Great Western Coffee Shop

All across the Great Western territory => Looking forward - after Coronavirus to 2045 => Topic started by: RichardB on December 22, 2011, 13:38:27



Title: Franchise Consultation launched
Post by: RichardB on December 22, 2011, 13:38:27
Thanks to Gordon Edwards, tireless Secretary of Travelwatch South West for tipping me (and lots of other people) off.

Here is the DfT Consultation document for the new franchise.  Make sure you have your say!

http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2011-36


Title: Re: Franchise Consultation launched
Post by: ChrisB on December 22, 2011, 14:05:43
The consultation background can be found here -

http://www.dft.gov.uk/news/press-releases/dft-news-20111222a


Title: Re: Franchise Consultation launched
Post by: ChrisB on December 22, 2011, 14:15:46
99 pages to print out.....bit at a time, methinks!


Title: Re: Franchise Consultation launched
Post by: Zoe on December 22, 2011, 16:25:53
Having an extra 2tph to Bristol TM via parkway will enable more stops to be axed from Cardiffs.
I wouldn't bank on that.  The Bristol services won't be able to stop at that many places if they are to meet the journey times stated by Phillip Hammond earlier in the year.
Quote
The Westbury semi fast service hopefully will enable all Devon/Cornwall trains to have all stops East of Taunton to be axed.
Don't forget Castle Cary, axing all calls on these trains would make journeys from Devon and Cornwall to Weymouth more difficult.  It also would not be a great idea to axe all stops as they still need to stop at Reading for Heathrow.


Title: Re: Franchise Consultation launched
Post by: anthony215 on December 22, 2011, 16:44:34
I say the new additional Bristol-London trains via parkway should be non stop Parkway - Reading although that would mean the south wales - London services would have to make a call at Swindon.

I will download the document after midnight tonight when I get unlimited downloads.



Title: Re: Franchise Consultation launched
Post by: Btline on December 22, 2011, 17:16:33
When I say east of Taunton, I don't mean Reading. My mistake. Pretty much everything should stop at Reading.

Perhaps a mixture of stops can be axed from Bristol/Cardiff, so all trains are only stopping once or twice overall.

Re Weymouth. I think the odd stop at Westbury would be better than Castle Cary for better connexions. But most stops should be axed to get journey times down.


Title: Re: Franchise Consultation launched
Post by: ChrisB on December 22, 2011, 17:33:11
One does need to get from Swindon westwards occasionally!


Title: Re: Franchise Consultation launched
Post by: Chris from Nailsea on December 22, 2011, 17:33:32
... most stops should be axed to get journey times down.

Doesn't that rather defeat the purpose of passenger trains?  ::) :o ;D


Title: Re: Franchise Consultation launched
Post by: Zoe on December 22, 2011, 17:35:18
Re Weymouth. I think the odd stop at Westbury would be better than Castle Cary
All that's going to do is to force anyone going from Weymouth to Devon/Cornwall to double back and extend journey times.


Title: Re: Franchise Consultation launched
Post by: devon_metro on December 22, 2011, 17:37:37
The Westbury semi fast service hopefully will enable all Devon/Cornwall trains to have all stops East of Taunton to be axed.

Have you ever been to Westbury and seen the number of people that change from WOE trains to Cardiff/Pompey trains?


Title: Re: Franchise Consultation launched
Post by: ChrisB on December 22, 2011, 17:38:56
It's not just faster trains, but joined-up trains (i.e. connections provided) that is necessary thinking here


Title: Re: Franchise Consultation launched
Post by: mjones on December 23, 2011, 10:58:29
...

Lets hope the promised 1 tph to Worcester (must be FS not SH) and Cheltenham goes ahead.

..

Curiously, the current service pattern is described as "Hourly services to Worcester with five daily extensions to Hereford"...



Title: Re: Franchise Consultation launched
Post by: ChrisB on December 23, 2011, 11:00:22
That's the sort of thing to point out in the consultation....


Title: Re: Franchise Consultation launched
Post by: mjones on December 23, 2011, 11:17:13
Is there an optimistic interpretation of this, which is that they've allowed for the possibility of the Oxford to Worcester service becoming fully hourly before the end of the current franchise, if the additional rolling stock permits?


Title: Re: Franchise Consultation launched
Post by: ChrisB on December 23, 2011, 12:14:39
THe end of the current franchise is 16 months away. When is that going to happen? Don't forget no major changes during the purdah period also...


Title: Re: Franchise Consultation launched
Post by: mjones on December 23, 2011, 12:40:33
THe end of the current franchise is 16 months away. When is that going to happen? Don't forget no major changes during the purdah period also...

Just trying to be optimistic! But my point is that if they are already describing the Worcester service as "hourly", then making it truly hourly wouldn't be a major change during the purdah period.


Title: Re: Franchise Consultation launched
Post by: RichardB on December 23, 2011, 12:59:41
...

Lets hope the promised 1 tph to Worcester (must be FS not SH) and Cheltenham goes ahead.

..

Curiously, the current service pattern is described as "Hourly services to Worcester with five daily extensions to Hereford"...

Above that list,  it does say that this is "broadly" the current weekday service so I wouldn't take it too literally. 
It mentions "Hourly to Plymouth" too - this is broadly correct, but there are some significant gaps so it is not literally so.


Title: Re: Franchise Consultation launched
Post by: IndustryInsider on December 23, 2011, 13:02:09
I agree with RichardB - was just about to make the same point!


Title: Re: Franchise Consultation launched
Post by: grahame on December 26, 2011, 18:36:38
I have split two topics off from this excellent discussion.   There are so many separate matters to consider under the new franchise / consultation that they would get severely confused in the one thread.

1. Whether lighter used stops on branch lines should loose service for the benefit of faster end to end time:
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=10046.0

2. Whether the Great Western Diesel trains to Brighton are "best use of diesel stock"
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=10047.0


My thanks to Lee and Paul7755 for starting these discussions.   Please (anyone) fee free to start more hares running  ;D  ;D



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