Wrexham & Shropshire launch date

[whole diary]

[eightf48544]

If Banbury residents could catch Wrexham & Shropshire (W&S^▸ (Wrexham and Shropshire (Open Access Operator))) trains to London, instead of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) or Chiltern

Half of W&S is owned by Laing Rail, aka Deutsche Bahn, the parent company of Chiltern Railways, so not a competitive issue there.

I'm not entirely sure how Banbury gets into the West Coast franchise competition clauses equation (and does anyone other than Virgin, DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) and ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about)'s lawyers know what it all means really?), but I have always understood that was why it was pick-up and set-down only there, as with Wolverhampton.

It is probably over the revenue-splitting arrangements in the West Midlands. CrossCountry links Wolverhampton and Banbury, and shares West Coast tracks north of Coventry or Birmingham, so I think that is where the answer lies.

Certainly it's not about Laing Rail competing with itself for traffic from Banbury to and from London and no-one does the journey on FGW as it takes far longer via Oxford and Reading.

It's all about as you say fare splitting and fair/unfair competition which brings about these absurb situations. Given that train cannot compete with train. Trains are in competiton with air, coaches and cars.

As I understand it Wrexham and Shropshire don't actually want London - Banbury passengerrs as there is considered to be an adequate Chiltern (2 tph) service on the same line. They want to get beyond Wolverhampton in teh quickest possible time to give the shortest overall time from Telford and Northwards to London. Which seems sensible.

As to the West Midlands and competition with Virgin then the murk deepens. One of the strange things about  the current setup is that if a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) serves another area with just a few trains then it can extract 9% of the revenue from a station even if it doesn't provide 9% of the trains. This is I believe the situation with GC^» (Great Central Railway - link to heritage line) at York and why Wrexham and Shropshire only does pick up and set down to and from the  North at Wolverhampton otherwise they would get 9% of Wolverhampton's revenue and be in direct competition with Virgin. That's why they are using Tame Bridge Parkway as their London West Midlnds stop. The fact you can get a local train to Tame Bridge from Wolverhampton/New Street is neither here nor there.

I am certainly thinking of doing the trip ^36 first calss one way sounds good need to see what menus are to see which way one travels first. Probably 10:17 out quick trip to Bidston ^4 then back on last train 18:?? from Wrexham. On these light nights it will be daylight almost to Marylebone.

To highlight these absurbities when I looked  up a trip to Edinburgh I got given GC to York pick up the following East Coast to Edinburgh this was cheaper than going NEX^▸ (National Express - parent company of Wessex Trains) all the way.

[swlines]

To highlight these absurbities when I looked  up a trip to Edinburgh I got given GC^» (Great Central Railway - link to heritage line) to York pick up the following East Coast to Edinburgh this was cheaper than going NEX^▸ (National Express - parent company of Wessex Trains) all the way.

I doubt you got a GC then a NX, more likely GC then XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)). For instance, the 0804 connects into the 1031 off York (24 min connection), the 1127 connects into the 1332 at York (13 min connection), the 1650 doesn't connect with any. In the reverse direction, can't see any connections...

[Lee]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) article link.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/7369998.stm

[willc]

This is the first northbound train, 06.45 from Marylebone, awaiting departure from Banbury at 8am, with 67014 in Wrexham & Shropshire livery at the front. Has to be said it was pretty lightly-loaded, but not a great surprise on the first day. I had planned to hang around to photograph the first southbound train, due at 08.33, but it had a technical problem at Wellington, as the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) say. Was eventually about 35 minutes late reaching Marylebone.

[swlines]

Yep willc, was 60 late at Tame Bridge Parkway... arrived 35 late at Marylebone.

SLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! 

(most of the slack is between Tame Bridge Parkway and Banbury)

[eightf48544]

Yep willc, was 60 late at Tame Bridge Parkway... arrived 35 late at Marylebone.

SLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! 

(most of the slack is between Tame Bridge Parkway and Banbury)

That's the problem with shutting seemingly duplicate lines in this case Snow Hill to Wolverhampton Low Level And the northward connections to Oxley and Bushbury. This means there is now no direct route off the GW^▸ (Great Western) (Chiltern) Northwards to Shrewsbury or Stafford.

Thus you either have to go round via Bordesley and New Street or Leamington to Coventry and then either Bescot or New Street. Both these routes using some of the most heavily used double track in the country.

Of course you could go from Bordesly up the Midland Mainline and take the Sutton Park Branch to Walsall but that would take days.

There is talk (and only talk) of putting in a spur North of  Snow Hill from the Stourbridge Jn line onto the Soho Loop Towards (Bescot). Thus Wrexham and Shropshire trains could serve Snow Hill and keep out of New Street and the other congested lines around Birmingham.

[Lee]

Further related link.
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2008/04/rmt_welcomes_direct_wrexhamlon.html#more

[eightf48544]

To highlight these absurbities when I looked  up a trip to Edinburgh I got given GC^» (Great Central Railway - link to heritage line) to York pick up the following East Coast to Edinburgh this was cheaper than going NEX^▸ (National Express - parent company of Wessex Trains) all the way.

I doubt you got a GC then a NX, more likely GC then XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)). For instance, the 0804 connects into the 1031 off York (24 min connection), the 1127 connects into the 1332 at York (13 min connection), the 1650 doesn't connect with any. In the reverse direction, can't see any connections...

When you think about it that's even worse. How can it be cheaper for me to get two diesel trains for a journey with wires all the way?

It just shows the absurbities of trying to get trains to compete with trains.

[swlines]

Yep.

On another note, here are the first 2 down paths for Wrexham and Shropshire.

1P01 London Marylebone to Wrexham General

London Marylebone             0645
Neasden South Jn       PASS   0653
Wembley Stadium        PASS   0655
South Ruislip          PASS   0700
West Ruislip           PASS   0702
Gerrards Cross         PASS   0706
High Wycombe           PASS   0715
Saunderton             PASS   0722
Princes Risborough     PASS   0725
Bicester North         PASS   0742
Aynho Junction         PASS   0753
Banbury                0758   0800
Fenny Compton          PASS   0808
Leamington Spa         PASS   0817
Milverton Jn           PASS   0819
Kenilworth             PASS   0823
Coventry Park Jn       PASS   0825
Coventry               PASS   0829
Birmingham Intl        PASS   0845
Stechford              PASS   0850
Aston                  PASS   0857
Perry Barr Jns         PASS   0902
Tame Bridge Parkway    0905   0906
Bescot Stadium         PASS   0909
Darlaston Jn           PASS   0912
Portobello Jn          PASS   0918
Wolverhampton          0923   0925
Wolverhampton Jn       PASS   0927
Oxley Viaduct          PASS   0928
Cosford                0939   0940
Madeley Jn             PASS   0947
Telford Central        0950   0951
Wellington             PASS   0957
Shrewsbury             PASS   1031
Wrexham Central        1044

1J81 London Marylebone to Wrexham General
London Marylebone             1017
Neasden South Jn       PASS   1024
Wembley Stadium        PASS   1025
South Ruislip          PASS   1031
West Ruislip           PASS   1032
Gerrards Cross         PASS   1037
High Wycombe           PASS   1046
Saunderton             PASS   1051
Princes Risborough     PASS   1055
Bicester North         PASS   1113
Aynho Junction         PASS   1123
Banbury                1127   1129
Fenny Compton          PASS   1137
Leamington Spa         PASS   1147
Hatton                 PASS   1154
Dorridge               PASS   1159
Bentley Heath Xing     PASS   1200
Tyseley                PASS   1209
Bordesley South Jn     PASS   1212
St Andrews Jn          PASS   1216
Proof House Jn         PASS   1221
Birmingham New Street  PASS   1227
Soho South Jn          PASS   1231
Soho East Jn           PASS   1233
Perry Barr West Jn     PASS   1236
Perry Barr North Jn    PASS   1237
Tame Bridge Parkway    1240   1241
Bescot Stadium         PASS   1243
Darlaston Jn           PASS   1245
Portobello Jn          PASS   1248
Wolverhampton          1253   1255
Wolverhampton Jn       PASS   1257
Oxley Viaduct          PASS   1258
Cosford                1306   1307
Madeley Jn             PASS   1312
Telford Central        1314   1315
Wellington             1320   1321
Shrewsbury             1336   1341
Gobowen                1402   1407
Chirk                  1411   1412
Ruabon                 1418   1419
Wrexham Central        1426

[Lee]

willc article link.
http://www.oxfordmail.net/news/headlines/display.var.2233590.0.rail_link_makes_perfect_start.php

[Btline]

Yep willc, was 60 late at Tame Bridge Parkway... arrived 35 late at Marylebone.

SLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! 

(most of the slack is between Tame Bridge Parkway and Banbury)

That's the problem with shutting seemingly duplicate lines in this case Snow Hill to Wolverhampton Low Level And the northward connections to Oxley and Bushbury. This means there is now no direct route off the GW^▸ (Great Western) (Chiltern) Northwards to Shrewsbury or Stafford.

Thus you either have to go round via Bordesley and New Street or Leamington to Coventry and then either Bescot or New Street. Both these routes using some of the most heavily used double track in the country.

Of course you could go from Bordesly up the Midland Mainline and take the Sutton Park Branch to Walsall but that would take days.

There is talk (and only talk) of putting in a spur North of  Snow Hill from the Stourbridge Jn line onto the Soho Loop Towards (Bescot). Thus Wrexham and Shropshire trains could serve Snow Hill and keep out of New Street and the other congested lines around Birmingham.

Um, afraid that Snow Hill Tunnel is full to capacity (8tph each way - difficult to break the even clockwork timetable), and can't be widened!

[eightf48544]

Um, afraid that Snow Hill Tunnel is full to capacity (8tph each way - difficult to break the even clockwork timetable), and can't be widened!

Only 8tph that's a train every 71/2 minutes if the Metro quits the fourth platform as is planned  then with proper signalling you could get 12 tph fairly easily. If Moor street terminal platforms were used then that's  more capacity for through trains.

[Lee]

The service has been hailed a success by managers (link below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/shropshire/7496293.stm

The firm's commercial director Richard Harper said it had carried about 5,000 passengers each week since the route opened.

[Btline]

Let's hope that Virgin do not ruin it!

[John R]

An average of 78 passengers per train isn't bad in the early days. Of more interest is how rapidly the trend is upwards.

I would have thought the majority of the trade is going to be from Shropshire stations, so the sole Wrexham to London Virgin service may not be too much of a threat. Besides, I suspect the fare differential will be huge.