I dont know what it is with these services.
On Trasky a week or so ago I watched an LNwR service set off towards Crewe about 5 minutes late, a few miles up the line the signaller put a class 6 freight off Speke which slowed not only the class 9 LNwR service but two other class 1 passenger services behind it.
By the time the LNwR service got to Crewe it was over an hour late and it terminated there.
Its not a usual situation I agree before somebody comes on and points that fact out. But it did happen and its that kind of thing thats happening to their services all the time so they are getting a frightful reputation.
Here's another example of incomprehensible regulation that delays LNR trains.
On the 6th Nov, I caught the 09.52 LNR Northampton - Euston service.
It left RT; it's booked F/L from Hanslope and was running on time there, so the late running Virgin 06.58 Lancaster -Euston (Pendo) was stopped there, and we crossed in front of it.
Both the Lancaster and the LNR train call at MK, and this is where it got strange.
The LNR was still R/T at MK, but it was looped into platform 5 (in effect, up/dn fast platform) and held until the Lancaster had called at Platform 4 (in effect the up fast platform) and departed. Of course, the Lancaster had to accelerate from a stand at Hanslope so it was further delayed in reaching MK.
The result was that the LNR train running on time to MK was delayed by nearly 10 minutes, and the Lancaster, by being brought to a stand at Hanslope, by a further about 5.
The LNR was given precedence at Hanslope; if it been allowed to depart from MK as booked, it obviously would carry on running R/T. It would have left MK about 5 minutes in front of the Lancaster - a reasonable margin.
Alternatively, if the Lancaster had been allowed to 'run' at Hanslope, it would have delayed the LNR, but, as it was already at a stand when we passed it, I guess the delay to the LNR would have been slightand the Lanxaster woulkd not have been further delayed..
Before I'm accused of using hindsight to suggest a better course of action, I'll point out that the on time LNR given precedence over late Virgin at Hanslope, then late Virgin given precedence over on time LNR at MK. Where's the logic? And, bearing in mind both locations are (I think) in the Rugby ROC area, with one regulator possibly making both decisions...
