Remenham Parish Council

Welcome to Remenham Parish Council?

There’s a big timetable change happening from December 15th, when half of our daytime services from Twyford to London and back will switch to being Crossrail trains.

For weekday services to and from London:

In the morning peak, the existing services will run as they always have, with our special GWR semi-fast Twyford-Maidenhead-London services connecting off the 0605, 0635, 0706, 0736, 0807, 0837 trains from Henley.   All of these trains are scheduled to arrive 2 minutes or more earlier than they do now.

Off-peak daytime services will alternate between Crossrail and GWR trains (two each per hour). The first two off-peak services from Henley - now at 0911 and 0941 will now connect to slower Crossrail services.  These will arrive later than they used to, at 1017 and 1047, respectively 9 and 1 minute later than before.  The reason for this is that the branch has to change from morning peak 06/36 timings from Henley to what will be 27/57 timings (between 0837 and 1027) without having an undue gap.  This is a little tiresome perhaps but here are some positives to think about. Assuming the timings stay, when the tunnel does open, those two off-peak trains is going to go right into and through Central London without the need to change at Paddington.   Great for shoppers, families and off peak business users. after those first two off-peak trains - EVERY BRANCH TRAIN from 1023 to 1623 will connect to a GWR limited stop service to London. 

Crossrail services will be all stops with open trains configured like underground trains.  they have wifi, but they don't have power, tables, toilets or hatracks.

GWR will be Maidenhead, Slough, Hayes, Ealing Broadway, Paddington, I believe.  With 'normal' seats, tables (seatback and full), toilets, hat-racks, power and wifi.

Eastbound A mixture of mainline services up to 10am.  After 10am EVERY connecting train for the rest of the day is a Great Western service.  With 'normal' seats, power, hatracks, toilets....   We made it so

Evening fast rush hour trains (including the 1650 that we recovered) will run at 1650, 1719, 1751, 1820, 1849, 1920 - just very slightly adjusted from now (note, no 1842).  Because of line congestion some are faster to Twyford than others, while the branch has to leave every 30 or so minutes.  So some waits at Twyford will be longer than others, but journey time will be pretty much the same for all (note that the 1650 and 1719 are the fastest).   The branch adjustment should mean less worry and gnashing of teeth as you approach Twyford.

GWR connections for the rest of the day.   The 1935 has never really connected and is faster than before leading to a long wait than before, so consider your options there.  A slower warmer train may suit.  BUT there will now be a 2215 fast service, meaning that we have fast services at 1920, 2019, 2115, 2220, 2250, and 2315 (beware, that last train is five mins earlier than before).

Daytime westbound, evening peak and into the evening, all fast, all green. 

travelling to and from Reading, it isn't possible for the branch to deliver to and collect from the same main line train unless both trains are in the station for the minimum 3 minutes connecting time.  And with four trains each way an hour, network rail are not going to allow 12 mins an hour of stoppage (ie 20%).   Further, as explained, the branch trains are optimised for the highest flow of traffic - which is to and from London, and everyone has asked for those to be GWR services for the longer journey.   

The upshot of that then is that connections to Reading will be onto the Crossrail train FOLLOWING the GWR service, and connections from Reading will be from the PRECEDING Crossrail Service.  It's 7 minutes.  Tables and toilets and hatracks and power are less critical.

GWR services limited stop, and Crossrail being all-stop creates a bunching of trains which can't be avoided.  And I'm pretty sure the major focus is for the fastest, most comfortable services to and from London from the branch.  But there are some peak nuggets.  The 0837 from Henley will now deliver into Reading at 0852, not 0910.  The 0911 will deliver at 0933, where the current 0909 delivers at 0939.  And coming home the 1706 from Reading will deliver into Henley at 1733, the 1741 at 1804, the 1809 at 1839 and so on.   So there are some good services in the peaks.

So there you go.  We think we have got the best we can - in particular, efficient services to and from London through both the peak and off-peak on GWR services to and from London.  The first off peaks are Crossrail into London, but one can see the positive benefits for future travel and for families.   Peak commuter services are broadly on the same schedule as now, but with the branch adjusted back a bit to remove some ofst of the last two years and increase chances of successfully getting home as per schedule. Well done Henley Trains and all those involved over the years.

John Halsall 07939 041227

johnashalsall@gmail.com

Deputy Chairman Remenham Parish Council

Councillor Wokingham Borough Council

Leader of the Council

RPC was pleased to hear that John Halsall has been elected Leader of Conservatives in Wokingham. In the light of his increased workload it is agreed that John Merkel would become RPC Chairman, with John Halsall becoming RPC Vice Chairman. To fit in to an even more tightly-packed diary, RPC has agreed to move future meetings to 8pm on the second Monday of each month in the Parish Hall. 

Although the Neighbourhood Plan itself has been overtaken by events and is no longer a necessity, the results of the Survey conducted during 2016 have now been professionally and independently analysed.  An executive summary of the findings  and the full analysis - which makes impressive reading - is attached  below.