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Slow outside Colchester?

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Eshonbel

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In the mornings when I take a non IC train to Colchester, it always slows down outside Colchester and sometimes stops. I can understand some reasons, but every non IC train I've been on this happens. It even does this when the train is late and I need to catch a tight connection.
 
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Colchester can become a bit congested during the peak even more so if services are a few minutes down. What direction do you travel?
 

Dave1987

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The paths at Colchester in the morning peak are quite tight. If one train is a couple of minutes down this can cause a knock on effect. Also there are some trains from Manningtree that are booked into Plat 4. These trains are brought down to a red at the gantry outside and then given the signal once they have slowed down or stopped at the red. This is all to do with how the signalling system works and the speeds over the points at the country end of the station.
 

Eshonbel

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The paths at Colchester in the morning peak are quite tight. If one train is a couple of minutes down this can cause a knock on effect. Also there are some trains from Manningtree that are booked into Plat 4. These trains are brought down to a red at the gantry outside and then given the signal once they have slowed down or stopped at the red. This is all to do with how the signalling system works and the speeds over the points at the country end of the station.
Oh, it seemed a bit unnecessary.
 

dk1

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Oh, it seemed a bit unnecessary.

Does your train couple to another already in platform 4? Many do & this would answer your question as driver will get checked almost to a stand & will recieve the position light rather than the main aspect as 'permissive working' applies.
 

Eshonbel

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Does your train couple to another already in platform 4? Many do & this would answer your question as driver will get checked almost to a stand & will recieve the position light rather than the main aspect as 'permissive working' applies.
I travel on lots of different trains. I know that the 754 couples, but it isn't too bad. The 749 from Manningtree slows as well, and it's on platform 3.
 

Dave1987

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I travel on lots of different trains. I know that the 754 couples, but it isn't too bad. The 749 from Manningtree slows as well, and it's on platform 3.

That one usually gets checked down as the 07.54 is just leaving platform 4 as it approaches. The 07.54 regularly gets held up by the Intercity set running late that is fast from Manningtree etc etc. Is your connection a booked one? If it is a booked connection then the connecting train is normally held by a few minutes to account for the late running one.
 

dk1

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That one usually gets checked down as the 07.54 is just leaving platform 4 as it approaches. The 07.54 regularly gets held up by the Intercity set running late that is fast from Manningtree etc etc. Is your connection a booked one? If it is a booked connection then the connecting train is normally held by a few minutes to account for the late running one.

The Intercity (06:48 ex-Nrw) is well gone by then. It doesn't stop Colchester & has so much padding it sits 3-4min at Ipswich. The 07:49 seems to wait clear of the 07:16 Harwich/07:16 Clacton which combine at Colchester.
 

LAX54

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I travel on lots of different trains. I know that the 754 couples, but it isn't too bad. The 749 from Manningtree slows as well, and it's on platform 3.

The 0749 from Manningtree has about 3 mins recovery built into the Schedule on the approach to Colchester, so gets checked on the signal on the approach as the 0754 Clacton/Harwich is departing from 4 and through 3
 
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