Pembroke Dock line timetable decimation

[Western 52]

So, whilst not really a "decimation", on the hand, it's still not anywhere near as useful a service as perhaps it ought to be, certainly if travelling to/from the Pembroke branch from further afield than Carmarthen.

Indeed, and the trains are a lot less useful if they don't run through to the major regional centre at Swansea. Maybe not such an issue if connections at Carmarthen were decent, but they are not.

 

[allaction]

Yes - the new timetable is an improvement on the previous one.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Dec 2021 ==


So, basically, you have no evidence that it is a permanaent cut.

I want to see services restored as much as you do, but the reality is that TfW have both a driver and unit shortage right now across the network.

That is well documented on these boards, so I do not agree that there has been "no explanation at all".

A service has been restored from tomorrow, yet the narrative here is that the service is "decimated". That's nonsense.

I have never said that I have evidence that this is a permanent cut. You have introduced that to the conversation.

 

[berneyarms]

I have never said that I have evidence that this is a permanent cut. You have introduced that to the conversation.

Actually I did not.

The newspaper article did quoting (apparently) you:

“The seemingly permanent removal of this service means that if you miss the 16:51 train to Pembroke Dock at Carmarthen, the next one isn’t until 21:10 - a wait of almost four hours! Is that acceptable?” one local concerned rail-user told the Observer.

 

[Darandio]

That is well documented on these boards, so I do not agree that there has been "no explanation at all".

A discussion on a forum that 99.9% of passengers haven't heard of or will never visit is hardly a sufficient explanation for them. So was it communicated over official channels, or not?

 

[berneyarms]

A discussion on a forum that 99.9% of passengers haven't heard of or will never visit is hardly a sufficient explanation for them. So was it communicated over official channels, or not?

I’m responding to a poster on these forums not the other people. They’re the person making the claim.

The TfW driver and unit shortage has been discussed to death on these boards.

 

[Anonymous10]

I’m responding to a poster on these forums not the other people. They’re the person making the claim.

The TfW driver and unit shortage has been discussed to death on these boards.

granted but the general public dont read these forums it should have been put out to news ect that tfw are temporarily suspending this service for x reason and it will be reinstated as soon as possible

 

[allaction]

Actually I did not.

The newspaper article did quoting (apparently) you:

‘Seemingly’ is the key word here…

 

[30907]

granted but the general public dont read these forums it should have been put out to news ect that tfw are temporarily suspending this service for x reason and it will be reinstated as soon as possible

When was it actually suspended? Right back in Spring 2020, a year ago, May 2021?

 

[Anonymous10]

When was it actually suspended? Right back in Spring 2020, a year ago, May 2021?

no this service will be suspended within the next few weeks if not already in the December tt change

 

[fishwomp]

So, whilst not really a "decimation", on the hand, it's still not anywhere near as useful a service as perhaps it ought to be, certainly if travelling to/from the Pembroke branch from further afield than Carmarthen.

The term decimation comes from Roman times where 1 in 10 of a rogue group of soldiers was taken out and executed.. this service is far from what it has been 2 years ago, and with the lack of connections - it's absolutely destroying the business.

You might not think what's currently there is decimation - but if I wanted to close a railway, this is exactly the kind of service I'd propose.

 

[30907]

no this service will be suspended within the next few weeks if not already in the December tt change

I am now totally confused.
Neither evening train (1905, 2110) appears to have been timetabled to run for at least the last 100 days (per Recent Train Times).
So what do you mean by saying that the service is about to be suspended.

 

[Anonymous10]

I am now totally confused.
Neither evening train (1905, 2110) appears to have been timetabled to run for at least the last 100 days (per Recent Train Times).
So what do you mean by saying that the service is about to be suspended.

I stand corrected, I misread the train very sorry just looked on the app.

 

[30907]

I stand corrected, I misread the train very sorry just looked on the app.

Thanks, no problem.

 

[fishwomp]

Good news in May:

This is coming:

Realtime Trains | Departures from Tenby all day on 23/05/2022

Train information at Tenby all day on 23/05/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Versus the current:

Realtime Trains | Departures from Tenby all day on 21/02/2022

Train information at Tenby all day on 21/02/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Through services to Manchester, Swansea and Cardiff return. Regular two-hourly service returns to the branch.

Saturdays have a four hour gap mid-afternoon - where the London slot would've been, but that gaps is also there in May/June. Not sure what this implies about the London holiday trains - decision made, or still to be made..?

 

[allaction]

Good spot. This is welcome, but the Saturday timetable in June, at least, looks like it’s still being worked on.

GWR have an official obligation to run summer Saturday services to Pembroke Dock. However, these have been practically non-existent even pre-Covid with their drivers not having the required route knowledge.

I wonder what GWR’s plans are for this to be acquired. If they approach TfW to provide drivers, that raises the question as to whether TfW drivers have the required traction knowledge (probably not).

We must not allow this valuable service to wither on the branch (line).

I sense another letter appearing in the Tenby Observer and Simon Hart MP getting another email.

 

[Western 52]

Welcome news at last, as long as TfW have enough units and crew of course.....

 

[Anonymous10]

Welcome news at last, as long as TfW have enough units and crew of course.....

I’ll take a hired coach over nothing.

 

[Tim456]

Saturdays have a four hour gap mid-afternoon - where the London slot would've been, but that gaps is also there in May/June. Not sure what this implies about the London holiday trains - decision made, or still to be made..?

There’s one gap Paddington to Swansea and two gaps between Swansea to Paddington in the hourly service where the Pembroke Coast Express and afternoon return to London journeys would be so I suspect timings or whether these services actually run to from Pembrokeshire still TBC.

 

[Anonymous10]

There’s one gap Paddington to Swansea and two gaps between Swansea to Paddington in the hourly service where the Pembroke Coast Express and afternoon return to London journeys would be so I suspect timings or whether these services actually run to from Pembrokeshire still TBC.

Hopefully they decide soon and inform tfw. The trains are always busy that time of the year and even if they link at carmarthen that would be great for our communities.