Cross Country Cancellations - Emergency Timetable

[dk1]

Some friends I know work on railway was loving the 4 day week(1 day on strike) as due to paying less tax their take home pay was just a little less than 5 days, so can’t see them wanting do 6 days

I’ve been doing a 4-day week on the railway since 2009 lol

 

[Harpo]

Don’t forget, employers favour long shifts and 4 day weeks as there are only 4 book on/book off allowances and PNB walk allowances in a working week instead of 5.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Not sure if this was the right thread, but heading for a XC service out of Haymarket to Motherwell at 1918 on Sunday 8th, to connect onto a 2023 Avanti service towards Crewe (jumping off at Preston).
Is reliability decent for this service, and what happens if it is cancelled?

 

[WAB]

Not sure if this was the right thread, but heading for a XC service out of Haymarket to Motherwell at 1918 on Sunday 8th, to connect onto a 2023 Avanti service towards Crewe (jumping off at Preston).
Is reliability decent for this service, and what happens if it is cancelled?

I've personally not found XC north of Edinburgh to be particularly reliable. In the event of cancellation, you'd be relying on your NRCoT 28.2 rights, and I'd hope that Scotrail staff at Haymarket would be reasonable and authorise you to travel on an earlier service to make that connection. It should be noted that not all ScotRail staff (including some on this forum) are aware of the requirement for any TOC to assist passengers who'd otherwise be stranded.

If you turn up after that previous service has left or they insist on making you get a later service after the booked departure then you'd get to Glasgow/Motherwell with no onward connection possible and you'd be taxiied onwards. The most sensible option would however be a 4hr taxi from Edinburgh to Preston, and it'd be worth highlighting this when speaking to Haymarket station staff.

 

[Jimini]

I had a rare pleasure today -- a double Voyager on the Manchester > Bournemouth route!

 

[AlastairFraser]

I've personally not found XC north of Edinburgh to be particularly reliable. In the event of cancellation, you'd be relying on your NRCoT 28.2 rights, and I'd hope that Scotrail staff at Haymarket would be reasonable and authorise you to travel on an earlier service to make that connection. It should be noted that not all ScotRail staff (including some on this forum) are aware of the requirement for any TOC to assist passengers who'd otherwise be stranded.

If you turn up after that previous service has left or they insist on making you get a later service after the booked departure then you'd get to Glasgow/Motherwell with no onward connection possible and you'd be taxiied onwards. The most sensible option would however be a 4hr taxi from Edinburgh to Preston, and it'd be worth highlighting this when speaking to Haymarket station staff.

OK, that's fine and thanks for the suggestion. Would it be worth suggesting getting ticket acceptance on the 2019 TPE service out of Haymarket towards Manchester Airport too (if that is running to timetable)?

 

[WAB]

OK, that's fine and thanks for the suggestion. Would it be worth suggesting getting ticket acceptance on the 2019 TPE service out of Haymarket towards Manchester Airport too (if that is running to timetable)?

Yes, if that is your personal preference I don't see why not. Some staff might get a bit funny about it being in the wrong direction (but it would reduce XC's taxi bill!) and I imagine it may take a bit of explaining to the station staff at Piccadilly to get the taxi forwards to Preston.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Yes, if that is your personal preference I don't see why not. Some staff might get a bit funny about it being in the wrong direction (but it would reduce XC's taxi bill!) and I imagine it may take a bit of explaining to the station staff at Piccadilly to get the taxi forwards to Preston.

Oh, I think I've explained it badly. The Manchester Airport one passes directly through Preston, not via York! I actually considered booking this one directly, but never done XC in Scotland on that route and it gets in a little earlier to Preston if all is well!

 

[Kite159]

I had a rare pleasure today -- a double Voyager on the Manchester > Bournemouth route!

But was both units in use, or was it a voyager towing around an empty unit as there wasn't enough staff to cover both sets?

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

But was both units in use, or was it a voyager towing around an empty unit as there wasn't enough staff to cover both sets?

And what happens at Reading when the service reverses?

 

[louis97]

And what happens at Reading when the service reverses?

The locked out set is then on the opposite end of the train. It does happen where the set in use isn't the leading unit, although it normally only happens after a reversal in the journey. Although sometimes the rear set may be used from origin if a reversal is a short time into the journey.

Also could be a booked crew change at Reading that means there is now enough staff to have both sets in use. Although this does not mean it will be unlocked for passenger use.

 

[Trainman40083]

And what happens at Reading when the service reverses?

Everybody moves to the other set. If you think I am joking, that actually happened with a 10 car 222 set from St Pancras to Derby that ran via Corby... When it got to Leicester. Selective Door Opening probably the reason

 

[Jimini]

Pleased to report both units were open and available (at least until Reading heading south!)

 

[louis97]

Everybody moves to the other set. If you think I am joking, that actually happened with a 10 car 222 set from St Pancras to Derby that ran via Corby... When it got to Leicester. Selective Door Opening probably the reason

On a 222 you select which coaches to release, so in theory you could release the rear set only (assuming it does not mandate that coach 1 is always selected or something like that), however the real issue is there isn't any stop markers for platforming the rear set where there is short platforms.

 

[LowLevel]

On a 222 you select which coaches to release, so in theory you could release the rear set only (assuming it does not mandate that coach 1 is always selected or something like that), however the real issue is there isn't any stop markers for platforming the rear set where there is short platforms.

Is class 222 SDO that clever? I've always been under the impression that the driver selects the number of coaches that release from the front and that's all it does - they have a bank of buttons from 1 to 13 and the driver just presses how many coaches to open before putting up the door release to the train manager.

 

[vicbury]

Things seem to have now gone back to as they were before the emergency timetable, with cancellations of critical morning commuting services between Cheltenham and Cardiff (0757 into Cardiff and 0640 from Cardiff).

With the former being cancelled, it's not possible to commute from Lydney and Chepstow to Cardiff or Bristol without getting up ludicrously early, as the following services and connections are too late.

I'll be writing to my MP as the situation is untenable and will only be compounded with TfW service cuts next month.

 

[GoneSouth]

I'll be writing to my MP as the situation is untenable and will only be compounded with TfW service cuts next month.

Are TfW making cuts to Cheltenham services? I’ve changed onto XC / TfW at Cheltenham to go down to Cardiff quite a few times, it’s supposed to be a combined 2 tph to Cardiff with different stopping patterns but XC have endeavoured to make it semi permanently 1 tph. If TfW make real, official, permanent timetable cuts and not just random on the day “Fred isn’t coming in today so we can’t run the 0900” type decisions, I don’t see there even being a reliable 1 tph service which is pretty devastating for the smaller towns on the route which depends on travel to Cardiff, Newport, Gloucester and Cheltenham for work and study.

 

[Phillipimo]

Are TfW making cuts to Cheltenham services? I’ve changed onto XC / TfW at Cheltenham to go down to Cardiff quite a few times, it’s supposed to be a combined 2 tph to Cardiff with different stopping patterns but XC have endeavoured to make it semi permanently 1 tph. If TfW make real, official, permanent timetable cuts and not just random on the day “Fred isn’t coming in today so we can’t run the 0900” type decisions, I don’t see there even being a reliable 1 tph service which is pretty devastating for the smaller towns on the route which depends on travel to Cardiff, Newport, Gloucester and Cheltenham for work and study.

TfW are not making cuts to this route. They are changing to terminate at Cardiff instead of running through to Maesteg, which should actually improve reliability.

 

[Trainman40083]

Is class 222 SDO that clever? I've always been under the impression that the driver selects the number of coaches that release from the front and that's all it does - they have a bank of buttons from 1 to 13 and the driver just presses how many coaches to open before putting up the door release to the train manager.

I always thought SDO was front set only.

 

[Hairy Bear]

On a 222 you select which coaches to release, so in theory you could release the rear set only (assuming it does not mandate that coach 1 is always selected or something like that), however the real issue is there isn't any stop markers for platforming the rear set where there is short platforms.

Incorrect...not possible, stop guessing.

 

[LowLevel]

I always thought SDO was front set only.

Nah, 222s can release any number of coaches. I think the likes of the 350s that have unit deselect work like that.

 

[duffield]

Things seem to have now gone back to as they were before the emergency timetable, with cancellations of critical morning commuting services between Cheltenham and Cardiff (0757 into Cardiff and 0640 from Cardiff).

With the former being cancelled, it's not possible to commute from Lydney and Chepstow to Cardiff or Bristol without getting up ludicrously early, as the following services and connections are too late.

I'll be writing to my MP as the situation is untenable and will only be compounded with TfW service cuts next month.

I counted nineteen cancellations or truncations with the specific reason "shortage of train drivers" today, and a lot of them are *not* on the usual Birmingham to Cardiff route.
I was toying with using XC for part of my journey tomorrow (Chesterfield to Leeds) but I'll use an alternative and avoid them, it looks like even if "my" service did run there's a good chance it would be four coaches (it's sometimes 4+4 but not so much recently).

 

[vicbury]

TfW are not making cuts to this route. They are changing to terminate at Cardiff instead of running through to Maesteg, which should actually improve reliability.

Correct me if I am wrong but aren't they making cuts to the evening service between Cardiff and Cheltenham from next month?

 

[Phillipimo]

Correct me if I am wrong but aren't they making cuts to the evening service between Cardiff and Cheltenham from next month?

From what I can see from Realtime Trains. The Monday to Friday service is virtually unchanged.

Edited - On Saturday nights the 2210 is extended from Gloucester to Cheltenham. The last train is still the 23:18 to Gloucester.

 

[GoneSouth]

TfW are not making cuts to this route. They are changing to terminate at Cardiff instead of running through to Maesteg, which should actually improve reliability.

Thanks, that does actually sound like an impairment.

 

[vicbury]

From what I can see from Realtime Trains. The Monday to Friday service is virtually unchanged.

Edited - On Saturday nights the 2210 is extended from Gloucester to Cheltenham. The last train is still the 23:18 to Gloucester.

Thank you! It must have updated in the last few days.

 

[LittleRedTrain]

XC still not properly resourced for the last trains from Birmingham to Reading/Bournemouth

2103 (last train south of Reading) cancelled with passengers for stations Basingstoke to Southampton put on the 2203 with a bus from Oxford!

Other services in evening peak also cancelled.

 

[Goldfish62]

XC still not properly resourced for the last trains from Birmingham to Reading/Bournemouth

2103 (last train south of Reading) cancelled with passengers for stations Basingstoke to Southampton put on the 2203 with a bus from Oxford!

Other services in evening peak also cancelled.

At least a bus was arranged rather than just leaving passengers to fend for themselves, as is the fashion these days.

 

[duffield]

A good illustration of the difference it makes whether one four/five car set turns up or two on the Voyager routes: I travelled from Chesterfield to Leeds on the 0905 Edinburgh bound service yesterday, and I only attempted it because it was allocated as 4+4 coaches (2x220) - and even so, nearly every seat in both sets appeared to be occupied, including most of the rear 1st class, despite it having no catering. So it's quite clear why such services get to be so hellish when they turn up as one 4 car set (and I've seen this particular service get allocated as such). Two full train loads in one set.

Meanwhile, mass cancellations again today on the Nottingham->Birmingham->Cardiff route, including three in a row at one point this afternoon.

This franchise should be one of the first to be fully nationalised, not because that would immediately fix the problems (obviously it won't do so in the very short term) but because at least we wouldn't be paying a private company commission/fees/however it works currently for the privilege of having a lousy service.

 

[Kite159]

This franchise should be one of the first to be fully nationalised, not because that would immediately fix the problems

Hate to break it to you, but it won't.

Just look at Northern at how fully nationalised makes no difference