Apologies first of all if a thread has already been started on this.

Does anyone know if there is going to be a timetable consultation for the Greater Western December 2007 timetable?  I am looking to find out what the plans are on the South Wales - London/Bristol/Portsmouth route, and in Devon/Cornwall, and obviously for Melksham.

There is no hint of anything on the operator website at the moment, and when I spoke to CS a few months ago, I was told there was no plans for such a consultation this time   

Does anyone know any different?

I have received a letter from the DfT on this very subject.....

Quote :

"With regard to Dilton Marsh, the service which First Great Western intends to operate from December 2007 is currently subject to public consultation over the next 12 weeks.  The proposed service will be five services per day in each direction on Mondays to Saturdays, and four on Sundays.  I note that the current service exceeds the required minimum level."

This means that Dilton Marsh will have its service CUT by 50% from December 2007.

My understanding is that you are correct and there is no wide ranging public consultation thsi year; industry consultation dates go back even before last December's timetable changes on some charts that I have had sight of, and the situation that was current as of 8th June was that First were awaiting the imminent approval of Network Rail on pathing issues. It has, however, gone quiet since then!

Certain major changes that the TOC sees as positive have been quite widely talked about - for example a regularising of the services from Bristol to Westbury, where at present a slower train and a faster train both arrive withing a few minutes of each other, then there's a gap of nearly an hour.   Seems sensible as far as it goes; other changes have been mentioned / discussed in a far quieter way (our TransWilts line and the whole Swindon to Southampton route) and I would be hopeful that we can see the services being more appropriate to the needs as from December.  I have my fingers crossed as to whether it will be enough; there are worrying signs that the improvements may NOT critically tip the balance but rather fall short of a minimum.

With talk of the fleet shrinking again this Autumn / December, I also worry - I hope needlessly - as to whether a few other services may quietly disappear from the timetables, be shortened further in formation, or be rescheduled to run in marginal time when trains are available but there is little demand for services.   I saw a statement just the other day (by First?) stating that 90% of their trains were not overcrowded.