West of England services to Great Malvern

[whole diary]

[Steve Bray]

These services were introduced (or at least extended from Worcester) some 3 or 4 years ago as an inter National Express group favour by Wessex towards Central Trains. (That I learnt on another forum). Now things have changed, I feel that these services should no longer run beyond Worcester.

As a Malvernian (albeit nowadays living in Surrey), I'm not sure how beneficial these services are. What does anyone else think?

I would say the destination priorities of Malvern rail users are in the order of Worcester/Birmingham/ Oxford-London and Hereford. People have always been used to changing at either Worcester or Cheltenham for the west of England and to be honest, I think that extending them through to Great Malvern nowadays are a nuisance. One reason is that it creates further congestion in the Worcester area and Malvern areas (hence some trains not stopping at Malvern Link, which is as equally well used as Great Malvern). Secondly, scarcely a day goes by without 1 or often 2 services failing to make it to Malvern, which doesn't do First's reputation any good. Thirdly, and ironically, for the first time in its history, Great Malvern has direct services to heaps more stations, yet did First do anything to promote this fact in the local rag before they started - Nope!

My answer to improve the situation, would be to work on a better utilisation of stock, which could enable an hourly Bristol/Worcester service (instead of 2 hourly). This would have a knock on effect of at least not providing Malvern passenegers with a direct service, but by changing at Worcester, a more frequent service.

[Jim]

They don't seem that well used really.

[Btline]

They were being run by a 153 today (at 8am at Worcester FS)!