Peak time service on the Southminster Branch Line
(Based on timetable before 12/12/04 - i.e. this is not current)

An inspection of the timetable will show that trains can be run every 38 minutes. The 1816 and 1854 from London in the evening both depart 38 minutes apart. Yet even in the peak periods, trains from London's Liverpool St usually have intervals much in excess of this.

Departure time from Liverpool St	Time since previous Southminster train
1722	42 minutes
1816	54 minutes
1854	38 minutes

Now these can be compared with the trains to Southend Victoria, over a similar time period.

Departure time from Liverpool St	Time since previous Southend train
1714	10 minutes
1724	10 minutes
1734	10 minutes
1744	10 minutes
1754	10 minutes
1804	10 minutes
1824	20 minutes
1834	10 minutes
1844	10 minutes

The peak time trains on the Branch line are far less regular. I feel that if sufficient priority were given to the line, the peak time trains could be made more frequent. However, it seems to me that the timetable for the main line trains is first set, then the Southminster Branch Line trains are fitted in where they can be. If instead a different attitude was taken, we could get a slightly better service. A much improved service would need major expenditure on track, and so will not happen in the near future at the very least.