Where the
CDF» -CMN runs are removed, connections could be better - it looks like the CMN - FGH/MFH shuttles have long connection margins for the Londons. I wonder if the shuttles could be retimed, even if it means running off-pattern, except perhaps the that arrives at CMN just before 9am. These workings appear to lay over at CMN for a long time rather than doing anything else - so perhaps the reason is purely cost-cutting or just an idea that an
IET▸ is more than enough provision in those hours.
I note that the change to the
HoW‡ pattern also means the ad-hoc
SWA» -CMN workings between HoW diagrams have been lost, but they weren't vital for capacity provision.
While some of these changes are perhaps because of paths/capacity not being available yet or a sensible avoidance of more transitional issues, there has perhaps been a demand for reduction of costs compared to the earlier draft.
Im not a fan of the splitting of services at Swansea either. But it should work both ways and any Camarthen-Cardiff services should gain extra carriages at Swansea and then back from Cardiff not just the ones that go to/come from Manchester.
It's not the splitting that bothers me, but that it's the 2 car portion that goes through. The colour scheme makes clear that only the Manchesters split at SWA ("orange" shading for the 5 car section) - the portion that goes through to MFH/FGH returns to Cardiff as 2 car throughout, which isn't ideal. I think if the CDF terminators also split/attached at SWA, things would become more complex at SWA; doing it every 2 hours means there's a detachment one hour, then an attachment hte next hour. Diong it every hour would make things messier and delays would propagate easily.
For the SWA-CDF part, some journeys are quiet enough for 2 cars, but many could do with 3 - especially bearing in mind that the non-Manchesters include peak workings (first MFH-CDF and 17xx CDF-MFH). These peak workings both run behind IETs which helps, but can still be quite busy as 2 car, especially when the
GWR▸ is disrupted, and the mid-morning workings can be crowded on weekends & school holidays... although ironically that's mitigated here by removing them completely, so passengers have to use the IET either side!
In order to keep things simple it looks like the 2 car would always be at the Manchester end (i.e. 2 cars continuing when splitting at SWA, and 3 cars when later evening workings split at CMN)... it wouldn't be practical to vary this, as the split/join plan would become much more complex, so it has to be always 2 or always 3 continuing past SWA.
The Pembroke Dock-Swanline is a risk given the single line and crossing at Tenby and the impact of Swanline on the main line/arrival into Cardiff. I wonder if its to ensure Carmarthen gets at least 1 train per hour direct to Cardiff on average during the day given some Carmarthen to Cardiff fast services have been axed.
I think that's possibly part of it - the Cardiff pull is a big selling point... but the presence of hte GWR through services covered that need and was part of hte justification. Another factor is that it reduces the number of diagrams needed for Swanline & Pembroke Dock combined. The original draft needed 3 for PMD (as now) and another 3 for hourly Swanline. This arrangement appears to need 4 for the 2-hourly through service, plus some juggling to provide the peak extras. I also note that 153s are to remain on
CRE» -
SHR» stoppers - same shading as HoW - perhaps corresponding to one fewer HoW diagrams being needed?
