|
Based on Maidenhead Timetables, and information we have been able to glean from other sources, we have
reviewed local rail services for the proposed December 2006 changes, and comment as follows:
- MMPA committee is extremely disappointed that morning and evening peak-time services are subject to
further curtailment -
Comparisons:
| Monday - Friday |
Morning peak 0630-0900
Maidenhead - Paddington |
Evening Peak 1700-1930
Paddington - Maidenhead |
| Daily No. of Trains | No. Departing Maidenhead 0630 - 0900 | Journey time less than 30 mins |
Daily No. of Trains | No. Departing Paddington 1700 - 1930 | Journey time less than 30 mins |
| Dec-03 | 82 | 18 | 9 | 88 | 20 | 10 |
| Dec-04 | 86 | 18 | 9 | 88 | 16 | 7 |
| Dec-05 | 88 | 21 | 6 | 88 | 17 | 8 |
Proposed
Dec-06 | 86 | 17 | 3 | 86 | 20 | 3 |
Details of proposed morning peak -
| Dep Mdhd 0630-0900 | Arr Padd | Journey Time |
under 30 mins | 30-39 mins | 40+ mins | from | cars |
| 0646 | 0726 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 1 | rdg | 3 |
| 0649 | 0712 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | oxf | '180' |
| 0655 | 0740 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 1 | rdg | 3 |
| 0712 | 0745 | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | hot | 5 |
| 0716 | 0756 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 1 | rdg | 3 |
| 0725 | 0810 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 1 | oxf | 3 |
| 0742 | 0815 | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | bne | 5 |
| 0746 | 0826 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 1 | oxf | 3 |
| 0749 | 0812 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | oxf | '180' |
| 0755 | 0840 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 1 | rdg | 3 |
| 0812 | 0845 | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | hot | 3 |
| 0816 | 0856 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 1 | oxf | 3 |
| 0825 | 0910 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ban | 3 |
| 0842 | 0915 | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | bne | 3 |
| 0846 | 0926 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 1 | oxf | 3 |
| 0849 | 0912 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | oxf | '180' |
| 0859 | 0943 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ban | 3 |
| Totals |
3 (17.7%) | 4 (23.5%) | 10 (58.8%) | 17 |
December 06 MMPA est max no. of seats (based on 3x'Adelante'+12x3-car + 2x5-car) 5068
Seating is mix of 1st + standard classes
December 05 MMPA est max no. of seats (based on 1xHST+15x3-car + 1x4-car+4x5-car) 6813
Note - Have requested, but not received, peaktime formations in excess of 3-cars which serve Maidenhead
Details of Proposed Evening Peak
| Dep Padd 1700-1930 | Arr Mdhd | Journey Time |
under 30 mins | 30-39 mins | 40+ mins | to | cars |
| 1713 | 1744 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | hot | 3 |
| 1717 | 1800 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 1 | rdg | 3 |
| 1728 | 1811 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ban | 3 |
| 1736 | 1758 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | oxf | 5 |
| 1743 | 1815 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | bne | 3 |
| 1747 | 1826 | 39 | 0 | 1 | 0 | rdg | 3 |
| 1758 | 1841 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 1 | rdg | 5 |
| 1813 | 1845 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | hot | 5 |
| 1817 | 1900 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 1 | rdg | 5 |
| 1818 | 1840 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | oxf | 6 |
| 1828 | 1911 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 1 | oxf | 3 |
| 1836 | 1858 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | oxf | '180' |
| 1843 | 1920 | 37 | 0 | 1 | 0 | bne | 3 |
| 1847 | 1926 | 39 | 0 | 1 | 0 | oxf | 3 |
| 1851 | 1936 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 1 | rdg | 3 |
| 1858 | 1941 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 1 | rdg | 3 |
| 1913 | 1945 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | hot | 3 |
| 1917 | 1956 | 39 | 0 | 1 | 0 | oxf | 3 |
| 1921 | 2006 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 1 | rdg | 3 |
| 1928 | 2011 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 1 | rdg | 3 |
| Totals | 3 (15%) | 8 (40%) | 9 (45%) | 20 |
ban=Banbury, bne=Bourne End, hot=Henley-on-Thames, oxf=Oxford, rdg=Reading.
Padd=London Paddington, Mdhd=Maidenhead
'180' = 5-car class 180 Adelante unit.
December 06 MMPA est max no. of seats (based on 1x'Adelante'+14x3-car + 4x5-car+1x6-car) 6526
Seating is mix of 1st and standard class.
December 05 MMPA est max no. of seats (based on 12x3-car + 5x5-car) 5605
Note - Have requested, but not received, peak time formations in excess of 3-cars which serve Maidenhead.
In FGW terms 'fast' is less than 33 minutes journey time!!!! MMPA regards 'fast' as less than 25 minutes.
- MMPA considers , for the most part, the points of origination in the 'up' direction (towards Paddington) in the
morning peak, and corresponding destinations of trains in the evening, are not conducive to the
comfort of passengers travelling from or to Maidenhead.
- MMPA would have hoped for a least 4-more fast services from Maidenhead (715 / 730 / 800 / 815 ) at
peaktime to provide a respectable sequence of fast services (journey time of less than 25 minutes),
together with at least the same number of morning peak-time trains (seats) as in current timetable.
As can be deduced from the above information, there are potentially considerably fewer seats
available in the morning peak than are currently presented.
- MMPA welcomes the idea of 2 semi-fast off-peak service from Maidenhead (32 mins journey time) each hour,
but this is offset by the timetable having 2 departures to Paddington 5 miutes apart, followed by 25
minute gap. Arrival times at Maidenhead of off-peak trains from Paddington are spread much as now
- not ideal but more accaptable than in the opposite direction.
- MMPA committee was looking forward to improvements in connections to / from the Marlow branch at
Maidenhead where there are currently some 'rogue' timings.
- Morning peak connections from Burnham leave a lot to be desired (mostly 20+ minutes).
- The 1713 ex Padd (arr Mdhd 1744) leaves only one minute connection to Marlow.
- The 0702 and 0802 from Rdg (arr Mdhd 0715 and 0815) arrive with only 1 minute before Marlow
train which we do not believe to be acceptable at peak-time. Also applies to 1839 from Rdg.
- There are also some lengthy connectional times in the evening peak from the Rdg direction (eg
1715, 1745, 1815 1nd 1845 services from Rdg involve waits of 17-20 minutes at Mdhd).
- We were promised 4-minute connections from Padd off-peak - only 3 minutes seems to be allowed.
- It would be useful for the clockface branch departures to be used off-peak - especially evenings as
happens with current timetables.
- Many of the comments applicable to Maidenhead (and branch connections) above also apply to services
from / to Twyford (and connections to/from Henley) where the demand for peak-time seating is just
as evidential as from Maidenhead. Trains stop at both Twyford and Maidenhead throughout the day
(except the 4 peak-time services from/to Bourne End).
- MMPA is disappointerd that there is no provision for services to/from the Kennet Valley from stations in the
inner catchment area.
- We note that the proposed 0649 from Maidenhead will not call at Slough. The Current 0640 from Maidenhead
does stop at Slough and collects some 100 customers. We think this early morning stop should
continue to be made in the new timetable.
- The committee realises that most of the difficulties, complaints, etc in arranging the new timetable relate to
weekday services - especially peaktimes, but express disappointment that weekend services have not been published.
This makes us wonder if there are plans to severly curtail these services under cover of the other timetabling issues.
There is a number of other smaller issues which relate to timetabling but the main concerns are identified.
During the consultation various ideas will be promulgated - we hope FGW will be able to construct
a much improved timetable for the Maidenhead area, better serving a major focal point for commuters.
This is the result of MMPA committee deliberations over the draft timetable advertised by First Great Western
for December 2006.
7th March 2006
Revised
|
