Rush Hour in Cornwall

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From ITV yesterday - http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/update/2014-11-14/landslip-causes-rail-problems-in-cornwall/?

Heavy overnight rain triggered a landslip on the railway line between Par and Newquay. Replacement bus services were put on between St Austell and Newquay throughout the rush-hour and engineers took until late morning to repair the line.

Sadly, the first train doesn't arrive into Newquay until 10:09 and the leave it leaves at 10:13, first service out of the day.  Or is this the rush hour?

[ChrisB]

Not much if a landslip either if repaired in less than 11 hours (and probably much less than that!)

[LiskeardRich]

Normal winter timetable. They assume people don't go to or from Newquay in winter.

To be fair the bus is a lot quicker (if it turns up- although this should be better now First are going head to head with the other operator).

Newquay to Truro which is the main commuter route for people of Newquay takes around 1hr 20 to 1hr 30, but on some journeys (including the above mentioned first journey of the day) due to poor connections at Par takes just under 2 hours.

The 90 bus takes 50 minutes to 1 hour.

[phile]

An early train was introduced about 3 years ago but later withdrawn and the unit used to work an additional 06 28 Exeter to Par as a service of higher priority and then forming the Newquay Branch later.

[grahame]

An early train was introduced about 3 years ago but later withdrawn and the unit used to work an additional 06 28 Exeter to Par as a service of higher priority and then forming the Newquay Branch later.

Indeed ... there's something of a lesson in that for those of us who have asked for and achieved service improvements - history tells us that such improvements can be lost just as they can be gained.   In our 'neck of the woods' we're considering that good passenger numbers, good data about the use those passengers make and their effect on the local economy, and good 'intelligence' to spot help spot any suggestions of changes in a negative direction hidden (for example) in franchise consultations will give us a good chance of retaining appropriate services.

[Lee]

I've often wondered just what happened with that early Newquay service - I remember being surprised and quite impressed with some of the passenger numbers reported on this forum...and then it was gone.

[TRAINMAN57]

The early newquay was taken away as part of the pay off for running a sunday service,.

[phile]

Proves that trains are run for the benefit of Bean Counters rather than passengers.