Unlikely bus war in Swindon

An ‘unlikely’ bus war will commence in Swindon on Sunday 26 October between Stagecoach West and Thamesdown Transport. Stagecoach West has been the sole bus operator in Swindon on Sunday and Public Holidays since 1991, except for the service which has been operated by Thamesdown Transport between the town centre and the Great Western Hospital, since the new medical facility was opened. From Sunday 26 October, Thamesdown Transport is commencing daytime operation on Sunday and Public Holidays on three bus routes in Swindon, two in direct competition with Stagecoach which has increased frequencies in response. Stagecoach has reduced the price of the company’s adult ‘Sunday Dayrider’ ticket for Swindon from two pounds and ninety pence to two pounds and fifty pence – the Thamesdown Transport adult ‘day Rider’ ticket costs three pounds.

Work starts on new Penryn rail loop

Network Rail has started to construct the new four hundred metre long passing loop at Penryn on the railway line between Falmouth Docks and Truro – the new loop will enable an increased frequency of two trains per hour in each direction to be operated from May 2009. The work is been funded jointly by the European Regional Development Programme Convergence Programme, Cornwall County Council and Network Rail. It is expected that the new loop will be built by the end of November 2008, when the related programme to modify the signalling will commence.

ATOC marketing programme to boost public perceptions

The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) is launching a major marketing programme designed to improve public perceptions of rail travel – ATOC considers that the campaign is necessary to change the railway’s image because public perceptions of train travel lag behind the quality of service currently been offered. ATOC is worried that if the issue is not addressed that it will be more difficult to obtain future public funding for the rail network.

CrossCountry high speed train enters service

The first refurbished high speed train operated by CrossCountry has entered service – the eight carriage trains have a capacity of five hundred and forty-two seats. The refurbished train has new seating and tables, ‘refreshed’ toilet facilities, enhanced lighting and power sockets throughout. All five high speed trains, leased by CrossCountry, are expected to be refurbished by mid-December. Four of the five high speed trains will be diagrammed for daily use on the Edinburgh – Plymouth via Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds and Newcastle route – high speed trains will be provided on the following eight CrossCountry services on Monday to Friday from 15 December 2008:-

• 0600hrs Leeds to Plymouth (1156hrs)
• 0632hrs York to Plymouth (1256hrs)
• 0608hrs Edinburgh to Plymouth (1456hrs)
• 0632hrs Dundee to Plymouth (1652hrs)
• 1221hrs Plymouth to Glasgow Central via Edinburgh
• 1321hrs Plymouth to Edinburgh
• 1521hrs Plymouth to York
• 1721hrs Plymouth to Leeds

More trains between Gloucester and Worcester

More trains between Gloucester and Worcester Shrub Hill via Cheltenham Spa and Ashchurch will be provided from 15 December 2008, when the train operating company, London Midland, commences operating off-peak trains on this corridor, in ‘competition’ with First Great Western. London Midland currently only operate one southbound train per week from Worcester Shrub Hill to Gloucester at 2344hrs on a Friday evening.

And finally,

A special bus service was provided between Frome and Warminster last Sunday (12 October), operated by a London routemaster bus, driven by the Commissioner of Transport for London, Peter Hendy.