GWR Brighton services axed from May timetable change

[TT-ONR-NRN]

GX never served Brighton when it was run as a separate TOC, services were only extended to there once it was part of the SN franchise in 2008.

Oh yes of course. Silly me. Five is still a good few compared to solely GTR though.

 

[Stigy]

Oh yes of course. Silly me. Five is still a good few compared to solely GTR though.

Could argue that that’s two operators…being pedantic

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Could argue that that’s two operators…being pedantic

Not really. Southern & Thameslink are the same TOC. GX is as well.

 

[AlbertBeale]

Has it been established anywhere on this thread whether the deterioration of Coastway services (not just losing the through GWR trains) - East and West - is to do with lack of trained drivers, lack of currently available stock, etc (and hence there might be improvement in the coming months), or whether this is a long-term run-down of rail services around the Brighton area (which, for the decades I've been around the area on and off, has hitherto had a reasonably useful and dense network of services)? Or isn't it clear what the future holds?

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Has it been established anywhere on this thread whether the deterioration of Coastway services (not just losing the through GWR trains) - East and West - is to do with lack of trained drivers, lack of currently available stock, etc (and hence there might be improvement in the coming months), or whether this is a long-term run-down of rail services around the Brighton area (which, for the decades I've been around the area on and off, has hitherto had a reasonably useful and dense network of services)? Or isn't it clear what the future holds?

Lack of traincrew. Some of the currently suspended SN services return at the May TT change.

 

[AlbertBeale]

Lack of traincrew. Some of the currently suspended SN services return at the May TT change.

"Some..." indeed. But after the new timetable, there'll still often only be 2tph Brighton-Hove instead of the 5 or 6 previously, and 2tph Brighton-Worthing, when there used to be 4 previously. And there are some half-hour gaps in the Brighton-Lewes service, when there used to be 5 or so an hour.
I hope what you've said means that these cuts will be reversed in future timetable updates!

 

[geoffk]

Lack of traincrew - so where have they gone? Have there been a lot retiring or leaving the industry, meaning new recruits have to be trained and this has been delayed by Covid? Or perhaps the route knowledge of some crew members has lapsed.

 

[railwaytrack]

GTR have been having these train crew shortages every day since day one of their franchise. If they have been having train crew shortages for this long than they are either not hiring enough people or constantly have staff leaving. I am not sure that i really believe this train crew shortage excuse. I think it is just an excuse for poor service and an excuse to cut the timetable.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Lack of traincrew - so where have they gone? Have there been a lot retiring or leaving the industry, meaning new recruits have to be trained and this has been delayed by Covid? Or perhaps the route knowledge of some crew members has lapsed.

You have to remember for about 2 years covid paused all training, however the steady flow of retirements continued.

 

[387star]

Looked heaving this afternoon
Absolutely disgraceful decision

 

[doradolittle]

I'm devastated about the removal of this train. I have relied on it to get me to work in Brighton from Chichester for 6 years. I caught the 16:30 last week as the 17:02 was cancelled, and it was HEAVING. I don't know how they expect us to regularly deal with 1tph during rush hour between two cities on the south coast. I am now going to have to leave the house 40 minutes earlier to get to work on time, and leave work early to try to catch the 16:30. If I waited until the 17:30 I wouldn't get home until after 18:30 which basically would make it a 12 hour day away from home.
Is it worth emailing the DfT? No point emailing Gillian Keegan as she only ever sends back cut and paste party line emails.

 

[railwaytrack]

I'm devastated about the removal of this train. I have relied on it to get me to work in Brighton from Chichester for 6 years. I caught the 16:30 last week as the 17:02 was cancelled, and it was HEAVING. I don't know how they expect us to regularly deal with 1tph during rush hour between two cities on the south coast. I am now going to have to leave the house 40 minutes earlier to get to work on time, and leave work early to try to catch the 16:30. If I waited until the 17:30 I wouldn't get home until after 18:30 which basically would make it a 12 hour day away from home.
Is it worth emailing the DfT? No point emailing Gillian Keegan as she only ever sends back cut and paste party line emails.

Unfortunately all the plans have already been made and there is zero chance of this decision being reversed. I do not think emailing or writing to anyone will change anything. So unfortunately i do not think there is anything that can be done to stop this. The most you could do is write to your MP or the DFT or to GTR and ask for more frequent trains or faster trains or trains with more carriages but i doubt these things will have much chance of happening.

 

[bramling]

I'm devastated about the removal of this train. I have relied on it to get me to work in Brighton from Chichester for 6 years. I caught the 16:30 last week as the 17:02 was cancelled, and it was HEAVING. I don't know how they expect us to regularly deal with 1tph during rush hour between two cities on the south coast. I am now going to have to leave the house 40 minutes earlier to get to work on time, and leave work early to try to catch the 16:30. If I waited until the 17:30 I wouldn't get home until after 18:30 which basically would make it a 12 hour day away from home.
Is it worth emailing the DfT? No point emailing Gillian Keegan as she only ever sends back cut and paste party line emails.

I’m not sure a short long-distance DMU is the solution to overcrowding on the Coastway. I’d have thought lobbying to get the GTR service improved would be the best way to go, albeit I do appreciate that GTR and DFT between them are rather a law unto themselves at the moment. Long-term, a decent EMU service is what this route needs.

 

[Graham H]

Lack of traincrew. Some of the currently suspended SN services return at the May TT change.

What I never really understood is our weekday West Coastway service at Emsworth was halved from 4tp to 2tph yet on Saturdays they retained the old 4tph and even Sunday remained 3tph. Where do all these weekend drivers come from ?

 

[swt_passenger]

Unfortunately all the plans have already been made and there is zero chance of this decision being reversed. I do not think emailing or writing to anyone will change anything. So unfortunately i do not think there is anything that can be done to stop this. The most you could do is write to your MP or the DFT or to GTR and ask for more frequent trains or faster trains or trains with more carriages but i doubt these things will have much chance of happening.

The original DfT suggestion to remove these services, published in a GW franchise consultation a few years ago, clearly stated that the extra services into and out of Brighton were to be transferred to the Southern operator. I think that is worth chasing with stakeholders.

But I’ve always believed that provision of adequate commuting capacity between places like Chichester and Brighton should be a problem for GTR/Southern to solve.

What I never really understood is our weekday West Coastway service at Emsworth was halved from 4tp to 2tph yet on Saturdays they retained the old 4tph and even Sunday remained 3tph. Where do all these weekend drivers come from ?

A 4 tph weekday service at Emsworth is showing on RTT from next Monday.

 

[WesternLancer]

Believe the last service Friday 13th May 10:41 Great Malvern to Brighton /17:02 Brighton to Bristol Parkway will carry a headboard and window stickers. Aim is to make it a five car

That would be good, and appropriate. Would be nice to see pics - it is the end of an era of so many years of trains through to the WR (and the GWR before it I think) from Brighton.

 

[387star]

That would be good, and appropriate. Would be nice to see pics - it is the end of an era of so many years of trains through to the WR (and the GWR before it I think) from Brighton.

Here's a few for you

 

[ValleyLines142]

Believe the last service Friday 13th May 10:41 Great Malvern to Brighton /17:02 Brighton to Bristol Parkway will carry a headboard and window stickers. Aim is to make it a five car

It'll go one of two ways. Either a 5 car (although quite where they'd get the extra unit for it I don't know), or in true GWR style it'll end up being a 165

 

[Kite159]

It'll go one of two ways. Either a 5 car (although quite where they'd get the extra unit for it I don't know), or in true GWR style it'll end up being a 165

Nah in true GWR style it will end up getting cancelled or turned short due to late running caused by a points failure at Gloucester

 

[miklcct]

Where do all these weekend drivers come from ?

From the reduced mainline services. For example, there are no Southampton - Victoria services at all on a Sunday.

I feel so sad for those living in Brighton who had 6 trains per hour in the past, that was actually a turn-up-and-go service like a mini-metro in the conurbation. In my opinion 4 trains per hour running every 15 minutes should be the minimum standard for any urban rail systems for local travel.

 

[WesternLancer]

Here's a few for you

Thanks - was thinking of with headboard as per that post - but those are v nice to see!

 

[Jim]

158958 for the morning, 158798 for the afternoon, IF availability allows, a 2 car *may* attach to 798 at Bristol TM.

Was good to see 165101 had a jolly or two too before the end.

 

[Parallel]

When I used this service a couple of weeks ago, it ran into the (less common) platform 3! Sad it’s gone, truly the end of an era.

 

[Fragezeichnen]

That's a shame, I would have a like to travel that route, guess I'll never get the chance now

Sorry if this has already been mentioned somewhere in the three hundred posts, but looking at it from the Worcester End, what is the 'replacement' for these trains - are the services being cut back, or redirected, or is there just a reduction in frequency across the entire route?

 

[JonathanH]

Sorry if this has already been mentioned somewhere in the three hundred posts, but looking at it from the Worcester End, what is the 'replacement' for these trains - are the services being cut back, or redirected, or is there just a reduction in frequency across the entire route?

At the Worcester end the 'Brighton' trains will still run, but only go as far as Warminster / Salisbury. There is no reduction in frequency.

That's a shame, I would have a like to travel that route, guess I'll never get the chance now

The route can still be covered with changes of train, just not with GWR all the way. It is hardly as if a line is closing.

 

[pompeyfan]

Looks like 1S91 called additionally at Hilsea this morning (with some other good cross-TOC working) due to an issue with the 3rd rail this morning.

 

[387star]

Looks like 1S91 called additionally at Hilsea this morning (with some other good cross-TOC working) due to an issue with the 3rd rail this morning.

Nice first time since Christmas Eve 19 I think when the GWR train stopped all shacks Barnham to Fratton !

 

[paul1609]

At the Worcester end the 'Brighton' trains will still run, but only go as far as Warminster / Salisbury. There is no reduction in frequency.


The route can still be covered with changes of train, just not with GWR all the way. It is hardly as if a line is closing.

Your right that the route can be covered but let's not hide the fact that it's rail pulling out from the South Coast Conurbation to West Country Market. However easy the same platform connections are at Fareham a 30 min wait in the cold in the middle of lengthy journey is not ideal. The loss of Exeter connections at Westbury from Brighton have added the best part of an hour to journeys to the Southwest. From anywhere east of Barnham the quickest way is now via London. From the South Coast to Cornwall now the obvious public transport connection is the morning flight from Gatwick to Newquay.

 

[WesternLancer]

Your right that the route can be covered but let's not hide the fact that it's rail pulling out from the South Coast Conurbation to West Country Market. However easy the same platform connections are at Fareham a 30 min wait in the cold in the middle of lengthy journey is not ideal. The loss of Exeter connections at Westbury from Brighton have added the best part of an hour to journeys to the Southwest. From anywhere east of Barnham the quickest way is now via London. From the South Coast to Cornwall now the obvious public transport connection is the morning flight from Gatwick to Newquay.

Points v well made in my view.

 

[Graham H]

1O98 approaching Bristol with a 5O98 showing in the platform. Could it be a 5 coach lash up is being prepared for the last run ??

Edit update RTT now shows 158767 and 158798 allocated. Perhaps the final run wont be a sardine packed trip after all