Good news and bad news

Colin Blackburn said:

Peter Andrews, the director of Bristol-based Life
Cycle said:

Quoted message said:

"I can understand why they have imposed this ban when
there are a lot of people standing, it's pushing it to
expect a lot of bikes on the same train.

Well done Peter, there's commitment for you!

cross-country routes? I'm thinking Portsmouth-Cardiff here
-- a route I use quite often.

Simonb said:

Colin Blackburn said:

Peter Andrews, the director of Bristol-based Life
Cycle said:

Quoted message said:

"I can understand why they have imposed this ban when
there are a lot of people standing, it's pushing it to
expect a lot of bikes on the same train.

Well done Peter, there's commitment for you!

Quoted message said:

cross-country routes? I'm thinking Portsmouth-Cardiff here
-- a route I use quite often.

I also (Portsmouth end; where are you?). The Bristol, Bath
to South Coast Multi Modal Study recommended all sorts of
upgrades to this v. busy service. The minimal improvement
being the simple increase in the size of the trains.

I just don't get it I'm afraid; Portsmouth to Cardiff is
an intercity route not a local commuter service so why not
run something bigger than the two carriage jobs they use
at present.

Unfortunately, until the capacity is increased the bike ban
is acceptable. (Although, for consistency, they could also
ban prams, pushchairs, big luggage and wheelchairs).

Folders are still OK.

On Tue, 11 May 2004 18:12:32 +0100 someone who may be "[Not
Responding]" <[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

I just don't get it I'm afraid; Portsmouth to Cardiff is
an intercity route not a local commuter service so why not
run something bigger than the two carriage jobs they use
at present.

Given the level of leasing costs and the lack of alternative
trains, what do you suggest?

I have a suggestion. The four and five coach "Voyager"
trains currently causing problems on other routes would
probably be ideal for this line, but that means replacing
them with better trains on the lines they currently use.
There is no money to do this.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number
F566DA0E I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK
government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

Colin Blackburn said:

space, the bad news is they have banned non-folders from
peak time services.

From:

news.bbc.co.uk3702921.stmOpen ↗

Bikes banned on peak-time trains

[...]

Quoted message said:

major towns and cities we serve have become very busy and
we need to provide a balance for the benefit of all
passengers."

Interesting use of the word 'all' there.

--
Keith Willoughby flat222.orgkeithOpen ↗ "After my
experience, I have come to hate war. War settles nothing."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

David Hansen said:

On Tue, 11 May 2004 18:12:32 +0100 someone who may be "[Not
Responding]" <[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

I just don't get it I'm afraid; Portsmouth to Cardiff is
an intercity route not a local commuter service so why not
run something bigger than the two carriage jobs they use
at present.

Given the level of leasing costs and the lack of
alternative trains, what do you suggest?

I'll admit that rail economics is out of my area of
expertise. But *is* there a shortage of trains nationally?
My limited knowledge extends to there being new electric
trains and diesels for Virgin, new electrics for SWT and I
think FGW have something shiny as well. What's happened to
all the old stuff? If it's still around then surely supply
and demand will take care of leasing rates.

Maybe all the old stuff has been scrapped or runs on the
wrong sort of electricity. In which case the TOCs need to
raise prices a bit. Last time I did Portsmouth -> Bath the
advance ticket was less than the cost of the petrol alone
had I driven. (IIRC: £16 UKP vs 150 miles @ 11p per mile
petrol = £16.50 or £25 at a more realistic marginal cost
of motoring)

Quoted message said:

I have a suggestion. The four and five coach "Voyager"
trains currently causing problems on other routes would
probably be ideal for this line, but that means replacing
them with better trains on the lines they currently use.
There is no money to do this.

Not Responding said:

I also (Portsmouth end; where are you?).

Southampton.

I go up to Cardiff and Bath a lot on this service. Having to
displace passengers in order to park the bike is pretty
embarrassing (some of the looks you get!). Then again, I
have paid extra to carry a bike on and it's not my fault
there is no real provision for bikes (though sometimes they
have a cupboard-type-thing for bikes).

[Not Responding] [email hidden] opined the
following...

Quoted message said:

Maybe all the old stuff has been scrapped or runs on the
wrong sort of electricity. In which case the TOCs need to
raise prices a bit. Last time I did Portsmouth -> Bath
the advance ticket was less than the cost of the petrol
alone had I driven. (IIRC: =A316 UKP vs 150 miles @ 11p
per mile petrol =3D =A316.50 or =A325 at a more realistic
marginal co=

st

Quoted message said:

of motoring)

For one person travelling from Peterborough (Huntingdon
actually but it=20 doesn't affect the ticket price!) to
Edinburgh, the train is cheapest.=20 When two travel, it is
cheaper by road (Even with a YPR). And while I=20 certainly
wouldn't encourage it, if there are *any* works on the
track,=20 the journey can be completed faster by car. For
the country that=20 developed rail travel, we really seem to
be struggling with it!

Jon

"[Not Responding]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Unfortunately, until the capacity is increased the bike
ban is acceptable. (Although, for consistency, they could
also ban prams, pushchairs, big luggage and wheelchairs).

Folders are still OK.

Even when crowded I've never had problems tucking my
Brompton in the luggage rack at the end ;-)

Tony

On Tue, 11 May 2004 20:11:55 +0100 someone who may be "[Not
Responding]" <[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

What's happened to all the old stuff?

Most of it is not suitable, for many reasons. One of the
reasons is that it tends to be slower than the newer trains
and as a result the timetable would have to be rewritten to
take account of the slower trains. That is not easy.

As an example of the difficulties they can face, when the
railways here did not get the last of the new trains as
quickly as expected they had to keep some old trains running
for a few months. The timetable had been rewritten for all
new trains, so there was a problem as the old trains could
not keep to it. The only solution was to remove the middle
coach, which was the only one with a toilet, so the
shortened old trains could keep to the timetable.

Quoted message said:

If it's still around then surely supply and demand will
take care of leasing rates.

You didn't believe what the Tories said about rail
privatisation did you?

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number
F566DA0E I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK
government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.