South-West to Glasgow Trains Axed by Department of
Transport
- From 10th December 2007 all through trains from the South-West of
England to Glasgow via Crewe, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith and Carlisle have been withdrawn. This is due to
the franchise specifications drawn up by the Department of Transport for the CrossCountry
Trains franchise. This has now been awarded to Arriva Trains.
- Passengers from the South-West to Glasgow now face longer journey times
and less convenience, as they are forced to change up to 3 times, on
a route where there have been through trains for years. Plymouth, for example, has lost 5 through trains to and from Glasgow which took an average
7 hours 53 minutes northbound and 7 hours 47 minutes southbound. Now, the average time of
the 5 fastest services is 8 hours 26 minutes northbound and 8 hours 38 minutes southbound.
Passengers connecting to the West Highland line now need to leave an hour earlier from the
South West at 08:25 from Plymouth instead of 09:25. Last connections from the South-West
to Carlisle and Glasgow are also an hour earlier.
- It is now more difficult to reach Crewe, which is the station where
connections are made for North Wales and Dublin via Holyhead. Also more difficult to reach will
be Blackpool via Preston. The same is true for the Lake District, as Lancaster (for the
Cumbrian Coast), Oxenholme (for Windermere) and Penrith (for Keswick) are key interchange
points.
- When the West Coast main line timetable is finalised trains will run faster north of
Birmingham. However, overall South-West to Glasgow via Preston journey times will be similar
to those prior to the December 2007 timetable change, as passengers will simply spend the
saved time waiting at Birmingham New Street station. The disastrous new timetable has been
imposed on the CrossCountry franchise by the Department of Transport.
- The flow map (below middle) plots the number of trains that ran from the South-West to
Birmingham, prior to the December 2007 timetable change, and of these those that continued
north of Birmingham. The map below right shows the changes made from 10th December 2007 and continuing
through 2008. All south-west to Glasgow trains are diverted to Manchester increasing their number from
2 to 8. The 06:15 Bristol to Edinburgh train is diverted from the West to East Coast main line. This adds
59 minutes to the journey.
- Overall mileage of through trains from the South-West crossing Birmingham drops by
17% north of Birmingham (about 1127 fewer miles based on northbound services in the draft 2009 timetable).
- The map (bottom right) shows the situation planned for 2009. It is clear that
Manchester increases its services from the South-West still further to give 13 trains. Doncaster looses
all connections with the south-west. Through mileage north of Birmingham drops 61 miles compared to 2008.
- In a letter to Passenger Focus Dr Stephen Clark from the Department
of Transport said that the cross country market had
changed over the last 5 years and the priority was to "respond to that change in delivering
what rail passengers want and what TOCs can best deliver."
- However, Railfuture Devon and
Cornwall cannot believe that demand for through services from the South-West to the
North-West of England and Glasgow completely ceased over the weekend of December 8/9th 2007.
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