Service extension possibility

[whole diary]

[swlines]

I think the service between Bedwyn and Pewsey is so awful that it needs an extra service...

So I reckon this could be done:

1K44 1118 London Paddington - Bedwyn extended to Pewsey, timings modified as follows:
as now to Hungerford (1222), Bedwyn (1228), Pewsey (1234). Run ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) to Woodborough and reverse.

and therefore 1K49 1307 Bedwyn - London Paddington could look a bit like:
Pewsey (1302), Bedwyn (1307)

If there was enough time, that could probably be extended to Westbury if the gap of services was increased.

[grahame]

Hi, Tom .... I'm not sure what traffic levels would be, and whether the gap is to allow crew their rest breaks.   You probably know more on timings that I do, but I think that until December 2006 there were no trains at all calling at both Bedwyn and Pewsey .... Bedwyn traffic being Eastbound only.

[swlines]

Seeing as the crew stay on the train into Bedwyn siding, a driver cannot take a PNB^▸ (Personal Needs Break) 'on train' so there is no break, the crew swap takes place at London Paddington.

Traffic levels probably wouldn't be fantastic - but the key reason why I suggested it would be to act as a glorified ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) service (like 2R99 Southampton Central - Filton Abbey Wood) to retain route knowledge to Woodborough in the event of a failure at Bedwyn stopping access to the siding. Although Swindon would probably turn back at Newbury in that eventuality.

I just had a quick look in my 2005 NRT^▸ (Network Rail Telecoms), looks like there was an 0818 London - Exeter St Davids which called, as was a 1218 London - Exeter...