Looe Valley line cancellations on Sundays

[chrisp37]

I’m aware of GWR’s Sunday staffing issues, but is there any reason why the Looe Valley line seems to be worse affected than others? I saw this morning all trains were showing as cancelled until around 3pm and now the whole line is closed for the day. This seems to be quite a common occurrence.

Is the line not treated as a priority or are there other reasons why this line seems to go down so frequently on a Sunday? The St Ives line doesn’t suffer from the same problem as far as I can tell.

 

[dk1]

I’m aware of GWR’s Sunday staffing issues, but is there any reason why the Looe Valley line seems to be worse affected than others? I saw this morning all trains were showing as cancelled until around 3pm and now the whole line is closed for the day. This seems to be quite a common occurrence.

Is the line not treated as a priority or are there other reasons why this line seems to go down so frequently on a Sunday? The St Ives line doesn’t suffer from the same problem as far as I can tell.

Its an easy option to use RR buses on that route and crew would come from Plymouth so just operational convenience.

 

[Bishopstone]

Its an easy option to use RR buses on that route and crew would come from Plymouth so just operational convenience.

Are there rail replacement buses running? Live departures doesn’t list any, albeit that’s not always definitive proof of what’s happening on the ground.

 

[BJames]

Its an easy option to use RR buses on that route and crew would come from Plymouth so just operational convenience.

Indeed - I remember this happened last time I was down this way and the rail replacement bus was quicker than the train, so it wasn't a hindrance to our plans at all!

Are there rail replacement buses running? Live departures doesn’t list any, albeit that’s not always definitive proof of what’s happening on the ground.

When I was there last it was organised locally and there was no record on National Rail - we thought we were going to have to wait an hour and a half as it just simply showed as cancelled, but a member of staff there advised that they'd sourced a bus.

 

[dk1]

Indeed - I remember this happened last time I was down this way and the rail replacement bus was quicker than the train, so it wasn't a hindrance to our plans at all!

When I was there last it was organised locally and there was no record on National Rail - we thought we were going to have to wait an hour and a half as it just simply showed as cancelled, but a member of staff there advised that they'd sourced a bus.

Don’t get me wrong I’d prefer the train every time but it has to be looked at logically. Back in the bad old days here in East Anglia the Felixstowe branch was regularly bustituted. It wasn’t anything against the good people of this Suffolk resort just that using RR buses vice the train on the East Suffolk line or to Cambridge or Peterborough isn’t practical.

 

[PLY2AYS]

Don’t get me wrong I’d prefer the train every time but it has to be looked at logically. Back in the bad old days here in East Anglia the Felixstowe branch was regularly bustituted. It wasn’t anything against the good people of this Suffolk resort just that using RR buses vice the train on the East Suffolk line or to Cambridge or Peterborough isn’t practical.

Bustituted is now my joint favourite rail term, alongside the HST that used to run out of Euston as a Pretendolino.

 

[dk1]

Bustituted is now my joint favourite rail term, alongside the HST that used to run out of Euston as a Pretendolino.

The latter was a classic and proud I got to drive it.

 

[Zerothebrake!]

It's normally half a dozen minibus taxis from Liskeard down to Looe & back on a Sunday now sent from Plymouth.

 

[OverlordBWT]

I’m aware of GWR’s Sunday staffing issues, but is there any reason why the Looe Valley line seems to be worse affected than others? I saw this morning all trains were showing as cancelled until around 3pm and now the whole line is closed for the day. This seems to be quite a common occurrence.

Is the line not treated as a priority or are there other reasons why this line seems to go down so frequently on a Sunday? The St Ives line doesn’t suffer from the same problem as far as I can tell.

I think due to it being off-peak, non-tourist season it would be more affected, as there are fewer people coming in and out