Why are North Down Line trains terminating at Redhill [30/08]

[infobleep]

Apologies if there is a thread for this but I couldn't find one.

Does anyone know why the Reading to Gatwick Airport services are terminating at Redhill today? Is it due to a lack of route knowledge between Redhill and Gatwick Airport?

I'm aware their is a strike on affecting things but the gap between arrival of services from Reading at Redhill and then departing again for Reading is so large that in theory the trains could go to and from Gatwick Airport in that time.

 

[JonathanH]

Apologies if there is a thread for this but I couldn't find one.

Does anyone know why the Reading to Gatwick Airport services are terminating at Redhill today? Is it due to a lack of route knowledge between Redhill and Gatwick Airport?

I'm aware their is a strike on affecting things but the gap between arrival of services from Reading at Redhill and then departing again for Reading is so large that in theory the trains could go to and from Gatwick Airport in that time.

Presumably the guards who are actually working can only work a certain number of hours and sending them down to Gatwick and back would affect their rest breaks.

Funnily enough, I was at Redhill yesterday morning (at 0535) and two FGW RPIs were sat in the waiting room. I guess that their shift started then and they have to turn up for work but there was no FGW train until 0734 to Reading.

 

[infobleep]

Presumably the guards who are actually working can only work a certain number of hours and sending them down to Gatwick and back would affect their rest breaks.

Funnily enough, I was at Redhill yesterday morning (at 0535) and two FGW RPIs were sat in the waiting room. I guess that their shift started then and they have to turn up for work but there was no FGW train until 0734 to Reading.

Thanks for that. I'd forgotten about rest breaks. I see the trains are actually sent to the Redhill Long Sidings from platform 1B to wait for over 30 minutes before coming back to the platform.

Interestingly in that time only a Tonbridge train uses platform 1A. Perhaps they feel having two trains in the platform at once might confuse passengers.

How long do guards work before they have to have a rest break? Can a rest break be divided up into smaller chucks? I would have thought a rest break wouldn't occur before a Sunday Reading to Gatwick Airport and back journey had been completed but may be that's not the case.

Clearly if they could run a train to Gatwick Airport, even if, for example it was only every 3 hours, they would do.

 

[Captain Chaos]

It's because we are on strike that's why. Hourly service with trains terminating at Redhill. Same tomorrow too.

I'm sorry for any inconvenience that has happened to you. Hopefully we can get everything resolved at the next round of talks!

 

[al.currie93]

Isn't the bank holiday service the same as the standard Sunday service? If so, I believe that trains terminate at Redhill as standard on a Sunday, though happy to be corrected!

 

[Captain Chaos]

Isn't the bank holiday service the same as the standard Sunday service? If so, I believe that trains terminate at Redhill as standard on a Sunday, though happy to be corrected!

No its a Saturday timetable we use. All trains run through to Gatwick on Sunday only normally. There is usually extra services on the Monday morning due to Reading Festival but I would be very surprised if they run this year.

As a side note, off topic. But the trolley service is returning from the 7th of September I believe. Around then anyway. On Bedwyn and Gatwick services. This means first class complimentaries shall be making a return!

 

[swt_passenger]

Thanks for that. I'd forgotten about rest breaks.

The key point is that if strike action limits your numbers of train crew, you don't use your limited numbers on routes that are already being served by the normal local TOC.

Over to the West, you'll see that FGW are only running their Portsmouth<>Swindon services north of Salisbury. South of Salisbury any through passengers will transfer to SWT albeit with the minor hassle of getting between platforms.

 

[David Goddard]

As a side note, off topic. But the trolley service is returning from the 7th of September I believe. Around then anyway. On Bedwyn and Gatwick services. This means first class complimentaries shall be making a return!

That's good news, will look out for them!

 

[infobleep]

It's because we are on strike that's why. Hourly service with trains terminating at Redhill. Same tomorrow too.

I'm sorry for any inconvenience that has happened to you. Hopefully we can get everything resolved at the next round of talks!

It actually made no difference to me because on Sundays the timetables now work that I have to wait 20 minutes at Redhill for a direct service to Haywards Heath.

I was just curious because the timetable was identical, bar the fact the trains didn't run between Redhill and Gatwick and the services started and finished sooner. It wasn't like they needed extra trains to run between Redhill and Gatwick, as they would on the other days of the strike.

Equally though, if they could have run to Gatwick on only the Sunday when I'm sure they would so there must have been some operational reason for it.

As it was I went via Clapham Junction. Unofficially it's quicker by 9 minutes, if it's the hour where the trains stop at every station between Guildford and Redhill. You have about 3 minutes to change trains at Clapham Junction and that's long enough on a Sunday if the trains are on time. The most likely occurrence is the Southern train will be late and it was, so you have even more time.

I was about to add you also get free WiFi which isn't that good but I can't say that now because First Great Western also offer free WiFi - to my surprise the other week. I don't know if it superior to that offered by South West Trains as I've only used it once. However it would be hard to be much worse.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

No its a Saturday timetable we use. All trains run through to Gatwick on Sunday only normally. There is usually extra services on the Monday morning due to Reading Festival but I would be very surprised if they run this year.

As a side note, off topic. But the trolley service is returning from the 7th of September I believe. Around then anyway. On Bedwyn and Gatwick services. This means first class complimentaries shall be making a return!

I wonder what it will be like returning from the Reading Festival today.

Perhaps it won't be too bad and First Great Western will find that actually they don't need the extra trains. Alternatively it might be horrendous and may be First Great Western will continue to engage with the negotiating staff and settle the dispute.

Deleted second post as incorrect

 

[embers25]

No its a Saturday timetable we use. All trains run through to Gatwick on Sunday only normally. There is usually extra services on the Monday morning due to Reading Festival but I would be very surprised if they run this year.

As a side note, off topic. But the trolley service is returning from the 7th of September I believe. Around then anyway. On Bedwyn and Gatwick services. This means first class complimentaries shall be making a return!

Isn't first class being removed from the north downs line in December so there won't be complimentaries for long!

 

[Captain Chaos]

Isn't first class being removed from the north downs line in December so there won't be complimentaries for long!

Only on 165 operated services. These will be operated on Redhill stoppers. All Gatwick services will be 166 operated wherever possible and shall retain it.

 

[infobleep]

I noticed the 12.04 Redhill seevice to Reading was cancelled today due to an unusually large passenger flow, yet the 11.34 was OK.

There was a 12.14 that for a long time was delayed but then got taken off the live departure boards on the National Rail Enquiries App. Again this was put down to unusually large passenger flow but the 12.34 was OK.

The 16.14 was listed in advance as being delayed due to an u usually large passenger flow but actually left Redhill on time. However it then was 9 down from Reigate. It eventually got to Wokingham but never reached Reading.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O22728/2015/08/31/advanced

Again the trains either side of it were OK.

I got the 18.34 tonight and it was formed of 6 carriages but only the front 3 were in use. This caused a little confusion as some people thought the front 3 were the 3 that people were alighting from. No they were the front 3 on its arrival but not the front 3 for its departure. The platform staff were making announcements though stating it was the coaches nearest the stairs so not anything more they could do.