Overcrowding still critical on roughly 6 six trains in each peak. Unfortunately for the poor commuters (but fortunately for Chiltern's business plan, it seems), extra pax▸ are appearing West Midlands, meaning fewer seats & now overcrowding at Banbury / Bicester on one train too.
It's all very well to attract more long distance pax, but you've got to have sufficient capacity provision to carry all in comfort. Unfortunately, it isn't the new pax that is paying for it, but their captive commuters now not getting regular seats....
From my soundings, I'm not hearing (m)any major changes in Dec11 either. The two further 'silver trains' not due until May12, and that will start capacity problems at MYB▸ where a 4car clubman & an other train can fit on one platform, but turn the 4car clubman into a silver train & that other train needs a different platform!
I'm not sure their stock/station infrastructure can cope once the Oxford services kick in too!
Re those punctuality figures - the posters state the following - there may be confusion between passenger charter punctuality (within 5 minutes in each peak) and the MAA▸ punctuality (all trains within 5 minutes)
Pass Charter -
Period 6 - 83.7%
Annual - 92.1% (charter for compensation 92%)
MAA
Period 6 - 87.0%
Annual - 93.0%
Reliability figures on the poster were only quoted for charter, not MAA.
Period 6 - 98.6%
Annual - 99.1% (charter for compensation is 99%)
So, both pass charter marks are only 0.1% above payouts.
Period 7 finishes today - I'm told that the reliability has risen over the period, but punctuality hasn't, so 5% discount on renewals from next Saturday once published.
The full length of the platforms are rarely used currently. Silver sets can and do share platforms 1,2 and 3 and I'd expect 5 and 6 to be added to that list as they will be allowed 9 cars as soon as the paperwork allows
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