Topological
Member
So many conflicting arguments.
Maybe Shrewsbury would do better with a train that was off-peak, therefore not attracting the fares being discussed here? Maybe the flows are to Shrewsbury and then the peak issue is only Birmingham and some sensible splitting can be done to keep flexibility? My own take would be that the timing is the only one that works and the service is just not designed for those other markets.
Whilst peak services are prohibitively expensive, they are the time when the railways make money to subsidise lower fares for off peak. I dont see that bringing off peak fares into peak times will help much.
As an aside, there don't ever seem to be peak restrictions on TfW over the Marches and operating through Shrewsbury, at least it is the same fare to go from Swansea to Manchester all day (and that encounters Cardiffs peak as well as others no doubt).
The railways really should be making sure there is capacity on Wolverhampton/Birmingham to London and then the connections between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton/Birmingham. That would make sure that Shrewsbury was well connected south.
Maybe Shrewsbury would do better with a train that was off-peak, therefore not attracting the fares being discussed here? Maybe the flows are to Shrewsbury and then the peak issue is only Birmingham and some sensible splitting can be done to keep flexibility? My own take would be that the timing is the only one that works and the service is just not designed for those other markets.
Whilst peak services are prohibitively expensive, they are the time when the railways make money to subsidise lower fares for off peak. I dont see that bringing off peak fares into peak times will help much.
As an aside, there don't ever seem to be peak restrictions on TfW over the Marches and operating through Shrewsbury, at least it is the same fare to go from Swansea to Manchester all day (and that encounters Cardiffs peak as well as others no doubt).
The railways really should be making sure there is capacity on Wolverhampton/Birmingham to London and then the connections between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton/Birmingham. That would make sure that Shrewsbury was well connected south.