WCML Christmas Engineering Blockade

[Qwerty133]

Doing it today is a bit like closing the line between derby and crewe on the day of the midlands grand natinal at uttoxiter

 

[Ferret]

I don't think 220/221s have SDO

They do have the ability to do it, but I'm not sure anyone has ever been trained, or if all the pieces of paper relating to the safety of it have been signed off.

 

[NSEFAN]

Does anyone have a list of units that worked these diversions today?

 

[Poggs]

Doing it today is a bit like closing the line between derby and crewe on the day of the midlands grand natinal at uttoxiter

Imagine going to the dentist for a root canal but having the pulp and each root removed in six separate 15-minute sittings, with a temporary filling fitted each time. Takes a while, doesn't it? It'd be much better to get the whole operation done over a full hour - much more efficient.

If you consider the Christmas period - a quiet time for commuters (the people who need to be somewhere by a certain time for work) and a busy time for leisure travellers (who can plan weeks advance and travel on another day by train, or take a longer route) - unsuitable, exactly when do you propose this work is done? And furthermore, why do you think that Network Rail are doing it at Christmas and not in little bits over many weekends?

 

[Pumbaa]

Anyone planning on doing the Voyagers via the Chilterns today, I advise against. Barrier staff were turning away rte High Wycombe tickets and let 75 unreserved ticket holders onto the service. Roughly 2/3 of the unreserved passengers wanting to travel were turned away.

On the other hand, at least both cafeteria are open...

 

[dvboy]

And now the line is shut north of Rugby.

 

[embers25]

Anyone planning on doing the Voyagers via the Chilterns today, I advise against. Barrier staff were turning away rte High Wycombe tickets and let 75 unreserved ticket holders onto the service. Roughly 2/3 of the unreserved passengers wanting to travel were turned away.

On the other hand, at least both cafeteria are open...

Surely by now Virgin staff accept that High Wycombe tickets are valid?

 

[Pumbaa]

The excuse I got was that Any Permitted/Virgin route tickets took priority.

 

[Ferret]

Flooding at Harbury Tunnel (south of Leamington) just reported. That is not good!

 

[Trog]

The excuse I got was that Any Permitted/Virgin route tickets took priority.

I wonder is it allowable to give priority to tickets from your own company over other valid tickets?
Also would that alter how the ticket revenues for that route were distributed between the TOC's?

 

[Pumbaa]

I don't think it's allowable. First on would have been fair.

My purchase at the Euston ticket office was interesting enough though - took me about 10 mins to explain to the clerk why a rte High Wycombe ticket would be allowed. The clerk refused to issue it until I promised to travel from Marylebone.

I didn't - I booked it via my phone and picked it up from the self service machine within 2 minutes.

 

[embers25]

I would say both the refusal to issue the ticket and ban on travel should be reported as that is totally unacceptable even for Virgin. Can you imagine if other companies did that, they'd be outcry. Its only because its Virgin that we seem to accept it.

 

[Pumbaa]

Virgins 'holier than thou' attitude never fails to amaze me.

I may write after Christmas. It's not been a fun day I can tell you that!

 

[Ferret]

I kind of understand why Virgin have done it in terms of managing loadings, but it doesn't necessarily make it right.

Line at Harbury was only blocked for an hour or so. Phew!

 

[dvboy]

In many cases travelling via Marylebone would have been quicker anyway, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't refuse the tickets.

 

[rebmcr]

I came back to Manchester today after a weekend in Chesham - decided on a 225 out of King's Cross and then a hop across from Leeds on a 185, booked last week.

Coach D on the 225 was packed (online booking had tried to put me in there too but I reselected coach C for a power socket). Only 10 people in mine!

 

[Kettledrum]

Voyagers to LEI was never going to happen. There aren't even the crews to run the booked Voyager service right now, let alone get the extras in. And even then, you're assuming that there are spare Voyagers in the first place. In any case, standard class capacity wise, there aint much difference between a 4 car Voyager (maximum for platform length on that line) and a 3 car 170. What's the point in that case? You're barking up the wrong tree with aiming your ire here I'm afraid.

....Do X Country still have HST's lying around unused? If so could these have been used on other routes to make more voyager units available for Brum to Leicester?

If so, could two 4 car voyager units have been coupled together, with SDO used?

I assume the platform length issue is with the intermediate stations, not Birmingham New Street or Leicester, so passengers could have been advised that only the front unit would be opening the doors at the intermediate stations.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

I thought Voyagers had done the Birmingham - Leicester run in the past?
It's a separate discussion from today's diversions of course, but for some reason I thought it had happened on certain occasions because of weird unit swaps. They can certainly fit on the platforms at Coleshill and Nuneaton too.

 

[Qwerty133]

....Do X Country still have HST's lying around unused? If so could these have been used on other routes to make more voyager units available for Brum to Leicester?

If so, could two 4 car voyager units have been coupled together, with SDO used?

I assume the platform length issue is with the intermediate stations, not Birmingham New Street or Leicester, so passengers could have been advised that only the front unit would be opening the doors at the intermediate stations.

would proberly have to rear unit at certain stations cant see motorists wanting to wait at level crossing while train picked up passengers

 

[ushawk]

would proberly have to rear unit at certain stations cant see motorists wanting to wait at level crossing while train picked up passengers

Happens frequently down here with 12 coach trains fitting in short platforms over hanging on a level crossing !!

The motorists would just have to wait a couple of minutes longer !!

 

[Ferret]

I thought Voyagers had done the Birmingham - Leicester run in the past?
It's a separate discussion from today's diversions of course, but for some reason I thought it had happened on certain occasions because of weird unit swaps. They can certainly fit on the platforms at Coleshill and Nuneaton too.

Now and then it happens, usually due to a shortage of 170 crew. Still no real capacity benefits though!

 

[Qwerty133]

Now and then it happens, usually due to a shortage of 170 crew. Still no real capacity benefits though!

Unfortunately never had it happen to me but hopefully it will happen eventully and why can't staff be trained on both 170s and voyagers as would solve a lot of problems

 

[Cherry_Picker]

It would be a competency issue. You need to give all staff at all depots a certain number of running turns on every bit of traction they sign, and often that isnt practical.

 

[Ferret]

Unfortunately never had it happen to me but hopefully it will happen eventully and why can't staff be trained on both 170s and voyagers as would solve a lot of problems

Harmonisation was attempted but failed unfortunately. Ultimately, the two different grades have very different terms and conditions and merging them proved too difficult.

 

[Pumbaa]

It would be a competency issue. You need to give all staff at all depots a certain number of running turns on every bit of traction they sign, and often that isnt practical.

The 2 middle links at New St sign both Voyagers and 170. Top only Voyagers/HST, bottom only 170. Route cards reflect similarly.

 

[SprinterMan]

My trip on this was a nightmare, the 1518 left Nuneaton at 1556 with what looked like over 1000 people on and lost even more time waiting for a path at Leamington Spa and got into Euston 49 mins late, resulting in me missing my connection. I ended up looking after a cockney woman's cat for the majority of the journey, whose bids for freedom got evermore aggressive and violent with every passing attempt.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/S89079/2012/12/23/advanced

Adam