MTLS - FGW Investment Wont Benefit Frome/Weymouth Line

[whole diary]

[Lee]

Quote from the link below :
http://thisissomerset.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=147472&command=displayContent&sourceNode=242195&contentPK=20073144&folderPk=113662&pNodeId=251478

"From a Frome perspective, I am very disappointed.

"There appear to be no plans to increase rolling stock on the Weymouth line to alleviate the chronic overcrowding.

"The Cardiff to Portsmouth line is getting more and it seems Frome will continue to struggle with a poor and infrequent service.

"Many Frome commuters continue to experience cancelled, late and chronically overcrowded trains, and if the company cannot turn this around with their service between May and September, then the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) should pull the plug on it."

[grahame]

The railway is very much a network so improvements in one area / on one line can have knock on effects on another.   From Frome's view point, I can see the following changes in the pipeline in the next 12 months:

a) Soon - the use of 3 car trains on the Cardiff / Portsmouth run will reduce overcrowding between Westbury, Trowbridge, Bath and Bristol - meaning that all trains on that route (including those that originate at Weymouth, Yeovil and Frome) will be less crowded. I judge there's around 20% more capacity being added.

b) From December '08,  the number of through trains from Frome to Bath and Bristol might increase from 9 to 11 - breaking up the three hour and a two hour gap in the present service.  Trains to leave (Monday to Friday) at 04:43, 07:04, 08:02, 09:26, 10:27, 12:39, 14:35, 15:27, 16:29, 18:27 and 21:20

Item (b) comes from the current proposals to provide an appropriate TransWilts service from next December - it's very much evens whether this will come off or not, so can I encourage everyone to let their local First Managers, local councillors, MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament), etc, know that they feel the Frome service should be improved (if indeed they do feel this way!).

[Lee]

How many coaches are the following services likely to have, once the transition to 3-coach Class 158's is complete? :

1722 Bristol-Portsmouth (originates from Cardiff at 1630.)

1749 Bristol-Weymouth (originates from Gloucester at 1642.)

[swlines]

According to my source ...

Expect all Cardiff to Portsmouth Harbours to be 3 coach units - expect any other trains to be not 158, and 150 + 153 if currently booked 3.

[Jim]

How many coaches are the following services likely to have, once the transition to 3-coach Class 158's is complete? :

1722 Bristol-Portsmouth (originates from Cardiff at 1630.)

1749 Bristol-Weymouth (originates from Gloucester at 1642.)

This is it, what happens to the 4 car diagrams. I know exactly what your getting at there Lee, there could be a lose of 1 coach on certain services.

[Jim]

There are 7 diagrams on the line. I am going to keep 1 spare for maitenance. So 8units are needed.

So, 158760-67 could be the base units. Remember 158798 is allready 3 car. So:

52760   57760
52761   57761
52762   57762
52763   57763
52764   57764
52765   57765
52766   57766
52767   57767
are the 158's then you would add 1 car to each:

52760   57760   52768
52761   57761   57768
52762   57762   52769
52763   57763   57769
52764   57764   52771
52765   57765   57771
52766   57766   52776
52767   57767   57776

That leaves: 158745/6/7/8/9/50/51/78. Enough to cover the Brightons and other stuff like Malverns.