I can't find an online timetable for the services apart from RTTs. Does anyone know where it is or whether there is one? Its not particularly useful if its not being shown on national rail etc which ordinary passengers use and there does not appear to be a PDF timetable available either.
-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Loco hauled services operated by WCRC on the Windermere branch
- Thread starter 87015
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Iskra
Established Member
Can anybody shed any light on how they do actually retain their route knowledge?
43096
On Moderation
- Joined
- 23 Nov 2015
- Messages
- 15,266
Charters are only part of their work. They also do a significant amount of route conducting etc. for things like on-track plant work. That is why they will be competent on some routes you might not think they would be.
Iskra
Established Member
Thanks for that.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
They do a lot of unseen work with things like OTM's and route conducting. They have a fair bit of knowledge. Some of it quite surprising!
Am I right that this temporary change of TOC to WCRC is in fact unprecedented? I am aware of many cases of temporary leases by the incumbent TOC including WCRC on the Rhymney line in South Wales and DRS in various places including the Cumbiran coast, Did DOR agree to it or is this a DfT direct initiative?
Northern are still operating replacement buses, just like they were last week. The WCRC service is in addition to those replacement buses, not instead of them and the WCRC services operate to their own timetable, they haven't even tried to copy the one which Northern should be running. It was reported in Granada Reports last night that there's an agreement in principle whereby DfT have told Tim Farron they'll fund the trains but there's no signed agreement in place between WCRC and DfT (as of yesterday.)
No signed agreement for a non-TOC to run a service over a TOC-franchised route? Wow! And does NR have any say on things like track access charge? The DfT sometimes excel themselves, but I won't fault the initiative!
Last edited:
Lemmy99uk
Member
- Joined
- 5 May 2015
- Messages
- 459
Northern have confirmed that they intend to re-introduce a [limited] train service from 02nd July.
xotGD
Established Member
- Joined
- 4 Feb 2017
- Messages
- 6,078
The response from passengers should be "Thanks, but No Thanks" and stick with WCRC.
Perhaps WCRC should take over York - Scarborough too?
tommy_train
Member
- Joined
- 5 Apr 2016
- Messages
- 44
I am planning to do this route either this week or the beginning of next week. I am going to ring WCRC maybe tomorrow and ask if they have any timetable info, etc... I will update with any info I do get.
The lakes line user group website has the timetable: http://www.llrug.co.uk/
It only includes times for Windermere and Oxenholme though, not intermediate stations.
Thank you. I am tempted to visit Windermere if its running at the weekend, although they may not have the stock or staff available alongside their usual rail tour work.
Thank you BlueFox, much appreciated.
tommy_train
Member
- Joined
- 5 Apr 2016
- Messages
- 44
Fantastic, thanks!
Hmm, one suspects that wouldn't be happening if WCRC hadn't turned up.
Shaw S Hunter
Established Member
ISTR that in the new timetable the paths north of Preston for through services to both Barrow and Windermere relied on the higher maximum speed of a 158 compared to a 156. So use of 156s would almost certainly guarantee some sort of PPM failure.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
From the strike thread, I think it fits better here:
It could work for InterCity but not really for regional, where integration is more important. Germany seems to do well with a model a bit like London bus operations, though, i.e. bidding for smaller packages of routes.
But as I've said before, I think "Lakes and Furness to Manchester Airport" is a natural service grouping that could easily stand alone from Northern, and would be quite effectively run using a small fleet of bi-modes (Stadler, or 769 if they ever happen). Hourly from the Airport, split and join at Lancaster.
It could work for InterCity but not really for regional, where integration is more important. Germany seems to do well with a model a bit like London bus operations, though, i.e. bidding for smaller packages of routes.
But as I've said before, I think "Lakes and Furness to Manchester Airport" is a natural service grouping that could easily stand alone from Northern, and would be quite effectively run using a small fleet of bi-modes (Stadler, or 769 if they ever happen). Hourly from the Airport, split and join at Lancaster.
I wouldn't count on it. 150s can go from Cardiff to Holyhead on a 175 schedule and make PPM. Anyway, a late train is better than no train. Or just run a shuttle from Oxenholme?
The_Rail_WAy
Member
- Joined
- 20 Jul 2008
- Messages
- 458
Will the service cease after 22nd June, or a new timetable thereafter....how long is it set to last until?
From what has been said so far I think they will run next week and then stop because of Northern introducing a shuttle service from Monday 2nd July. Weekend services will probably difficult around their normal business and they are probably still trying to work out of they can run anything.
The_Rail_WAy
Member
- Joined
- 20 Jul 2008
- Messages
- 458
Thanks for that mate, will def have to have a bash next week. Loco hauled services on the Windermere branch is the stuff of deams for me. It is a fantastic line but sees nothing but DMU's, no railtours visit which surprises me given its location. I never understood why a loop was not installed at the Windermere end to facilitate this. And obviously there are no freight services.
I’m not familiar with the branch but I’d have thought railtours to the lakes would have been incredibly popular. Is there a reason why they don’t do this?
Short platform at WDM? Lack of paths all day main obstacle.
Think its NO and YES in that order.
Amend that: YES and YES. Sorry.
Last edited:
I work very closely to Kendal station and I've got a smile all over my chops every other hour when the driver of the 37 opens the taps and gives it some welly.
Its been a LOT of years since I've heard trains arriving/departing Kendal station.
Bravo Mr Farron - its a wonderful noise.
Its been a LOT of years since I've heard trains arriving/departing Kendal station.
Bravo Mr Farron - its a wonderful noise.
A few of the local yokels aren't to keen on the noise/pollution, but most seem to be happy that a workable solution has been found.
nedchester
Established Member
- Joined
- 28 May 2008
- Messages
- 2,093
From what I hear it was West Coast that approaching Farron not the other way round. It's WCRC that should be getting the praise not Farron
- Status