities in the north of the country.

Things were, apparently, often better in the past - why not learn from it?

 

[coppercapped]

Separate the Reading - Gatwick & Reading - Basingstoke services from it, that means that they can focus their attentions to the Westbury/Bedwyn - Reading corridor, plus the Thames branches and what would be much more the GW traditional home ground.

Apart from the Basingstoke line being built by the Berks and Hants company under the protection of the GWR, the traditional GWR home ground covered an arc of the country, centred on Paddington, from Weymouth to Birkenhead. Maybe ATW should return home...?

 

[Adsy125]

Hopefully the through services from Berks and Hants line stations (particularly Newbury and Westbury) beyond Exeter will be reinstated after GWR removes them. Also better Weymouth line services and in a very optimistic world the Pad-Exeter semi fasts would stop at Frome!

 

[HarleyDavidson]

Hopefully the through services from Berks and Hants line stations (particularly Newbury and Westbury) beyond Exeter will be reinstated after GWR removes them. Also better Weymouth line services and in a very optimistic world the Pad-Exeter semi fasts would stop at Frome!

You're probably going to get a stopping service to Westbury when the IEPs kick in. They've got to extend the turnback siding at Bedwyn to accommodate a 5 IEP, unless that work has already been done.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

Apart from the Basingstoke line being built by the Berks and Hants company under the protection of the GWR, the traditional GWR home ground covered an arc of the country, centred on Paddington, from Weymouth to Birkenhead. Maybe ATW should return home...?

But that doesn't encompass the North Downs line which was built (IIRC) by a combination of SER & LSWR many years ago, so it's about time it was returned to the former SR companies.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

No more Turbos on the Cotswold Line!!!

3 car only on North Downs Line.

Move 3 cars off of Severn Beach and on to busier services.

All trains on Oxford fasts should have first class.

Hourly Paddington to Penzance.

More summer Saturday services.

 

[Parallel]

This is more of a wish list than anything else but here goes

- A better fusion between previous Wessex, Thames Trains and FGW services. They're all still run as if they are separate operations, but if the franchise is to remain as it is then I think we'd need to see this changed. Like stopping services between Reading/Newbury and Westbury/Taunton/Exeter

- Improvements to services around Bristol. The Bristol local area services are a joke, compared to other cities around the country. Extra carriages between Bristol Temple Meads and Westbury. More services on the 'Bristol Metro' - the local services should have a half-hour frequency IMO. Including Oldfield Park and Keynsham, Bedminster and Parson Street, The Severn Beach line etc, and of course if the Portishead line ever reopens.

- I also think Yeovil - Weymouth needs a few more services but I don't think GWR would ever do anything of the sort - it'd probably come from SWR.

- The two-hourly Westbury - Swindon train extended to Salisbury southbound and made hourly. By the time this happens, the service would probably be ran by a Turbo so I think it'd be good if one every two hours could be extended from Swindon to Oxford as no direct services exist in the regular timetable currently, and there is an annoying change at Didcot, and not all trains stop there.

- More up to date stock in Devon (which should be happening soon anyway) with daily all year round services to Okehampton, a half-hourly frequency on the lines to Paignton and as far as Axminster.

- Not really essential but I'd like to see a two hourly Bristol - Hereford service (avoiding Newport) run by either GWR or ATW that would also call at Patchway in the peaks, giving this station a half-hourly service during the peaks.

- A more frequent service to Worcester Shrub Hill or Foregate St, possibly 1tp2h from Cardiff Central to run on alternative hours to the one from Temple Meads, with Gloucester - Worcester getting an hourly service.

- The option to look at reopening the line for passenger trains to Thornbury, easing congestion on roads in the area and giving Yate a half-hourly service.

 

[Master29]

A better seat reservation system where you can pick the seat you want rather than by chance which is what you have now. A better first class service too with complimentary food and drink like Virgin. Especially on the Paddington to Penzance route and other longer distance.

 

[matt_world2004]

West ealing to Greenford being transferred to London Overground some of the stations on the route are in a state.

 

[plymothian]

A better first class service too with complimentary food and drink like Virgin.

This is happening come Monday. 1st class complimentaries will be 1 "meal" (eg a sandwich and "dessert"), with unlimited beverages and biscuits.

 

[Kite159]

I agree, however in terms of stock it might make some sense. If the new GW franchise were to introduce flex units (more class 800s anyone?) there are plenty of routes that could make use of them, such as some currently XC routes, and Portsmouth-Cardiff services, which not only need more capacity (the 158s that currently work the route are often packed the whole way) but also do a lot of running on 3rd rail, and OLE sections once Cardiff- Bristol Parkway is wired.

Oh yay, nice regional 158s replaced by (probably) slow urban 769s with no AC!

Said no-one ever...

 

[The Ham]

I would like to see:

- extension of Oxford services to Banbury (gives a very better route options when changing at Reading and Didcot to get to Birmingham)
- 4tph and/or longer trains on the North Downs Line (longer services could be only on the faster Gatwick services which skip most of the stations with the shortest platforms and the extra service could be limited to between Reading and Guildford or Shalford)
- more direct (but probably slower, buy using the semi fasts, and possibly splitting services, i.e. a semi fast from London to Plymouth and Paignton) services to places like Torbay and some of the Cornish branch lines, this could also allow the speeding up of some of the express services as this could skip some of the junction stops (i.e. Par)
- more services to Okehampton (although maybe using SWR stock to do so when it reaches Exeter - this could involve allowing SWR to use some of the GWR 158's for the she amount of time that GWR need the SWR units for add this would mean that the SWR trains didn't need to sit in a platform for quite so long at Exeter)
- help develop options for a station at Okehampton
- look at doubling back at the end of long services where there are two major stations at one end so as to increase frequencies (i.e. Dorchester and Weymouth)
- look at the possibility of Exeter to Salisbury services via Westbury (if it can be made to work via Honiton)
- look at the possibility of running Reading to Salisbury via Basingstoke (probably using platform 4 in both directions to minimise the impact on the junction)

Obviously some of those are much more wishful thinking than others.

 

[159]

I strongly support Reading/Gatwick and Yeovil-Weymouth, along with Reading-Basingstoke being devolved to SWR. They could run their spare 158s and 159s on the route once Basingstoke to Salisbury/Yeovil is electrified (and it will be in due course).

 

[Essexman]

Bring back the travelling chef.

 

[ABB125]

More frequent trains in the Cotswolds:

2tph North Cotswolds-1x fast to Malvern/Hereford, 1x stopping to Worcester/maybe Droitwich?

At least 1tph South Cotswolds, extended to Worcester (or Droitwich/Kidderminster in place of the above option), CALLING AT ASHCHURCH STATION.

Also, an hourly Bristol-Worcester service, rather than 2 hourly at present.

 

[JohnRegular]

Oh yay, nice regional 158s replaced by (probably) slow urban 769s with no AC!

Said no-one ever...

Perhaps not the 769s then- how hard would it be to fit 3rd rail gear on a class 800? Either way I'm sure the regular Pompey-Cardiff punters would be glad if 5 car or more trains regularly worked the route!

 

[Malcolmffc]

I strongly support Reading/Gatwick and Yeovil-Weymouth, along with Reading-Basingstoke being devolved to SWR. They could run their spare 158s and 159s on the route once Basingstoke to Salisbury/Yeovil is electrified (and it will be in due course).

No way that is happening before 2030

 

[Mintona]

Move 3 cars off of Severn Beach and on to busier services.

When was the last time you travelled on the Severn Beach line? They’ve had 3 carriage trains for years, because they are needed.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

No way that is happening before 2030

Reading - Gatwick & Basingstoke could be transferred to SWR next franchise change quite easily, the only thing that stops it is political dogma.

 

[JohnRegular]

When was the last time you travelled on the Severn Beach line? They’ve had 3 carriage trains for years, because they are needed.

In fact, the Severn Beach line could really use electrification and redoubling, or at least provision of more passing loops. There must be a lot of latent demand that isn't realised at the moment due to low frequencies on the line.

 

[reddragon]

You're probably going to get a stopping service to Westbury when the IEPs kick in. They've got to extend the turnback siding at Bedwyn to accommodate a 5 IEP, unless that work has already been done.

It has not been done but will be for next May when IEP start on the Bedwyns