Quick Poll closed (broadgage's related one at
http://www.passenger.chat/24988 looking specifically at
IETs▸ remains open until next month)
When do you expect GWR▸ long distance services will be back to near (90%) normal? (Voting closed: Today at 08:15:06 am)Next Week - 0 (0%)
Next Month - 5 (16.1%)
for August 2021 - 5 (16.1%)
for October 2021 - 6 (19.4%)
for the December timetable change - 5 (16.1%)
Not until sometime in 2022 - 10 (32.3%)
Not until 2023 or later - 0 (0%)
Sentiment, then, seems cautious and almost everyone expect an interesting summer
from a passenger viewpoint.
We are presently in the very early days of a crisis (if I may call it that) and it's far from clear where and what form will resolve it. Even as I write this review, I note suggestions that the least bad units could be back in service soon, and conversely that a unit fix rate of 3 to 4 days per unit will push it out through 2022. I did not offer you a "too early to know" option when you voted ... thank you everyone for sticking your necks out (though it is a secret vote!) and taking a stab at answering.
One thing for sure - the rail industry is going to need to do things out of the ordinary (it is doing already; let's hope it does enough), and going to need friends / advocates to help promote it (and let's hope they don't do things that are counterproductive).