The fact that a 158 stinkbucket is Northern Rails 'finest' says a lot, really.
But yes, at least their control people (and the guard on your first train) did their job right.
A 158 is luxury for us! I can't see the (IMO better) 333's getting too far down this line! (Well, given time, they may!)
your train departed seven minutes late, and arrived Leeds 3 mins late.
Anyone who was hoping to catch the 22:56 from Leeds to Micklefield & York or Keighley/Skipton would have been disappointed, ditto those planning to catch buses at 11pm ish.
Unlike yourself, for those people it would have been bad luck, whereas you had entitlement to a taxi.
Has been mentioned already, but, anyone relying on such iffy connections, especially at that sort of time, do , frankly, deserve what they get...I mean, a 1-2 minute delay is quite normal on a fair few services, especially local stoppers. Only a short while ago I read on Facebook about someone missing a connection somewhere in Manchester as the driver approached every stop slower than normal...leaf fall season is lost on some, but I digress...
Don't get me wrong, I love unadvertised connections, as they can assist drastically, but I wouldn't be relying on them for last services...asking for trouble.
Having last connections at such ridiculously early times doesnt help the situation. Supposing you have a slightly unreliable five minute connection at around 22:00, but the train connecting into it is hourly, so to be on the safe side, you have to get the preceeding train there at 21:00. Your journey there might take an hour, so you have to leave at 20:00. Hardly the thriving evening economy were told is supposed to exist.
Very poor behaviour from the Leeds guard IMO.
No, granted, we could do with one a little later really, but I guess there isn't the stock/crew/demand* for it
*Last trains from Leeds run until much later but are usually loaded with people from nights out...Huddersfield doesn't get such traffic
Why would the guard on the 2220 take up the issue with you? If he had a problem with the decision, surely its for him to take up with control or with the other guard. Taking it up with passengers is unprofessional
This what I didn't get to be honest, especially announcing it to the whole train too. His rant at us whilst we trying to catch our breath from hot footing it across the station seemed very much a case of "I'll have a rant at you...I know it isn't your fault (he said as much as part of the conversation!)...but I'll continue to rant at you anyway.
I think the main point that needs a bit more emphasis here is that the fault lies squarely on Northern for their crappy pacer breaking down. Circumstances were exacerbated, for example the train from Huddersfield entering the single line first so we had to wait at Pensitone for 5 minutes for it to clear (or so the driver said and it looked like that was what happened) despite already being 20 minutes late. It's a lesson in how easy it is for delays to ripple out - there will probably be other effects we haven't identified.
It is quite a good point actually as to how circumstances multiplied to create the scenario we had. The offending Pacer apparently had engine trouble causing a delay off Sheffield and lost time thereafter (this didn't come as a surprise as one carriage was barely lit and was freezing cold when we boarded so possibly an engine down). Added to the lengthy delay at Penistone, it became clear we weren't going to be making up much time.
Leeds i regularly make two minute connections between Airedale and Harrogate line trains but this is not planned for it is to save myself 30-60 minutes. Never have i relied on on time running or early running for a late night train. You are just asking for trouble.
Me too and most certainly agreed!
Absolutely. I think I'm saying that I would have preferred the Mirfield people to be put in a taxi at railway expense, and those who didn't have railway 'guarantee' to have a fair chance of getting their bus/train.
Interesting discussion though
The guard on the Penistone line service did initially suggest this may be what happens, but when he came back from Control, he advised of the 5 minute hold. I was prepared for either and would have been happy either way.
What to bear in mind (as there seems to be a fair bit of pointing fingers in my direction in this thread) is I approached the guard in reasonable time when I realised we had definitely had it for making the connection as booked (20 mins is a fair bit of time to lose in anyones book, so much so we arrived at Huddersfield after the return was supposed to have gone!) to see what could be done. It was Northern's decision to hold, and along with the rant from the other guard, I was largely after some general discussion.
I have approached guards similarly before and not had much joy (granted, one was because I hadn't realised there was another one later in the evening, and another was because there was another connection (not Northern) even if it was like 2 hours behind) and knowing what I have learnt from the forum, I thought it was worth asking.
Just get the bus if the connection misses next time........
Missing the point much?!
