Trivia: Strike-Induced Timetable Trivia

[IceBlue]

In terms of benefit to an individual train, this Liverpool Lime St-Euston service arrived 31 minutes early into Euston, making up from leaving Stafford (it's penultimate stop) 2 minutes late. It does seem to be fairly generously padded with allowances including 7 mins at Hanslope Jn but even without any allowances after Stafford still was 12 mins quicker than booked

Realtime Trains | 1A45 1447 Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston | 21/06/2022

Real-time train running information for 1A45 1447 departure from Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston on 21/06/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Are there any other instances of early running services, presumably due to nothing being in the way?

 

[AGH]

Also noticed Liverpool to Drax loaded are going via Chat Moss then Piccadilly.

 

[507020]

you were told wrong.

Was I? Multiple CCTV operated level crossings on a line with multiple trains running require multiple people to safely open and close, making it harder for a Network Rail sans workforce to resource enough signallers at Sandhills, hence Merseyrail closed while the comparable Cross-City, Airedale and Wharfedale lines remain open to passengers?

 

[Bald Rick]

Was I? Multiple CCTV operated level crossings on a line with multiple trains running require multiple people to safely open and close, making it harder for a Network Rail sans workforce to resource enough signallers at Sandhills, hence Merseyrail closed while the comparable Cross-City, Airedale and Wharfedale lines remain open to passengers?

I can see your logic, but that is not the reason Sandhills isn’t staffed.

 

[HST274]

A seemingly one off train-no trains on snow Hill or Hereford lines tomorrow EXCEPT for the 0608 Snow Hill to Worcester Foregate Street which seems to sit on platform 2 definitely for tomorrow and Thursday, and maybe Friday Saturday as well! That's if it runs if course.

 

[The Planner]

I can see your logic, but that is not the reason Sandhills isn’t staffed.

They are all at Preston for a change of scenery.

 

[infobleep]

Which closed station has the most trains berthed on its platforms on a strike day?

Guildford has trains on platforms 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7, although it's a single line between 6 and 7, so in theory, it's 5 trains.

 

[507020]

I can see your logic, but that is not the reason Sandhills isn’t staffed.

May I ask what the reason Sandhills isn’t staffed is then? It must at least in part be due to the large number of people required if it was to be staffed not being available.

The Cross-City, Airedale and Wharfedale lines fulfil the same purpose but I suppose they won’t use their own dedicated signalling centres which have to be staffed independently, although with Cheltenham and Hellifield shut they can’t run freight on them.

They are all at Preston for a change of scenery.

I didn’t realise signallers could work other panels, or do Network Rail signallers circulate between different centres regularly with the same staff working both Sandhills and Preston? Also what is the TPE Preston - Manchester Airport doing running? I thought Bolton was supposed to be shut, but given that it isn’t, why isn’t it stopping at Bolton?

 

[pdeaves]

birthed

Please, please mean 'berthed'...

 

[507020]

Please, please mean 'berthed'...

I believe Southport actually has trains gestating in all platforms (1-6) or if not all except P5, as well as several sidings. Are there any through stations on main lines which are ‘pregnant’?

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

Is Avoncliff in the running for the smallest (quietest?) station still served today? In the sense of “normally quiet” (for those that don’t know, Avoncliff is local door only and only accessible from the outside world via a canal towpath). By dint of its location it has been served today while such insignificant places as Swansea and Aberdeen have not!

Avoncliff station is accessible by a dead end road from Bradford on Avon (Avoncliffe), with a small space for parking adjacent to the station. The main village (a few houses and the Cross Guns pub) is the other side of the River Avon, a short walk across the canal aqueduct from the station. There is also a road into this main part from Westwood.

Next station west is Freshford, also a quiet place.

 

[The Planner]

Also what is the TPE Preston - Manchester Airport doing running? I thought Bolton was supposed to be shut, but given that it isn’t, why isn’t it stopping at Bolton?

No idea, ask TPE.

 

[infobleep]

I believe Southport actually has trains gestating in all platforms (1-6) or if not all except P5, as well as several sidings. Are there any through stations on main lines which are ‘pregnant’?

I didn't include the sidings at Guildford. Not sure how many trains berthed there.

 

[D6130]

The Cross-City, Airedale and Wharfedale lines fulfil the same purpose but I suppose they won’t use their own dedicated signalling centres which have to be staffed independently, although with Cheltenham and Hellifield shut they can’t run freight on them.

When you say 'Cheltenham', presumably you mean Gloucester?

 

[Peter0124]

Stations on the Hamilton Circle to Glasgow Central run direct into the High Level after Cambuslang. So in essence it is an improved service for those wanting the city centre (ie just over 11 minutes from Newton to Glasgow Central as opposed to the usual 16-17 minutes through the low level).

 

[507020]

No idea, ask TPE.

I’m sure TPE would know, but I meant how is the line able to be open when it was shown to be completely closed?

When you say 'Cheltenham', presumably you mean Gloucester?

I was going to say Bromsgrove but one end of Bromsgrove is open, so I hastily changed it to ‘Cheltenham’ in reality meaning everywhere between Bromsgrove and Westerleigh West Junction. That seems to be the most major InterCity line that is completely closed.

Coming from the Birmingham direction, Gloucester is beyond Cheltenham, so with no access to Cheltenham there is no access to Gloucester either.

 

[infobleep]

There are two non-stop services between Woking and Surbiton and Surbiton and Woking each hour when services are running

Usually, such non-stop services only happen in the early morning and at odd other times.

 

[alistairlees]

I just noticed that there is a non stop st Leonard’s warrior square to London Bridge service: https://www.brtimes.com/!train?uid=W69082

I don’t think that has ever happened before.

 

[D6130]

I was going to say Bromsgrove but one end of Bromsgrove is open, so I hastily changed it to ‘Cheltenham’ in reality meaning everywhere between Bromsgrove and Westerleigh West Junction. That seems to be the most major InterCity line that is completely closed.

Coming from the Birmingham direction, Gloucester is beyond Cheltenham, so with no access to Cheltenham there is no access to Gloucester either.

Fair enough....I was thinking that you were talking about signalling centres - and Cheltenham is controlled from Gloucester, as is Stoke Works Junction to Yate (approximately). Barnt Green (exclusive) to Bromsgrove and Stoke Works Jn also used to be controlled from Gloucester power box, but with the resignalling at the time of the extension of electrification to Bromsgrove, I believe that control of that section was transferred to the West Midlands Signalling Centre (or possibly initially to Saltley?). Happy to be corrected if I'm wrong.

 

[zwk500]

Fair enough....I was thinking that you were talking about signalling centres - and Cheltenham is controlled from Gloucester, as is Stoke Works Junction to Yate (approximately). Barnt Green (exclusive) to Bromsgrove and Stoke Works Jn also used to be controlled from Gloucester power box, but with the resignalling at the time of the extension of electrification to Bromsgrove, I believe that control of that section was transferred to the West Midlands Signalling Centre (or possibly initially to Saltley?). Happy to be corrected if I'm wrong.

Bromsgove Workstation at WMSCC controls from Barnt Green all the way down to the NW&C/Western route boundary just north of Ashchurch Loop, where Gloucester takes over. Gloucester controls down to Berkeley Road Jn (just north of Charfield Loops) where Stoke Gifford Workstation at Thames Valley SC takes over towards Bristol.

 

[D6130]

Bromsgove Workstation at WMSCC controls from Barnt Green all the way down to the NW&C/Western route boundary just north of Ashchurch Loop, where Gloucester takes over. Gloucester controls down to Berkeley Road Jn (just north of Charfield Loops) where Stoke Gifford Workstation at Thames Valley SC takes over towards Bristol.

Thanks for the clarification. It's not always possible to tell from signal numberplates nowadays which signalbox/SCC/IECC/ROC controls a particular area.

 

[TFN]

The 0710 Heathrow Express from Paddington called additionally at West Ealing which I've never seen before.

 

[arb]

How about stations which have a better service on strike days than during a normal weekday?

A similar but different question: stations which have a better service on strike days than between strike days (i.e. today/Friday)?

Waterbeach:

• normal weekday off-peak service is half-hourly to Kings Cross
• strike days service is still half-hourly but alternating between Kings Cross and Cambridge (so slightly worse than normal, that's fair enough)
• today/Friday is only hourly to Kings Cross (so worse than strike days!)

 

[Bald Rick]

May I ask what the reason Sandhills isn’t staffed is then? It must at least in part be due to the large number of people required if it was to be staffed not being available.

I’m not answering that in public. You’ll have to wait for my memoirs (if I ever write it).

But it isn’t a large number of people required for the routes that were to open.

 

[The exile]

Avoncliff station is accessible by a dead end road from Bradford on Avon (Avoncliffe), with a small space for parking adjacent to the station. The main village (a few houses and the Cross Guns pub) is the other side of the River Avon, a short walk across the canal aqueduct from the station. There is also a road into this main part from Westwood.

Next station west is Freshford, also a quiet place.

Unless things have changed in the last couple of years, access to both platforms from the road is via the aqueduct. Freshford is a much larger settlement.

 

[PeterY]

Cheddington. (WCML) normally a service once an hour but looking at the timetables on strike days, 2 tph.

 

[JonathanH]

Timetable clash at Reigate all day today. Trains from Reigate to Reading scheduled to depart west at xx05 for most of the day. Southern occupy platform 2 from xx53-xx06.

Ideally, the Southern train would shunt from platform 2 to platform 1 between arrival and departure but it isn't happening.

North Downs services a mess punctuality wise a result.

 

[507020]

I’m not answering that in public. You’ll have to wait for my memoirs (if I ever write it).

But it isn’t a large number of people required for the routes that were to open.

Then I will await your memoirs. Surely you will have completed them by the conclusion of the strikes at this rate.

Timetable clash at Reigate all day today. Trains from Reigate to Reading scheduled to depart west at xx05 for most of the day. Southern occupy platform 2 from xx53-xx06.

Ideally, the Southern train would shunt from platform 2 to platform 1 between arrival and departure but it isn't happening.

North Downs services a mess punctuality wise a result.

That seems to be quite a catastrophic way to write a timetable and that isn’t even for the strike days.

It isn’t actually possible for Southern to shunt from P2 to P1, despite it being electrified. The third rail should have been extended beyond Reigate but wasn’t due to the intervention of Adolf Hitler, leaving the P1 unusable by electric trains, however 769s may be able to use it for a power changeover if they ever enter service.

 

[Cletus]

I could have been the only person to buy a Roundabout ticket in Glasgow yesterday

 

[Bald Rick]

Then I will await your memoirs. Surely you will have completed them by the conclusion of the strikes at this rate.

I hope not, as I haven’t started them yet!

That seems to be quite a catastrophic way to write a timetable and that isn’t even for the strike days.

to put it in context, there has been the equivalent of several months timetable changes done in about a week. Therefore the amount of checks done on it have been minimal, and errors like these will be much higher than normal. Which is one of the factors behind the wrong routings shown on the main thread.