Marlow branch line - engineering work, closures, incidents (merged topics)

[whole diary]

[johoare]

We could send you some of ours? Then the High Speed Train (HST^▸ (High Speed Train))s can stop more at this end and we won't need as many local trains 

Edit: VickiS- Clarifying acronyms

[Btline]

Also couldn't some of the stops in Devon and Cornwall and Wales be serviced by local trains as we have at this end of the journey? So speeding the intercity service up?

That would be good as well.

[Ollie]

We could send you some of ours? Then the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) can stop more at this end and we won't need as many local trains 

What makes the Thames Valley more entitled to HST's than the West Country.
West Country get stops on HST's so they have some sort of direct service to London, Maidenhead has a good service to London albeit it may take 40 - 45 minutes instead of about 20 on a fast service, but compared to the time it will add on to those who travel from the West Country if the stops got removed an extra 20minutes I'm sure it is bearable.

Also couldn't some of the stops in Devon and Cornwall and Wales be serviced by local trains as we have at this end of the journey? So speeding the intercity service up?

That would be good as well.

Talk about speeding up services, but want to add calls at Maidenhead which will still add time on..

[Electric train]

What makes the Thames Valley more entitled to HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s than the West Country.

Because the current services in the TV are at or approaching capacity, so if there a lightly loaded services then the capacity needs to be used of the service could be capped, the TV is at least 7 years before there is a significant increase in capacity with Crossrail and a further 3 before GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) electrification and that is provided the crowd in the Palace of Westminster don't chop those two schemes

[johoare]

We could send you some of ours? Then the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) can stop more at this end and we won't need as many local trains 

What makes the Thames Valley more entitled to HST's than the West Country.

It was kind of tongue in cheek, hence the wink..

But really why should one place or another be entitled to more HST stops.. If the local services in Devon Cornwall were a lot better then you wouldn't need them either..

But anyway.. I'll stop (unintentionally) winding people up now (hopefully) 

[Ollie]

It was kind of tongue in cheek, hence the wink..

But really why should one place or another be entitled to more HST^▸ (High Speed Train) stops.. If the local services in Devon Cornwall were a lot better then you wouldn't need them either..

But anyway.. I'll stop (unintentionally) winding people up now (hopefully) 

Aha okay let you off then.

What makes the Thames Valley more entitled to HST's than the West Country.

Because the current services in the TV are at or approaching capacity, so if there a lightly loaded services then the capacity needs to be used of the service could be capped, the TV is at least 7 years before there is a significant increase in capacity with Crossrail and a further 3 before GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) electrification and that is provided the crowd in the Palace of Westminster don't chop those two schemes

I think the issue comes down to rolling stock ultimately, but by adding stops somewhere and removing them elsewhere, all that is being done is the problem is getting shifted to another area, so either way somewhere there will be complaints.

[devon_metro]

Don't the Intercities stop at lots of/several stations relatively close together once they get to Devon/Cornwall? (I may be totally wrong there).. What is the difference between doing that there or at this end of the journey?

You're absolutely right, they do. As do FGW^▸ (First Great Western) services west of Swansea, calling at Llanelli, Pembrey and Burry Port, Kidwelly and Ferryside on the way to Carmarthen. Kidwelly and Ferryside are even request stops!

So will the people who don't want their nice fast intercities stopping between Reading and Paddington also agree to miss out lots of the little stops further west as that will also speed things up?  If we cut a lot of those out there would be loads of time to stop at Maidenhead...

Um, no because the point of these services is to transport the people from Devon and Cornwall to London. Not Maidnehead to London, nor Devon & Cornwall to maidenhead. That's why there should be stops at major places in Devon and Cornwall, few after that and none after Reading.

The 1519 Taunton - Paddington being an 'intercity' train then? 

How many stops between Taunton and Reading??

[anthony215]

I have read  on page 8 in the latest  copy of Railway Magazine that  GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) pannier tank no. 9466 could be used to work some steam shuttles from Southhall to  Brentford & Marlow in November as a finale to the GWR 175 season

[eightf48544]

Apparently optimistic reporting. Latest info no steam on Marlow line but 9499 is likely to work Looe branch sometime, see post.

[Electric train]

Did wounder how it would have been done, no run round's on the branch any more.  Auto coach possibly but as they have vacuum breaks could not see that being permitted, even steam hauled to Bourne End would require a second loco to do the return to Maidenhead.

Real shame would have been nice to have had a kettle chuff past my back garden again

[inspector_blakey]

As far as I know there's no prohibition on vacuum-braked passenger stock being used on the network, unless it's a recent development. I have certainly been on charters in the last ten years that used dual-braked equipment, with the vacuum being used on the steam leg. I think the main reason many steamers are now fitted with air brakes is that it gives them much more flexibility in terms of the charter stock they can work with.

However, given the paranoia about running even mark I vehicles I suspect something as antidiluvian as an autocoach is a non-starter!

[hornbeam]

How about using chilterns clas 121 bubble car? They used to work the line 

[bobm]

There is a poster up at Maidenhead saying that from the May timetable change the 18:36 from London Paddington will in their words "split" at Maidenhead with only the front portion going forward to Bourne End.

Not sure what the reasoning is and what happens to the rest of the train. I suppose it might form an extra eastbound service.

[eightf48544]

Interesting. always wondered why they took 5 up the branch.

Marlow line is an interesting exercise in stock utilisation. Due to the layout at Bourne you can only get 2 to Marlow although you can get 5 in the other platform.

Thus the daytime shuttle is locked (by its token, from the Bourne End control panel) onto Marlow branch during the peak and a connecting train run from Paddington or Maidenhead to Bourne End and back using the Maidenhead Bourne End token.Which is why there is  an irregular interval service on the branch in the peaks when two trains are running.

[bobm]

I assume the new arrangement will require three drivers. One to take the Bourne End portion forward. One to dispose of the remainder of the Paddington train and the third to run the Marlow/Bourne End shuttle as now.