From the Save Severn Tunnel Website (link below.) :
http://www.saveseverntunnel.co.uk/

The proposed enhancements to the timetable involve the provision throughout the day of the alternate services (Portsmouth) that at present pass through Severn Tunnel Junction station without stopping. This gives a half-hourly service pattern that enables connections into the half-hourly main line services at both Newport and Bristol.

In addition it creates connections to and from the Chepstow line rail services which the existing Bristol Newport service fails to make any connections into (apart from the peak times where there is already the half-hourly Bristol - Newport service).

The proposal provides two additional late evening services from Bristol giving a last service an hour and a half-later departing Bristol at 22.54. All of the enhancements are based on no additional trains operating but simply additional station stops on the existing services.

A further advantage of this proposal is that it maximises the Bus / Rail integration at Severn Tunnel Junction.

Monmouthshire County Council have supported and implemented a local Bus Service to supplement the commercial Busses that operate in East Monmouthshire. This is used to give access to the shopping area and also to specifically provide integration with the railway at Severn Tunnel Junction. It is the only bus service that actually calls at the station; all the commercial services operate along the main road some 8 -10 minutes walk away. This Bus operates to and from Sudbrook (through Portskewett and Caldicot) and then to Undy / Magor with some of the return journeys also going via Caerwent.

An analysis of the existing timetables shows that if all the Cardiff - Bristol services called at the station, only the 16.44 from Newport would not make an additional connection from either the Integrated Bus service or the Rail service off the Gloucester line. A total of 13 additional connections are made into the Bristol services effectively more than doubling the connectivity of the service.

In the reverse direction the Bristol - Cardiff service would provide an additional 20 connections into the Gloucester Line rail service or the Station bus service to Magor and Caldicot / Portskewett / Sudbrook. The 07.54, 10.55, 18.54 and 21.54 from Bristol would be the only services not actually providing additional connections.

The tables below give the analysis of the timetables with the highlight in yellow showing services that would in future connect into or from the Bristol services. The highlight in red shows the additional stops at the Junction into which or from which the actual connections are made. The highlight in green identifies the additional stops that do not have an added public service connections and only provide a service to the locality, or would require car / taxi connection at the station.

*Please click on http://www.saveseverntunnel.co.uk/TR064.doc to access document

Without the need for any additional train or bus services the proposal represents a major step forward in providing integrated public transport in the area.

STAG. Central Trains to Stop at Chepstow

The issue was also given an airing yesterday (17/1) in WAG’s Enterprise, Innovation and Networks (EIN) Committee meeting by Kirsty Williams AM – presumably following a briefing from Michael German – as well as in the support paper submitted by Passenger Focus. Part of the EIN committee’s agenda today was on rail issues, predominately FGW, but as DfT was present the subject was raised. Kirsty’s comments of support for extra Chepstow stops were directed towards the DfT representatives. The committee meetings are televised (S4C/S4C2).

The transcript of the meeting will be posted within the next five days or so to the following webpage (where other meeting details are already available)

*Please click on http://www.wales.gov.uk/cms/2/EnterpriseInnovationAndNetworksCommittee/AgendasPapersTranscripts to access a transcript of the meeting above