Cheltenham-Cancellation of scheduled services

[D1009]

For many years, FGW have been making some very well publicised cancellations and truncations of services on the South Wales main line in order to provide trains to serve Cheltenham Festival. What is the opinion of forum members on this, as I believe the practice is unique (at least midweek) in modern day British railway operation. Are there any other sporting events that would justify a similar approach?

 

[Ivo]

It's not sporting-related, but they do the same for Glastonbury.

It's part of the problem of having a finite number of trains and paths available - to cater for the extra crowds, sometimes lesser services have to be sacrificed. But they try to ensure that affected services are easier to cover with others (London to/from Cardiff tends to be first on the list).

 

[greatkingrat]

Southern do something similar on Derby Day, by diverting 2 of the 4 Caterham trains per hour to Tattenham Corner.

 

[Greenback]

Given the lack of any spare rolling stock capacity something has to give. Common sense indicates that far more people will want to travel to and from Cheltenham during the Festival than to and from Cardiff!

 

[Flamingo]

In terms of numbers carried, there is no need for most of the XX:15 Pad-Cdf / XX:55 Cdf- Pad services, which is why they are the very first ones cancelled when there is disruption. If they are cancelled, there are still 3 TPH to Swindon and Bristol from Pad, and a stop order for Didcot Parkway on the Swansea service gives that as frequent a service. Newport & Cardiff have always got the option of going to Bristol Temple Meads and changing at Bath or Bristol onto a Cardiff service.

 

[LexyBoy]

In terms of numbers carried, there is no need for most of the XX:15 Pad-Cdf / XX:55 Cdf- Pad services, which is why they are the very first ones cancelled when there is disruption.

I can certainly vouch for that - my morning train is the 0742 (0715 off PAD) and is cancelled far more often than any other trains at Reading in that time window. Gives me an extra ten minutes drinking tea at home It's the 0757 which gets a Didcot call added - and the drivers usually remember to stop as well

Until last year there was a 0742 RDG-OXF service which was fast to DID which was a handy back-up, which gave the odd situation of having a duplicate service for Didcot (0741 CDF) and Oxford (0741 NCL).