Saturday 20th April and I made one of my occasional late night journeys between Leeds and Manchester. I have the choice of the 2325 to Manchester or the 2334 to Man. Airport. Not for the first time, things went wrong.
The 2325 is formed of a portion from Middlesbrough and a portion from Hull. It was booked onto Platform 12 but 12 wasn't available because an EMT HST had terminated there and wasn't going anywhere. The two portions were both about 10 mins late at Marsh Lane but lost a further 6-8 mins between there and Leeds.
The passengers waiting on 12 began to realise that the 2334 would arrive first and began to troop over to Platform 16, actually the 2325 arrived first and came in on 15. Some passengers, seeing 'Manchester' on the front began to run back from 16 to 15 but there was confusion because some didn't realise that the 2325 was only going to Piccadilly, not the Airport.
I decided to get on the 2325 which departed at 2347 but in the meantime the 2334 arrived and departed first at 2345.
Perhaps I made the wrong choice, I thought, but apparently not because, according to RTT, the 2334 arrived in Huddersfield at 0005 and stood there for 26 mins before continuing to Manchester.
A couple of questions for those who may know; the 2325 is shown as two portions which join together at Leeds but this wasn't the case on Saturday, it was a single 185. Do they actually join or are the pax from Hull told to get off and board the portion from Middlesbrough?
Also, does anyone know why the 2334 stood for 26 mins at HUD on Saturday?
Something always seems to go wrong with these two trains, I keep hearing that TPE's problems are being ironed out and that services should run much more smoothly from the May timetable change. Will they really?
The 2325 is formed of a portion from Middlesbrough and a portion from Hull. It was booked onto Platform 12 but 12 wasn't available because an EMT HST had terminated there and wasn't going anywhere. The two portions were both about 10 mins late at Marsh Lane but lost a further 6-8 mins between there and Leeds.
The passengers waiting on 12 began to realise that the 2334 would arrive first and began to troop over to Platform 16, actually the 2325 arrived first and came in on 15. Some passengers, seeing 'Manchester' on the front began to run back from 16 to 15 but there was confusion because some didn't realise that the 2325 was only going to Piccadilly, not the Airport.
I decided to get on the 2325 which departed at 2347 but in the meantime the 2334 arrived and departed first at 2345.
Perhaps I made the wrong choice, I thought, but apparently not because, according to RTT, the 2334 arrived in Huddersfield at 0005 and stood there for 26 mins before continuing to Manchester.
A couple of questions for those who may know; the 2325 is shown as two portions which join together at Leeds but this wasn't the case on Saturday, it was a single 185. Do they actually join or are the pax from Hull told to get off and board the portion from Middlesbrough?
Also, does anyone know why the 2334 stood for 26 mins at HUD on Saturday?
Something always seems to go wrong with these two trains, I keep hearing that TPE's problems are being ironed out and that services should run much more smoothly from the May timetable change. Will they really?