Grand Central 15/08/15

[Poolie]

Great to see that extra trains can be run for a League 2 derby even though the direct trains take longer than the normal services! Hopefully a win win (GC and Hartlepool)

 

[Paul Duck]

Along with extra services for the EBOR racing at York the following Saturday (22/08).
Good to see extra services are laid on when needed.
Hope Pools win to!

 

[wensley]

Two big weekends for GC ... a lot of seasonal traffic to/from York due to the events mentioned! The planning has taken a lot of effort, but there's always demand for this sort of thing.

The paths for the football specials aren't the best, but not bad considering the other services they have to fit around.

 

[DarloRich]

I hope York beat the Poohlies

Good effort by GC to find suitable paths

 

[wensley]

Good effort by GC to find suitable paths

That was the easy bit

 

[Poolie]

Definitely a win/win for both parties.........Trains ran to perfection and cracking result. How did Buxton FC do today (DarloRich)?

 

[70014IronDuke]

Definitely a win/win for both parties.........Trains ran to perfection and cracking result. How did Buxton FC do today (DarloRich)?

What did GC actually 'do' - could you explain?

Since the Poolies won, I assume the fans didn't trash the train on the return. (Or are Poolies the more refined sort of fan?)

 

[DarloRich]

What did GC actually 'do' - could you explain?

Since the Poolies won, I assume the fans didn't trash the train on the return. (Or are Poolies the more refined sort of fan?)

odd as it may seem i regularly get the train to football. Guess how many trains i have seen smashed up or participated in smashing up? thats right - none :roll:

Definitely a win/win for both parties.........Trains ran to perfection and cracking result. How did Buxton FC do today (DarloRich)?

jammy late goal which is always the way with your lot we lost 2-0 through some soft defending and failing to take chances. Early days with lots of new players. Ps have you ever seen a poohlie win a cup?

 

[wensley]

What did GC actually 'do' - could you explain?

Since the Poolies won, I assume the fans didn't trash the train on the return. (Or are Poolies the more refined sort of fan?)

GC laid on two additional Up football specials, and one Down return special.
This pretty much doubled the number of direct services that were viable options for fans to travel to/from the game.

In addition to this (requiring a number of extra crew, and the release of an extra unit), GC led a dry trains exercise from all their NE stations to York on morning services, supported by the other TOCs and BTP.

Whilst the number of fans travelling isn't hugely significant, it's a big deal for a business the side of GC.

The dry trains, and the Hartlepool win worked out well, and there were no major issues. I was very glad to see the tail lights of the final Northbound leave York though!

 

[Camden]

Hate sharing trains with football fans, seems going to and from a game can turn even the dullest of clerical staff into chanting yobbos.

 

[DarloRich]

Hate sharing trains with football fans, seems going to and from a game can turn even the dullest of clerical staff into chanting yobbos.

:roll: here we go.....................

 

[Bungle965]

Hate sharing trains with football fans, seems going to and from a game can turn even the dullest of clerical staff into chanting yobbos.

And your evidence of that is??
What i have found is most football fans keep themselves to themseleves, and it is a minor minority that start chanting.

 

[70014IronDuke]

GC laid on two additional Up football specials, and one Down return special.
This pretty much doubled the number of direct services that were viable options for fans to travel to/from the game.

Did they just run these Hartlepool to York? I mean, it's only, what, 65 ? miles via Yarm. An hour - 70 minutes of travel? how can they make money on that?

Or did they run them to KX? In which case .. could they fill them?

Whilst the number of fans travelling isn't hugely significant, it's a big deal for a business the side of GC.

I can well imagine.
So how many travelled? Pools get what, 4,000 at a good home game?

The dry trains, and the Hartlepool win worked out well, and there were no major issues. I was very glad to see the tail lights of the final Northbound leave York though!

Why so? (serious question)

Anyway, if GC can manage this efficiently, effectively and profitably - good for them!

 

[wensley]

Did they just run these Hartlepool to York? I mean, it's only, what, 65 ? miles via Yarm. An hour - 70 minutes of travel? how can they make money on that?

Or did they run them to KX? In which case .. could they fill them?

I can well imagine.
So how many travelled? Pools get what, 4,000 at a good home game?

Why so? (serious question)

Anyway, if GC can manage this efficiently, effectively and profitably - good for them!

The two Southbound specials were Hartlepool - York express.
Return special was York - Sunderland calling all stations.

The trains were very well patronised, and as well as generating revenue there is an argument for spreading loadings and protecting revenue for those passengers shelling out on tickets to//from London and who don't want to be on a train crush-loaded with footie fans.

I'd estimate 700-800 travelled by rail, of the circa 2,000 tickets sold.

As for being glad to see the tail lights ... these exercises are always incredibly hard work and it's mentally draining when you're working with those sort of crowds and co-ordinating a lot of different staff and stakeholders (you find you're brain is trying to get 10 steps ahead all the time!).

Plus, I was in need for a beer by then - four days of York Races await this week

 

[yorkie]

Hate sharing trains with football fans, seems going to and from a game can turn even the dullest of clerical staff into chanting yobbos.

Just a gentle reminder to all that this thread is to discuss the extra trains for the York vs Hartlepool fixture yesterday. A brief mention of something football related in a thread like this is understandable and isn't a problem (I'll say Hartlepool were lucky! ) but for proper discussion on football please use the football thread in General Discussion and if anyone wants to discuss any particular incident(s) of bad behaviour by football fans, or indeed any passengers, please start a thread with an appropriate title or use an existing one if applicable. Unless anyone has anything to report about these particular additional trains, it arguably doesn't belong in this thread. Thanks
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As for being glad to see the tail lights ... these exercises are always incredibly hard work ...

Well done to GC for the good work!

I've seen you quite a few times, one day I guess I should say hello

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Hate sharing trains with football fans, seems going to and from a game can turn even the dullest of clerical staff into chanting yobbos.

Only time I've ever really felt threatened by football fans was a few years ago with Chester fans heading to Shrewsbury Town... I always thought lower division football was a bit more refined, especially from two places with reputations for being a bit posh!

 

[Nevillehill]

Do security guards still work at York station, there was talk of them stopping drunks taking beer onto trains.

 

[70014IronDuke]

The two Southbound specials were Hartlepool - York express.
Return special was York - Sunderland calling all stations.

The trains were very well patronised, and as well as generating revenue there is an argument for spreading loadings and protecting revenue for those passengers shelling out on tickets to//from London and who don't want to be on a train crush-loaded with footie fans.

I'd estimate 700-800 travelled by rail, of the circa 2,000 tickets sold.

As for being glad to see the tail lights ... these exercises are always incredibly hard work and it's mentally draining when you're working with those sort of crowds and co-ordinating a lot of different staff and stakeholders (you find you're brain is trying to get 10 steps ahead all the time!).
...

Interesting that GC put so much thought and effort into this - their main football customers presumably being the red and whites up the coast and the reds round the corner.

I always keep an eye out for Poolie results, though the only time I've seen them was an awful long time ago, when a certain B Clough was the manager.

Congrats on pulling it all off personally. Pity, though, that people can't be trusted to have a beer or two to and from a game, but I suppose it's a case of better safe than sorry.

 

[wensley]

Do security guards still work at York station, there was talk of them stopping drunks taking beer onto trains.

They do, in fairly substantial numbers. Three different TOCs supply their own staff each weekend to run 'Op Vanguard' which is the BTP operation tackling antisocial behaviour fuelled by drink. No alcohol is permitted onto the station from 1800hrs, and this is fairly strictly enforced.

Well done to GC for the good work!

I've seen you quite a few times, one day I guess I should say hello

Cheers, into the office early to finish the Ebor plan tomorrow, then do it all again at the end of the week!!

Always nice to put a face to a name ... if you can grab me when I;m not dashing around

Interesting that GC put so much thought and effort into this - their main football customers presumably being the red and whites up the coast and the reds round the corner.

I always keep an eye out for Poolie results, though the only time I've seen them was an awful long time ago, when a certain B Clough was the manager.

Congrats on pulling it all off personally. Pity, though, that people can't be trusted to have a beer or two to and from a game, but I suppose it's a case of better safe than sorry.

The Sunderland fans tend to disperse via Newcastle and different routes, and their games require less focus than fixtures like this where GC provide the only direct service for fans to use.

The antisocial behaviour issues at York on a Saturday have rumbled on for long enough, and are well documented elsewhere, and it's a sad fact that a lot of folk can't handle their drink and will act up when travelling home.

I like to think we've got very good at coping with both events and regular drinkers of late - but it's really up to York as a city to look for a solution to the problem.

 

[yorkie]

Do security guards still work at York station, there was talk of them stopping drunks taking beer onto trains.

There is certainly a strong staff & police presence at York station on Saturday nights these days, and that does appear to include security staff.

There was a thread on the problems at York in 2012: Gangs of drinkers blighting York and trains from York and more recently the matter was discussed in June 2015 in the Alcohol bans thread.

 

[wensley]

There was a thread on the problems at York in 2012: Gangs of drinkers blighting York and trains from York

How the last 3+ years have flown supporting my side of the operation, I'd reckon I've seen 2/3 weekends over that period!

 

[Camden]

Only time I've ever really felt threatened by football fans was a few years ago with Chester fans heading to Shrewsbury Town... I always thought lower division football was a bit more refined, especially from two places with reputations for being a bit posh!

The chanting behaviour itself is threatful, that's the whole psychological point of it to shout louder than the opposition and to cheer on your side against another. It's about dominance and dominating space in a basic animal sense. Add in the booze and the attitude and all it takes is the wrong thing said and violence could ensue at any moment, that is implicit to everyone surrounding them. The only reason it is tolerated is because they are too numerous to contain, making it even more intimidating for people not involved. I don't know if football fans are aware of how they can make other people feel in their presence when they don't keep quiet and behave themselves, but my heart sinks when I get on a train and find it full of them and I can't wait to get off and away.

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And on the above story about York, yeah I avoid travel to some places at weekend night times. Same thing, basically, just no football involved. Should I have to go to Newcastle I do avoid going or coming back on Fridays.