Arriva X31

[Discodave]

Hit the nail on the head the train is more reliable from cannock to brum just like kidderminister to birmingham traffic problems have killed off the road option it might be after september it may be bye bye to the X31 again I live in Bloxwich and I must admit the old 951 etc was good but I now rather travel into Walsall (301/302 run very frequent) then X51.  Just makes more sense to me.  The train from Bloxwich to Brum is good but always packed (the bus I can get a seat) the Chase Line needs longer trains or more frequent stopping service through Bloxwich but there is a problem with various issues if any of the train experts could help as there are never more than 3 carriages on the train, platforms i know are one at some stations.   

[Tony]

Hit the nail on the head the train is more reliable from cannock to brum just like kidderminister to birmingham traffic problems have killed off the road option it might be after september it may be bye bye to the X31 again I live in Bloxwich and I must admit the old 951 etc was good but I now rather travel into Walsall (301/302 run very frequent) then X51.  Just makes more sense to me.  The train from Bloxwich to Brum is good but always packed (the bus I can get a seat) the Chase Line needs longer trains or more frequent stopping service through Bloxwich but there is a problem with various issues if any of the train experts could help as there are never more than 3 carriages on the train, platforms i know are one at some stations.

To be fair to London Midland they do have the current capacity of the trains about right. There is one two car out all day, the rest are 3 cars, and in the peak a 4 car does two trips in the morning (0752 & 0954 from Hednesford) and two in the afternoon (1539 & 1742 from New Street). You will get a seat at Bloxwich on any train on a normal day. The only one that struggles is the evening peak trip the two car does (1639 from New Street) which normally leaves with about 20-30 standing

[Discodave]

Thanks Tony must just be when I get on it must be a freak day when everyone wants the train

[Ash]

Wish they had more 4 cars in the morning peak time services by the time they reach Tame Bridge being the 7:43 and i think 8:17 or 8:19 are rammed full but if there is a 153 class attached i aim for that as there's normally more room on them sometimes if theres a train fault a 2 car 170 turns up and its awful but its only a 12 minutes journey into New street from Tame Bridge so not too bad

[Tony]

Wish they had more 4 cars in the morning peak time services by the time they reach Tame Bridge being the 7:43 and i think 8:17 or 8:19 are rammed full but if there is a 153 class attached i aim for that as there's normally more room on them sometimes if theres a train fault a 2 car 170 turns up and its awful but its only a 12 minutes journey into New street from Tame Bridge so not too bad

The 0817 at Tame Bridge is the 4 car! You also have the 4 car 350s on 3 journies from Tame Bridge, oh to have the luxury of one of those up to Hednesford! One day the D(a)fT might realise people commute into other cities than London and finally agree for wires between Walsall & Rugeley. At least we are getting new signalling at last so more than 4 trains an hour can use the line.

[Bob]

yep pay a higher fare before 930 am and  cant even get a seat no thanks!!

[Tony]

yep pay a higher fare before 930 am and  cant even get a seat no thanks!!

As I said above there is no train you cannot get a seat on from Bloxwich or any station north thereof when the service is running OK. Most people paying a return fare of between £3 & £4 as they are nearly all on weekly or longer tickets. Anybody making two peak journies a week will find it cheaper to buy a monthly nTrain ticket.

Even on the odd occasions I have had to stand 40 minutes on a train is far better than standing for over an hour on a bus!

The people who do stand on the trains from Rugeley are those getting on at Walsall or Tame Bridge who have the option of the trains that start at Walsall which are never full and standing and only take 5 minutes longer despoite all the stops

[Bob]

n train ticket? can u use that in cannock?

[Tony]

n train ticket? can u use that in cannock?

Yes, Zone 5 on nTrain includes Rugeley Trent Valley; nNetwork is only valid to Bloxwich North.
It costs me £112 per year to extend my nNetwork to Hednesford but my daughters nTrain is valid.

[4504]

The train timetable was cut a couple of yrs back i think....

Yes, but it's the exact same frequency as the X31, not to mention including a Sunday and evening frequency...

[Bob]

I still reckon theres a market for the right bus service to Birmingham, if the train was the be all and end all, we wouldnt have a bus service from Cannock to Walsall would we? Cause everyone would use the train. Hopefully the X31 will continue ...

[4504]

I still reckon theres a market for the right bus service to Birmingham, if the train was the be all and end all, we wouldnt have a bus service from Cannock to Walsall would we? Cause everyone would use the train. Hopefully the X31 will continue ...

I think if people need to get to Birmingham from Cannock, they should get the train. There can't be that much demand for a bus service regularly between Cannock and Birmingham, because then there would already be one

[Bob]

if you want to park at cannock station you have to pay another minus point. There is room for a bus and train service, as there is to walsall. The train fare before 9.30 is much higher also.

[4504]

if you want to park at cannock station you have to pay another minus point. There is room for a bus and train service, as there is to walsall. The train fare before 9.30 is much higher also.

To Walsall, fair enough, but have we've seen in the past, no operator has been able to successfully run a service from Cannock to Birmingham, possibly suggesting it's not required

[Bob]

It'll be intersting to see what happens in Sept,  the X31 isnt totally short of customers