Punctuality....why does it suffer and how can it be improved??

[whole diary]

[Lee]

Yes but passenger numbers are already high from Cornwall to London, and last year saw an increase, a lot to do with the weekday service through to Newquay, First wouldn't gain anything by stopping HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s at Exeter because they would need to magic up some sprinters from somewhere and it actually SAVES them money by running the HST's through even if they do stop everywhere because of having to hire less units, passenger numbers in Cornwall and Devon seem to be on the up again lately now that the new timetable has settled in and (touch wood!!) FGW^▸ (First Great Western) seem to have sorted out their staffing issues and other reliability issues in the far west. It also seems now that nearly all "Devon metro" services are 4 car 142's which has increased capacity.

Anyone remember GNER^▸ (Great North Eastern Railways)? Great Service shame about the figures.

GNER only lost their franchise because Sea Containers couldn't underwrite the franchise payments, passenger numbers were slightly lower than expected but it was an internal problem. First are massive in terms of money and can underwrite the premium.

You may be interested in the quote below, from the Save The Train forum :

CW^▸ (Christian Wolmar (rail journalist)) makes 5 predictions for the year ahead (link below.)
http://www.christianwolmar.co.uk/articles/rail/582.shtml

The old Eurostar platforms at Waterloo will remain empty until 2009 at least despite promises to the contrary.

Ministers will become increasingly concerned about the lack of governance of Network Rail and will launch a review or enquiry into its future.

The Competition Commission investigation into rolling stock companies will lead to egg on the face of ministers.

Eurostar will announce plans to run services to a couple of new destination.

As the economy begins to stutter, a franchisee will warn that they may not be able to continue operating without a change in their contract terms.

I wonder who Christian Wolmar was referring to?

[woody]

As the economy begins to stutter, a franchisee will warn that they may not be able to continue operating without a change in their contract terms.

I wonder who Christian Wolmar was referring to?

Exactly just what I am thinking,when viewing some views there is an old saying that keeps springing to mind which goes,"There are nought so blind as those who do not want to see".

[smokey]

HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s stop at shacks in Cornwall and take 2 Hours to cover less than 80 miles, and FGW^▸ (First Great Western) call them HIGH SPEED SERVICES.

Thats why FGW are loosing longer distance passengers big time to alternative road and  air competition from Plymouth and Cornwall,personally I think its only a matter of time before both Crosscountry and FGW are forced by financial consideration and the inadequate rail infrastructure in Devon and Cornwall to terminate their services at Exeter with just a local service linking Exeter,Plymouth and Penzance.After all FGW is little more than a commuter railway the market the HST refurb is clearly aimed,not their traditional longer distance services to the far south west
 West Coast and East coast main lines aside the Government generally sees the wider railways function in this country  as moving people over the shorter/medium distance with road and air taking care of the rest hence the above.

the best answer to HST's stopping at all stations in Cornwall is to have 50% of HST semi-fast through Cornwall, the rest stoppers and back up the semi-fast with local trains.

[devon_metro]

Problem with HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) covering unit work in cornwall is the fact that particarly towards Cornwall HSTs are often late.

A list of HSTs today with the most delayed they were:

0705 PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains)-PNZ ran up to 4 late
1117 PLY-PNZ (ex 0730 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)) 4 late
1310 PLY-PNZ (ex 1005) 6 late
1510 PLY-PNZ (ex 1205) 4 late
1725 PLY-PNZ (ex 1405) currently 16 late

For Cornwall HSTs that is a GOOD day!!

[woody]

Problem with HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) covering unit work in cornwall is the fact that particarly towards Cornwall HSTs are often late.

A list of HSTs today with the most delayed they were:

0705 PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains)-PNZ ran up to 4 late
1117 PLY-PNZ (ex 0730 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)) 4 late
1310 PLY-PNZ (ex 1005) 6 late
1510 PLY-PNZ (ex 1205) 4 late
1725 PLY-PNZ (ex 1405) currently 16 late

For Cornwall HSTs that is a GOOD day!!

It is a sad reflection of Rail privatisation in 1994 that here in the south west in particular we are still trying to get it right using the same old trains and infrastructure despite the vast sums of taxpayers money that have been squandered underwriting what has proved to be a very inefficient fragmented rail system.Huge sums of public money that should of gone into new trains and infrastructure over that time have instead "leaked" away funding that pseuodo private rail system, something which I believe both the private sector and government have been consistently covering up behind closed doors,a process that is still ongoing with FGW^▸ (First Great Western).When you see what BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) achieved with electrifiction and Intercity 125 it makes you wonder where its all going to end in Devon/Cornwall.

[BPWuser]

Further to the original post about punctuality...

When travelling between BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains) and SWI^» (Swindon - next trains) we are often held up by the coal trains trying to squeeze into the sidings to let the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) pass. Now before I upset all the EWS^▸ (English Welsh & Scottish Railway Ltd, now known as DB Schenker Rail (UK^▸ (United Kingdom))) employees I am well aware that the reason that the train in front is running behind time may not be their own fault, but < 5 mins of slow HST running means > 10 mins lost on punctuality (Rant over).

I except there's no easy answer to this, I'll just have to learn to share.

[dog box]

I Know recently of an occasion where the Weymouth service was held at Yeovil pen mill  for 6 min for a late running  empty stock SWT^▸ (South West Trains) train to arrive on the single line section from Castle Cary.