On Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:49:22 +0100, Paul Corfield wrote:

I was reading in the Evening Standard that on top of the increased prices
from January 2010 they are also reducing off peak services. Does anyone have
anymore details of reduced off peak services?

No - nothing has been determined. If you read the press release it says

"and some limited bus service reductions, and minor reductions in
service on a few sections of the Tube, to reflect changes in passenger
demand."

Note that this does not refer to off peak services as you have mentioned
in your post. It says where there have been "changes in demand". That
does not even mean demand has to have fallen in order for there to be a
change. This is all very carefully worded if you work through it slowly.

It should also be borne in mind that it will be difficult to make too
many cuts to the outer reaches as depots are often at the ends of lines
(e.g Ruislip and Hainault on the Central).

How does that work? I don't see how e.g. the presence of the depot at
Ruislip prevents some daytime services being cut back from West
Ruislip to White City - the trains just reverse in the platform
without going into the depot.

Incidentally it might be worth mentioning the cuts in Amersham
services which have already been announced.

What is also quite fascinating is the remark that "future bus
enhancements will only proceed if efficiencies are achieved to cover the
cost" (or words to that effect). I wonder how efficiencies are going to
be created in order to fund each bendy bus conversion?

The statement only applies to enhancements... ;-)

Oh and don't forget to spot the interesting "all future fares increases
will be based on RPI+2% although the Mayor has the final say" comment.
I'm pretty sure this is an increase on the old RPI+1% formula that
applied in London but happy to be corrected.

I guess it's just expectation management - they're telling us their
working assumption is that they're going to screw us every year, so we
might as well get used to it. Plus it allows the mayor to claim credit
if he shafts us with a real-terms increase of "only" 1.5%.