Longer connection times at Truro Does this affect yourself

[whole diary]

[Paul R]

From Monday the new timetable came into effect on the Falmouth to Truro branch. The headline after spending a few million pounds on signalling and a passing loop, was a more frequent service.
But and its a big BUT, is anybody else finding the increased waiting time to make a connection at Truro is putting them off using the train for travelling within Cornwall ?
I myself was more than happy to park at Perranwell and just over an hour and ten minutes later on average be in Liskeard, now I am facing much longer unacceptable waiting times in Truro.
FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have advised :-
"We have made a number of changes that will enable us to operate a more punctual service, making the connections that we do have, robust and reliable.
I am sorry that your journey times are longer, but making these changes has meant an overall improvement to the service that we offer and this must be our priority. "

Please if you are affected by the new time table contact FGW and get a case reference number which can be used to help raise the profile of this issue with www.passengerfocus.org.uk and maybe we can influence the next time table a little way to serve passengers rather than performance.
Thank you
Paul R

[vacman]

I'm glad that the times are longer, I no longer have to sweat about making the previous very tight connections at Truro! at the end of the day the vast majority of travel on the branch is between the intermediete stations and Truro and the current timetable will grow this market even more!

[RailCornwall]

I raised the issue yesterday, and proposed that the 20/50 services are swapped over to give better connections for Perranwell passengers on the branch line at Truro.

[devon_metro]

Just had a look on a summer saturday and I think its safe to say that connections aren't great anywhere in Devon and Cornwall.

If I want to go to Penzance, 0811 Paignton - Newton Abbot arriving at 0827.

0827 Newton Abbot - Penzance. Pat on the back for the timetable planners!

[Chris from Nailsea]

... and, with our apologies for the oversight in not doing so before, Paul R - welcome to the Coffee Shop forum! 

[Mookiemoo]

I'm glad that the times are longer, I no longer have to sweat about making the previous very tight connections at Truro! at the end of the day the vast majority of travel on the branch is between the intermediete stations and Truro and the current timetable will grow this market even more!

Not my geo area but an issue close to heart

The needs of the company come before the needs of the passenger

I witness many not published connections that are possible if the railways run to time

I then see extra padding put into those that ARE published

who is the rail way serving these days

[richard bickford]

The 0702 Plymouth - Penzance now just misses the Falmouth train so an arrival before 0900 is more tricky.

Also a missed comnnection on the St Ives branch. The 0529 Bristol - Penzance calls St Erth at 1010. The St Erth - St Ives traion leaves at 1011. This train used to be timed at 1012 and the connection was published.

[FarWestJohn]

I have contacted FGW^▸ (First Great Western) about this with no sensible reply. [World class, 24/7, level playing field with synergy speak!!]

Perranwell used to have a brilliant train at about 0913 that connected both east and west at Truro which also had a good connection for St.Ives. This was also the first off peak train and was well used. Now the train is at 0840 [peak] and 0940 [off peak]. The 0940 connections gets you into Plymouth or Penzance too late. Sadly now with a much improved service it is better to drive into Truro or if wanting to go west get the bus to Redruth and then the train.

Perranwell could do with the train that goes through non stop at about 0910 added as a request stop train.

Who is best to contact about this as their web site replies are useless?

The west country connections have certainly gone backwards and increased journey times considerably.

You try and use the train but despair at the way the rail industry continually shoots itself in the foot even when it should have good news. It is like the people who make these decisions do not understand the local areas or make regular trips as 'passengers' themselves.

[devon_metro]

In response to something I said earlier in this thread, i've made another one regarding some of the shoddy connections in Devon (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=4705.0)

[FarWestJohn]

Sorry, I have just read the back comments and I will contact Passenger Focus as well as FGW^▸ (First Great Western). Is there any use in contacting Station Manger at Truro [If it is possible] about connections etc?

[RailCornwall]

The only realistic option would be the switch of stop (the NN50 ex Falmouth stopping instead of the NN20) at Perranwell and this obviously now couldn't be done until the next timetable switch on 13th December 2009. There's a remote possibility of change on 7th September 2009 when the mainline timetable is reviewed beyond the summer peak. Doing it in September would mean an early reprint and the real possibilty of anger as the current 39 timetable is valid until 12th December 2009, some customers might complain if published services on that timetable are altered.

[signalandtelegraph]

[who is the rail way serving these days

The shareholders

[FarWestJohn]

I have just realised another Falmouth branch missed opportunity. Wishing to go early to BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI) but BTM is a commonly used alternative)) from Perranwell on Saturday there is now a wonderful extra early Maritime line train at 0657 which gets into Truro at 0705. This arrives just in time to give a non guaranteed connection into the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) 0709. [presumably a 5 minute connection required].

This would have given a brilliant early arrival in BTM of 1026 and opened up opportunities for a full working day off the Falmouth branch. Seems amazing this was not even a Falmouth branch improvement high light.

What planet do the time table planners[?] come from and more to the point who on earth, if anyone, manages them?

It may involve two TOcs but as a passenger who cares. No wonder the rail industry looks so incompetent with the current timetabled non connections many of which are so simple to remedy.

Surely there must be some software that is run to show up these ludicrous missed opportunities  many of which have already been pointed out previously. Any one know?

[RailCornwall]

In defence of the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) the Penryn project has very much been driven by Cornwall (County) Council and it's their aim for a clock service that has caused these lost connection opportunities. You only have to look at the investment partners to see that. For the rest of the year we'll have to take the Falmouth branch as operating in isolation, after all the summer timetable change is supposed to be a minor revision with the major recast in December. Hopefully FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) can note the timings on the branch and rejig many services west of Truro and some east of Truro to accommodate. We mustn't ignore the fact that a small change on the mainline can have significant effects throughout the region and indeed Nationally, timetabling is a black art.   

[Btline]

To be fair, writing a timetable is not easy, and it is amazing it fits together as well as it does!

(Cotswold Line excluded, obviously)