Great Western Coffee Shop

Radio Cornwall reporters on the 0705 PLY to PNZ this morning doing live broadcasts and interviewing passengers about continued cancellations of this service. Very angry people some threatened with losing their jobs with so many late arrivals at work. Many people have stopped using the train and are now driving etc etc.
It looks as though this train is canceled if there is problem with a unit from Laira required for an up country service?

Last night, Wednesday 19th, the 1644 from PNZ to EXD was a single car unit. This was the last Christmas late night shopping in Truro and at least 50 people were left behind at Redruth and I do not know what happened elsewhere - total shambles and more grumpy passengers.

How long are we going to have to put up with this appalling First group/Dft stitch up that has left up in this mess?

Its been late or cancelled almost everyday since the new timetable came in, and the service actually has not changed its time. We have also seen the 0604 Penzance to Newton Abbott formed of 1 unit a few times since then, but I have seen a few services that are normally 2 units, run as 3.

The 0705 PLY-PNZ is formed of an HST

Until the franchise agreement runs out... (2016 at the earliest)

The 3 car you are on about is the 1557 Ply-pnz by any chance? that service is booked as a 150+153, the 153 swaps with the St Ives unit at Penzance. I see that the RPI's were at Truro last night doing a barrier, about time!

This report about a possible "MTLS 2" looks relevant.
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2007/12/train_misery_rail_rebels_refus.html#more

I see that the apology letters have started to be distributed....

The RPI's were at Truro this morning for that train, dunno if they caught anyone?

The RPI's were also out at Truro last Wednesday also doing a barrier check. The last few Wednesdays have been Truro late night shopping evenings. They closed off all entrances with barriers even from the platform ends ensuring passengers had to enter from the Main entrance. I hope it helps stop the fare dodgers.

They've been there most wednesdays this month, saw a couple of kids getting a dressing down by the BTP officer last week for not having a ticket, good on em! ;D

I oveheard a conservation an RPI was having on Saturday and from what he was saying Truro and Penzance are getting permanent ticket barriers. No idea of time scale though.

The 0705 train featured on BBC Spotlight today.

Typical, today was the first time in weeks that it was (nearly) on time! only 8 late into St Austell!

And on local radio this morning, but what a suprise, they couldn't get an interview from FGW.

Its only 3 minutes late at the mo, although its the turn of 2C42 0530 BRI-PNZ to be 25 minutes late today.

2C42 0530 BRI-PNZ is as late as often as the 0705 Plymouth - Penzance. Anyone know any stats for the past two weeks? I bet it has been late nore than half of that time. Let's hope the bad publicity will help FGW solve the 0705 problems, maybe attention should be switched to other consistently late running services.

The Saturday equivalent of the 5:30 was 25 late so it isn't a Monday-Friday thing. What stock is it formed of as that might have something to do with it, if it's overcrowded?

An overcrowded train won't cause a 25 minute delay at St Germans, unless the whole population of the town/village tried to get on.

If it gets very overcrowded at Bristol the delay will gradually increase.

It went from 16 late at Saltash to 25 late at St Germans, not too sure that overcrowding would be chronic at St Germans.

No. But I was just saying if a train is very busy early on in the journey it will cause delays later but this waht not the case here.

Whilst 07.05 Ply-Penzance is suffering, I was in Plymouth from 05.00 till 09.00 on Monday 17th Dec and it Seemed MORE services were Cancelled than RAN.