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Future Train Travel To St James Park...........

grecIAN Harris

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................ or lack of it possibly. http://www.devonlive.com/sport/football/fears-st-james-park-could-753855. With both fixture lists coming out so far in advance surely the simple thing would be for GWR to put on another set of carriages. Now I expect RaWZ will pop up and say it's not as simple as all that but I would argue that it is. GWR managed to get extra services made of spare HST sets from Exeter only running for the play offs in May at matter of days notice. Surely it's not beyond them to be able to put an extra set of carriages on the back of an already timetabled service with months and months advanced warning. There is no doubt that it would be cost effective.
 

ECFC Music

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Ridiculous idea ! Trains in the West Country are bad enough already without more heaped on the public. So if this happens it just means more congestion on the road rather than on the trains. The solution is clear put on the necessary trains to meet the forecast public demand as it arises. It's up to GWR to provide the service required and create the means to do so.
 

Oldsmobile-88

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In RaWZ we trust....Amen.
As a matter of intrest,does anyone know how many supporters use the halt at SJP on matchdays ?.
 

Red Devon

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Not forgetting that SouthWestern Railways on the Waterloo line do not stop at SJH either.
 
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grecIAN Harris

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Not forgetting that SouthWestern Railways on the Waterloo line do not stop at SJH either.
They never have so that makes no kind of difference to any discussion here.
 

IndoMike

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Absolute disgrace if they cut out the stop at St. James. You guys who need it should kick up an almighty stink. Cheeky barstewards!
 

Red Devon

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They never have so that makes no kind of difference to any discussion here.
Don’t see the harm in raising the issue!

I come in on that line for every Saturday home game along with many other city fans, adding a stop a Cranbrook didn’t seem to be a problem for the train company.
 

grecIAN Harris

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Don’t see the harm in raising the issue!

I come in on that line for every Saturday home game along with many other city fans, adding a stop a Cranbrook didn’t seem to be a problem for the train company.
As do I (from Cranbrook) as and when I catch the train, admittedly not very often. St James Park is a small local staion. Your service is, to all intents and purposes, an inter city service. When was the last time you saw a Paddington service stop at Exeter St Thomas which is similar to what you're asking?
 

Grecian2K

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Such a shame that the precious Shandy Park snowflakes are denied a resting place for their sensitive botties for a short distance of their journey because all of those dirty, unwashed "soccer oiks" are nicking their rightful seats. However I fear that, in the almost masonic egg-chasing circles I have little doubt that a few honeyed words (and, dare one say, MONEY) directed in the right places will secure their aims.

But, to deal with the "logic" in the excuses for by-passing SJPH I would make the following observations.

1) Arriving from the Exeter end, the platform is only long enough to accommodate the very front carriage. Surely if this was clearly announced as available for SJP customers only for the short journey from St Davids or Central this would only cause minimum inconvenience for the egg-chasers on their journey. They could always file back into the empty seats once all the departing custom had left - or would the carriage have to be fully decontaminated before the delicate egg-chasing flowers could even be asked to risk despoiling their expensive Samurai togs.

2) Coming from the Exmouth end, the argument is irrelevant, as the train would already have emptied of the rugger-buggers long before SJP. (That is, of course, if the trains actually run all the way to and from Exmouth and are not terminated at Newcourt or Digby - if so, the move is additionally inconvenient and discriminatory toward the regular, non-sporting public.)

3) Post Match, since SJP is right by our ground (while the stations serving the egg chasers are still a fair old walk from the stadium) surely stopping the first train immediately after the game finishes would not inconvenience the rugby custom as no way would they have had time to reach Digby (or Newcourt). Yet another flimsy excuse.

4) Regarding Red Devon's regarding the Waterloo services calling at SJP I understand that because SJP was a FIRST GROUP station while the previous francisee, South West Trains, was <shudder> a STAGECOACH company and, as such, not permitted to stop there.
However, since August the new franchise (the dramatically renamed SouthWestern Railways) is majority owned by errm FIRST GROUP, which surely removes that excuse.
(I won't even mention the potential concerns about ALL routes to the Westcountry now being an effective monopoly!!!)

Still, given the way that ALL local authorities are so keen to roll over and be shagged up the metaphoric arse by Mr Rowe and his rich cronies I have no confidence that SJP will manage to survive this draconian purge. Indeed I fear that it could be the first, sly step towards its removal from the network altogether. :(
 

Red Devon

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As do I (from Cranbrook) as and when I catch the train, admittedly not very often. St James Park is a small local staion. Your service is, to all intents and purposes, an inter city service. When was the last time you saw a Paddington service stop at Exeter St Thomas which is similar to what you're asking?
Not a lot of difference to stopping at Pinhoe...at Feniton and Whimple passengers are requested to sit in the front 3 carriages because of short platforms at those stations.
 
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