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Stevenage platform 5

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Bald Rick

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Station staff at Stevenage do not dispatch any GTR services unless a 365 happens to call there or if there’s a fault with the in cab monitors on other traction.

Ah, apologies, I thought they helped dispatch the LNER services. My mistake.
 
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St. Paddy

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Ah, apologies, I thought they helped dispatch the LNER services. My mistake.
They do help with LNER dispatch but not GTR which are all self dispatch by the Driver except 365s. They do maintain a presence during GTR dispatch in case anyone needs assistance
 

Railwaynerd69

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i believe the new design includes a staff welfare facility as well. 1 waiting shelter and one staff welfare. Might be wrong but thats what i had heard. Not sure whether that means they expect someone to be on there full time, or if it is a requirement to provide that nowadays regardless
 

edwin_m

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i believe the new design includes a staff welfare facility as well. 1 waiting shelter and one staff welfare. Might be wrong but thats what i had heard. Not sure whether that means they expect someone to be on there full time, or if it is a requirement to provide that nowadays regardless
Possibly for drivers to take a "personal needs break" between workings, or even to drop off for a meal break and pick up the next service? There may be little opportunity to do this at the Moorgate end of the route with tight turnarounds there.
 

malc-c

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The use of platform 5 for ECS turnaround has been postponed until next Monday

For us non techies can you elaborate on what ECS Turnaround is ? - is this where the trains will use the platform to wait before making their way back to Watton to start the next service ?
 

St. Paddy

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For us non techies can you elaborate on what ECS Turnaround is ? - is this where the trains will use the platform to wait before making their way back to Watton to start the next service ?
That’s correct, they will run empty from Watton and instead of turning around at Langley, they will continue into platform 5 at Stevenage. This will keep the down Hertford line clear for other trains including freight. They will then return empty to Watton to return to passenger service. Hope that helps.
 

plugwash

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For us non techies can you elaborate on what ECS Turnaround is ?
ECS = "empty coaching stock".

So yes ECS Turnaround means that the train will run into the platform and turn around there, but without any passengers on board. From posts above I understand this is being done to unblock paths for freight before the platform is ready for service.
 

malc-c

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ECS = "empty coaching stock".

So yes ECS Turnaround means that the train will run into the platform and turn around there, but without any passengers on board. From posts above I understand this is being done to unblock paths for freight before the platform is ready for service.

Doh... ECS = "empty coaching stock", should have twigged :)

Thanks for the info and confirmation that I guessed right :)

The use of platform 5 for ECS turnaround has been postponed until next Monday

RTT has this as the first https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/X01873/2020-07-06/detailed

I bet it will be really frustrating for people still having to use the rail replacement service seeing the trains sitting in P5

Just thought that I would let you guys know what angles I've been attacking to try and get confirmation of an official opening date.

I fired off an email to the Stevenage regeneration program at Stevenage council. Received an acknowledgement, but they didn't have any details as they are not directly involved in this project. Whilst the turnback /P5 project improves transport links for Stevenage, it's not part of their overall program - so they couldn't help.

I fired off an email to Grant Shapps (three to be exact including his "personal" one) - Never received a reply.

I contacted the office for the Mayor of Stevenage, just in case he had been invited to open the platform in his capacity - His PA informed me that they hadn't received any invite, and her understanding was the same as the regeneration department, that the council has no involvement in the turnback project.

I contacted Network Rail - it would take 28 days for an information request to be processed - so advised to contact GN who manage the station. The customer service agent informed me that she has no information, but contacted the station directly. Apparently the station staff don't yet have a definite date for public service, but said it could be "weeks".

Soooo... I contacted Spencers and I was lucky enough to speak with my contact who resumed work this week after being furloughed. All being well she will be getting back to me with the date (and time possibly) of the hand over, and any info on when the first service is scheduled to run. The first entry I found on RTT is on 18th July https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/W67426/2020-07-18/detailed so it would be nice to have this confirmed
 

jon0844

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Even a Harrington Hump would have been better

Perhaps this is what disability groups should ask for. Just have it level access for the middle two coaches (given the train could be in reverse formation and so the disabled coach swaps from 3 to 4) and that does away with the need for ramp assists, which most definitely would help staff.

Long term, if the station gets a rebuild, isn't platform 5 going to become a full length platform with a connection back onto the ECML? In which case NR may well be thinking of the long term future usage.

Or a better service was wanted and more trains were needed as such it was cheaper to have more new trains than only a few resulting in a mixed fleet.

There's an option to build more 700s and given the similarities, I assume Siemens could easily make more 717s. Was there ever an option on building more?

It's said they have sufficient units for the limitations of the Moorgate section, so how many more trains could be realistically needed anyway?

The platform edge barrier that has been in place during construction has now been removed. There can't be much more to be done now.

Speaking to some station staff they think the platform will open in August, apparently more station staff have got to be recruited because the platform 5 barrier line has got to be manned. Given the low passenger numbers I'm surprised they're not remotely monitoring it from the main gateline. If it has to be manned from first to last train it will increase operating costs considerably.

View attachment 79973

I guess remote monitoring isn't very effective when people will just wave anything orange at a camera, and gateline staff can be close by to do assists. Once off duty, platform staff will presumably have quite a walk to do them.
 

Mcq

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Jo public will see it as malc-c said - if the trains are running there, why do I still have to use the bus?
Whose going to explain to them the subtleties of a not fully ticked off H&S platform - or it enables freight trains to run on the down/up line?
PR wise it would be better to run trains into P5 when passengers can use them.
 

Class315

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The use of platform 5 for ECS turnaround has been postponed until next Monday

I was under the impression all ECS moves into the Bay would commence from the 6th, Diagrams for next week show terminating at Watton and going forward ECS into the bay and dwelling for over 10 mins.
 

Hadders

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I guess remote monitoring isn't very effective when people will just wave anything orange at a camera, and gateline staff can be close by to do assists. Once off duty, platform staff will presumably have quite a walk to do them.

Remote operation is far from ideal but given that the number of passengers on board Hertford loop trains can be counted on one hand I'm not sure manning the barrier full time is an effective use of additional resource.
 

St. Paddy

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I was under the impression all ECS moves into the Bay would commence from the 6th, Diagrams for next week show terminating at Watton and going forward ECS into the bay and dwelling for over 10 mins.
I was told by a manager, he may have been misinformed
 

Fred26

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i believe the new design includes a staff welfare facility as well. 1 waiting shelter and one staff welfare. Might be wrong but thats what i had heard. Not sure whether that means they expect someone to be on there full time, or if it is a requirement to provide that nowadays regardless

When the spec for the platform was originally laid out, a few years ago, it was assumed platform staff would be needed. That's why this room has been built.
It's also why the platform has been fitted with TRTS and CD/RA.

Possibly for drivers to take a "personal needs break" between workings, or even to drop off for a meal break and pick up the next service? There may be little opportunity to do this at the Moorgate end of the route with tight turnarounds there.

No. Drivers have got a messroom in the loading bay at the front of the station. They will not be permitted to use the office on P5. They will be permitted to use the toilet on P5 though.
There are no drivers facilities at Moorgate. There aren't even proper facilities for the staff that work there.

In any case, GTR are working as if there will be no platform staff present. The station manager will be moving into the office on P5, and the revenue team (both gatelines) will be moving into the current managers' office next to the TVMs upstairs.

They do help with LNER dispatch but not GTR which are all self dispatch by the Driver except 365s. They do maintain a presence during GTR dispatch in case anyone needs assistance

They don't 'help', they dispatch LNER trains.

Also, staff aren't just there for assists. They are there to monitor the Platform Train Interface, same as they always have. Assisting passengers comes after that. Safety first.
 

malc-c

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I can see the ESC movements being used by some of those groups who like to complain about the railways just for the sake of it, especially if having seen a 717 stabled at P5 they then have to get the replacement bus to Watton. In the meantime the ECS movement back to Watton takes place and the train then leaves Watton on the scheduled service before the bus arrives... resulting in the passengers having to wait for the next service. Hopefully the period between the ECS moves and P5 coming into service will be short.

I'm planning one final update video once the platform is opened (sadly don't expect me to be on the first train at 6am on a Sunday if that is the case !!). From the information I've gleaned, there was never going to be any big ribbon cutting opening, even before CV-19 impacted social events, so bit of a let down there....I was hoping to gatecrash the after launch party :) :)
 

Skimble19

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I can see the ESC movements being used by some of those groups who like to complain about the railways just for the sake of it, especially if having seen a 717 stabled at P5 they then have to get the replacement bus to Watton. In the meantime the ECS movement back to Watton takes place and the train then leaves Watton on the scheduled service before the bus arrives... resulting in the passengers having to wait for the next service. Hopefully the period between the ECS moves and P5 coming into service will be short.

I'm planning one final update video once the platform is opened (sadly don't expect me to be on the first train at 6am on a Sunday if that is the case !!). From the information I've gleaned, there was never going to be any big ribbon cutting opening, even before CV-19 impacted social events, so bit of a let down there....I was hoping to gatecrash the after launch party :) :)
It’ll be for approximately a month, opening is currently scheduled for early to mid August - all depends on how long it takes for the sign offs to be done.
 

InOban

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I think people outside the railway industry will find that timescale ridiculous. Even crossrail are managing electronic sign-offs.
 

jon0844

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I think people outside the railway industry will find that timescale ridiculous. Even crossrail are managing electronic sign-offs.

There might be a backlog of work for those responsible for the necessary checks and sign-offs?

And Crossrail can't exactly boast about doing anything quickly!!
 

Mcq

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P5 and its infrastructure should have been completed before providing services between Cambridge and Brighton - then passengers wouldn't have needed busses between HN and Stevenage.
I think that would be Jo Public's reaction - poor decision when CP5 was pruned.
 

bramling

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P5 and its infrastructure should have been completed before providing services between Cambridge and Brighton - then passengers wouldn't have needed busses between HN and Stevenage.
I think that would be Jo Public's reaction - poor decision when CP5 was pruned.

Yes it's a poor showing, although having said that the extra 2tph doubtlessly benefit far more people, so I can understand why the bus had to be implemented.

Stevenage to Watton-at-Stone has always been fairly dead, even in the peaks -- and the loss of through journeys to Letchworth might have actually lost a few more (for example I very occasionally used to visit the garden centres at Crews Hill, but even with Stevenage platform 5 this will now require not one but two changes!).
 

Mcq

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Just so - we have friends in the HN area who have relatives in Letchworth and always used the train - now they use a car!
Of course if P5 had a turnout back onto the down slow then occasional Moorgate to Letchworth services could be run with minimum occupation of the down slow.
In fact some of the M'gate trains at end of day do just that and stable at Letchworth.
Would it really have been that expensive to do at the time as opposed to doing it later?
It's yet a other strand of the 'removed' services from HN north.
 

bramling

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Just so - we have friends in the HN area who have relatives in Letchworth and always used the train - now they use a car!
Of course if P5 had a turnout back onto the down slow then occasional Moorgate to Letchworth services could be run with minimum occupation of the down slow.
In fact some of the M'gate trains at end of day do just that and stable at Letchworth.
Would it really have been that expensive to do at the time as opposed to doing it later?
It's yet a other strand of the 'removed' services from HN north.

Platform 5 almost certainly guarantees such services will never again be seen, simply as it would negate the benefit of segregating the Hertford Loop from the main line.

On balance it's probably the right decision on the basis that the extra 2tph fast trains to London are more useful (I'd rather have these than 1tph via Hertford which I only used to use very very occasionally).

But, having said that, any serious attempt to address the massive traffic congestion issues in Hertfordshire due to local journeys would only be successful with these little things, as you say it's a few more car journeys, as changing at Stevenage is a turn-off.
 

Ediswan

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I pass the replacement bus (going the other way) most days. When they re-started, all those I saw appeared to be driver only. They now have some passengers.
 

jopsuk

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There's four trains an hour Letchworth-Hitchin-Stevenage without Moorgate services- yes, there was a dip in service, but it's fine now?
 

Mcq

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I guess I just wondered how much extra it would have cost, whilst doing the job, to have added one more set of points, a signal and a short bit of track to provide?
It could come in useful if either P4 fails for some reason, or a train fails there, or a charter or freight needs to dwell
 

swt_passenger

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I guess I just wondered how much extra it would have cost, whilst doing the job, to have added one more set of points, a signal and a short bit of track to provide?
It could come in useful if either P4 fails for some reason, or a train fails there, or a charter or freight needs to dwell
I thought it was to do with land ownership boundaries, and IIRC the planning stuff said the bay position was chosen to avoid rebuilding the footbridge. It’s been discussed earlier in this thread though.
 
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