Cutting less used stops in the new franchise?

Some excellent points and interesting analyses Grahame.

Taking point e nearby statons. This can often be played out as rivalry even if served by same TOC^▸ . Take Taplow and Bourne End they can be seen as rivals particularly by the branch as Taplow has a more frequent (halfhourly as opposed to hourly) shorter journey times, you're already on the Mainline no change at Maidenhead (off peak), cheaper fares. They are 6.2 miles apart by rail and 4.9 by road. We have lots of free parking admittedly on the road. The only disadvantage is we don't have Sunday service.

High Wycombe and Beconsfield are also rivals to Bourne End but that's good because it's competition FGW^▸ versus Chiltern see other posts on this board.

Re Coombe Halt one of the problems is that it is 10 chains or 220 yards beyond the junction so a train has to do an extra 1/4 mile to serve it. I wonder if there is case for experimenting with making it an automated request stop. i was thinking CCTV^▸ and a phone to Lisguard box (Thames Valley Control centre later) plus a light signal at the junction to indicate if the train is to stop.

Re service patterns I am wondering if in places like Cornwall there should be a DB^» type pattern of service IC^▸ Inter City, Regional Express RB Regional Bus (All stations) This would probably mean more trains overall but giving say larger stations like Truo at least 2 tph each direction, lesser stations Bomin Road 1 tph and smaller stations one train every two hours. ICs would be through to Padd, Some REs^▸ and RBs could start from say Falmouth or Newquay. The RE's would end at Bristol perhaps being overtaken at Truro, Plymouth, Newton Abbot, Exeter, Taunton and/or Weston super Mare. RBs terminate at Plymouth or Exeter. The whole servcie intergrated with ICs and RBs starting from Paignton. Don't see much point in REs from Torquay as apart from Torre there aren't any stations to be left out. The RB could connect into the Cornwall Bristol RE at Newton Abbot. The trouble is most of the overtaking staions would require additional to to allow overtaking and possibly cross platform interchange.

Also think it could work for Melksham if Bradford North curve was reopened then the Bristol London RE would go via Bradford on Avon and Melksham, leaving the mainline clear for the ICs to miss Chippenham on some journeys.

It would as I say also require more trains perhaps slightly less intensively used than current stock at present . But that should improve reliability but will greately upset the "Bean Counters" who think stock should be turning a wheel 25 hours a day.

Tehre is a form of this service in teh thames Vally where off peak it is often possible to change at Slough or Reading from or to teh Fast Oxfors from or to an intermediate station. Thus i take the Fast Oxford to Slough and change for Taplow. You could also do this for Hayes Reading changing into the fast Oxford at Slough.