Any news on when the December 2020 East Midlands Railway timetable will be out? I take it the planned improvements to the Crewe to Derby Line won't take place in December now?
I think it was only an additional evening service this December anyway (presumably in both directions but never stated as such). The earlier Sunday services were due in December 2021. And that is a very long time away in the current situation - even though such things need to be planned well ahead in terms of bidding for paths and re-arranging signalers shifts etc.So same as it has been for years except for no calls at Alsager?
I'm surprised it isn't starting from the 9th of November given the lockdownThe Avanti change to 6tph from Euston (down from 8tph) is due to start 23rd November.
I'm surprised it isn't starting from the 9th of November given the lockdown
Yes, the XX.10 slot is used by the Glasgow now, and there is no XX.30.9tph is the normal, which one is already missing? North Wales?
TOCs may not have any choice if directed by the DfT.TOCs should not be cutting down following today's announcement.
The new timetable does not kick in for eleven days after we are due out of this second stage of restrictions. If people by and large comply with the temporary rules, COVID may die down to the extent that we can get out and about for Christmas even if in smaller numbers, and that will mean many travelling by train in small groups who need to be socially distanced from other similarly-minded small groups.
Nope we need the gradual increases à la Northern/TPE/***insert TOC here***.
Do you know if the xx:43 London-Birmingham-Scot is going to be running to Glasgow / Edinburgh or is it being terminated at Preston like in May/June ?Yes, the XX.10 slot is used by the Glasgow now, and there is no XX.30.
Do you know if the xx:43 London-Birmingham-Scot is going to be running to Glasgow / Edinburgh or is it being terminated at Preston like in May/June ?
Do you know if the xx:43 London-Birmingham-Scot is going to be running to Glasgow / Edinburgh or is it being terminated at Preston like in May/June ?
Yes!
If I didn't know you worked in train planning I'd think you worked in IT - a totally factual but utterly useless answer
From what I've heard, alternate hours XX.43 'The Slow Way to the North' will extend to either Edinburgh or Glasgow, the others terminating at Preston.
Yes!
Can't they just be reserved without being in the base timetable or does that lead to confusion for NR later on with the potential for them to accidentally allow another service that shouldn't have been approved?The operators also have to ensure that they reserve the rights to their long-term base paths in the timetable, to make sure that when the music stops and we in theory go back to a more normal situation, they are actually able to reinstate the base service in line with their underlying DfT contractual specifications! This limits to some extent the amount of descoping that can be done in the base plan, and many paths that won’t be required in the short-medium term are still bid for to NR and then suppressed from being advertised, or cancelled weekly via STP processes.
Contractually quite messy! If you don't bid to run the train there isn't really anything that says it has to be kept in.Can't they just be reserved without being in the base timetable or does that lead to confusion for NR later on with the potential for them to accidentally allow another service that shouldn't have been approved?
Can't they just be reserved without being in the base timetable or does that lead to confusion for NR later on with the potential for them to accidentally allow another service that shouldn't have been approved?
Well that's some good news! So basically what you are saying seagull is that the 06:43, 08:43, 10:43, 12:43, 14:43 and 16:43 extends to Edinburgh whilst the 07:43, 09:43, 11:43, 13:43, 15:43 terminates earlier at Preston? With the 17:43 extending to Glasgow (ie this is what happens currently)
So is there currently a full base timetable, which is being used to create the December timetable and if not I take it some paths could be lost?It would lead to confusion - the presence of paths in the timetable is the only practical way to maintain awareness of the need to reserve capacity for them. It’s more than just lines on the graph, it’s also slots in platforms and connectional requirements with other services, etc.
Contractually Network Rail carry no obligation whatsoever to ensure TOC timetables fulfil their contracts with the DfT. Its a slightly bizarre aspect to the privatised system but no doubt made sense to some Government lawyers somewhere back in the mid-1990s. It is why we have the bid and offer process and the continuous bouncing back and forth of negotiations over timetabling requirements.
Does anyone know if Northern are cutting back on services in the next week or 2?
Whilst there's no doubt there'll be changes to the timetables due to Covid, if anyone's interested in the long term plan timetable, they are available for most of the county (parts of the South East are still to be compiled) as PDFs at www.railwaydata.co.uk/timetables/Dec20 . As the timetable changes and updates are made, these PDFs will also be updated.
Kings Lynn services look interesting there. Hard to deduce precisely, but from missing calls at Waterbeach and Littleport, plus dwell times at Cambridge (to add/detach carriages, or not) - looks like the 8-car platform extensions aren't coming on line until the start of March?
Seems a bit odd if they're not ready for December - Waterbeach has looked ready for months. Is Littleport having difficulties?