Great Western Coffee Shop

I had an e-mail yesterday from GWR outlining further service improvements from 6 July. 

They include:
 
Half-hourly service on the St Ives branch line restored 7 days a week
Half-hourly service restored on Exmouth-Paignton services Monday-Saturday
Normal service level restored on Falmouth branch Monday-Saturday
Majority of services restored on Cornish mainline between Plymouth-Penzance Monday-Saturday, getting us closer to two trains per hour throughout the day.  This has helped to fill the early evening gaps on that were raised for Saltash and St Germans. We have also been able to make some additional calls on Sunday services, but these remain broadly hourly

Interesting, Richard.  If you put Plymouth to Penzance on Monday 22 June (but not before) into the National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner search you get the half-hourly train times as per the pre-COVID timetable.

I'm guessing the timetable for 22 June onwards hasn't been uploaded yet.  I've just looked at Truro - Falmouth for that day and it's also showing the pre-Covid normal service.  I'm quite sure this doesn't mean the improvements are coming in two weeks' earlier than announced.

IIRC correctly there were going to be a few extra trains in the Exeter area added before the July 6th GWR wide increase.  So perhaps that’s why the revised timings aren’t in for that week yet?

Ref the Newquay branch would passenger loadings justify an early morning departure service from Newquay?

That's on the horizon as part of the Direct Award- assuming that doesn't get altered due to the current crisis - but I'm guessing won't happen until summer 2021 at the earliest.

On Journeycheck https://www.journeycheck.com/greatwesternrailway/

12:19 Plymouth to Penzance due 14:12
Facilities on the 12:19 Plymouth to Penzance due 14:12.
This is due to overcrowding.
Service full and standing from Plymouth.

Apologies but only just noticed this

I was surprised to get a 158 on the Falmouth branch this morning then discovered the Exeter to Penzance from Truro was a 150 in lieu of a 158, so quits!!