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Derby-Matlock tweak - operational, or to save claims?

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TheManOnThe172

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From tonight, the last train of the day from Derby to Matlock (2255 ex Nottingham) has been retimed at just two stations (one minute later earlier leaving Derby and Duffield). The result is that Matlock branch passengers can no longer make a recognised connection from the 2102 ex St Pancras. (2102 is timetabled to arrive Derby 2228: Matlock departure was 2234, so matching 6 mins minimum change, but now 2233)

Can anyone see a necessary timetabling reason for the change, or would the cynic in me be correct in suspecting that this has in fact been done simply to save on Delay Repay and taxi fares for EMR?
 
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TheManOnThe172 said:
From tonight, the last train of the day from Derby to Matlock (2255 ex Nottingham) has been retimed at just two stations (one minute later leaving Derby and Duffield). The result is that Matlock branch passengers can no longer make a recognised connection from the 2102 ex St Pancras. (2102 is timetabled to arrive Derby 2228: Matlock departure was 2234, so matching 6 mins minimum change, but now 2233)
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Can you clarify, you quote “one minute later leaving Derby and Duffield” yet the context seems to be it having been retimed to a minute earlier?
 
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I doubt it's intentional, but anyone with an aversion to taxis usually used the 2031 anyway because the connection at Derby has been rubbish for some time and is regularly missed.

Hopefully something that is addressed with the big December change.
 
Spartacus

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The only thing I can see off hand is a tight margin with an ECS booked into platform 5 at 2236, but that's without looking in the whole timetable
 
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zwk500

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On a technical point 2A40 is retimed only half a minute earlier from Derby (22.33:30 rather than 22:34:00) but this obviously puts the public time (relevant for connections) back by a whole minute. The dwell at Whatstandwell is extended by 30 seconds further on.

In the old timetable, there was a 4.5 minute headway behind the Sheffield train 2A40 follows and only a 2 minute margin on the ECS coming in behind. Now it's a 4 minute headway (the minimum allowed) to the Sheffield and a 2.5 margin to the ECS (technically the minimum is 3, but 2.5 is better than 2). Without looking into it in greater detail I don't know what scope there was to retime the ECS by a full minute, but given it wasn't even retimed by a half minute the implication is that the ECS couldn't move.
It's also possible the change was to give more time at Whatstandwell without needing to eat into the turnround at Matlock, but you'd need somebody from EMR to tell you exactly why it was changed.
 
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TheManOnThe172

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Thanks to all. So I shouldn't be so cynical.

But is still makes a wretched evening service even worse. Because of a variation from the normal hourly pattern, there is no Matlock branch connection from the 1902 from St Pancras: the earliest post-blackout arrival at Matlock (145 miles from London) is 2210 - the same as for Lockerbie (324 miles from London).
 
yorksrob

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Definitely worth contacting EMT about, in case it has slipped through without someone noticing the implications for the connection.
 
Llandudno

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yorksrob said:
Definitely worth contacting EMT about, in case it has slipped through without someone noticing the implications for the connection.
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Does anyone know the best email address to use at EMR to contact them about ridiculous timetable change?
 
High Dyke

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Llandudno said:
Does anyone know the best email address to use at EMR to contact them about ridiculous timetable change?
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Contact us | EMR

From social media to webchat and email, find out how to get in touch with us.
www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk

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Write to: EMR Customer Service Centre
Locomotive House
Locomotive Way
Pride Park
Derby
DE24 8PU

Or by freepost: Freepost EMR CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTRE

Screenshot_20250520_111101_Chrome.jpg

Image shows contact information for East Midlands Railway.
 
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I believe the questions have been asked internally and it isn't intentional and hopefully they'll be able to alter it.
 
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Qwerty133

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LowLevel said:
I doubt it's intentional, but anyone with an aversion to taxis usually used the 2031 anyway because the connection at Derby has been rubbish for some time and is regularly missed.

Hopefully something that is addressed with the big December change.
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I'm sure there are plenty of people (myself included) who would have no issue with using a railway funded taxi but would not want to pay for one themselves.
 
Llandudno

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LowLevel said:
I believe the questions have been asked internally and it isn't intentional and hopefully they'll be able to alter it.
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That’s good to hear, but can the timetable be tweaked before December?
 
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Eloise

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Things can be actioned very quickly if it's an easy fix, especially if only one operator is involved. It's as if people read these forums...

I just wish people weren't so quick and cynical to jump to the wrong reason it was in there. This is highly likely to have been missed by both TOC and NR. Planners deal with hundreds of thousands of bits of data, half minutes do make a difference and genuine mistakes happen.
 
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