West Country clockface timetable proposal

[HS2isgood]

As we all know, one of the lines which doesn't have a full clockface timetable is the Cornish Main Line, even though it's close (:15 departures from Penzance at every hour). I personally think that a clockface timetable would be good for the West Country, with the following service patterns:

- 1 tph Penzance-London Paddington, calling at St Erth, Camborne, Redruth, Truro, St Austell, Par, Bodmin Parkway, Liskeard, Plymouth, Totnes, Newton Abbot, Exeter St David's, Taunton and Reading.
- 1 tph Penzance-Bristol Temple Meads calling at all stations to Weston-super-Mare, then whichever stations get 2 tph in the Weston line.
- 1 tph XC Exeter-Birmingham-Whatever, running every other hour from Plymouth calling at Totnes and Newton Abbot, then Exeter, Tiverton Parkway, Taunton, Bristol Temple Meads and normal XC calls to Birmingham.
- 1 tp2h Exeter Central-London Paddington, calling at Exeter St David's, Tiverton Parkway, Taunton, Castle Cary, Westbury, Pewsey, Hungerford, Newbury and Reading. The Newbury-Bedwyn shuttle would run opposite hours to it, as an extension of the Reading-Newbury service.

 

[irish_rail]

As we all know, one of the lines which doesn't have a full clockface timetable is the Cornish Main Line, even though it's close (:15 departures from Penzance at every hour). I personally think that a clockface timetable would be good for the West Country, with the following service patterns:

- 1 tph Penzance-London Paddington, calling at St Erth, Camborne, Redruth, Truro, St Austell, Par, Bodmin Parkway, Liskeard, Plymouth, Totnes, Newton Abbot, Exeter St David's, Taunton and Reading.
- 1 tph Penzance-Bristol Temple Meads calling at all stations to Weston-super-Mare, then whichever stations get 2 tph in the Weston line.
- 1 tph XC Exeter-Birmingham-Whatever, running every other hour from Plymouth calling at Totnes and Newton Abbot, then Exeter, Tiverton Parkway, Taunton, Bristol Temple Meads and normal XC calls to Birmingham.
- 1 tp2h Exeter Central-London Paddington, calling at Exeter St David's, Tiverton Parkway, Taunton, Castle Cary, Westbury, Pewsey, Hungerford, Newbury and Reading. The Newbury-Bedwyn shuttle would run opposite hours to it, as an extension of the Reading-Newbury service.

So more or less as it is now except with your proposal Plymouth loses many of its XC services.
Also insisting all stoppers call all stations to WSM is a non starter, we do not need hourly calls at the likes of Menheniot and Keyham.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

As we all know, one of the lines which doesn't have a full clockface timetable is the Cornish Main Line, even though it's close (:15 departures from Penzance at every hour). I personally think that a clockface timetable would be good for the West Country, with the following service patterns:

- 1 tph Penzance-London Paddington, calling at St Erth, Camborne, Redruth, Truro, St Austell, Par, Bodmin Parkway, Liskeard, Plymouth, Totnes, Newton Abbot, Exeter St David's, Taunton and Reading.
- 1 tph Penzance-Bristol Temple Meads calling at all stations to Weston-super-Mare, then whichever stations get 2 tph in the Weston line.
- 1 tph XC Exeter-Birmingham-Whatever, running every other hour from Plymouth calling at Totnes and Newton Abbot, then Exeter, Tiverton Parkway, Taunton, Bristol Temple Meads and normal XC calls to Birmingham.
- 1 tp2h Exeter Central-London Paddington, calling at Exeter St David's, Tiverton Parkway, Taunton, Castle Cary, Westbury, Pewsey, Hungerford, Newbury and Reading. The Newbury-Bedwyn shuttle would run opposite hours to it, as an extension of the Reading-Newbury service.

The different rolling stock characteristics do not lend themselves to a totally standard hour, 158s/HSTs/IETs have different running times and different dwells.

Also a pointed out the likes of Menheniot do not need to be served hourly.

Where does the Newquay/Paddington direct services fit into this which are essentially at standard pattern Paddington service diverted and a connecting Penzance local?

 

[PTR 444]

Birmingham - Plymouth should really remain as an hourly service, although the irregular extensions to Penzance/Newquay could be withdrawn

It would be beneficial to keep 2tph on the Cornish Main Line, therefore I would have an hourly intercity service from Penzance through to London Paddington, and an hourly all-stations stopper from Penzance to Plymouth. While it would mean some stations in Cornwall lose their direct service to Exeter, the semi-fast IET from London could be increased to hourly and extended to Plymouth to compensate for this.