Returning to holidays and leisure trips - but UK or overseas?

[whole diary]

[broadgage]

I am not convinced that todays good performance will be typical of the next couple of months.

[IndustryInsider]

I am not convinced that todays good performance will be typical of the next couple of months.

And do you stand by all of your comments including the allegation GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are in widespread “COVID mode” still, though subsequently only referencing WoE services, despite all the evidence* I’ve given you today?

* The vast majority of services on all routes are running to pre-COVID Dec ‘19 timetable, especially within Cornwall where the 30-minute internal service is still running and all IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)’s AFAICT^▸ (as far as I can tell) are booked the same length as they were previously (in fact I have a suspicion there are more 9/10-cars reaching Penzance).

[broadgage]

I am not convinced that todays good performance will be typical of the next couple of months.

And do you stand by all of your comments including the allegation GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are in widespread “COVID mode” still, though subsequently only referencing WoE services, despite all the evidence* I’ve given you today?

* The vast majority of services on all routes are running to pre-COVID Dec ‘19 timetable, especially within Cornwall where the 30-minute internal service is still running and all IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)’s AFAICT^▸ (as far as I can tell) are booked the same length as they were previously (in fact I have a suspicion there are more 9/10-cars reaching Penzance).

I would refer you to the list posted by Grahame in the main IET thread that lists the services not running, but not counted as cancelled because they are not in the post covid timetable.
Another post in the main IET thread refers to the reduced number of IETs required to operate the present timetable, as compared to the pre-covid time table.

[IndustryInsider]

Oh dear! As I tried to explain on that thread, as Graham admitted himself, his list was a tongue-in-cheek and very little of it represents what’s actually running from this week.

I expect you were so busy trying to shove your round crystal ball through a square hole that you didn’t notice.

For example DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) shuttles are no longer running on both the north and south Cotswold lines.  That only happened during the nine days of major disruption when the IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) fleet was largely grounded.  That’s the major disruption you predicted would last until at least the end of the year.  There was also a prediction from you that passengers and the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) would boycott any plans to bring the trains back in service which was clearly wrong.

And surely nobody could seriously suggest a 4tph service between Bristol and London is necessary at the moment, and of course it hadn’t been introduced anyway before the pandemic struck.
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[Celestial]

And surely nobody could seriously suggest a 4tph service between Bristol and London is necessary at the moment, and of course it hadn’t been introduced anyway before the pandemic struck.
.

You just beat me to it. That would be ludicrous over-provision at the moment, and I suspect for many months yet. How many units does that save on its own? I'm guessing at least 7, possibly 8 diagrams.

[broadgage]

I am not convinced that todays good performance will be typical of the next couple of months.

And do you stand by all of your comments including the allegation GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are in widespread “COVID mode” still, though subsequently only referencing WoE services, despite all the evidence* I’ve given you today?

* The vast majority of services on all routes are running to pre-COVID Dec ‘19 timetable, especially within Cornwall where the 30-minute internal service is still running and all IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)’s AFAICT^▸ (as far as I can tell) are booked the same length as they were previously (in fact I have a suspicion there are more 9/10-cars reaching Penzance).

About 80 short formations yesterday.
About 40 short formations today.

Looks a bit like "covid mode" to me.
And the weather has been largely cool, wet and windy.
A similar level of short formations, and the odd cancellation will be a much more serious problem if the weather improves for the bank holiday weekend and half term holidays.

[IndustryInsider]

You seem to have changed your definition of ‘COVID mode’ from your original post, but, yes, when it gets busier in summertime it will be very important to keep any short formations to a minimum on the key tourist routes, and hopefully staff availability won’t lead to many cancellations.