Chiltern transformation - report by Chris Morrrison

[merlodlliw]

Your mainline is coming, 90 minutes Moor Street to Marylebone,ex W/S stock is rebranded, but the 67s & DVTs are not,also first class supplement on Chiltern?
good story & pics in this weeks http://www.nwrail.org.uk/nwnews.htm

 

[cle]

Looks great. I'm sure it will be very popular. Does it have (free) wifi?

 

[merlodlliw]

Looks great. I'm sure it will be very popular. Does it have (free) wifi?

In coach B, I am sure it will be free,well it will be in the supplement class, note "MAINLINE" branding, as you say looks good.


Bob

 

[NSE]

I think the overhaul and transformation of the Chiltern brand/route is a cracking story to show that with a bit of time and patience and hard working staff, the railways can excel Britain.

Next up I think should be an hourly extension (or maybe at least two hourly) off peak to Kidderminster.

 

[SS4]

Looks interesting. I wonder how the headline 90 minutes is going to be made though. A fast service is good news in Birmingham but less so if it skips stations like Solihull ([stn]SOL[/stn]) or Leamington Spa ([stn]LMS[/stn])

 

[Metrailway]

Looks interesting. I wonder how the headline 90 minutes is going to be made though. A fast service is good news in Birmingham but less so if it skips stations like Solihull or LMS

I believe the plan is that most trains won't stop south of Banbury

 

[RPM]

IIRC the 90 minute headline service is non-stop from Warwick Parkway to [stn]MYB[/stn].

 

[hick]

IIRC the 90 minute headline service is non-stop from Warwick Parkway to MYB.

The hourly 100 minute service calls [stn]BAN[/stn], [stn]LMS[/stn], [stn]WRP[/stn], [stn]SOL[/stn].

The two in each direction 90 minute services call [stn]WRP[/stn], [stn]SOL[/stn]

 

[chris89]

Have to say the stock looks rather impressive.

Next time i go to london i wil have to try Chiltern Trains
Best would be to extend services to kidderminster/ give more frequent ones as would be incredibly handy for me or try the idea for Running from Bridgnorth again along the SVR.

But noticed 3 mark 3's and an DVT still in semi' Wrexham & shropshire markings still sitting at Stourbridge.

Chris

 

[merlodlliw]

Have to say the stock looks rather impressive.

Next time i go to london i wil have to try Chiltern Trains
Best would be to extend services to kidderminster/ give more frequent ones as would be incredibly handy for me or try the idea for Running from Bridgnorth again along the SVR.

But noticed 3 mark 3's and an DVT still in semi' Wrexham & shropshire markings still sitting at Stourbridge.

Chris

When you say semi W/S logos can you expand a little more please.

Bob

 

[Chris B]

The decals have gone, but the paintwirk needs repair as you can see where they were.

The new decals are fitted in Stourbridge sidings - guess another set is about to have them fixed.

They won't run off-peak to Kiddy. Indeed, they've withdrawn one from there in Sept TT. No traffic, not earning money

 

[stanley T]

Chiltern shows what happens when:
- you get a 20 year franchise
- you are owned by Deutsche Ban.

Should give Virgin a run for their money.

 

[87015]

Chiltern shows what happens when:
- you get a 20 year franchise
- you are owned by Deutsche Ban.

Should give Virgin a run for their money.

Wouldn't give DB much of the credit, they don't seem very popular within Chiltern. It was the M40 Trains/Laing Rail vision that is coming to life.

 

[The Planner]

I've heard those stories aswell. As an aside the loco hauled to Kiddy from September does Marylebone - Moor St in 93 minutes, calling Warwick Parkway and Solihull.

 

[RPM]

Wouldn't give DB much of the credit, they don't seem very popular within Chiltern. It was the M40 Trains/Laing Rail vision that is coming to life.

Indeed, it was all planned long before DB came on the scene.

 

[Simon11]

Indeed, it was all planned long before DB came on the scene.

And revenue wise chilterns year on year growth is negative, at the bottom compare to other london toc

 

[Chris B]

Where are you looking for that info?

 

[SS4]

Has anyone heard a timetable for this? Mainly whether or not it'll run in the off-peak. Hick's post 8 indicates it will.
Depending on price it may well be worth giving it a try

 

[Chris B]

Yes, it was on the DfT website when they were after the permissiins to run it.

Shortly to appear on Chiltern's website, in print from August 22. Already loaded on NRE.

Onlt two 90 mins services in each peak. Otherwise 100 mins services run hourly.

 

[Simon11]

Appologies its not negative however

2010-11 chiltern revenue 2nd worst growth after east coast at 1.6%

Industry average was 7%

 

[merlodlliw]

The decals have gone, but the paintwirk needs repair as you can see where they were.

The new decals are fitted in Stourbridge sidings - guess another set is about to have them fixed.

They won't run off-peak to Kiddy. Indeed, they've withdrawn one from there in Sept TT. No traffic, not earning money

Thanks, just wondering what DB will be doing in Wales with the WAG Ex open access.

 

[Chris B]

And the depot?

Wonder if WAG want all that money back?

 

[tbtc]

Chiltern shows what happens when:
- you get a 20 year franchise
- you are owned by Deutsche Ban.

Should give Virgin a run for their money.

It shows what you can do when you have an incentive to focus on your longer distance journeys (to take money off Virgin at Birmingham, plus off FGW at Oxford in a year or two) and don't need to concentrate on your "core" service because there's no competition there (e.g. running fast London - Birmingham services is all well and good, but does this help stations like Wycombe/Warwick which Chiltern should have as their "bread and butter".

 

[chris89]

When you say semi W/S logos can you expand a little more please.

Bob

What i mean some of the coaches still have branding on them from Wrexham & Shropshire, mostly website address and faint outlines on the middle of the coaches.

Chris

 

[Metrailway]

...running fast London - Birmingham services is all well and good, but does this help stations like Wycombe/Warwick which Chiltern should have as their "bread and butter".

When I looked at the really old planned timetable for service after 2013, High Wycombe loses nearly all it's Birmingham services but does benefit from faster times to London.

 

[The Planner]

High Wycombe will still be ok as it will have plenty of local services to London where the majority of people will want to go. Warwick Parkway and Solihull/Dorridge and to an extent Bicester is where all the money lies for Chiltern between Brum and Marylebone now.

 

[tbtc]

Warwick Parkway and Solihull/Dorridge and to an extent Bicester is where all the money lies for Chiltern between Brum and Marylebone now

Is Warwick Parkway more lucrative than the station in the town?

 

[Chris B]

Oh god, yes! Attracts commuters frim miles around!

 

[The Planner]

Massive, the car park there has 600 odd spaces and fills up very quickly.

 

[tbtc]

Oh god, yes! Attracts commuters frim miles around!

Massive, the car park there has 600 odd spaces and fills up very quickly.

Cheers both.

Has the service to the "town" station decreased (since a few services now only stop at the Parkway)?