East Coast Eureka clockface timetable May 2011

[route101]

Is it not possible for Platform 7 to be extended then seeing as it should be able to take a 9 car, it shouldn't be hard to be done?

Intercity operated Kings Cross to Glasgow Queen St in the 80S . I think the HST blocked the mouth of tunnel or blocked another platform .

If Glasgow Crossrail ever happens i think a service should run from East Kilbride to Edinburgh ( 2x Daily there and back ) A unit could be detached at Crossmyloof while still calling at Glasgow Cross and the other unit to Glasgow Central . Assuming EK gets wired up . Ditto for Kilmarnock.

The new M74 has a bridge in place for this Crossrail at Eglinton toll

 

[ainsworth74]

They don't actually have to be equally spaced AFAICS.

Indeed what you say is true, I was merely simplifying it for someone who didn't know what a clockface timetable was at all

 

[swt_passenger]

Indeed what you say is true, I was merely simplifying it for someone who didn't know what a clockface timetable was at all

Point taken...

 

[tbtc]

§

The improved "semi fast" service is neither improved, nor "semi fast" most of the time. Although a welcome addition for getting to Edinburgh it has serious short comings. The main one I would suggest is stopping at Bellshill with its 20 space car park, rather than at Uddingston with its 200+ spaces

My understanding (for what it's worth) is that Bellshill was chosen partly for its proximity to Motherwell

The "semi fast" is a bit like the Leeds - Barnsley - Sheffield "semi fast" service in that it's a pragmatic "solution" to a crowded "other" route, but not really fast enough to tempt the "end to end" passengers away from the existing service.

 

[MCR247]

Is it not possible for Platform 7 to be extended then seeing as it should be able to take a 9 car, it shouldn't be hard to be done?

225s are basically 11 car

 

[Aictos]

225s are basically 11 car

I know but I'm referring to the fact if any of the platforms could be extended or not as the case might be?

 

[MCR247]

I know but I'm referring to the fact if any of the platforms could be extended or not as the case might be?

I don't think any could extended that much

 

[me123]

With the exception of the extension of platforms towards George Square (a suggestion that probably won't happen), I don't think Queen Street's platforms can be extended much, if at all. The only thing that could be done is an extention of P7 towards the tunnel, but that's unlikely to ever be used by Scotrail, and HSTs would still block the tunnel.

As for HSTs in Queen Street, they will overhang even on Platform 7. A look here will also show you that a long HST will block the valuable Platforms 5 & 6. Queen Street needs all the platforms it can get, particularly Platforms 2, 6 and 7 which can hold 6 car trains. So you'd be crippling the station by putting an HST there!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

My understanding (for what it's worth) is that Bellshill was chosen partly for its proximity to Motherwell

Back in 2007, Uddingston station was the plan. (See Page 10-11) The stopping pattern planned was the same as today, albeit with Uddingston replacing Bellshill. Uddingston would actually be the best option IMO. It would allow people from Hamilton and Blantyre to easily drive to the station (or take a bus) and catch the train. On the other hand, Bellshill isn't the best (but in my experience is quite well used).

In fact, in the medium term, a "Holytown Parkway" station had been planned to serve Ravenscraig and drivers from the Lanarkshire area and tempt them onto the trains instead of stopping at Uddingston. The aspirational service frequency at this stage is also 2tph semi fast plus the local. It might seem a bit much, but if you have a lot of use from Lanarkshire plus connections from Glasgow Central (eg, Paisley, EK, Kilmarnock...) it would actually work quite well.

More recently, in January 2009, the stop had been changed from Uddingston to Bellshill because Uddingston is on the WCML and, apparently, stopping there would slow down the mainline. So, instead, the Lanarkshire stop was moved to Bellshill despite the benefits above.

To be honest, though, I can't see why that's a problem. There's a departure at xx:00 for Birmingham every other hour (even hours only), and a (generally) hourly departure at xx:40 for Euston. So I can't really see why stopping at Uddingston would cause such a problem in either direction.

 

[Stephen_H]

To be honest, though, I can't see why that's a problem. There's a departure at xx:00 for Birmingham every other hour (even hours only), and a (generally) hourly departure at xx:40 for Euston. So I can't really see why stopping at Uddingston would cause such a problem in either direction.

You are right about the reasons why it was Bellshill, and why Cambuslang lost its stop on the "semi fast". I had contacted my local MSP about it who had got back in touch with some information from SPT, and how they really wanted uddingston, but network rail wouldn't allow it as Uddingston is on both the WCML and the ECML (for the Glasgow Central to Edinburgh portion).

So back to square one waiting with baited breath to see what the Eureka timetable ends up looking like. The version they showed last time had its up and downs for the 200+ people that commute from Motherwell to Edinburgh early doors. The big down point being that anyone finishing at 5pm had better learn to run faster than Usain bolt to get to Waverley to get a connection home.

 

[Damien1986]

On the positive side at least there are more crosscountry services than at present, as there are only 2 departures 0600(0700 Saturday) and 0900 as well as 1130 and 1345 Sunday so the departures at 1100,1300,1500,1700 and 1900 are a welcome introduction and unlike the Tories at least Lord Adonis made sure the North East of England still had through services to Motherwell and Glasgow. Can you imagine Phillip Hammond and Theresa Villiers doing that? No they wouldn't! They are Tories after all!

 

[Greenback]

Have you bumped the thread after five months inactivity just to have a political rant at the Tories?

 

[Invincibles]

On the positive side at least there are more crosscountry services than at present, as there are only 2 departures 0600(0700 Saturday) and 0900 as well as 1130 and 1345 Sunday so the departures at 1100,1300,1500,1700 and 1900 are a welcome introduction and unlike the Tories at least Lord Adonis made sure the North East of England still had through services to Motherwell and Glasgow. Can you imagine Phillip Hammond and Theresa Villiers doing that? No they wouldn't! They are Tories after all!

So the question is:

1. Would the Conservatives like to see a headline about reducing the number of trains between Glasgow and Edinburgh considerably?
2. Are Labour to be applauded for introducing extra Cross Country services to supplement services between Glasgow and Edinburgh?
3. Is Lord Adonis accountable for everything that happened in the Department for Transport between his taking up his ministerial role and leaving it on May 6th (date could be debated) and nothing after?

I am just a little bit confused. For me the ECML being chopped to Edinburgh and made faster would actually be a good thing. The Chieftain and Aberdeen trains should pass to Cross Country (who could be required to run with HSTS) and allow ECML to be a single train fleet (Lincoln and Hull could be electrified or temporarily remain as HSTs)

I am pleased that there are services between Motherwell and Edinburgh and onwards to the North East.

A cynic might complain about shorter voyagers in place of the 225s

 

[jon0844]

I am amazed the Tories have time to just sit around finding ways to **** everything up for people.

But, on every forum, you have disgruntled Labour supporters who can't ever admit that their party messed up (God, would I have respect if they did - I might have even voted them back in if Gordon and been able to apologise and suggest measures to fix things, as against continue to spend his way out of the problem - making it worse) saying this. It's all they have to try and win support.

They are on a mission to;

a) Attack the Tories for everything, no matter what. Tories want to screw the health service, students, rail passengers, families.. erm, feel free to add to the list.
b) Play clever mind games with the LibDems - like trying to whisper 'they're only using you' to get them to break from the coalition and force an election.

So, Labour want to simply turn everyone against the Tories and use every stereotype going, and break the Government - then expect us all to vote them back in. That isn't going to happen. They might be able to brainwash everyone into hating the Tories, but I doubt they'll break the coalition or get an election before 2015. They're in opposition and will stay there until then, and until they actually announce some policies that deal with how they're going to fix the problems that will extend beyond 2015, I simply cannot take them seriously.

 

[shinkansen1966]

But, on every forum, you have disgruntled Labour supporters who can't ever admit that their party messed up.

During their 13 years in office, Labour party messed up on public transport. And this is the main reason I stopped voting for them for first time, in May 2010.

Amongst the Labour Party's miserable failures:
- Setting up the SRA and then scrapping it
- Doing almost nothing to re-organise bus services to provide a co-ordinated local structure
- Alistair Darling overruled a party conference motion to allow expired rail franchises to return to State hands
- Questionable remuneration of Railtrack investors when the company collapsed under a weight of debt back in 2001.
- Despite John Prescott's commitment to a new light rail system every year, just how many Labour initiated tram projects have come to fruition ?
- The failed Private Public Partnership to upgrade our London tube.
- And it is alleged that Prescott's office tried to get a court injunction to stop the 2000 introduction of the London congestion charge. It took me many months to get a straight answer from the DfT about these allegations.

And interestingly, why have politicans of both colours inflicted the financial mess and mismanagement of rail privatisation on the people of Great Britain, yet spared the people of Northern Ireland ? Yes, there is a part of the UK which still has a state run rail operator. Yet, in England, Wales and Scotland, we have to put up with a fragmented and costly rail service.

 

[Deerfold]

I was just thinking about Eureka this morning - it's all gone very quiet. If it's coming in in May then it won't be long before advance tickets should be available using it but (as someone who uses the line every week) I've heard nothing about what timetables will be like at weekends or if there are going to be any impacts on connecting services (e.g at Leeds where most of the EC times will change.

Has anyone got any ideas or links so I can try and plan past May?

 

[YorkshireRider]

Not seen the timetable but a couple of the Edinburgh drivers told me they have seen there new diagrams for it, so i guess it must be complete and signed off. They told me the 0650 GLASGOW-KX will remain and there is a 1820 KX-GLASGOW, but thats it as far as Glasgow is concerned. As you say for advance ticket and aslo enginering work purposes i guess we'll have to find out in no later than 5 weeks time. Maybe EC dont want to make it public until they have to because they maybe a backlash from certain customers along the line??

 

[philjo]

EC online journey planner is now showing times up to Friday 29 April so presumably only about 3 weeks until we can see the new timetable in the journey planner.

 

[Deerfold]

Presumably I was a little naive to belive East Coast when they said "You’ll see and hear more about Eureka! over the coming months as we countdown (sic)to launch in May 2011" in February last year

The last (and only) update I've seen was the notice about fewer Lincoln services which was posted in June last year.

 

[Damien1986]

Have you bumped the thread after five months inactivity just to have a political rant at the Tories?

No actually! I am saying it as I see it!

 

[silentone]

It is coming, it's all been kept very hush hush but the countdown has begun. The first sets prepped for Eureka! are due out shortly and before the end of the month.

It had gone very silent until recently when I was told things were about to "get sticky". I took it that this was relating to current job titles and diagrams, we know that anyone who has a job will not lose it.

I think what they're trying to do is not release snippets of Eureka! which would cause speculation. They want to make sure that when Eureka! is finally announced they know for certain what everything is and will be, and be able to answer every question under the sun about it and make sure there is no doubt in passengers minds about what will happen in May.

I'm not sure when the timetable normally changes, but I'm guessing the official Eureka! timetable will start on Monday 30th May (well Sunday 29th to get technical)

 

[Deerfold]

It is coming, it's all been kept very hush hush but the countdown has begun.

Indeed - which is the opposite of what EC said would happen a year ago. A shame they can't keep passengers in the loop.

 

[Failed Unit]

No actually! I am saying it as I see it!

So what exactly have the Conservative party done - Maybe people in Lincoln should be bitter as they have lost the most on Eureka since the change in government. Motherwell and Glasgow has not altered in principle since the Adonis plan. Motherwell lost more in the WCML re-organisation then they are losing the ECML one.

Anyway back on topic.

I also hope that East Coast publish something, it will be sad if most people find out by looking on the electronic timetables when they come out. A railway magazine said the Pendolino potentail daigram is:

06:15 Glasgow - London (do they mean the 06:50?)
14:08 London - Newark
??:?? Newark - London
18:20 London - Glasgow

This would work as it is only 90 minutes from Newark to London so if the missing time is 1600 then this would get back comfortably for the return to Glasgow. Cursing a bit as I use the 1800 a lot so I hope the 1820 is not the Pendo (if it happens of course) give me a mk4 set any day.

The 1820 is supposed to be the 4 hour service so I guess, but I don't know what the one going south will be.

I guess from London in the evening services will be as follows.

1700 Edinburgh (York, Darlington, Newcastle, Berwick)
1730 Edinburgh (All stations after Newcastle as now)
1820 Glasgow (Newcastle, Edinburgh, Motherwell, Glasgow)
1900 Edinburgh (as 1700)

A am looking forward to having quicker services Southbound the apart from the 0550 currently most Southbound services are too slow until 1030!

I have heard that extra stops are happening in other services as a result of the Lincolns.

Whatever happens many people will be upset (as they were on the WCML). The draft I saw needed a lot of minor adjustments. One example the York - London service left 7 minute after the one from Edinburgh, the minimum connection is 8 minutes.

I hope they recast Lincolnshire to take advantage of the clockface, again something lacking in the draft.

 

[Invincibles]

No actually! I am saying it as I see it!

What a shock you have no ability to make any further statement, in fact I am impressed you know who is seeing it in the first place.

Could you post exactly what the Adonis plan is and then how that effects the number of carriages, type of train and timings between Glasgow Central, Motherwell and the North East?

I know it has been done by others but it seems somewhat missing from the suggestion in your post that the XC trains were additional.

But I suppose there is good news, Lord Adonis is in the house of lords and as such can still implement whatever great plans he singlehandedly has to prevent the wicked Tories from changing whatever it is that they have changed about Motherwell services.

 

[Damien1986]

What a shock you have no ability to make any further statement, in fact I am impressed you know who is seeing it in the first place.

Could you post exactly what the Adonis plan is and then how that effects the number of carriages, type of train and timings between Glasgow Central, Motherwell and the North East?

I know it has been done by others but it seems somewhat missing from the suggestion in your post that the XC trains were additional.

But I suppose there is good news, Lord Adonis is in the house of lords and as such can still implement whatever great plans he singlehandedly has to prevent the wicked Tories from changing whatever it is that they have changed about Motherwell services.

At least Labour made provision for alternative services from Glasgow/Motherwell to Newcastle/York albeit under Crosscountry and at least there will be more services to the south of England than at present-at present there are 2.

 

[swt_passenger]

On the positive side at least there are more crosscountry services than at present, as there are only 2 departures 0600(0700 Saturday) and 0900 as well as 1130 and 1345 Sunday so the departures at 1100,1300,1500,1700 and 1900 are a welcome introduction and unlike the Tories at least Lord Adonis made sure the North East of England still had through services to Motherwell and Glasgow. Can you imagine Phillip Hammond and Theresa Villiers doing that? No they wouldn't! They are Tories after all!

What a load of rubbish. The service alterations between Glasgow and Edinburgh that are coming up were decided on in principle well before the change of government, and as 'the Tories' have had a year to change the decision if they had wanted to, and they obviously haven't, they must be happy with them. The necessary XC track access alterations are being processed now.

You have no evidence whatsoever that the same changes wouldn't have happened under the Tories, have you.

 

[TomJ93]

What's happening about XC?

 

[tbtc]

What's happening about XC?

Dunno. Not sure where the spare Voyager(s) required for the Glasgow extension are coming from... unless anyone has a magic wand? Extending bi-hourly to Southampton, then extending bi-hourly to Glasgow... they'd be better sticking at the crowded "core"

 

[Failed Unit]

What's happening about XC?

More trains will run to Glasgow Central, about 1 every 2 hours so Glasgow and Motherwell will retain exactly the same frequency to Newcastle and York.

 

[silentone]

Indeed - which is the opposite of what EC said would happen a year ago. A shame they can't keep passengers in the loop.

Not quite. What they are doing is not talking about it because they want to be able to reveal everything and make sure that passengers have everything they need to know rather than reading little bits in the papers or hearing little snippets of what's to come from here there and everywhere.

Realistically speaking no passenger needs to know about the timetable yet, they listened to the feedback on the draft timetable and made changes. Now they're preparing for its launch, and everyone who needs to know about it will be able to find out everything they need to know.

 

[YorkshireRider]

Just hope they have stuck to the main principle of CLOCKFACE timetable, and not all train leaving at xx will call at A,C,and f, except for a few which will call at B as well, because in that case its NOT a clockface timetable.

Plus no way will the sets be ready by 22nd May (as predicted by all on board staff) for the new first class catering. This is clearly going to have to be put back.