Twyford to Henley branch line - services, timetables, incidents and improvements

[whole diary]

[Electric train]

I agree with you Electric Train. The problem with living in Henley is that you effectively don't get a vote in the general election as it must be one of the safest Tory seats in the country!

Several months on from the electrification announcement it is still not clear if Henley is included in the plans. The fact that they haven't cleared this up means that they are considering not putting wires up which would be madness!

I'm worried that the through Henley - London services will be lost when Crossrail finally starts up. There is a danger that a change will be required at both Twyford and Maidenhead for Henley - Padd passengers once Crossrail is up and running. Plans need to be released for services post 2017 rather than just vague aspirations.

There are no plans to wire the branches as part of GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) initial scheme, although operationally the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) will seek this in the longer term.
As the result of Crossrail the Bourne End trough services will cease, partly due to platform 5 being truncated as a bay the rest of plat 5 becoming plat 6 and being lengthened for Crossrail.

There is a renewal of the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) area franchise due soon which does not marry up with Crossrail  start so either FGW will get an extension or there will be a farce in the TV area where a new franchise will have to run a service that they will lose within a few years, or the the former Thames Trains franchise is stripped from the FGW area and given over to the Crossrail operator

[IndustryInsider]

As the result of Crossrail the Bourne End trough services will cease, partly due to platform 5 being truncated as a bay the rest of plat 5 becoming plat 6 and being lengthened for Crossrail.

Does anyone know if there is an online resource for diagrams/details of the planned work at the stations on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) main line as a result of Crossrail?  All I've seen so far is very sketchy.

[Electric train]

My comments were based on the material presented during the town center displays last year, I did ask the people manning the stand the question about the Bourne End Padd service and the config at Maidenhead, they may not have been as fully briefed as they made out of course

[paul7575]

Does anyone know if there is an online resource for diagrams/details of the planned work at the stations on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) main line as a result of Crossrail?  All I've seen so far is very sketchy.

Yes - there are plan drawings of all the work on the Crossrail site, but their site navigation is abysmal - or possibly worse than that.

Try starting here for example:  http://www.crossrail.co.uk/the-railway/getting-approval/parliamentary-bill/crossrail-bill-documents/consolidated-plans-and-sections-november-2007  - they can't even get the drawing sheets in numerical order, but once you find one and blow up the size, there is info to be found. 

Paul

[IndustryInsider]

Many thanks, Paul - just what I wanted.  I'm not usually so lazy as to not try the official website, but as you say it is certainly not a shining example of web design!

[eightf48544]

I have a feeling that if Crossrail is delayed by public spending cut backs but maybe GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) electrification goes ahead their timescales might tend to converge so I would suggest a great deal of money could be saved by not building the turnback sidings at Maidenhead and running Crossrail to Reading, which will also have been remodelled to cater for electric trains terminating there.

If the next TV (sort of new Thames Trains) franchise is given to the Crossrail operator it could have a proviso that for a long (20 years) franchise they must sling the wires to Greenford (both ways) and the triangles either end of the branch, Windsor, Bourne End/ Marlow and Henley branches and possibly to Basingstoke.

You could then have a proper RER services from all these branches to Central London and Shenfield Abbey Wood.

   

[Electric train]

Reading rebuild is being built Crossrail friendly, that is space allowance is being made for future turn back sidings and additional bay platform.  The Bill that allows Crossrail to be built and funded does not include Reading to extend it now would require more Parliamentary time.  The GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) although quite a longer way through GRIP^▸ (Guide to Railway Investment Projects) stage 3 / 4 has yet to be funded by the ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about)

[Ollie]

Update from Henley Standard:

http://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/news.php?tabp=y&id=758298

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

should get life the worthless ****

hope the young lad is ok

[dog box]

a serious incident which may not have happened if a guard was present......ohh the joys of DOOP operation

[IndustryInsider]

Well, the Regatta is over for another year.  Despite an auspicious start following the suicide at Twyford on the first day, the quieter weekdays went fairly smoothly.  Saturday and Sunday were different stories though!  It's an incredibly popular event, especially when the sun is shining, and the actual branch line service was practically as best it could ever be, with a strengthened train running a mostly half-hourly shuttle service.  I don't think that having to stand for the 10 minute shuttle to Henley is unreasonable, and plenty of people had to!

My concern is with the effort made with the ongoing connections.  From what I could see, the normal service wasn't enhanced or strengthened at all between Twyford and Paddington on either Saturday or Sunday.  This led to crazy levels of overcrowding on days when there were trains loitering in sidings potentially available to strengthen most, if not all, of the local services at the busiest times.  Yesterday afternoon I was travelling on the 16:05 Oxford to Paddington stopper.  At Twyford I estimate 200-250 people got on, to add to the 50 or so already on board.  That was enough to swamp our 3-car Class 165.  By Maidenhead there was hardly any standing room left, and by West Drayton people were unable to board the train.  We lost 8 minutes en-route into Paddington with both the driver and station staff having to plead over the PA^▸ (Public Address) at Hayes and Southall for passengers to stand clear so the doors could shut.  I was wedged in the corner next to a rather attractive blonde in a very posh frock, but I digress... 

These trains are busy enough on a Sunday, and I really do think FGW^▸ (First Great Western) let its Regatta goers and regular passengers down badly given that there is extra capacity available, and similar situations to the one I experienced happened several times over the weekend.  There were even trains that could have stopped additionally at Twyford to balance out the loadings better and offer those going to London a much faster service than the stopping service which was the only option.  I am referring to the hourly Bedwyn/Newbury Turbo service on Saturday and most hours on the Sunday.  Extra trains have called at Twyford in the past, so why not now?

[Ollie]

there were additional stops at Twyford on some trains and also some 5/6 car stoppers running around. But you cant strengthen everything. I can tell you for a fact that Saturday had a scheduled fast service to Pad. I got on one at 1520.

[IndustryInsider]

there were additional stops at Twyford on some trains and also some 5/6 car stoppers running around. But you cant strengthen everything. I can tell you for a fact that Saturday had a scheduled fast service to Pad. I got on one at 1520.

I'm glad to hear that, Ollie.  I wasn't really around too much on Saturday to make any detailed observations - but yesterday, having checked on Genius, the only train of over 3-cars I could find all afternoon was the 18:05 Oxford-Paddington stopper, by which time most of the demand had gone.  Bearing in mind the local service is only at 30-minute intervals on a Sunday (one from Oxford and one from Reading to Paddington) much more could have been done then at least - there is practically half of the fleet doing precious little on a Sunday!

[Phil]

Can't help thinking it's going to be interesting seeing what fast trains and additional services are laid on for Melksham's carnival and Party in the Park on Saturday 17th July. We usually get around 5,000 people through the gates across the course of the day, so whilst not exactly on a par with the Henley Regatta, it's still quite a major event for West Wiltshire. An hourly shuttle between Swindon and Trowbridge perhaps? Or - no - don't tell me! Let me guess: one solitary two-coach service each way, timed for maximum inconvenience for passengers, with no onward connections or buses at either end.

[inspector_blakey]

there is practically half of the fleet doing precious little on a Sunday!

Quite! Just walk to Port Meadow in Oxford any Sunday and take a look at the carriage sidings as you cross over the railway on Walton Well Road bridge. It is rather irritating when you see an endless stream of rather over-crowded three car turbos on the Oxford fasts (and other services too) on a Sunday given the amount of spare stock there is, and which presumably could be utilized relatively easily seeing as it's driver only operation.