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Chiltern have launched a consultation for their new timetable, for when Oxford Parkway station is due to open next September.

http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/news/september-2015-timetable-consultation (http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/news/september-2015-timetable-consultation)

A quick glance gives the expected two trains an hour between Oxford Parkway and Marylebone, with some journeys taking as little as 57/58 minutes.  The peak hour trains often take a few minutes longer, although there are at least a couple that remain around the hour mark in each direction.  Oxford to High Wycombe takes just over 30 minutes with a roughly hourly frequency.

Islip sees its service reduced to just seven trains a day, as had been speculated, with a four hour gap in the afternoon to Oxford, and a ridiculous four-and-a-half hour gap from Oxford to Islip from 08:47 to 13:15.  Until the main link into Oxford opens, demand from Islip to Oxford will be a little suppressed, but those gaps need filling and an choice of commuting trains into Oxford and Bicester would be nice, which would be possible if just one more morning and evening train stopped each way.

One other clear improvement that could be made (in the fairly short time I've had to examine it) is the first train from Bicester to Oxford which is scheduled for 07:07 arriving at Oxford Parkway 07:18.  There are four departures from Parkway to Marylebone before that, so the sets must be coming ECS from somewhere - why on earth not run at least one of them in service to give a pre-7am arrival time into Oxford as has been the case for many years?

Obviously this is just a staged timetable until the line through to Oxford (proper) opens, and commuting from both Bicester and Islip into Oxford will be a little suppressed until the whole line opens, but I hope that the issues above can be resolved before then, and if so it looks like a cracking timetable.

Hmmm.

Depends on which stations you are embarking at. Those at Princes Risborough & Beaconsfield aren't exactly enamoured, having lost high peak non-stops. There are major gaps at a lot of stations.

Their Passenger Board had a discussion with the planners on Friday. This TT will be pretty much unchanged in May15 when it is extended to Oxford - the timings on the Oxford branch already allow for a trip to Oxford & return - they'll have a long layover in the up platform at Oxford Parkway from September....

Oxford Parkway will NOT have a ticket office, but will be staffed. Looks as though they are developing some interesting touch-panel ticket machines, and staff will be on hand to explain them....

Start date 5th or 6th September 2015.

Maximum journey time from / tro Oxford will be 66 minutes, as stated in their permission to run these services

Yes, my comments were mainly aimed at the new stretch of track rather than the timetable for existing areas.  I'll leave others who know the local demands and flows to comment on that.  I have submitted the following comments to the consultation regarding the Oxford to Bicester via Islip service which I think addresses a few of the omissions in a sensible way:

"Thank you for inviting comments on the new Chiltern Railways timetable.

The timetable looks pretty good from my own views, but I would make the following comments (specific to the new section between Oxford Parkway, via Islip, to Bicester Town) as I believe should the following minor changes be made you would really have a fantastic timetable on your hands.  I will let others who are more knowledgeable on the Bicester to Marylebone section make their own comments.

Bicester to Oxford service:
The first train from Bicester Town to Oxford Parkway is scheduled to leave at 07:07 arriving at 07:18.  This is quite a lot later than the first train of the day has historically operated for the many years - the first train of the day at around 06:15am used to run with passengers in double figures most days.  There are four departures from Oxford Parkway to Marylebone before that first train from Bicester gets there, which must run ECS from somewhere (presumably Aylesbury, or Banbury?).  I would suggest running one of those ECS trains in passenger service at around 6:30am, and why not try to provide an even better service by running another one in service at around 6am?  This is one time of day, where demand is there (albeit in limited supply), that buses are currently don't provide for.  If the trains are running empty to form London bound trains, why not run them in service?

Islip's service:
Islip sees its service reduced to just seven trains a day, as had been speculated, with a four hour gap in the afternoon to Oxford, and in the early evening back to Islip, and a ridiculous four-and-a-half hour gap from Oxford to Islip from 08:47 to 13:15.  Until the main link into Oxford opens, demand from Islip to Oxford will be a little suppressed, but those gaps need filling and an choice of commuting trains into Oxford and Bicester would be nice, which would be possible if just one more morning and evening train stopped each way.  Given the relatively small additional time this would add to a couple of trains, I think it would be sensible to make the following changes:

* Approx 06:30am additional train from Bicester to Oxford Parkway stopping at Islip (06:36) and arriving Oxford Parkway 06:41 (before forming 06:48 to Marylebone) - additional morning commuter train from Bicester and Islip to Oxford
* Additional stop on 06:08 Marylebone to Oxford Parkway at Islip (07:13) - additional morning commuter train from Islip to Oxford
* Additional stop on 13:05 Marylebone to Oxford Parkway at Islip (14:00) - plugs four hour gap in service
* Remove Islip stop on 16:18 Marylebone to Oxford Parkway, and replace it with a stop on the 16:50 Marylebone to Oxford Parkway - givies a much more commuter friendly train from Bicester to Islip at 17:40 rather than 17:06 which is too early.

* Additional stop on 10:18 Oxford Parkway to Marylebone at Islip (10:20). 10:18 to depart two minutes earlier at 10:16 to maintain path at Bicester - plugs the 4.5 hour gap and gives an additional train for day trippers from Islip to Marylebone.
* Additional stop on 18:48 Oxford Parkway to Marylebone at Islip (18:50).  18:48 to depart two minutes earlier at 18:46 to maintain path at Bicester - additional commuter train from Oxford to Islip.
* Additional stop on 20:18 Oxford Parkway to Marylebone at Islip (20:20).  20:18 to depart two minutes earlier at 20:16 to maintain path at Bicester - additional service from Oxford to Islip and (along with stop on 18:46 from Oxford Parkway) plugs the 4 hour gap in evening services.

I appreciate that Islip is very small fry in the context of the whole timetable, but feel that the residents of Islip deserve better than is currently proposed.  I should point out that I live nowhere near Islip, so have no vested interest, but I am aware of the area.

Obviously the timetable you have opened to consultation is just a staged timetable until the line through to Oxford (proper) opens the following year, and commuting from both Bicester and Islip into Oxford will be a little suppressed until the whole line opens, but I hope that the issues above can be resolved before then to pave the way for similar frequency services when the full line reopens, and if so you'll then have a cracking timetable between Oxford and Bicester."

I'd be interested to hear other people's views who use this forum.

The ECS moves are most likely from Banbury, I suspect, and they won't go via Haddenham to reverse to reach the new chord - I'm not sure there is any turn-back there, and they might indeed currently need to to Princes Risborough to get back onto the down line. Yes, they could install a turn-back on the down reversible south of the points for the new chord, but a) they haven't and b) it would block the down line for some time.

They could supply from Aylesbury possibly, but depends on which driver depots are signing that route. And an extra hour on the driver's rota maybe.

I have drawn attention to your suggestions Oxford-Bicester to the OBRAG Chairman as I'd be interested in his views on your suggestions. As I said, it isn't a staged timetable & this one is being proposed for May15 simply with trains extended from Parkway into Oxford.

I do agree it needs an earlier service into Oxford though.

Thanks for passing on my comments.  Of course, ECS for the morning Oxford Parkway to Marylebone trains would have to come through Bicester Town to Oxford Parkway whether they come from Banbury or Aylesbury until the line to Oxford reopens.  Is there definitely no signal being provided at or near Bicester South Junction for moves on the up reversible in the down direction towards Bicester Town?  I'd have thought that would be sensible at the new junction?  That means any train from Marylebone to Oxford can't run in the down direction on the up reversible after Princes Risborough, which seems a little limiting?

Obviously when the line to Oxford opens then the stock could well come straight down from Banbury in the morning, which maybe why they haven't utilised the ECS moves in this timetable, but an earlier Oxford service is most desirable in my opinion.

Appreciate your point about it not being a staged timetable, though the opening to Oxford main line station will no doubt give the planners an opportunity to make several tweaks for the better here and there as problems become apparent after the introduction of this timetable.  Chiltern have been very good at doing that over the years.

Not that I'm aware of. Indeed, I don't think that the junction is configured such that a train running down on the Up reversible can reach the down line on the chord. It could run all the way into Bicester Town if that is reversible, but then it'll be on the wrong platform at Town station.


As I understand it, that is correct - the only cross-over I am aware of currently is north of the North station, before Aynho Junction.


Those changes will be made at the usual December 2015 timetable change.

I'm a little surprised about that, though having thought about it a little more, I'm guessing there will be nothing stopping reversing movements at Bicester South Junction as long as the up train crosses over onto the down reversible just after Bicester North station, then stands behind the signal which will protect Bicester South Junction on the down line (complete with junction indicator for the line down to Bicester Town), IYSWIM?

Similarly a train heading for Oxford on the up reversible from Princes Risborough, could go through to Bicester North and then change direction and follow the above move - time consuming, but at least possible at times of degraded working.

I do, but the driver will likely need to change ends outside the train as it is intended the majority of trips be formed by two or more 172s....and they're 2car units. Will need appropriate walkway constructed.


Likely to be train held in North up platform if that happens....

Ignoring signals for a moment, wouldn't the track layout itself allow a train from PR using the up reversible in the down direction to use the up Bicester Chord to access the down line into Bicester Town, because Gavray Jn is a simplified double junction rather than a traditional junction with a crossover?

Of course it would also require the signalling to allow such a move, but I suppose until signalling plans are confirmed we won't really know?

Paul

Looking up "Gavray Junction" and track plans I came across

http://plumbloco.smugmug.com/Trains/May-2014/i-jPTcBLj

Not so much on the timetable consultation (sorry!) but it did help me understand why prices for works like this are so high - reading the commentary.

On topic / with Islip peak services, our own poll here a while back, looking at a general case amongst our members, indicated that a single "peak commuter" service rarely suits everyone, and a couple of trains in each direction across the peak will make far more than a 2:1 difference in traffic generated.   

If the inbound train is "A" and the return services is "C", you cover
- people for whom "A" in and "C" out works

If the inbound trains are "A" and "B" and the return services are "C" and "D"
- people for whom "A" in and "C" out works
- people for whom "B" in and "C" out works
- people for whom "A" in and "D" out works
- people for whom "B" in and "D" out works
- people for whom "A" in and "C" or "D" works depending on when they finish that day
- people for whom "B" in and "C" or "D" works depending on when they finish that day

That's more like a 6:1 ratio, and it's potentially better still if there are services "E" and / or "F" available later too.

Indeed.

While Chiltern are investigating a promise thought to be made for 8 Islip services in each direction, Chiltern are unmoved otherwise & will only supply the franchise required PSR. So it will be 7 each way, or 8 if this promise can be proved.

With the 7 on definite offer, they have to be at times to suit the current travelling pax, not a wish list.

Good, well hopefully any walkway that's needed will be constructed for the occasions a driver won't be able to walk through the train.  Can't see that being too much of an issue. 

My 2d worth:-

Thank-you for this opportunity to consult and I wish you the very best with this exciting new venture.
 
I understand that Oxford, Oxford Parkway and Bicester are the main economic drivers for this branch but Islip has been left drawing the short straw; more so than I expected with huge multi-hour gaps in the service.  I understand the need to path fast services through the station to maintain both overall capacity and sub-hour timings to London, but I feel that improvements can be made within the current stopping frequency.
 
May I please suggest that you consider staggering the stopping times at Islip in the up and down directions so that there is a more even arrivals and departures pattern throughout the day. By way of new Routing Guide Easements, Islip customers may be encouraged to back-track via either Oxford Parkway or Bicester Town to reach their intended destination, and at a time closer to the hour their choosing.  These backward connections should be positively engineered, and very importantly, advertised. 
 
With the improved overall running speeds on the railway, the end-to-end timings for Islip passengers might remain similar to the previous 2012 service interval, whilst doubling the effective access frequency to and from the station.

... submitted tonight.

One other excellent feature of the proposed timetable is a 2tph service on Sunday's from the beginning of service.  I had expected an hourly service until late morning, as per a previous 2010 proposed timetable, but departures from Oxford Parkway to Marylebone leave at 08:14, 08:48, 09:08, 09:48 and then at roughly 30-minute intervals until gone 8pm.

That means a Sunday morning arrival into Marylebone at 09:23, nearly 50 minutes earlier than the first Paddington arrival - which has been the subject of debate on this forum as a very busy 3-car Turbo, or absolutely packed 2-car!

My understanding from family connections living in Islip is that most of the rail market from Islip is towards Oxford. Whilst the line will at first terminate at Watereaton I am informed that very few Islip residents will want to use the train to get just to Watereaton. A lot of Islip people are very satisfied with the local bus service to Oxford provided by the Charlton flyer and use that. Things will probably change when the line opens to Oxford and a fast journey to Oxford is available but if it is not frequent enough, then Islip people will not return to rail use to Oxford although some will be attracted to the Marylebone journey options.

What is it with this forum being obsessed with slowing down intercity trains to call at small village stations?

Islip station serves a tiny village and any "railheading" will use Bicester Town or Oxford Parkway.
It would be utterly stupid to add 3 minutes to more journeys, tipping them over the important hour mark. These trains are likely to be packed anyway with disgruntled ex-FGW passengers, relived that they now have a decent service.

Fine, have a peak return journey and an off peak shoppers return journey per day. But quite frankly, Islip station should probably be shut down along with the Combe, Ascot-U-W and Finstock. I mean, next, people will be demanding these Oxford trains to stop at Denham Golf Club!

One disappointing aspect of the timetable is a lack of direct services to Brum from Thame Parkway. This station would get shoppers from Aylesbury and East Oxford heading to Birmingham.

Odd how it didn't when there *was* a direct train. There were more commuters than shoppers - but those can be counted on two hands....again, you have little idea of our rail area, Sir. It's about time you toned down your posts and asked those in the know what the position is.

Likewise the Islip services. Firstly, their car park is free, unlike Oxford Parkway or the Town station. There are a lot of Oxford commuters as there is zero employment locally. Why not invest a day's holiday & actually come and take a look.

Oh, the maximum journey time is 66mins....saving three won't make any difference to loadings.

Running a high proportion of long distances expresses with very few stops is a vestage of a past era - when trains were pulled by steam engines that acceleated slowly, and required to run only over very gentle gradients.  A past era when carriages were of quite simple construction and relativley inexpensive to provide, and could be sensibly run on just one round trip a day. A past era when locomotives needed changing every journey, and indeed sometime mid journey.  A past era when a very high proportion of rail journeys were within built-up suburbs, with many of the remaining ones being intercity.   And a past era where people had a more relaxed lifestyle (work / commuting excepted, perhaps) and could reschedule their activities to make their intermediate and longer journeys when there happened to be a train, even if it meant quite a wait.   And a time / era when traffic was much less dense.

With these changes, some of which are continuing trends, it makes sense to check that service patterns on public transport are the best that can be achieved for current requirements, and don't hark back to a past era. I am struck by the high passenger numbers between intermediate stations - which has grown much more than end to end traffic as far as I can tell - on services like Plymouth to Glasgow, Portsmouth to Cardiff, and perhaps London to Worcester.  Where the opportunity to operate a service all the way (or part of the way) with a train with better acceleration offers itself, the modern way would usually seem to be a clockface service with a higher number of intermediate stops, rather than an occasional service that's a bit faster, interlaced with other slower services that make the stops.

I don't know Islip, but I can find you other stations that you, Btline, might consider unlikley which have done rather well when moved from a sparse to a reasonable service.

Also, the Islip commuter services will be in the opposite direction to the main flow. So I don't think any additional calls will inconvenience the masses of disgruntled ex-FGW passengers who you are convinced will defect to Chiltern.  You need to think through your arguments a bit more carefully.

But the whole point is that the current users of Islip station will likely use Bicester Town or Oxford Parkway!

Islip has a population of about 600 people. That does not warrant a fast rail service stopping. Most of the users must be railheaders who will switch. Oxford Parkway does not exist at the moment.

Stopping at Islip will slow down services from High Wycombe and Thame Parkway into Oxford.
For London, saving 3 minutes will make a big difference if the journey time dips below an hour.

If there was no Oxford Parkway planned, I would fully support the development of Islip into a P&R station to beat the deadly A34 queues.

A slightly naughty spirit has pointed out to me that "Denham Golf Club" station is situated very close indeed to the M25 / M40 junction, and I believe that there is un-built-on non-agricultural land (a.k.a. a golf course) near the station.  In a parallel world, I can quite envisage such a location being chosen as West London Parkway, and becoming the terminus of the currently-planned-short Crossrail services that would turn back in the Old Oak area, via the old main line out of Paddington to High Wycombe.

With four to six trains per hour running right through central London, the station would then be a natural stop to drop off people from the Oxford area changing for central London (for whom neither Paddington nor Marylebone is really great as an arrival place), as well as for picking up on those services for those who do want to go into Marylebone.

Please forgive me my fun and "what-if" - this is not a serious suggestion!   Of course it would never happen, as I expect there are a few influential member at the golf club  ;D ;D ... and yet what we were told was "impossible" ten years ago can be happening today, so who knows by 2025?

Denham has a turn-back facility waiting to be built having been passively provided when the down platform was rebuilt

No they won't/don't.....

Before the line shut, the car park wasn't even full each/every day....most either walked or cycled to/from the station, and none used Bicester Town. So why will they change once the services run again?

(Agreed, there are twice hourly services going forward, which could make a difference, but not if you walk/cycle to the station, surely). Indeed, there is a case to say that those newly attracted to the service by driving from further afield would use Islip for the free parking & put up with a reduced service, in fact - so your logic is quite likely faulty....it could lead to paid parking there.


But there isn't a slow service that they can stop....


And where prey, is there any proof that there is any kind of pent-up demand for that route? i.e. there may be no pax.....Chiltern have their collective fingers crossed. Also, how many live at Haddenham? About the number-ish at Islip! Yes, it's a parkway station, but from the west side, wouldn't you simply drive to *Oxford* Parkway & get the train in from there?....go look at a map.


Tosh. Made no difference at Oxford when some services were reduced by 3 minutes.


You really have no idea have you? The road network (which you can easily check by looking at any map) wouldn't be able to support loads of cars driving into & through Islip. There's no main roads, all lanes. The locals would rightly fight any such proposal, rightly too.

Rather than just throw your words aty a keyboard, check or enquire before making suggestions such as these or you'll continually get shot-down.

That's right.  In fact it wasn't even close to being full.  Thirty or so spaces available and in the many hundreds of times I've been there I can't remember seeing more than a dozen cars parked there, with the average on a given weekday being about six!

Well, the London service hasn't started yet!
I suspect Chiltern could introduce parking charges. They did at Solihull; passenger numbers rose afterwards (probably because spaces were no longer used up by Touchwood shoppers!). Islip in this case would just be a duplicate station. Ignoring the 600 people living in the village, most would come from further afield to park and ride, and can use Bicester Town or Parkway.


Exactly! I don't believe the East West services will stop either. Why would they slow down a fast service to MK to serve a village of 600 people who can use Bicester Town or Parkway? As I said, a couple of services into Oxford is all that's required.


People from the Aylesbury area use Thame Parkway to access Bham. They may park at Thame Parkway and travel into Oxford (perhaps unlikely).
High Wycombe is one of the biggest centres in Bucks - it is inconceivable that there won't be demand between the two! It is one of Chiltern's key markets to take cars off the M40. Also another reason to keep journey times competitive.


59 minutes is mentally a lot better than 1 hour 2 minutes. Especially for marketing.

Woh - I'm sorry, no need for that!
I do know the area - having been stuck in the queues many a time! My point was, a parkway station was needed in that area, not two. Chiltern clearly agree.

Just because you disagree (and think the trains should be slowed down to serve a tiny village just a couple of miles away from Parkway), there's no need to be so angry.

Cilla Black would not be happy! ;D I agree that Denham Golf Club was a poor example. Replace it with SAUNDERTON.

The problem Chiltern has, is that it runs a 4 track service on a 2 track railway. All the stations from Gerrards Cross in deserve a 4tph or greater frequency. But they simply cannot be fitted onto 2 tracks (or at Marylebone). As these stations have Tube as a substitute, there is no need for the investment at the moment.

They may very well - but that doesn't back up your assertion(s) does it?


I think that's exactly what East West Rail will supply Islip with.....but there's little difference really between "a couple" and 8 a day (which Chiltern will supply) with twice hourly services throughout the day.


Oddly, more likely an Aylesbury / Oxford flow than a Birmingham flow, which doesn't exactly exist now in great numbers & the Oxford trains won't generate anything extra from Aylesbury towards Birmingham.


Hmm, I remain to be persuaded that there's much motor commuter traffic twixt the two now. Yes, it may encourage Wycombe-ites to look for Oxford jobs, I agree. But with only an hourly service being proposed, it seems that Chiltern possibly agree with me....


Depends on current journey times by car. Possibly, if the car journey is taking close to that figure currently, I don't know how long peak driving takes. But if that was currently 90+mins, say, a difference of 3mins (so 59 or 62mins) train would still be quicker than the car, and make zero difference in attracting the motorist.


And there's only ever going to be one as Islip won't become a part & ride. It was you who said it would....


That's because of the way you express your views over-forcibly. Calm down, and construct your arguments, rather than simply plastering the board with unsubstantiated views. You'll learn, I hope.

I think you'll find that parking at Solihull Station as opposed to the car parks at the Touchwood shopping mall would not have been the first choice for all but the most parsimonious of car-borne shoppers.  It's a good half-mile from the station car park and involves crossing a very busy road junction.  Rail travellers might even think about using the frequent buses to get them there if uncertain of the walk.  Possibly not the best example for your case.

Well, I still don't believe Islip deserves a half hourly service!


I would disagree - many evening services from Brun stop at Thame and a lot of people get off, many heading for Aylesbury.


I suppose it's a market that could grow. But I distinctly remember Chiltern saying that linking the two was a major aim of the project.


Disagree - and I think other TOCs agree with me. Didn't Virgin market their fastest Manchester as 1 hr 59 min?


Hmmm - me calm down? No comment...  ::)


Whether or not this is the case, I suspect that non rail use of the car park will have plummeted now!

The proposed timetable for the Chiltern Line from October is available on their website:

http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/october-timetable (http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/october-timetable)

Very pleased to see that some of the suggestions I (and doubtless many others too) made have been taken on board.  The main one is the addition of an early 06:05 train from Bicester to Oxford Parkway calling at Islip.  Also Islip's offering is now much better than on the original consultation (though still worse than before) with 9 Oxford bound trains and 8 Marylebone bound trains - the peak hour services are much better, though big gaps still remain at other times of the day when there used to be trains.

The full benefit of the service won't be realised until the link to the main station at Oxford opens (hopefully next year still!), especially for those commuting between Bicester/Islip and Oxford, but some promising changes to the original consultation timetable have improved it significantly.

Many thanks for posting that update on this topic, IndustryInsider.  ;)

It may even help to calm member Btline down ... possibly?  ::) :P ;D

An ECS working to form the 0630 ex-Oxford Parkway (anyone discovered the 3-letter acronym yet?) being turned into a service to enable Islip commuters to board (easement allowing this) to obtain an earlier MYB arrival by going via Parkway. I understand this easement will apply to several trains in both directions in order to improve the number of available services.

This may just be someone's guess / something for the rumour mill, but I found "OXP"

https://foursquare.com/v/oxford-parkway-railway-station-oxp--opens-2015/50c208cefe70202788da2a32

From my submission to Chiltern on 15-9-2014 reported on Page 1:


I am glad I was not a lone voice and that the provision of easements has been taken on board.  It is most important though that these back-tracking connections via Oxford Parkway (or Bicester Village) are overtly shown on the Public Timetable as a legitimate connection - and not just the subject of a footnote or worse still, just an easement hidden in the National Routeing Guide.

AIUI, it's not a overall easement, just on particular trains, mainly in or close to peaks. Only via Parkway too, so mainly usable by those going to/from London. The local User Group OBRAG, is well on top of want they need locally.

Well well well, that Silver train in the morning peak will be very popular! ;D ;D
Almost all seats at tables, good views from all seats, seats actually comfortable...

With this timetable, I suspect there will be a notable drop in passengers at Hanborough and Oxford stations (and Charlbury? - only a 30 minute drive).

Glad that Islip has not seen too many extra services - the overall journey time is very important!

Bring it on - if passengers on FGW fall, they only have themselves to blame...

No ... apparently, it didn't.  ::) :o ;D

You will be lucky to get from Hanborough to Oxford Parkway in half an hour at peak time. OK out of peak hour but can be much longer at peak hour. On the odd occasion it has taken me 35 minutes just to do the 4 miles or so from Long Hanborough to Woodstock departing at 08.10 and arriving in Woodstock at 08.45. The A4095 is congested to Bladon roundabout from 07.00 as rat runners use it to avoid the A40 to Oxford and to get to the M40 near Bicester. Then there is peak hour congestion getting either through Kidlington or on the A44. Would be Oxford Parkway users from the Witney direction will have to reckon on a 2 or 3 mile queue into Long Hanborough as well at some peak times. At the best it is a slow crawl.
I agree there will be loss of business at Hanborough to FGW but this will be more off-peak and the loss will be because the 30 minute service frequency. How FGW will fight back I do not know. Off-peak Advance fares now available are very attractive but the recent relaibility and punctuality record is appalling as any regular Cotswold Line user knows.