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Title: Spare unit Post by: Btline on July 18, 2008, 00:38:18 The LM service from Wolverhampton to Walsall has been axed, despite passenger growth. >:(
The government withdrew funding of the hourly service because of "poor patronage." Will it free up a unit for FGW? Or is the real reason for the axing of the service so the stock can be used elsewhere? ::) Sounds too familiar to what's going on with the Melksham line! Watch out - the third (or is it fourth?) Beeching axe is about!! Title: Re: Spare unit Post by: swlines on July 18, 2008, 01:12:39 Why would axing a service on London Midland give a unit to FGW? Doesn't make sense...
The unit(s) released will be diagrammed for bolstering other diagrams. Title: Re: Spare unit Post by: John R on July 18, 2008, 07:59:04 Apparently the Dec 08 t/t has already reallocated the unit, so it's a fait accompli.
Title: Re: Spare unit Post by: Btline on July 18, 2008, 17:33:39 Is it a 153?
I just thought that a carriage going spare could be sent to FGW. LM have not liked adding 153s to boost capacity as the cabs are not as good, and they can't keep to tight timetables as well as 150s. Title: Re: Spare unit Post by: Lee on July 23, 2008, 06:10:32 See link below for more on this.
http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=7584.msg12284#msg12284 Title: Re: Spare unit Post by: eightf48544 on January 18, 2009, 11:51:48 I feel quite sorry for this route as Mr. Beeching killed off the service in the 60^s, although the line remained thankfully. The West Midland Passenger Transport Executive (CENTRO) reinstated the service in the 90^s, with the hope of increasing it to a half hourly service. They were even thinking about re-opening of two stations on the route? Now sadly CENTRO is to busy looking at over priced trams, to care what happens to the railways. I do not know what Central Trains would have done if they hadn^t re franchised, but LM to me seems like a pointless, and in-fill franchise for Virgin West Coast. Which I fear is the case if you look at LM new timetable. The Government and its departments is quite happy to spend millions on a re-routing the Eurostar around London so people can get to Paris a bit faster, or converting the East London Line back to a heavy railway line. But when it comes to spending a few quid on new bus shelter in Bristol or Birmingham, they will tell you its considered not cost effective. The entire West Midlands Timetable has seen massive cuts to local train^s services, not to mention LM performance. Sadly I feel it boils down to the fact that the line is not a big political issue. If the line was in West London I^d imagine that they would have stumped up the cash, and used one of the Class 321's EMU's on the route instead of the Class 153 and the people would have there train! Yep I agree entirely it seems more and more that rail servies are being decided on what can we get away with, not how do we provide good public transport. The problem with the Walsall Wolverhampton service is that it requires a DMU due to lack of wires between Pleck and Darlaston Junctions. So a 321 can't be used. Along with Walsall Rugely plus Coventry to Nuneaton, these three links should be early candidates for electrification to eliminate DMUs on otherwise electrified lines and provide more fully electrified diversionary routes around the West Midlands. A back of the envelope calculation gives around 12 routes from Stafford to Rugby, provided you allow passing through Aston twice (to avoid reversing in New Street) as a separate route. It's not unprecedented the Glasgow - Blackpool summer specials used to pass through Preston twice. Title: Re: Spare unit Post by: Btline on January 18, 2009, 14:53:32 Lm have not axed any services in the new timetable. Indeed, most stations' services have been greatly enhanced.
Lm's performance is better than central's. Title: Re: Spare unit Post by: Btline on January 18, 2009, 16:51:27 The current service is much better! All stations have a direct train to B'ham per hour. Major stations have an additional fast train per hour.
South of b'ham, many stations have a direct train to London. Stopping patterns are staggered so most stations have a faster service. The stourbridge line will be 6tph instead of 4. You can get to b'ham airport more easily now. Destinations such as Liverpool, aberw. and shrewsbury are more assessble from the snow hill lines. Did I mention 2tph to Liverpool? Semi fast trains to Strat-u-a? There are many other egs of enhancements. Title: Re: Spare unit Post by: devon_metro on January 18, 2009, 17:09:31 The current service is much better! All stations have a direct train to B'ham per hour. Major stations have an additional fast train per hour. South of b'ham, many stations have a direct train to London. Stopping patterns are staggered so most stations have a faster service. The stourbridge line will be 6tph instead of 4. You can get to b'ham airport more easily now. Destinations such as Liverpool, aberw. and shrewsbury are more assessble from the snow hill lines. Did I mention 2tph to Liverpool? Semi fast trains to Strat-u-a? There are many other egs of enhancements. Apart from the fact that half of it doesnt run due to a chronic lack of crew in the ex Silverlink side of LM. Title: Re: Spare unit Post by: Btline on January 18, 2009, 18:36:58 Agreed. But the comment was that LM had axed services when they have done the opposite!
Title: Re: Spare unit Post by: Btline on January 19, 2009, 18:13:51 They now have a direct service to London. Other services are faster with better rolling stock.
Title: Re: Spare unit Post by: Doctor Gideon Ceefax on January 21, 2009, 23:17:58 Silverlink had direct services to London. And they ran express, rather than effectively an extension of the Birmingham - Coventry Centro local stopper.
Title: Re: Spare unit Post by: Btline on January 22, 2009, 21:11:09 And they ran express, rather than effectively an extension of the Birmingham - Coventry Centro local stopper. Virgin Trains run expresses! (now every 20 mins). LM have added more places to the direct London route - an improvement. Fares are also low. Title: Re: Spare unit Post by: willc on January 24, 2009, 12:50:01 Now I know btline and I don't always see eye to eye, but on this occasion I think it is fair to say that I endorse his remarks about LM's efforts to enhance services.
The Stourbridge branch 153 is the one being used to provide the extra Worcester-Gloucester trains, so a clear benefit for that route, even if Parry's unfortunately haven't got their box of tricks working on the branch yet. Stratford-upon-Avon has an enhanced Saturday service, with the one all-stations train an hour to and from Birmingham to one stopper and one semi-fast most of the day. At the moment the stock isn't available to do this on weekdays outside the peaks but if it works on weekends, then there's every chance they will try to find the stock to do it all week. Worcestershire also has extra Saturday trains into Birmingham. And whatever the wiring problems at Pleck, a Wolverhampton-Walsall service will only make sense when someone finally finds the money to build a station at Willenhall, a community which needs a fast link to both ends of the line and on into Birmingham. The station site is there and was before the trains started running but nothing has been done. If it had been opened, passenger numbers would have been far higher and acted as a deterrent to the bean-counters at DafT who ordered the scrapping of the service. Title: Re: Spare unit Post by: Btline on January 24, 2009, 18:00:44 LM are miles better than Central Trains!
IMO Govia have done an excellent job, and I have relatives who live in the SN / SE area, and they say Govia have done a good job there, as well. Stratford-upon-Avon has an enhanced Saturday service, with the one all-stations train an hour to and from Birmingham to one stopper and one semi-fast most of the day. At the moment the stock isn't available to do this on weekdays outside the peaks but if it works on weekends, then there's every chance they will try to find the stock to do it all week. That is a reason why LM's decision to order less 172s than the current no of 150s was made short sightedly. Not only do we need longer trains, we need 2 tph to Stratford with one semi fast. The current 3 tph to Shirely should also be extended to Earlswood (renamed "Parkway" as it is next to the M42). Don't forget the Chase Line, now 2 tph. Now I know btline and I don't always see eye to eye... Don't we? ;D Title: Re: Spare unit Post by: Chris from Nailsea on January 24, 2009, 18:08:52 Now I know btline and I don't always see eye to eye... Don't we? ;D Even if we were to consider (just for a moment!) the possibility that you don't - I'm delighted that you can 'agree to disagree' in such a gentlemanly way. Thank you - it does make the job of us moderators so much less stressful! ;) :D ;D Title: Re: Spare unit Post by: Doctor Gideon Ceefax on January 26, 2009, 11:30:36 And they ran express, rather than effectively an extension of the Birmingham - Coventry Centro local stopper. Virgin Trains run expresses! (now every 20 mins). LM have added more places to the direct London route - an improvement. Fares are also low. Silverlink had low fares. Anyway is there any real point in giving suburban birmingham / coventry stations a direct service to London? It just slows the service down. Most people up that way would be more interested in a two hourly all stations local stopper between Coventry and Wolverhampton on the hour and half hour, rather than these random stop skip patterns. Title: Re: Spare unit Post by: Btline on January 26, 2009, 20:29:20 It takes pressure off New Street.
It increases property prices, having a direct service. People like direct trains. How does it slow the service down? there are 3 expresses and hour. THe trains calling at the local stops would be slow anyway! I don't see what your problem with it is... Did Silverlink have ^5 fares? Title: Re: Spare unit Post by: Btline on January 26, 2009, 22:48:52 No, the stopping patterns vary - so everyone gets a quicker train service to B'ham with a direct London connexion thrown in!
Title: Re: Spare unit Post by: willc on January 27, 2009, 00:34:52 All I say is that to sing LM praises is not to good and idea, plus if a similar route in London was to axed the money would be found to keep it open as would the unit. The entire thing to me is con on behalf of so called higher powers. But as I pointed out, in withdrawing the Wolverhampton-Walsall service, LM was only following orders from DafT, who didn't like it because it was consuming vast amounts of subsidy. And frankly, without a Willenhall stop the service had limited value, as serving this community was a key part of the argument for operating it in the first place, but no-one ever came up with the money for a station. After Dudley, Willenhall is pretty much the largest community in the West Midlands without a rail or Metro service. Even with a change at Walsall, it would beat a bus into Birmingham hands down. Title: Re: Spare unit Post by: Btline on January 27, 2009, 19:53:35 Example for the National Rail Timetable: Adderley Park: Hourly service, with some trains every 2 hours? (I suppose they could bus it into Birmingham and use New Street?) Services are no faster than they were under operation of 321 units on the Coventry line, yes there newer. Birmingham International & Coventry have better services, but this mainly down to Arriva Trains Wales. The London Midland service is very irregular, varying between every 25 mins to hourly depending on the stations not everyone wants to go to Birmingham or London. The point I am making for some it has got so much worse. Adderly Park is not a good example. It is so near the city centre, it is probably quicker and cheaper to take a bus! Before the timetable change, it was hourly. You say it is now sometimes 2 hourly. From Wikipedia, the station was due to close, but was reprieved. As well from Wikipedia, passenger numbers declined between 2005 and 2007 WHEN THERE WAS NO SERVICE CUT. So it is obvious that people are not seeing this station as important. So a slight service cut is ok. And I doubt there is a lot of local traffic between small stations. Suburban / commuter lines take people to and from the cities / airport, traffic flows which the new timetable does well. This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. Views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |