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[whole diary]

[Btline]

The LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise) service from Wolverhampton to Walsall has been axed, despite passenger growth.

The government withdrew funding of the hourly service because of "poor patronage."

Will it free up a unit for FGW^▸ (First Great Western)? Or is the real reason for the axing of the service so the stock can be used elsewhere?

Sounds too familiar to what's going on with the Melksham line! Watch out - the third (or is it fourth?) Beeching axe is about!!

[swlines]

Why would axing a service on London Midland give a unit to FGW^▸ (First Great Western)? Doesn't make sense...

The unit(s) released will be diagrammed for bolstering other diagrams.

[John R]

Apparently the Dec 08 t/t has already reallocated the unit, so it's a fait accompli.

[Btline]

Is it a 153?

I just thought that a carriage going spare could be sent to FGW^▸ (First Great Western). LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise) have not liked adding 153s to boost capacity as the cabs are not as good, and they can't keep to tight timetables as well as 150s.

[Lee]

See link below for more on this.
http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=7584.msg12284#msg12284

[eightf48544]

I feel quite sorry for this route as Mr. Beeching killed off the service in the 60^s, although the line remained thankfully. The West Midland Passenger Transport Executive (CENTRO) reinstated the service in the 90^s, with the hope of increasing it to a half hourly service. They were even thinking about re-opening of two stations on the route? Now sadly CENTRO is to busy looking at over priced trams, to care what happens to the railways.

I do not know what Central Trains would have done if they hadn^t re franchised, but LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise) to me seems like a pointless, and in-fill franchise for Virgin West Coast. Which I fear is the case if you look at LM new timetable.

The Government and its departments is quite happy to spend millions on a re-routing the Eurostar around London so people can get to Paris a bit faster, or converting the East London Line back to a heavy railway line. But when it comes to spending a few quid on new bus shelter in Bristol or Birmingham, they will tell you its considered not cost effective.

The entire West Midlands Timetable has seen massive cuts to local train^s services, not to mention LM performance. Sadly I feel it boils down to the fact that the line is not a big political issue. If the line was in West London I^d imagine that they would have stumped up the cash, and used one of the Class 321's EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit)'s on the route instead of the Class 153 and the people would have there train!

Yep I agree entirely it seems more and more that rail servies are being decided on what can we get away with, not how do we provide good public transport. The problem with the Walsall Wolverhampton service is that it requires a DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) due to lack of wires between Pleck and Darlaston Junctions. So a 321 can't be used.

Along with Walsall Rugely plus Coventry to Nuneaton,  these three links should be early candidates for electrification to eliminate DMUs on otherwise electrified lines and provide  more fully electrified diversionary routes around the West Midlands.  A back of the envelope calculation gives around 12 routes from Stafford to Rugby, provided you allow passing through Aston twice (to avoid reversing in New Street) as a separate route. It's not unprecedented the Glasgow - Blackpool summer specials used to pass through Preston twice. 

[Btline]

Lm have not axed any services in the new timetable. Indeed, most stations' services have been greatly enhanced.

Lm's performance is better than central's.   

[Btline]

The current service is much better! All stations have a direct train to B'ham per hour. Major stations have an additional fast train per hour.

South of b'ham, many stations have a direct train to London. Stopping patterns are staggered so most stations have a faster service.

The stourbridge line will be 6tph instead of 4.

You can get to b'ham airport more easily now.

Destinations such as Liverpool, aberw. and shrewsbury are more assessble from the snow hill lines.

Did I mention 2tph to Liverpool? Semi fast trains to Strat-u-a?

There are many other egs of enhancements. 

[devon_metro]

The current service is much better! All stations have a direct train to B'ham per hour. Major stations have an additional fast train per hour.

South of b'ham, many stations have a direct train to London. Stopping patterns are staggered so most stations have a faster service.

The stourbridge line will be 6tph instead of 4.

You can get to b'ham airport more easily now.

Destinations such as Liverpool, aberw. and shrewsbury are more assessble from the snow hill lines.

Did I mention 2tph to Liverpool? Semi fast trains to Strat-u-a?

There are many other egs of enhancements. 

Apart from the fact that half of it doesnt run due to a chronic lack of crew in the ex Silverlink side of LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise).

[Btline]

Agreed. But the comment was that LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise) had axed services when they have done the opposite!

[Btline]

They now have a direct service to London. Other services are faster with better rolling stock. 

[Doctor Gideon Ceefax]

Silverlink had direct services to London. And they ran express, rather than effectively an extension of the Birmingham - Coventry Centro local stopper.

[Btline]

And they ran express, rather than effectively an extension of the Birmingham - Coventry Centro local stopper.

Virgin Trains run expresses!

(now every 20 mins).

LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise) have added more places to the direct London route - an improvement.

Fares are also low.

[willc]

Now I know btline and I don't always see eye to eye, but on this occasion I think it is fair to say that I endorse his remarks about LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise)'s efforts to enhance services.

The Stourbridge branch 153 is the one being used to provide the extra Worcester-Gloucester trains, so a clear benefit for that route, even if Parry's unfortunately haven't got their box of tricks working on the branch yet.

Stratford-upon-Avon has an enhanced Saturday service, with the one all-stations train an hour to and from Birmingham to one stopper and one semi-fast most of the day. At the moment the stock isn't available to do this on weekdays outside the peaks but if it works on weekends, then there's every chance they will try to find the stock to do it all week. Worcestershire also has extra Saturday trains into Birmingham.

And whatever the wiring problems at Pleck, a Wolverhampton-Walsall service will only make sense when someone finally finds the money to build a station at Willenhall, a community which needs a fast link to both ends of the line and on into Birmingham. The station site is there and was before the trains started running but nothing has been done. If it had been opened, passenger numbers would have been far higher and acted as a deterrent to the bean-counters at DafT who ordered the scrapping of the service.

[Btline]

LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise) are miles better than Central Trains!

IMO^▸ (in my opinion) Govia have done an excellent job, and I have relatives who live in the SN / SE area, and they say Govia have done a good job there, as well.

Stratford-upon-Avon has an enhanced Saturday service, with the one all-stations train an hour to and from Birmingham to one stopper and one semi-fast most of the day. At the moment the stock isn't available to do this on weekdays outside the peaks but if it works on weekends, then there's every chance they will try to find the stock to do it all week.

That is a reason why LM's decision to order less 172s than the current no of 150s was made short sightedly. Not only do we need longer trains, we need 2 tph to Stratford with one semi fast. The current 3 tph to Shirely should also be extended to Earlswood (renamed "Parkway" as it is next to the M42).

Don't forget the Chase Line, now 2 tph.

Now I know btline and I don't always see eye to eye...

Don't we?