Theresa May calls for more rail services from Maidenhead and Twyford

[whole diary]

[NickB]

"Theresa May calls for more fast and semi-fast rail services from Maidenhead and Twyford

A call for more fast and semi-fast train services running from Maidenhead and Twyford has been made by Theresa May.

The Maidenhead MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) said there should be more of the service running to and from London Paddington to reflect commuters' working patterns.

She made the comments in response to a Network Rail consultation on the future of the Great Western Main Line, which is aiming to set out a strategic vision for the next 30 years of the rail network.

In Mrs May's submission to the consultation, she urged Network Rail to look at increasing the number of fast and semi-fast services beyond the current peak periods to respond to modern working patterns which are seeing more and more people working to flexible arrangements.

She said: ^With people making more use of flexible working arrangements, there is a need for more fast and semi-fast services beyond the current peak periods ^ this means services throughout the day to ensure that the timetable keeps pace with modern patterns of work.^

The Home Secretary also welcomed Network Rail's commitment to assessing the feasibility of semi-fast Crossrail services to cut the time between Maidenhead and Paddington.

She said the best approach would be for Crossrail to provide semi-fast services alongside those already offered by First Great Western to offer more choice for commuters."


http://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/News/Areas/Maidenhead/Theresa-May-calls-for-more-fast-and-semi-fast-rail-services-from-Maidenhead-and-Twyford-12012015.htm

[ChrisB]

NIMBY!

Surely that applies to commuters using any TV^▸ (Thames Valley, or TeleVision, depending on context) station? Therefore they should get more fast & semi-fast services?

Yeah right! Is she going to pay for the extra tracks, perchance....

[stuving]

I imagine this is primarily a pre-retaliation against the suggestion of "segregation" (Option A1) in the Route Study - meaning removing all semifast services (defined as crossing from the Reliefs to the Mains somewhere between Reading and Airport Jn) so as to maximise the number of Main Line paths.

And not NIMBY in any real sense, just a very partisan demand, which isn't out of order for a submission to a very preliminary study from a constituency MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context).

[ChrisB]

I disagree, sorry, for exactly the reasons I give.

She needs to come up with a better reason than her constituents changing working pattern, as that applies to everyone, not just her constituents - thus the NIMBY charge

[stuving]

But what, exactly, is she asking to have built somewhere else, as it would ruin her patch?

And she isn't MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) for anywhere else, so can quite properly make a claim that applies generally and only relate it to her electors.

And, as the study includes a set of assumed objectives, she can suggest changes there - which is I think what this is.

[ChrisB]

A call for more fast and semi-fast train services running from Maidenhead and Twyford has been made by Theresa May.

By definition, more of these will take paths unusable by trains serving other stations....thus worsening the offer for other commuters not on her patch.

[NickB]

She needs to come up with a better reason than her constituents changing working pattern, as that applies to everyone, not just her constituents - thus the NIMBY charge

How about the fact that Maidenhead is the 7th busiest station on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) network (4.12m entries and exits in 2012-13) and yet:
- All direct trains in the mornings and evenings are consistently overcrowded, particularly since the downgrade from HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) to turbo.
- There is only 1 direct train out of Paddington between 18:00 and 19:00.  A turbo.
- The two following direct trains out of Paddington are 3 carriage turbos including a Henley train which are notoriously overcrowded as it is.
- We have no direct services at weekends (50mins to Paddington)

[ChrisB]

And for Twyford? Where in the rankigs are they?

[stuving]

A call for more fast and semi-fast train services running from Maidenhead and Twyford has been made by Theresa May.

By definition, more of these will take paths unusable by trains serving other stations....thus worsening the offer for other commuters not on her patch.

Surely that depends on how you provide more capacity (that is a basic assumption of the study). And "solutioneering", and its details such as how to allocate paths, is NR^» (Network Rail - home page)'s technical business, and not something a mere MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) should try to second guess. She should - and did - stick to suggesting some deficiencies in their objectives as regards her voters.

And as for NIMBY - isn't that an attitude of "It's a good thing, they should build one, we'd use it, but don't build it near where we live/play golf/ride our horses/whatever"?
 

[ChrisB]

Not at all...its asking for improvements that may well stitch up other local constituency commuters while gaining improvements for hers.

I consider that nimbyism too

[grahame]

... direct trains ...

For my clarity, do you mean "non-stop" when you say "direct"?

[stuving]

Not at all...its asking for improvements that may well stitch up other local constituency commuters while gaining improvements for hers.

I consider that nimbyism too

..or they may not. That's a technical matter, best left to the "considering" she was asking for.

Really, I can't see there's much a constituency MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) could say that you'd approve of.

[BBM]

Not at all...its asking for improvements that may well stitch up other local constituency commuters while gaining improvements for hers.

I consider that nimbyism too

Surely improved services from Twyford and Maidenhead would free up capacity on the often very crowded stoppers for places such as West Drayton, Hayes and Southall?

[ChrisB]

They would, but where do you find the additional paths to what's proposed already?

[NickB]

... direct trains ...

For my clarity, do you mean "non-stop" when you say "direct"?

Yep