70014IronDuke
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- 13 Jun 2015
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[Mods - please move if this is not in the correct category]
The turmoil on the MML today caused by the bridge collapse at Barrow on Soar has prompted me to post this - a subject I'd already been mulling after the Cambrian mess up on Saturday.
Namely, is redundancy/back up/spare sets or crews mandated in any of the franchise contracts?
And if it isn't, should it be? AIUI, EMT crews on the Liverpool-Norwich trains sign the route via Syston, with two trains a day sent that way for route retention purposes. Is this mandated, or do EMT do this voluntarilly?
Whatever, the UK is supposed to be a first world country, yet every week it seems our trunk routes are thrown into chaos because of rail infrastructure failures, causing huge damage to the 'rail' brand for Brits and huge damage to visitors, whether here for leisure or business (let alone investment).
For example, in a relatively simple case (if stock were available) - could the DfT insist that ATW have a 153 sitting at a strategic point like Shrewsbury to cover for failures? (Yes, I realise this would not be good as currently fitted to cover failures on the Cambrian because of ERMTS.)
Or, take today's mess. If EMT were mandated to run say, one return trip daily Sheffield-Derby-Tamworth -Birmingham NS for route knowledge purposes, and maybe another Sheffield - Toton - Castle Donnington - Tamworth - Brum, then an upset like today could be at least alleviated by running some cancelled MML St Pancras trains as specials to Tamworth and BNS. (Yes, I realise there may be pathing difficulties - but it's what amounts to an emergency situation.)
Of course, such redundancy would cost money. It was often there in BR days, it was much more flexible because we didn't have this split up franchises - I don't know for sure, but I'd assume most Sheffield crews in BR days signed for both London and Birmingham.
today, I assume no EMT crews sign the Brum road beyond Derby. Saves a bit on road learning, of course - but at what cost when things go wrong, as per today? :cry:
The turmoil on the MML today caused by the bridge collapse at Barrow on Soar has prompted me to post this - a subject I'd already been mulling after the Cambrian mess up on Saturday.
Namely, is redundancy/back up/spare sets or crews mandated in any of the franchise contracts?
And if it isn't, should it be? AIUI, EMT crews on the Liverpool-Norwich trains sign the route via Syston, with two trains a day sent that way for route retention purposes. Is this mandated, or do EMT do this voluntarilly?
Whatever, the UK is supposed to be a first world country, yet every week it seems our trunk routes are thrown into chaos because of rail infrastructure failures, causing huge damage to the 'rail' brand for Brits and huge damage to visitors, whether here for leisure or business (let alone investment).
For example, in a relatively simple case (if stock were available) - could the DfT insist that ATW have a 153 sitting at a strategic point like Shrewsbury to cover for failures? (Yes, I realise this would not be good as currently fitted to cover failures on the Cambrian because of ERMTS.)
Or, take today's mess. If EMT were mandated to run say, one return trip daily Sheffield-Derby-Tamworth -Birmingham NS for route knowledge purposes, and maybe another Sheffield - Toton - Castle Donnington - Tamworth - Brum, then an upset like today could be at least alleviated by running some cancelled MML St Pancras trains as specials to Tamworth and BNS. (Yes, I realise there may be pathing difficulties - but it's what amounts to an emergency situation.)
Of course, such redundancy would cost money. It was often there in BR days, it was much more flexible because we didn't have this split up franchises - I don't know for sure, but I'd assume most Sheffield crews in BR days signed for both London and Birmingham.
today, I assume no EMT crews sign the Brum road beyond Derby. Saves a bit on road learning, of course - but at what cost when things go wrong, as per today? :cry: