(20 Oct 2017, 11:53 am)Andreos1 If word gets around that the train is cheaper, it may see demand dictate a more frequent service on train - obviously dicated by pathing issues.
I got off a TPX (which was heading to Newcastle) a few weekends ago at Chester and the platform was full of people waiting to board.
Obviously it isnt like that for every train, but there must be a reason they were all using the infrequent train, over the 24hr bus.
Only just come across this thread, and those rail fares are cheap even by GM standards. I also live where there is an element of competition, on a section of route of about 4 miles into Manchester Piccadilly:
(Return) Rail fare is £4.70 peak; £3.60 off-peak. This of course, includes both Rail and Metrolink across the city centre. Off-peak seems to be based on a 0930 arrival time in Manchester, not departure time from originating station. The service runs approx every 30 minutes off-peak, with up to 5 trains an hour on a very haphazard peak timetable. Journey time is between 8 and 14 minutes dependant on how many stops. Punctuality varies, but at present is poor. Trains are Class 142 & 150, with the occasional 156. Loadings are heavy and increasing dramatically. Its an ATN franchise. This seems to be mainly due to additional employment and/or transferring from buses, as it has not halted the continuing growth in traffic congestion.
Bus Fare is £4.30 (eff. flat fare for any return journey above 1.5 miles in most of GM). The service runs every 10 mins off-peak (slightly less in the morning peak). Journey time is between 24 and 30 minutes. Punctuality is poor between 0830 & 1100, but reasonable at other times. Sat/Sun morning punctuality was also poor until last weekend, but Stagecoach have finally addressed this, 33 months after parrallel services were slashed which exacerbated already tight running times. Around 90% of buses are Euro6 E400 MMCs.
Today was a classic example of transport problems: Trains were disrupted more than usual, due to a signal failure further down the line - the second consecutive Monday this has happened! The problem was fixed later in the morning, but trains were still running late this evening. Due to this morning's problems, I caught the bus - which was slightly late for the first mile or so, and then hit solid traffic. A 10+ minute delay due to an accident was exacerbated by GMP deciding two bus loads of passengers would be the ideal candidates to be further delayed, whilst they spent four minutes manouevering the low-loader with the damaged car away. Of course, it wasn't just us further inconvenienced, our driver was coming off onto his mealbreak just 5 minutes down the road, so his further delay would have a knock on effect to the passengers on his second half of his duty, as well as the outbound passengers on the bus' next journey.
Getting back to the point, and this might not apply in the case of Chester-le-Street, but round here, any further increase in rail passengers/services would not only bring about more capacity issues (and tax spending to solve/satisfy them), but also reduce the viability of competing buses. That in turn must result in increased car ownership and ergo increased congestion/pollution. Not to mention, lower quality of life for those that can't drive for whatever reason.
