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Author Topic: Commuter services - minimum needs  (Read 2150 times)
grahame
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« on: September 17, 2018, 14:49:29 »

I read:
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A commuter service needs to run a year round consistent timetable with early morning and late evening trains to support connecting trains to onward destinations. This is beyond most heritage lines

I am very much aware of the heartache of trying to use a rail corridor for both daily and heritage traffic ... But what do you think of the mimiim spec for a commuter service?  Do you agree? Does this mean that the services provided to Newquay (no early morning trains) and Cosham and Melksham (no late evening trains) are inadequate for commuters?
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ray951
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« Reply #1 on: September 17, 2018, 15:11:08 »

Going off at a slight tangent, but when I was on holiday in Washington DC (Direct Current) I came across the Virginia Railway Express https://www.vre.org/ and it has what I guess is the bare minimum for a commuter service and I quote "Virginia Railway Express is a commuter rail service that operates Monday through Friday from the Northern Virginia suburbs to Washington, D.C. We primarily travel northbound in the morning, towards Washington, and southbound during the evening, towards Manassas (along I-66), and Fredericksburg (along I-95). VRE does not operate service on weekends or Federal holidays."

If you look at the timetable it has about 12 services into DC in the morning and about the same number out in evening with only 1 service in the opposite direction in the morning and evening.

I have never seen a service like that in the UK (United Kingdom) and I would call that a 'commuter service' rather than a 'public transport' service and it is definitely the bare minimum.
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didcotdean
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« Reply #2 on: September 17, 2018, 17:38:38 »

Not uncommon in US commuter railway set ups with a one-way focus; sometimes there may be a single round trip in the middle of the day.
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grahame
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« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2018, 19:21:23 »

My sister in law lived in Manasas ... and Lisa and I looked at catching this train into DC (Direct Current) to connect onward ... but the lack of a return choice put us off.  It's the philosophy of a train to deal with a specific flow / reason / market rather than a general flow. It works at Manasas into Washington for Government workers.   You can see it into LA on the metro there, through there is dilution of the principle on some lines with token trains at other times.   Fascinating stuff ... but I was actually asking closer to home in our culture and balance; in the USA there's an even more dominant car culture, with (LA) commuter trains being used by those working in roles that earn them so little that their choice is forced on them.
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« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2018, 15:36:45 »

I'm currently staying north of TORONTO in Canada and the train service from my nearest station, BARRIE, is outbound only towards TORONTO approximately every 20 minutes from 0518 to 0718 and inbound only from TORONTO approximately every 30 minutes between 1540 and 1835.  The service is currently being expanded to be an all day service, but infrastructure restrictions (lots of single line sections) prevent that completely at present, so its only run half way along the route at present with buses filling in the remainder of the route.  Note that each service is formed of 12 double deck coaches (sorry, cars) and my limited experience of their use, are usually full and standing (yes, on both decks) when they arrive in TORONTO!  Journey time from BARRIE to TORONTO UNION is about one and three quarter hours (and there is no buffet or trolley onboard Roll Eyes).
« Last Edit: September 20, 2018, 01:58:42 by SandTEngineer » Logged
eightf48544
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« Reply #5 on: September 18, 2018, 16:38:09 »

I would say Taplow has a comprehensive commuter service. Half Hourly in both direction all day from 05:22 to Padd with last train back 00:34 (there are trains all night to Slough or Maidenhead).

In the other direction 06:22 to Reading back 00:15

Should add Slough and Windsor railway Society was formed to take over the Windsor Branch should BR (British Rail(ways)) decide to close it. Now there's a 20 minute service all day!
« Last Edit: September 18, 2018, 17:19:55 by eightf48544 » Logged
martyjon
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« Reply #6 on: September 18, 2018, 19:51:28 »

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and there is no buffet on board....

Are there toilets on board ?
« Last Edit: September 18, 2018, 20:13:04 by martyjon » Logged
SandTEngineer
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« Reply #7 on: September 20, 2018, 02:01:32 »

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and there is no buffet on board....

Are there toilets on board ?
Yes.
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