AlexS
Established Member
It's the Cosford Air Show these weekend, and looking at the timetable for trains, I'm glad I haven't decided to go.
There's precisely 1 train per hour in each direction - and these are formed of the scheduled stopping service (1 every 2 or 3 hours) plus the already crowded on a Sunday fast services calling at Cosford in each direction in addition. I'm also informed by a CT guard that Central are operating 4 unadvertised services during the busiest times calling at all stations to Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury to attempt to help with the demand - the first Central services on the line on a Sunday for 3 years.
Now, I know CT have had a lot of detractors, but if you go back 3 or 4 years, Sunday services on the Shrewsbury line were operated by Central. When Cosford air show was on, I recall trains departing every 10 minutes in both directions, some calling all stations, some running fast. None of these were smaller than 4 carriages, usually strengthened by 150s that weren't required on other routes on a Sunday. I also remember steam specials hauled by pannier tanks going to Tyseley.
Just shows that change is generally not for the better round here, and personally, as the Shrewsbury line becomes one of only 2 diesel non suburban lines operated by the West Midlands franchise, I don't think it's going to get better.
There's precisely 1 train per hour in each direction - and these are formed of the scheduled stopping service (1 every 2 or 3 hours) plus the already crowded on a Sunday fast services calling at Cosford in each direction in addition. I'm also informed by a CT guard that Central are operating 4 unadvertised services during the busiest times calling at all stations to Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury to attempt to help with the demand - the first Central services on the line on a Sunday for 3 years.
Now, I know CT have had a lot of detractors, but if you go back 3 or 4 years, Sunday services on the Shrewsbury line were operated by Central. When Cosford air show was on, I recall trains departing every 10 minutes in both directions, some calling all stations, some running fast. None of these were smaller than 4 carriages, usually strengthened by 150s that weren't required on other routes on a Sunday. I also remember steam specials hauled by pannier tanks going to Tyseley.
Just shows that change is generally not for the better round here, and personally, as the Shrewsbury line becomes one of only 2 diesel non suburban lines operated by the West Midlands franchise, I don't think it's going to get better.
