USRailFan wrote:I would think that before the introduction of the Voyagers and Pendos, it'd still be pretty much the same operations and timetables as it was in the BR InterCity-era?
Ill be honest, ive not looked into the subject enough to be sure. I do know there was a lot of Government agitation around the time of privatisation to alter timetables which 'had not changed in years', which of course overlooked the point that the track didnt change and neither did peoples requirements as to when they wanted to go to work. That said I do know that the HSTs on the GWML now stop far more frequently than they did in the intercity days, and this has actually reduced the speed of the service as a consequence. A mixture of passenger demand going up, and not enough carriages to go around I suspect.
One interesting thing ive learned from Christian Wolmars 'Broken Rails' book (a first rate account of how the Rail system fell apart after privatisation, and how it took the better part of a decade to put it right), the first timetable after the sell off is regarded by timetable experts as one of the worst and inaccurate that has ever been released. Apparently they had to issue a number of ammendments over the following months, which is perhaps hard to understand if they just ported over the BR timetable and kept business as usual. I must get a copy, ive a feeling it might prove to be a collectors item.
Be good to try and find a BR timetable of the WCML circa 1994 and compare it circa 1996-97 and compare. Ive got a feeling it might prove surprisingly interesting. Ive larned a lot from getting a 1959 WR timetable. The number of overnight trains (presumably in large part empty stock movements) was amazing.
