Having noted the wide variety of opinion here on the benefits, or otherwise, of various different classes of rolling stock that are trundling around the UK, I was wondering what this forum's opinion would be on the best suited rolling stock for the Cornish Mainline, Branch lines, and Intercity routes against the following criteria.

1.  All stations Penzance to Plymouth and return, with options for direct services from Plymouth to Newquay and Falmouth

2.  All stations Penzance to Plymouth, then fast to Reading and Paddington.

3.  Branch Line services.

Based on what's available at the moment HSTs are the best available, 150s as used on the Plymouth-Penzance services are inadequate on grounds of capacity and comfort. The full capacity of HSTs isn't used on a lot of services but 150s wouldn't provide enough capacity on a lot of them. 170s would probably be more suitable than 150s, they have interiors much more suited to 2 hour long journeys with 2+2 seating and tables, when a lot of Plymouth-Penzance services now run with 150/1s with 2+3 seating, they also have luggage space, which is almost non-existent on 150s but they retain 1/3 and 2/3 doors which help with quicker boarding and alighting.

except the pacers couldnt handle the sharp curves of these branches when first introduced, causing their withdrawal from cornwall when they were first introduced

As I think i've posted before the only time i've ever felt motion sickness on a train was a 14X from Falmouth to Truro i was glad to get off and into a Mark 2.

I think the problem is that we are trying to use one train type for too many diverse services eg an HST on a stopper.

I think we need a drastic rethink of the pattern of all train services and Cornwall seems to be a good place to try it out.


Agree with type 1, possibly hourly but definitely 2 hourly

2 Should be a true IC Penaznce Truro Par (for Newquay) St Austall? Then fast Plymouth Exeter Westbury Reading London hourly

3 agree

Plus a Regional Express principle staions to Plymouth Bristol London to fit in with and possibly be passed by the ICs up to Taunton and from Bristol with the ICs from Tekmple Meads and Wales and Glouscester one from Swindon.

Thus getting to a IC RE RB service with conections into each other at principle stations.

The problem is that we don't have enough infrastructure to do the overtaking. That's why I advocate that any new station on a main line should be 4 tracks. This style of station was recognised as giving the optimum capacity when the Barry, the GW/GC joint line etc were built in around 1900. Plus the GWR buiding the WEstbury and Frome bypasses in the 30s which incidently were job creations schemes! Somehthing we need now? How about  4 tracks from Didcot to Wotton Bassett with a flyover at the latter. then you could reopen Uffington or Challow or a new site suitable for a Parkway.  Provided the 4 tracks are paired by direction.

Could also possibly do with a flyover West of Didcot to take the Down Relief over the Up and Down Mainlines.

Personally I believe the HSTs need to call at all stations still. If you don't call HSTs then stock with a similar level of capacity will be required. Running two trains per hour seems wasteful to me, the HSTs wouldn't be that busy as lots of people would be changing for the local services. Cornwall doesn't really have one big station which everbody uses, and with the exception of Truro, which is noticeably busier, all stations seem to have a similar amount of usage.

But if journey times can be reduced by axing stops, then more passengers will use the services! Perhaps not every IC train would axe stops, but the only key ones/during peaks e.g. Cornish Riviera.

Yes and according to a tweet from Roger ford tonight the DFT have been looking at re-bodying some of the pacer units (some work for ADL/Optare then perhaps?)

I would have thought that "You can't make a silk purse out of Sow's ear" applies.

Not sure why they are even bothering, it's a pity we don't have much of rolling stock industry left as I would have thought something like a British made Stadler LINT unit would be a good replacement for the Pacers. They do narrow gauge ones which would probably fit the Brritish loading gauge. The trouble is most of them are low floor.