Potential TfW services outside Wales?

[MattRat]

It's interesting that the Welsh Transport Minister recently said this;

"TfW are working with LCR to develop the business case for increasing the frequency of services on the line. Linked closely to this is a joint bid from TfW and LCR to the Union Connectivity Fund which aims to enable the use of MerseyRail’s brand new Stadler 777 fleet on the Wrexham to Bidston Line. The extension of these new trains would then ultimately enable direct services into Liverpool from this line rather than the current need to change trains at Bidston."

How exactly would a joint venture work. Because if it's Merseyrail trains running the service, what's the point of TFW being involved other than for a handover? Unless the plan is for a TFW service leasing trains from Merseyrail, as that would truly be a joint venture.

 

[anthony263]

Theres been talk of a stopping service from Swansea to Bristol TM and Bath when they were trying to show the dft that you could have more than 1 electric train every hour west of Cardiff. Think the plan was this service to serve the Swanline stations.

I remember tfw did try to get a hourly open access service from Swansea to Bristol TM. Which would have run in between the GWR 2tph between Cardiff and Bristol.

I'm sure I've read somewhere that they did look at a hourly stopping service between Cardiff and Bristol TM calling at the existing stations between the two plus the proposed new local stations think they said end to end journey time was 65 minutes

 

[Meerkat]

How exactly would a joint venture work. Because if it's Merseyrail trains running the service, what's the point of TFW being involved other than for a handover? Unless the plan is for a TFW service leasing trains from Merseyrail, as that would truly be a joint venture.

I would imagine TfW would be involved because Merseyrail wouldn't want to be picking up the tab for what is presumably a bit of a basket case financially?

 

[Snow1964]

It is still going to have to stop at Filton Abbey Wood, Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge, Westbury, Warminster, Romsey, Fareham, Cosham and Fratton, no matter what rolling stock is allocated.

It's a fairly weak argument for not treating Portsmouth-Cardiff as an intercity service (which serves 7 cities)

You could just as easily say LNER have intercity type services therefore shouldn't call at Morpeth, Berwick etc, or any Avanti intercity service call at places like Oxenholme

The reality is some routes have intermediate stations which need to be served because there is no semi-fast trains on the route.

 

[Wolfie]

GWR & Avanti are operating long established franchise spec services into Wales. Mr Price's comments however suggest that the only reason for operating a service to London (in competition with GWR) would be for cross-subsidy purposes, so would basically be looking to reduce the subsidy required to be paid by the Welsh Gov to TfW but likely increasing the subsidy Westminster would have to pay GWR.

If it's primarily abstractive shouldn't any application to serve London automatically be denied?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Apr 2023 ==

A fast service Cardiff Bristol Taunton Exeter Plymouth would be extremely welcome as it would take some of the pressure off the soon to be 4 or 5 car only XC trains , whilst the GWR service on this corridor is extremely slow. Connecting up the main 4 south west cities would be great, although I suspect Welsh assembly interest probably wouldn't be great enough, as much of the benefits fall in England. As for London, I personally think that won't happen (thank goodness) when GWR already operates two trains an hour. Not convinced anymore are needed.

A decent call but unglamorous and unlikely to make money.

 

[Dr Day]

If it's primarily abstractive

My reading of the article was a simple transfer of operator and the revenue/operating cost that goes with it, rather than TfW trying to run anything additional and find the paths to do so. ie TfW wanting to operate everything within Wales and all cross-border services. Could end up with various efficiencies/simplification with GBR taking a holistic view of how various currently shared routes should optimally be served, but then ruin it with devolved bodies creating competition and complexity again.

 

[Wolfie]

My reading of the article was a simple transfer of operator and the revenue/operating cost that goes with it, rather than TfW trying to run anything additional and find the paths to do so. ie TfW wanting to operate everything within Wales and all cross-border services. Could end up with various efficiencies/simplification with GBR taking a holistic view of how various currently shared routes should optimally be served, but then ruin it with devolved bodies creating competition and complexity again.

Why would TfW running all services in Wales and all cross-border services be accepted in England but the status quo not in Wales?