What appears relevant to the immediate future in the GW▸ area is that despite all the doom merchants suggesting that the DfT» would allow the TOC▸ to run trains wherever and whenever, the actual trains service requirement (TSR▸ ) is basically the exact number of station calls they make today, (or as of the May 11 timetable).
Rumours of service decimation appear to have been premature. So I'd expect something similar for the GW franchise ITT▸ when it comes out...
Paul
Alternatively, it could be argued that the noise that the "doom merchants" originally made at the prospect of allowing TOC's to run trains wherever and whenever may well have caused the DfT to quietly drop any plans that they may have had to do so...
Whatever the truth, I think its fair to say that we knew (as far as Intercity WestCoast is concerned) as early as 19 May 2011 that this prospect was off the agenda, thanks to this
letter from former Transport Secretary Philip Hammond, which was published as one of the draft ITT documents.
There is another side of the coin, of course. By specifying (as Paul points out) pretty much the exact number of station calls they make today, (or as of the May 11 timetable) , they have effectively ruled out making any of the service level improvements that TSR consultees from various parts of the franchise area aspire to. Indeed, the
final TSR is little changed from the
draft TSR.
As far as the GW franchise is concerned, the DfT have said that the current level of service will provide the starting point for deciding what goes into the new franchise, and they will therefore expect bidders to base their proposals around the overall current level of service as set out in the most recent
FGW▸ timetable (see
here for more details).
Paul - by predicting something similar for the GW franchise ITT when it comes out, are you also predicting that the service level will remain virtually the same as now, with the aspirations of various groups in GW-land for improved services on their routes dashed?
