Yes, but forced on the controllers by having to juggle a poorly planned fleet that was constructed at a time when everything was going to be 5 cars splitting and joining all day long. Now (thankfully) that isn't the case, the controllers have way too many 5 car sets and not nearly enough 9s to play with. As I've said before , in my opinion LNER should swap a few 9s for some GWR 5s, or better still some new build carriages to lengthen some 5 car sets up to 9 car for GWR.
But I would dispute why shortforming the 1700 off Paddington is worse than shortforming the 1103 off Paddington? Surely most people on the 1700 are only going to Reading , Didcot and Swindon and are commuters with little or no luggage? Whereas 1103 is the opposite, most people going at least as far as Exeter, have lots of luggage and are more likely to be elderly and infirm. The 1700 passengers could get the 1703 to Reading or wait 15 mins or so for the next Didcot or Swindon, or at worst half an hour for the next Bristol. Whereas those that couldn't board the 1103 (there were some) were forced to wait for the already oversubscribed 1203 an hour later. I completely understand controllers have to make the best of a bad situation and play with what they have, but I'd argue in this case, the wrong call MAY have been made.
Its a shame that the emphasis has to be on what generates the most money (in terms of the 1700 over the 1103), or LNER taking priority of GWR, but its a symptom of the world we live in I suppose. I would argue the NEED is greater for the 1103 to be full length, but accept your point that it perhaps generates less income, you are in a position to know that , I am not.
How does the GWML compare to the MML in terms of revenue and yields?
Indeed, BR did have plenty of mk1 and mk2s that were dusted off when needed. Similarly stuff was moved round the country more, where it was actually needed. All be too expensive nowadays because of the proliferation of MUs as opposed to basic carriages.
Thats a good point. GwR statistics are weighted by all the commuter and regional stuff. GwR intercity vs LNER would be a better comparison.
These points exactly. We all know the differences in traffic between the respective regions. There is little comparison.
From a leisure travel point of view, I find LNER prices more competitive - which affects my choice of destination by rail. It feels like DfT/GWR are trying to price us off the railway and back onto increasingly clogged roads.
Definitely. Like I said the West of England has always been the problem child to the DfT. The roads to the West are pretty horrendous too....but I digress.
Agreed. The only real comparison for the WofE route in terms of journey length and average journey duration is the Anglo Scottish stuff run by LNER and Avanti. I don't suppose those routes would tolerate frequent shortforms. What is so frustrating is, is that it was rare before May during the daytime on the busier trains for a 5 vice 9 or 10. Yet all I can see is that it will get considerably worse as Castle sets get retired and further stress is placed on the IET fleet. Whats needed is the WofE route to become 9 car only, to avoid the temptation of shortforming and leave the shortforms to the short hops, even if that is less profitable.
Indeed, its not a realistic aspiration, I accept. Its just hard , looking enviously at LNER and Avanti with their mix of 9 and 11 coach trains when on GWR we seem to get the raw end of the deal in terms of carriage provision.
5 cars in the wrong place and like @Clarence Yard has said before swapping back into the booked size train in mid diagram doesn't work any more.
Of course the original plan when ordered was that single 5car sets wouldn't happen on the constrained lines into Paddington, so wouldn't get one accidentally starting from there.
Same reason as the Swansea or Carmarthen services or even the summer Saturday to Pembroke dock are short formed to 5 vice 10. If the unit is needed for rush hour it'll be kept back.
Also won't help the Carmarthen service is now every two hours which must be taking an extra few units.
Well... Luckily they did manage to swap it mid diagram.
What’s needed is all the Intercity routes to become 9 car only, with the possible exception of the Cotswolds Line, but as @class ep-09 points out, even this could do with the longer trains.
