Could timetables be better matched to post-Covid travel patterns?

[amahy]

Post-Covid, there has been a rise in leisure travel, along with a drop in commuters in many areas. However, timetables generally follow the same format of extra trains at peak time in the week, and a heavily reduced timetable on Sunday. In my opinion, this is no longer appropriate, especially on suburban networks.

To resolve this, I would propose four different timetables to operate on different days. These would generally be as follows:

1. Monday to Thursday - Extra trains in morning and evening peaks, but reduced frequency in the evenings starting earlier. Also, less services in the middle of the day than current.

2. Friday - Same as 1, but more evening services.

3. Saturday - Slightly later start than 1 and 2, with no extra morning peak trains, but evening peak trains remain. More trains in middle part of the day. Similar evening frequency to 2.

4. Sunday/Bank Holiday - Slightly earlier start than current, and a higher frequency throughout the day. Less evening trains.

This is based on my experiences travelling on the North Clyde line, where Sunday services are barely keeping up with demand, but there are many services carrying fresh air for large parts of the day in the week.

 

[The Planner]

Considering we are close to running just two timetables (Sunday and not Sunday), I doubt anyone will want the complications of it.

 

[Class 317]

I would go further and reduce long distance services Tuesday to Thursday daytime when leisure demand is lower.

This potentially allows more maintenance during the week and higher availability for increased Saturday and Sunday services.

Completely agree less peak trains should run Friday morning as they are generally running half empty.

 

[The exile]

Completely agree less peak trains should run Friday morning as they are generally running half empty.

Thus inconveniencing those people who rely on those trains (potentially to the extent of losing their job or moving). Fair enough if there’s an identical stopping pattern within 5 minutes or so that makes all the same onward connections (bus as well as train) but thinning out services often has knock-on consequences that are beyond the comprehension of bean counters (not that that is difficult to achieve).

 

[Zomboid]

The way to address excess capacity on a Friday morning would be mostly to run shorter trains to the same schedule as the rest of the week. Friday evening extras already run on some routes.

 

[Iskra]

It’s almost certain that resources could be better used, but I’d be careful about advocating for change in this area. The reality in this era of stretched budgets is that services may well be cut at quiet times, but you’d probably get less additional capacity added at peak times. You’d therefore end up with just an overall service and capacity reduction. This is probably unwise considering the population seems to keep going upwards.

Better revenue/yield management is probably a safer way forward, but ticketing reforms aren’t always positive either!