Branch line passenger numbers on the up

[whole diary]

[devon_metro]

People wish to go to the village/golf course, not a car park!

[vacman]

John,

I understand the plan is to keep Lelant Saltings as a possible future back up.  As Vacman has just said, the station would have a "Parliamentary" service.  The move to St Erth will also mean that all trains will be able to call at Carbis Bay (and I'm sure this will happen - passenger counts have shown a big increase in the number of Carbis Bay - St Ives journeys over the last few years) and I would expect Lelant to get an hourly request stop service.

Part of the St Erth scheme is moving to five coach trains in the high peak period.  

a 2 hourly off-peak service for Lelant would sufice I bet! Carbis Bay has become extremely busy lately, far busier than the passenger figures would suggest as the 1750, 1850 and 1950 from Carbis Bay are usually packed, with in excess of 70 passengers joning (high summer) that are all going for free as most conductors don't bother and those that do can only get a few of them, there is a ticket machine there but no-one uses it at night!

[vacman]

Why not axe Lelant? It's near enough Lelant saltings.

Then you've got plenty of parking!

Lelant is close to the villiage and beach, there is a great pub not far from the station! the Saltings is within walking distance of St Erth.

[The Tall Controller]

Cant see the point in a St Erth P+R, its busy enough there without the P+R traffic. Unless they are planning on building a completely new platform and ticket office for the service, I cant see it working.

[vacman]

Cant see the point in a St Erth P+R, its busy enough there without the P+R traffic. Unless they are planning on building a completely new platform and ticket office for the service, I cant see it working.

Because Lelant Saltings station is a serious accident waiting to happen! the platform is only about 8ft wide and is on a curve meaning a HUGE gap, particularly on a 150. Also, the car park (well, field!!) at the Saltings is owned by the Council so they get all the car park revenue.

[John R]

John,

I understand the plan is to keep Lelant Saltings as a possible future back up.  As Vacman has just said, the station would have a "Parliamentary" service.  The move to St Erth will also mean that all trains will be able to call at Carbis Bay (and I'm sure this will happen - passenger counts have shown a big increase in the number of Carbis Bay - St Ives journeys over the last few years) and I would expect Lelant to get an hourly request stop service.

Part of the St Erth scheme is moving to five coach trains in the high peak period.  

Thanks Richard

That all sounds very sensible and good news.

[RailCornwall]

More personal anecdotal evidence ...

1020 ex Truro picked 13 passengers including myself up at Perranwell this morning. If that's not progress I don't know what is, similarly on the return from Falmouth on the 1220 no less than eight teenagers got on at Penmere with skateboards going to the new Skatepark in Truro.

[slippy]

More personal anecdotal evidence ...

1020 ex Truro picked 13 passengers including myself up at Perranwell this morning. If that's not progress I don't know what is, similarly on the return from Falmouth on the 1220 no less than eight teenagers got on at Penmere with skateboards going to the new Skatepark in Truro.

One mid-afternoon train ex Falmouth today loaded as follows:
(Total number of passengers after each stop)
FAL - 1
FMT - 34
PNM - 27
PYN - 18
PRW - 13

Definately alot of journies on the bottom section of the branch. The 14:50 ex Truro left Truro with 64 on today also....

[slippy]

Be interesting to see if Newquay figures stay up as the Saturday HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) have been DEAD, The 15:20 NQY^▸ (Newquay (Station)) to MAN today left with 25 people on board.

[grahame]

Be interesting to see if Newquay figures stay up as the Saturday HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) have been DEAD, The 15:20 NQY^▸ (Newquay (Station)) to MAN today left with 25 people on board.

I suspect that's not a balanced picture, though.  For families going on holiday to the seaside by train for the week (the rump of a once-huge market), arrivals at the seaside destination from London, the Midlands and the North will be at times like 12:45, 14:42, 16:52, 18:49 and 21:13 in ... a journey that started in the early morning, and gives a seaside arrival when their B&Bs are ready for them.

Return trips start earlier - after the last B&B breakast at 09:30 or 11:22  ... or perhaps even as late as 13:14.  But - any later - you'll be hanging around having been chucked out of your room while you wait for your train, then home so late that little Tommy and James will be fractious, and bored in a train that's still trundling homewards through the dark.

So - I suspect that 15:20 is in effect regarded as something of an empty return working out of Newquay, clearing the HST that arrived from the north aty 14:42. And I suspect that the loadings on the 14:42 woul dbe much higher.

[vacman]

Be interesting to see if Newquay figures stay up as the Saturday HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) have been DEAD, The 15:20 NQY^▸ (Newquay (Station)) to MAN today left with 25 people on board.

i think the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s need to realise that "Summer Saturdays" are no longer the busiest day, fridays and sundays are now the worst!

[devon_metro]

Be interesting to see if Newquay figures stay up as the Saturday HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) have been DEAD, The 15:20 NQY^▸ (Newquay (Station)) to MAN today left with 25 people on board.

I suspect that's not a balanced picture, though.  For families going on holiday to the seaside by train for the week (the rump of a once-huge market), arrivals at the seaside destination from London, the Midlands and the North will be at times like 12:45, 14:42, 16:52, 18:49 and 21:13 in ... a journey that started in the early morning, and gives a seaside arrival when their B&Bs are ready for them.

Return trips start earlier - after the last B&B breakast at 09:30 or 11:22  ... or perhaps even as late as 13:14.  But - any later - you'll be hanging around having been chucked out of your room while you wait for your train, then home so late that little Tommy and James will be fractious, and bored in a train that's still trundling homewards through the dark.

So - I suspect that 15:20 is in effect regarded as something of an empty return working out of Newquay, clearing the HST that arrived from the north aty 14:42. And I suspect that the loadings on the 14:42 woul dbe much higher.

1135 Paddington - Newquay is never that busy, 1122 Newquay - Paddington likewise. The second XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) arrival isn't either. In general, Saturdays are no longer busy. Their is little family market in Newquay anymore!!

Its stag weekends. Bet that 0906 Paddington - Newquay on Fridays is rammed, it was last year!