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TPE WCML service changes from May 2019
- Thread starter absolutelymilk
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Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
A sensible choice if they can't resource them, though. Far better than cancellations and short-forms all over the shop.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Empty coaching stock (ECS).
Slam-door stock at the end of its lifespan (to put it mildly) - and non-accessible to boot, just like the Mk3 sets which TPE have already been given grief over.
I would, if I were TPE rather have the bad PR from the postponement....
EE Andy b1
Established Member
Well I think they have got plenty of that and the farce goes on.
Crush, crush, crush.
Do we really think the complaints and bad publicity will stop when 3 types of new train enter service?
No I don't think so. Look at other TOCs.
They deserve all the grief they get, having not honoured the franchise commitment to introduce the Mk3 trains they promised. Any coaches that run reliably and move people are welcome (besides releasing units for other services.) If the actual stock had been timetabled and advertised then disability access could have been managed. It's no surprise that their ticket sales have collapsed* (*if what we read here is true.)
A franchise holder that was committed to running the services promised using initiative to address problems would be welcome, rather than one just looking after their bottom line. Maybe we need to get rid of the franchises and recognise that it is infrastructure where profits are not (should not be) the highest priority.
The (obvious) reasons that crush will continue is that demand is currently suppressed by the shortage of capacity and timetable problems in the last year. Once the public think these have been addressed by the introduction of new trains there will be a massive surge in useage... I hope that they double or triple capacity in a very rapid ramping up of seat numbers on the trans-Pennine axis or we will have a lot more disappointed people.
Why would they get any bad PR? They never actually announced the services would start from May anyway. It's hardly like many (normal, not on this forum) people are going to have been looking on RTT and seen what's happened.
Missing out St Helens seems very unfair. I have to disagree with an earlier post: Wigan has enough connection options to make omitting it far more logical. St Helens has no "destinations", if you will, only places to go to change. That really should be improved.
Whistler40145
Established Member
Is there a specific reason it doesn't call at Wigan North Western?
sufian123
Member
Hi 1629 GLC-Liverpool is a ECS move. More will be known, near the time.
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y03004/2019/05/20/advanced
Whistler40145
Established Member
Cheers for your reply
sufian123
Member
No worries. Another reason maybe is because they may not start the extension till Dec.
There's a 397 sat on Crewe LNWR and appears not to have moved for some time... TPE don't exactly appear to be all hands at the pump regarding training do they? @EE Andy b1 has called it right for me.
LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
TPE were deliberately vague in their public announcements at franchise award about capacity enhancement, such as "44 new trains/220 new vehicles by 2019".
However, Liverpool-Glasgow was promised from December 2018.
They also had "the first new trains will be delivered in Spring 2018". Delivered probably doesn't technically mean "in service".
But they did also promise the 2xMk3 rakes in service by the end of 2017, in the franchise agreement.
https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/media-centre/news/2016/april/new-transpennine-express-franchise-launches
Sadly looks like this later service from Manchester upto Carlisle has been removed, a shame especially North of Preston as has been pointed out. Hopefully will reappear in December?
Recent history suggests that they aren't very worried by franchise commitments, and the "regulators" seem to be equally casual about deliverables.
Nym
Established Member
Except 800s and 802s don't handle the same, and 802001 and 802002 have just come off of OHLE testing...?
thealexweb
Member
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Ugh TPE have amended all their Bolton services to pass through.
Isn't it a franchise requirement to call at Bolton? I assume this is a temporary arrangement until the class 397s start. In the latest "Today's Railways UK", I read "Network Rail, Northern and TransPennine Express have announced a £1 million package of upgrades to Bolton station". TPE would not be contributing if they didn't intend to call there!
thealexweb
Member
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Yeah I imagine the calls will be put back in at some point in the future. I hope its not going to be the December 2019 timetable change.
BMIFlyer
Member
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The calls are not going to happen whilst the line speed is 75mph instead of 100mph.
185143
Established Member
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The linespeed must be 100mph now. I clocked 90mph on a 319 a couple of weeks back on my phone's GPS-The conductor confirmed the cab speedo reflected that.
Liverpool to Glasgow services have now been amended in the data upload to 5xxx to take them off sale. I understand the plan to run these from the change date has been scrapped. Possibly sensible.
Network Rail announced a couple of weeks ago that the permissible speed increases had finally been signed off, and the blanket 75 miles/hour restriction for electrict had been lifted.
I have also personally clocked >75 through the unofficial (not particularly accurate) means of GPS.
Again, the previous plan to have specific services call at Bolton from the change date has clearly been scrapped. However, one single TransPennine Express service to Bolton is actually on sale. 1M99 on Sundays, 1412 departure from Edinburgh:
So there ought to be at least one service calling there.
Finally it is worthy of note that 2012 Liverpool Lime Street to Oxenholme Lake District, which had been due to call at St Helens Central, Wigan North Western, Preston and Lancaster has not been withdrawn. This implies this is a part of a diagram which will continue to run even if the Glasgow services cannot. But then who knows. They are currently selling that train though.
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For anyone interested in a passenger Liv-Glasgow:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/S51712/2019/05/27/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/S51713/2019/05/27/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/S51716/2019/05/27/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/S51712/2019/05/27/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/S51713/2019/05/27/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/S51716/2019/05/27/advanced
Jorge Da Silva
Established Member
Sorry for my ignorance but why are Virgin running Liverpool to Glasgow in May 2019??
sufian123
Member
Only on 27th May only 3 services as mentioned on #206
Yes, but why?
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Most likely it's because the WCML is shut so they can't go direct.
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