Where passenger numbers have risen but services have been cut back

[northwichcat]

I can think of a few examples of where a peak time service in the Manchester area has been decreased despite an increase in passenger numbers due to a lack of paths:

An Irlam - Manchester Oxford Rd peak time extra service was withdrawn in 2008, as was a Crewe-Manchester stopper, while peak time Chester-Altrincham-Manchester services have been truncated at Stockport.

Has this happened in other parts of the country or is it just in the Manchester area (which presumably strengthens the business case for some of the Northern Hub enhancements)?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I can think of a few examples of where a peak time service in the Manchester area has been decreased despite an increase in passenger numbers due to a lack of paths:

An Irlam - Manchester Oxford Rd peak time extra service was withdrawn in 2008, as was a Crewe-Manchester stopper, while peak time Chester-Altrincham-Manchester services have been truncated at Stockport.

Has this happened in other parts of the country or is it just in the Manchester area (which presumably strengthens the business case for some of the Northern Hub enhancements)?

This was reputed to be what happened to Wessex Trains services when they transferred to FGW at the start of the franchise just ending.
Most of the west of England branches were reduced, but FGW/DfT had to put them back because of overcrowding.
Stored 158s were reinstated (eg on Portsmouth-Cardiff).
It cost FGW a lot of goodwill early in the Greater Western franchise, but it was DfT's fault really for cutting back too hard.

 

[Morden Via CHX]

The Chase Line (Rugeley - Walsall - Birmingham) is certainly a victim of this, although it is on the list to be electrified, so may see an improvement.

 

[PHILIPE]

This was reputed to be what happened to Wessex Trains services when they transferred to FGW at the start of the franchise just ending.
Most of the west of England branches were reduced, but FGW/DfT had to put them back because of overcrowding.
Stored 158s were reinstated (eg on Portsmouth-Cardiff).
It cost FGW a lot of goodwill early in the Greater Western franchise, but it was DfT's fault really for cutting back too hard.

During Wessex days the Trans-Wilts (Melksham route) passenger numbers really built up and a 5 day train service in each direction. However, when drawing up the spec for the FGW take over from Wessex in December 2006, the DFT worked on what was then historical data and reduced the service to 2 trains a day in each direction and at inconvenient times to fit in with diagramming requirements.
However, following a lengthy and drawn out campaign which, due to the persistence of the campaign. sent a message to DFT/FGW that the matter was not going to go away. the December Timetable this year has 8 trains in each direction after a struggle of 7 years.

 

[Martin_1981]

Trains between Leicester and Nuneaton were cut back from 3 per hour to 2 per hour back in 2003, when the Nottingham-Coventry service was axed as part of the Nuneaton remodelling, with the result that all remaining trains from the Leicester line run to and from Birmingham. Since then, passenger numbers between Leicester and Nuneaton/Birmingham have risen sharply and in peak times, it is often standing room only between Leicester and Birmingham.

Either longer trains i.e. Voyagers/Meridians or an additional hourly service between Leicester and Birmingham is much needed, although either are highly unlikely to happen for at least the next 3-4 years until further DMU's are released as part of the electrification programme.

 

[irongecko]

Barrow-in-Furness will be down to 5 Tpe services a day from next year (I think) from around 9

 

[johnnychips]

Isn't there a strange one where Buxton passengers for Stockport have to change at Hazel Grove even though the train goes through Stockport to Manchester?

 

[43074]

Trains between Leicester and Nuneaton were cut back from 3 per hour to 2 per hour back in 2003, when the Nottingham-Coventry service was axed as part of the Nuneaton remodelling, with the result that all remaining trains from the Leicester line run to and from Birmingham. Since then, passenger numbers between Leicester and Nuneaton/Birmingham have risen sharply and in peak times, it is often standing room only between Leicester and Birmingham.

Following the withdrawal of the Coventry service, trains between Nottingham and Leicester have been cut back over the years from 4tph all with journey times of approximately 30mins to the current 3tph, 2 of which are fast (both taking ~ 30 mins) and the other takes 50 minutes calling at all stations. As a result of this, trains between Loughborough and Leicester were cut back from 5tph (or 11tp2h) at one time to 3tph now.

I think the reason for the service cuts was because the Nottingham to Coventry services were carrying fresh air between Leicester and Nottingham and the SRA didn't want the 15x units taking up capacity on the MML fast lines. The Lincoln to Birmingham service was unreliable, and was cut back on that basis in 2005.

 

[pt_mad]

I think the reason for the service cuts was because the Nottingham to Coventry services were carrying fresh air between Leicester and Nottingham and the SRA didn't want the 15x units taking up capacity on the MML fast lines. The Lincoln to Birmingham service was unreliable, and was cut back on that basis in 2005.

And the fact that trains can no longer cross the fasts at Nun to take the Coventry link.

 

[Roverman]

Longport in Stoke on Trent. Passenger numbers have rocketed from 7k in 2007 to 37k in 2012, probably because the road network in S-O-T is frankly rubbish. Yet Northern Rail will only stop there on 2 Northbound services a day (early morning) and NO Southbound services. EMT stop there hourly as part of their Crewe-Derby service.

 

[Xavi]

One of the busiest branch' lines (if not the busiest) in the country to Exmouth, where passenger numbers continue to climb each year, had a half-hourly service throughout the evening in Wessex Trains days. FGW cut it back to hourly in the evenings as part of the infamous regional cutbacks of 2006.

To credit FGW they have ran an hourly Exeter Central to Exmouth service on Sundays through the summer this year doubling the service over this part of the route. So successful have the extras been that on the many good weather days services struggled to keep to time because of extended dwell times!