CHAMBER INVOLVE: PATRONS
CHAMBER INVOLVE CHAMBER PATRONS: GWR
STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE WIDER COMMUNITY
‘This is
All aboard for biggest change to rail services
South West train services will be transformed from December, as Great Western Railway speeds up its timetable, offering faster journey times and more frequent services to key locations. Train services between Devon
and Cornwall and London will be restructured to deliver a more consistent service pattern throughout the day, offering faster journey times and more frequent services to key locations from December this year. It is the biggest timetable
change on the network since 1976, GWR’s Intercity Express Trains (IETs) will take advantage of recent infrastructure improvements to deliver a series of improvements. GWR Managing Director Mark
Hopwood said: “While December may seem a long time away for many, we have been working hard behind the scenes to prepare to implement the biggest timetable change on this network since 1976, enabling us to take advantage of the full benefits that new Intercity Express Trains are bringing. “In providing more frequent and
quicker journeys our new timetable will for the vast majority of users quite literally mean ‘all change please’ and we are looking forward to publishing further details soon.” Customers in Plymouth and
Cornwall will see journey times improve as all trains to the Capital
20 Chamber Profile Autumn 2019
via Exeter St Davids, will run fast between Taunton and Reading. A two-hourly semi-fast service
between Paddington and Exeter St Davids will call at Reading, Newbury, Pewsey, Westbury, Castle Cary, Taunton and Tiverton Parkway. In addition, the frequency of
trains between Plymouth and Exeter will increase, and existing Penzance to Taunton services via Plymouth and Exeter, will be extended to Cardiff, offering better connectivity to Wales. Richard Burningham, from the
Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership, said: “This is great news for the local and regional economies of Devon and Cornwall, for the environment, and for rail customers. More seats, more trains and faster journeys will help with inward investment, with the switch from cars to public transport and will be a great support for visitors and commuters alike. “It is not just the journey time
savings in long distance journeys to London, it is also about the significant improvement to many local trains across the two counties. It is no exaggeration to say that Devon and Cornwall local services will be the best they have ever been and it is great to see that we will now see the full benefit of the investment in both track and train by Christmas.”
great news
for the local and regional economies’
Changes will also take place to branch line services, designed to improve capacity at the busiest times of the day and provide a more consistent service throughout the day:
Barnstaple • Longer, more modern trains will replace Class 143 Pacer trains on the Barnstaple line, giving a 17% increase in seats.
• New earlier first train to Exeter with an arrival time at Exeter St David’s of 07.31, in line with customer aspirations and an hourly calling pattern throughout the day, including the evening peak
• Some intermediate station stops altered or removed to deliver the standard service pattern
Devon Metro • Devon Metro timetable recast to two trains per hour between Exmouth and Paignton, operated by four car services, with all Exeter Central services extended to Exeter St Davids.
• Saturday services for Dawlish Warren increased to half hourly The timetable change comes
after the introduction of new long distance trains, with more seats, improved Wi-Fi and at seat catering throughout. Local trains are also being improved with the very oldest trains moved out of the fleet and longer, newer trains introduced on regional services and branch lines. The Night Riviera sleeper service has also been fully refurbished with new berths, an improved lounge car and upgraded seated cars. Further investment is also being
made in train care depots, stations and car parks, with a new depot under construction at Exeter St
Davids to cope with the increased numbers of local trains, a new lift recently installed and soon to be operational at Totnes and work due to start later this year on the remodelling of Plymouth station to include a new car park, hotel, school of dentistry and midwifery and an improved station concourse. The timetable is expected to
come into effect on 15 December, and the plans are subject to final industry approval including from Network Rail. It is expected to be published on 15 September.
Visit:
www.gwr.com
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