Hired in from DB Schenker no doubt. They certainly have the slack in their fleet to have allowed it.Where were the 90s going to come from originally?
I heard some time ago there were plans to run class 90s in conjunction with DVTs to provide semi fast services to York and/or maybe Leeds.
Is this still planned?
Indeed. I caught one back to London back in September.The semi-fast services to York are already in operation
Apparently 90s aren't fast enough (lower top speed, yet better acceleration).
Indeed. I caught one back to London back in September.
Until these services started running, it would be very uncommon to see an EC service in a bay at York. Still looks strange to me now.
Until these services started running, it would be very uncommon to see an EC service in a bay at York. Still looks strange to me now.
I believe EC still plan to extend the remaining Kings X - Newark services to run to / from York as well, now that plans to serve Lincoln every 2 hours have been dropped. Gives a good relief service for the hourly non-stop services between Kings X and York, and usually the cheaper advance tickets are to be found in abundance on these trains. (AND, according to a different thread on here, the provision of First Class complimentary items is also somewhat enhanced!)
I understand that a 90 can keep up with a 91 on a stopping service but not a fast service
Hopefully if the Kings Cross - Newark services are extended to York there will be a standard stopping pattern every hour. This will then give, in addition to extra services between London and Doncaster/York an hourly local service for stations between Peterborough and Doncaster. Peterborough-Grantham-Newark-Retford-Doncaster needs an hourly local service just like Leicester-Market Harborough-Kettering-Wellingborough-Bedford on the MML. The between Retford and Newark in the past was always very poor.
Ideally one of the stopper services would also be extended to Newcastle in alternate hours.
Stations such as Grantham & Stevenage (as one of the Leeds trains call there each hour) lost a direct service to Darlington, Durham & Newcastle.
The connections at York are tight (or a 2 hour wait at York southbound if you miss the stopper - I prefer to use those that change onto the Newark stopper) & as you have to use 2 trains the lower band for advance tickets is often not available for a through ticket without splitting somewhere.
Actually XC are against the plans to extend the current Newark terminators to York, as they conflict with XCs plans for speeding up the northbound Southampton/Reading-Newcastle via Doncaster services. The northbound service is currently around 20 minutes longer to Newcastle than the southbound service from Newcastle, and XC want to reduce this difference in journey time.It would also allow XC to divert more services via Leeds (instead of Doncaster), if East Coast are providing an hourly Doncaster - York service.
Actually XC are against the plans to extend the current Newark terminators to York, as they conflict with XCs plans for speeding up the northbound Southampton/Reading-Newcastle via Doncaster services. The northbound service is currently around 20 minutes longer to Newcastle than the southbound service from Newcastle, and XC want to reduce this difference in journey time.
Also Arriva related, extending the Newark terminator to York would also conflict with the services which Alliance Rail want to run.
No idea why there is a time difference, because they both go via Doncaster anyway.
Also, don't XC wan't to near enough abandon Doncaster by running most, if not all their service via Leeds?
Until these services started running, it would be very uncommon to see an EC service in a bay at York. Still looks strange to me now.