Walsall-Wolverhampton Petition Update

[whole diary]

[John R]

I find it very surprising that a service linking two major conurbations can attract so few passengers. Either the marketing has been very poor, or other factors (such as an unreliable service alluded to in the reponse) has kept numbers down (or the statistics are flawed).

Anyone travelled on this service recently?

[Lee]

Two major problems have (according to those on the ground) restricted the service's usefulness :

1) Poor reputation for reliability - however this has improved, leading to a significant rise in the number of passengers.

2) Poor connections from the Cannock line, involving a long wait at Walsall. This problem would disappear if either service gained a half-hourly frequency which, ironically, the Cannock line will get from December 2008. Centro, Govia and Walsall Council were in talks regarding a service development plan for a half-hourly Walsall-Wolverhampton service.

I do have more on that, which I hope to upload tommorrow.

[grahame]

Things can take a while in rail ... this is the first post in this thread since November 2008 ...Express and Star

Rail bosses have agreed a timetable for the Walsall to Wolverhampton line, which could open in 2022 and will include stops at new stations in Willenhall and Darlaston.

To be fare, there may have been a 153 running on that route after 2008, and I recall the service dropping to a parliamentary daily service for a while?

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, it's great to see the commitment to improve links by tram and train in the West Midlands - showing what can be done.  The lack of intermediate stations was always the problem with the original service, so having two of them reopening is great news.

It's already electrified and although a fairly short line it has a good linespeed of up to 75mph and decent signalling headways, so journey times will be good.

[eightf48544]

i seem to remember tha there problems with O/H South of Walsall on the link line to Wolverhampton, which prevented use of EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit). Probably wrong.

[grahame]

From The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)

The project is designed to link Walsall and Wolverhampton directly by passenger train for the first time in more than half a century.

Have I missed something?  It was running until a few years ago, and I think there may even still be a parliamentary service?

[grahame]

From The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)

The project is designed to link Walsall and Wolverhampton directly by passenger train for the first time in more than half a century.

Have I missed something?  It was running until a few years ago, and I think there may even still be a parliamentary service?

Edit - yup - here it is http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/nrtt20summer/Table%20070.pdf

The 05:43 (Saturdays) direct from Wolverhampton to Walsall,, arriving there 05:57 and continuing on to Rugeley.