Trains that are set down only services. Why is that?

So, got the 21.45 from Paddington to Taunton last night.

Most of the stops after Bristol (including Taunton itself) were set down only.

Why do they do that? Seems odd as if the train is at say taunton and I wanted to go to Exeter where is it already going why would they not want you to go on it?

Is it because the train is stopping at these stops after 12 at night?

Watford Junction on a Euston bound Virgin train is/was set down only. Impossible to police and I presume to stop people with cheaper Travelcards using the express service. But never stopped me way back when.

No idea why FGW do that though. Is it because the ticket inspector can’t be bothered to check tickets after midnight? Some archaic union rule? Seems odd though if that was the case because someone who is prepared to travel illegally definitely can be trusted to comply with the please do not alight instructions.

I’ve no idea. I get this particular train quite often and there is no one on it after Bristol and they never check the tickets. There must be a reason surely?!

Do you have to signal to get off? IE no signal the train doesn’t stop so you can’t guarantee to pick anyone up?

Maybe they only stop if someone buys a ticket to get off at a particular stop? If people start getting on a train that they are nor supposed to be on then the train might not stop where they want.

Info here

Still seems a bit strange to me.

Sounds like as it is the last train it might arrive early (or late) and so say it is set down only. I guess that way they can’t get done for poor punctuality.

?

I believe there is a legal requirement to run the last train or provide a suitable substitute. If it’s only set down, then it’s not technically the last train so if they terminate it short they don’t have to run a bus.

Rich.

All sorts of reasons, a few listed above…..but also:
Dwell time at the station (train stops for a shorter time when setting down only so overall journey time is reduced)

Dwell time at the station (train stops for a shorter time, meaning more trains can run over the same bit of line increasing capacity)

Commercial agreements between operators so as not to extract fares from each other (usually instructed by DfT for ‘moderation of competition’!!)

Some operators don’t want to run a commuter service on a long distance train (e.g. virgin trains stop at Watford are set-down only heading into London, and pick up only heading out)

As said above, a set down only stop can continue any early running, so often last services of the night might have this to allow for engineering works to be built into the timetable (on multiple lines, network rail might need to regularly close one set to conduct work, so often the last services of the night are timed to allow all the services to go through on the open lines – you may see that last services of the night take a much longer journey time officially, but if for any reason the engineering work does not go ahead, the actual journey time might be much quicker than planned. If the stops are set down only, the train can get to destination quicker…..)

I can’t think of any more, but there will be other reasons.

Edit: there may be something in that^^^ Rich, but it’s a bit cynical 🙂

There are special trains that only run once a year for contractual? reasons. Really keen folk track them down in the timetables and go on them to say they have done it. Michael Portillo or Coast covered it.

Weird.

Such as Stockport to Stalybridge- once a week on Friday mornings, no return trip. Apparently required so they can say the line is still open and avoid the legal complexities of closing it

cbike – not yearly, but weekly.
The reasoning is that to close a rail line, there has to be a Bill through Parliament. There will be objections, so it will take years to get through, and many hours of Rail Staff’s time in completing paperwork etc.
An easier option is to run a minimal service (once a day, once a week..) which will keep the under used service open.
Current thinking is that this is a good thing, as Staff will still be able to work the trains over that route (each driver has to travel over the route every 6 months to keep his ‘licence’ to drive that route), and in the current climate, there is always a chance of a resurgence in the area, so the trains service can be increased easily for new traffic.
In past years, BR did not want to maintain poorly used lines, so they were shut with little protest, nowadays, it would be difficult to close a passenger carrying line.

This seems to offer some reasons

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop