Pacers on Esk Valley Line

[Coolzac]

Hey everyone,

With the new esk valley timetable, there are now long distance trains from Newcastle, Hexham and Darlington to Whitby everyday.

http://www.eskvalleyrailway.co.uk/Esk_Valley_Middlesbrough-Whitby_from_20_May_18.pdf

Northern used to mostly use a 156 Mon-Sat to run the service simply going back and forth, surely now they will have to use pacers on the line too more often? I would fancy a ride on one as it would be a pretty (and bumpy) ride

Thoughts?

 

[yorksrob]

I had a 142 once on the route, and to be honest it was a relief as it was strengthening the overcrowded 156.

To be honest, if they were to substitute 156's with them in the current woefully inadequate timetable, they won't cope on many days.

 

[Puffing Devil]

Real time trains shows that it's timed for a Pacer - I only checked a random service on Monday.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y21706/2018/05/21/advanced

 

[cactustwirly]

Real time trains shows that it's timed for a Pacer - I only checked a random service on Monday.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y21706/2018/05/21/advanced

The timing loads on RTT aren't necessarily the booked traction

 

[Puffing Devil]

The timing loads on RTT aren't necessarily the booked traction

Maybe that's why I said "timed", not "booked"

 

[ainsworth74]

Northern used to mostly use a 156 Mon-Sat to run the service simply going back and forth, surely now they will have to use pacers on the line too more often?

I'm not sure it's clear yet. There are some other things in the timetable such as the 0618 and 0718 from Saltburn to Carlisle which is a hell of a long way to go on a 142. On RTT they are timed as Sprinters (which suggests a 156) but, as noted on this thread already and elsewhere, timing doesn't equal booked traction. For example the empty stock move from Darlington to form the 0618 is timed as a Pacer whilst the 0618 is a timed as a Sprinter!

I'm under the impression that there is some shuffling happening with the 156s in the North East to prepare for the new timetable so that might suggest that they will indeed be covering these new long distance services.

I had a 142 once on the route, and to be honest it was a relief as it was strengthening the overcrowded 156.

I've also seen similar on the Whitby line in Summer. It worked out very well as the 142 was on the buffers at Whitby (having been left there all day) so everyone piled onto the 142 meaning that the 156 was much quieter

 

[47802]

Don't some services have to be 156's to cater for the local school kids on weekdays.

 

[Coolzac]

Real time trains shows that it's timed for a Pacer - I only checked a random service on Monday.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y21706/2018/05/21/advanced

Can I just ask- where does it say on RTT what class of train is booked?

 

[cactustwirly]

Can I just ask- where does it say on RTT what class of train is booked?

It doesn't, especially with Northern!
The train service information bit at the top, shows the timing load.

 

[darloscott]

Don't some services have to be 156's to cater for the local school kids on weekdays.

Currently the same unit goes up and down all day, and yes it requires a 156 for the school passengers.

 

[vlad]

Back in the 2000s, Arriva Northern usually ran a 144 along the line. I suppose this could be a return to that.

 

[PHILIPE]

Back in the 2000s, Arriva Northern usually ran a 144 along the line. I suppose this could be a return to that.

Not now. The 144s are all allocated at Neville Hill and don't work in the North East. The Whitby units would be Heaton allocated.

 

[Andy Pacer]

From that timetable it looks like the 0845, 1158 and 1559 off Whitby will all be the same unit (156?) anyway, with something else running the 1934 having worked in from Newcastle.

 

[bearhugger]

From that timetable it looks like the 0845, 1158 and 1559 off Whitby will all be the same unit (156?) anyway, with something else running the 1934 having worked in from Newcastle.

The preceding service to the 0845 (0634 from Darlington) and the 1559 from Whitby are the services that carry the schoolchildren. Whether these services will be class 156s on a Saturday remains to be seen.

 

[geoffk]

The preceding service to the 0845 (0634 from Darlington) and the 1559 from Whitby are the services that carry the schoolchildren. Whether these services will be class 156s on a Saturday remains to be seen.

There's an odd train extended to and from Danby in the middle of the day but it doesn't stop at Great Ayton, which must be the largest village on the route!

 

[bearhugger]

There's an odd train extended to and from Danby in the middle of the day but it doesn't stop at Great Ayton, which must be the largest village on the route!

Yes, that is an odd service if it runs in the new timetable. As well as missing out Geeat Ayton, it also terminates in the middle of a token section. I am not sure why it diesnt terminate at either Battersby or Glaisdale. I have thought for a few years niw that a fairly regular service terminating at Battersby might be a reasonable option if we are not going to get the eight trains a day to Whitby.

 

[30907]

Yes, that is an odd service if it runs in the new timetable. As well as missing out Geeat Ayton, it also terminates in the middle of a token section. I am not sure why it diesnt terminate at either Battersby or Glaisdale. I have thought for a few years niw that a fairly regular service terminating at Battersby might be a reasonable option if we are not going to get the eight trains a day to Whitby.

No time to get to Glaisdale, but Danby might pick up the odd passenger, otherwise it's a glorified shunt move

 

[yorksrob]

All a long way from a fit for purpose service on the line.

The least that they can do is to ensure that a deterioration in the existing service isn't precipitated by reducing capacity (by replacing 156's with 142's)

 

[bearhugger]

No time to get to Glaisdale, but Danby might pick up the odd passenger, otherwise it's a glorified shunt move

Fair point about time picking up the odd passenger, and it has been suggested elsewhere on another thread that the move was basically to get the unit out of the way for a short while for one reason or another.

 

[Tetchytyke]

It's one 156 that shuttles back and forth until teatime. The last rotation is then swapped in from Newcastle. I imagine that too will be a 156 (at 1645 from Newcastle it'll leave people behind if not).

Back in the 2000s, Arriva Northern usually ran a 144 along the line. I suppose this could be a return to that.

It was always a 3-car 144, as they had enough seats for the kids when they were 3+2 bench seats. But when they were refurbished they lost seating capacity and were no longer big enough.

I imagine this is a nice way of rotating a 156 back to Heaton of an evening whilst running it in revenue service.

 

[simon7929]

Looks like 2N20 is booked a 142.

 

[yorkie]

Can I just ask- where does it say on RTT what class of train is booked?

At present there is no source available directly to the public which states booked traction.

The information in the open rail data (used by sites like Open Train Times) is just a timing load.

 

[Coolzac]

View attachment 47013 Looks like 2N20 is booked a 142.

Thanks! What other Whitby services are booked for a 142?

 

[Andy Pacer]

Pity that 12:55 doesn’t go all the way to Whitby or that would be great!

 

[simon7929]

The one that terminates at BTT is booked a Pacer.

 

[Coolzac]

Brill, thanks!

Is the last train to Whitby (1756 Middlesbrough - Whitby) booked as a 142 or 156?

Also, on Sundays what formations are allocated ?

Thank you very much for your help! Really appreciate it

 

[simon7929]

Last train is booked a 156 Mon-Fri yes. Sunday from what I can see three are booked a 156 but the last one to Whitby is a 142.

 

[Coolzac]

Amazing! Thanks Simon. It'll be interesting to see if they strengthen any services given that it will be busy over the bank holiday weekend.

How often do the allocations change ?

 

[simon7929]

If there is an ammendment. It's usually when the timetable changes.

Out of interest. Sources today are saying the 112? NNT-HEX is now booked a Scotrail 156. With 156503 doing the first run today. Not quite Esk Valley but close.

 

[Marton]

There's an odd train extended to and from Danby in the middle of the day but it doesn't stop at Great Ayton, which must be the largest village on the route!

The theory is it serves the NYM Centre at Danby.

Is this unique in terminating mid section on a single line?