Newquay branch what future?

[Woody]

I have noticed that the summer dated FGW HST services to/from Paddington to Newquay are very Lightly loaded,on Saturdays only 20 or so people noted on the these services passing Exeter.Surely this is a waste of resources and these services are only justified during the short peak summer period.
How the Newquay branch survives I do not know,it is a mostly 20mph hour crawl from Par to Newquay which cant do a HSTs traction equipment any good and the £93million dualling of the nearby A30,part of which is now open,followed by the remainder in a few months is hardly going to help matters.
There are now more Newquay/Gatwick daily flights than there are trains from Par to Newquay,surely FGW is not serious in trying to compete given the state of this branch line.

 

[devon_metro]

During the middle of summer the services are well loaded. What would make more sence if during the less busy period the 0805 and 1135 from Paddington called at: Reading, Taunton, Tiverton Parkway, Exeter, Newton Abbot, Totnes and Plymouth.

This would increase the number of pax and during the middle of summer say in August these stops could be ommited to cater for the grockels to Newquay.

 

[Z12XE]

I'm sure the DfT would love to get rid of these special services, as it was these which prevented line designation under the Community Railway Scheme, instead they just had to go for Service Designation.

Full line designation would mean that they could save money not maintaining the track for anything more than sprinters.

I made a freedom of information act request for the documents from the designation farce of another line, and in the documents they had left the previous changes available which show:

Deleted: 5.2 Network Rail note the summer Voyager and HST services on the Atlantic Coast line and believe that these are incompatible with line
designation. They state that the requirements resulting from the operation of these heavier trains (even at a low speed) are significant and not compatible
with lower standards appropriate to a light weight DMU Community Rail Line.¶
<#>¶
<#>5.3 Consultation was on the basis of designation of all three lines as community rail lines. However, in view of the Network Rail position, it is now
proposed to designate Par to Newquay as a service only rather than the line with the service. This does not preclude line designation at a future date.¶
<#>¶
<#>No issues were raised which would prevent designation of the other two
lines though Devon County asked for strengthening of some items in the Prospectus.¶

I'm not sure of the condition of the track on this line, but the Gt Yarmouth and Lowestoft lines were desiganted (service only) because of the summer only 47 drags, yet there are other lines which have track in better condition (i.e nearly new welded rail) which are Line Designated, yet the GTY line, which is mostly jointed - with very short rail lengths and they couldn't designate the line (just the service) for this reason.


Shows just how silly this Community Rail thing is....!

 

[devon_metro]

If HSTs were to stop running, they would need loads of sprinters as some of the HSTs gets wedged and sprinters don't have the luggage capacity! They would also have to run fast to Newquay in order to provide enough capacity and forefit stopping at the small stations unless willing to just open one door. That, I cannot see happening if the door is wedged with luggage. The problem with this line is summer is that it is either wedged of empty!

 

[NSEFAN]

If HSTs were to stop running, they would need loads of sprinters as some of the HSTs gets wedged and sprinters don't have the luggage capacity!

Very true.

Last year I travelled to Newquay on the VXC extra HSTs, and although it was fairly quiet, the amount of luggage was extraordinary. Both power cars were almost full to bursting, and the luggage racks in the coaches were pretty full too.

If they used DMUs, then a diesel version of an MLV would be needed!

It does seem a shame that the line is loosing competition to the roads though. The money spent on improving the road could have been used to increase the line speed by improving the track, and making the line more attractive. ad:

 

[Nick W]

The line will continue to struggle if shuttle services don't go to St Austell.

 

[Western Dreamer]

The situation has obvisouly evolved since the first message was posted:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/6280204.stm

date: 07/07/07

First Great Western (FGW) has said demand has been very strong for its new summertime direct service from London Paddington to Newquay.

The daily service started on Monday, with the eight-carriage train completely full by the end of the week.

For many years the only direct trains to Newquay ran during summer weekends, but the new morning service will run throughout July and August.

FGW said it was delighted with the success of its groundbreaking service.

A spokesman said the unsettled weather had not put people off because many passengers were apparently looking to surf rather than sunbathe.

FGW said the peak summer service would remain a feature of its timetable for the rest of its franchise.

I agree with the poster who suggests that the best way to revitalise the branch would be to reroute it via St Dennis Junction and Parkandillack to Burngullow. Ideally, they should build a triangular junction at Burngullow to enable the establishment of a coast-to-coast service linking Falmouth (where plans exists to develop the port for cruise-liners), Penryn (which has a rapidly expanding student population), Truro and Newquay, alternating with a shuttle to St Austell.

However, the new Goss Moor bypass and the news that china clay operations are being expanded in the Bugle area, with rail transfer to Fowey, mean that it's unlikely we'll see any major changes (though there may be an upgrade of the track as far as Bugle, I suppose).

 

[Nat the Ned]

Saturday services have been declining in passenger numbers for years, and will continue to do so. There has been a shift at Newquay from the 'family' holiday where families would come to the resort for a week, Saturday to Saturday to a now 'drunken weekend break' holiday for rowdy youth. God help any normal family travelling on a Newquay service (I work these) the trains are now trashed and left stinking of beer/wine and cigs in the toilet. The main flow to Newquay is arrive Thurs/Fri cause chaos over the weekend and return Mon/Tues. Hence FGWs new daily service is doing well with Fridays 1C80 09:05 PAD to NQY causing mega flap within FGW due to chronic overcrowding, wanna see a busy HST go see 1C80 on a Friday. The Saturday services will busy up once the schools break properly but they are not as busy as they used to be as by Saturday everyone that wants to be in Newquay has already to arrived in order to get their 16 hours drinking binge in.....


N

 

[gingerheid]

There's also going to be a lot of people that in the past might have got the train who, for unaccountable reasons, might now prefer to use http://www.newquaycornwallairport.com/ than a HST

 

[Max]

There's also going to be a lot of people that in the past might have got the train who, for unaccountable reasons, might now prefer to use http://www.newquaycornwallairport.com/ than a HST

Ryanair from Stansted is probably a pretty big competitor to the train now!

 

[devon_metro]

Saturday services have been declining in passenger numbers for years, and will continue to do so. There has been a shift at Newquay from the 'family' holiday where families would come to the resort for a week, Saturday to Saturday to a now 'drunken weekend break' holiday for rowdy youth. God help any normal family travelling on a Newquay service (I work these) the trains are now trashed and left stinking of beer/wine and cigs in the toilet. The main flow to Newquay is arrive Thurs/Fri cause chaos over the weekend and return Mon/Tues. Hence FGWs new daily service is doing well with Fridays 1C80 09:05 PAD to NQY causing mega flap within FGW due to chronic overcrowding, wanna see a busy HST go see 1C80 on a Friday. The Saturday services will busy up once the schools break properly but they are not as busy as they used to be as by Saturday everyone that wants to be in Newquay has already to arrived in order to get their 16 hours drinking binge in.....


N

Thanks God i'm booked in First Class!