1S43: Why not calling at Arbroath Montrose and Stonehaven?

[DaventryRabbit]

Apologies if in wrong thread but why does this XC service not call at these stops when all others AAFAIK do?
Is it something to do with Voyagers needing Platform Staff assistance with dispatch and there are no SR staff on duty there at that time of the evening on a Sunday (1813 ex EDB)?

TIA
Cheers

 

[ValleyLines142]

1S41 is the 0915 Bristol to Edinburgh. Presuming you mean 1S43?

 

[DaventryRabbit]

1S41 is the 0915 Bristol to Edinburgh. Presuming you mean 1S43?

Yes of course sorry (slaps forehead). Am ahead of myself!

 

[ValleyLines142]

Yes of course sorry (slaps forehead). Am ahead of myself!

No worries.

Yeah it's an interesting one. I don't know whether CrossCountry are allowed to self dispatch on Voyagers? I'm not sure what they're ruling is.

 

[Morayshire]

XC used to call at Arbroath, Montrose and Stonehaven before Covid and lockdown.

They stopped during lockdown and have never reintroduced the stops.

Never had them cancel a stop because station staff were unavailable to dispatch but they might have changed the rules since pre-covid times

 

[LowLevel]

Apologies if in wrong thread but why does this XC service not call at these stops when all others AAFAIK do?
Is it something to do with Voyagers needing Platform Staff assistance with dispatch and there are no SR staff on duty there at that time of the evening on a Sunday (1813 ex EDB)?

TIA
Cheers

There's no issue with self dispatch of Voyagers if need be.

 

[DaventryRabbit]

XC used to call at Arbroath, Montrose and Stonehaven before Covid and lockdown.

They stopped during lockdown and have never reintroduced the stops.

Never had them cancel a stop because station staff were unavailable to dispatch but they might have changed the rules since pre-covid times

Thanks everyone. Was unaware of this. Every day is a schoolday...

 

[BrianW]

XC used to call at Arbroath, Montrose and Stonehaven before Covid and lockdown.

They stopped during lockdown and have never reintroduced the stops.

Never had them cancel a stop because station staff were unavailable to dispatch but they might have changed the rules since pre-covid times

You mean 'They stopped stopping ...' or ceased calling ...?

Why can't or don't they start stopping again?

 

[Morayshire]

You mean 'They stopped stopping ...' or ceased calling ...?

Why can't or don't they start stopping again?

I meant that they ceased to call. Now they just run through without stopping.

As to why they haven't resumed calling, I would like to know that myself.

 

[dk1]

I meant that they ceased to call. Now they just run through without stopping.

As to why they haven't resumed calling, I would like to know that myself.

Maybe the same reason they now pass through the likes of Audley End, Brockenhurst & Chesterfield.

 

[Fundee on Tay]

Southbound XC trains to Aberdeen call at Stonehaven, Montrose and Arbroath (08:20 to Penzance and 21:35 to Edinburgh) but as previously mentioned northbound ones don’t.

The southbound 21:35, whilst calling at the aforementioned stations skips the ones in Fife. The only one which calls at both is the 08:20 Aberdeen to Penzance.

 

[BrianW]

Maybe the same reason they now pass through the likes of Audley End, Brockenhurst & Chesterfield.

which is ...?

 

[kkong]

Why can't or don't they start stopping again?

It is fairly clear that XC are not interested in operating north of Edinburgh.

Indeed, they previously tried to have these services removed from their franchise.

In addition to the "missing" stops between Dundee and Aberdeen, we have nonsense such as XC running ECS from Craigentinny to Dundee as 5A01.

It then forms 2A01 to Aberdeen (non-stop), departing Dundee 7 minutes before ScotRail stopper 1A71 to Aberdeen (6 intermediate stops).

The XC service spends much of its time waiting for signals, so takes 1h17m compared to the following ScotRail's 1h23m. So little gained for the non-stop service.

If one was cynical, it would be easy to think XC were trying to show low passenger numbers in order to support their case for removal of the services.

The 1V60 XC working back south from Aberdeen after arrival of 2A01 does stop at Stonehaven, Montrose and Arbroath, as does the evening 1B61 XC departure from Aberdeen.

 

[WF4HA5HE]

There's no issue with self dispatch of Voyagers if need be.

I was gonna say the same for example Grand Central staff self dispatch and they use voyagers now. Even LNER are allowed to self dispatch their 9 car 800s in certain circumstances.

 

[kkong]

There's no issue with self dispatch of Voyagers if need be.

XC still call at Cupar, Ladybank and Markinch. I don't think they'd be receiving any dispatch support from station staff at those locations?

 

[dk1]

which is ...?

Began during the pandemic and appears to be norm now.

No plans to change it from 2nd June when the new timetable begins either.

 

[kkong]

Began during the pandemic and appears to be norm now.

See also: XC no longer operating their pre-Covid quota of services Edinburgh - Motherwell - Glasgow and v.v.

 

[dk1]

See also: XC no longer operating their pre-Covid quota of services Edinburgh - Motherwell - Glasgow and v.v.

Yes I think they are gone forever.

Lumo seem interested in partially filling the gap though.

 

[lachlan]

Ha

It is fairly clear that XC are not interested in operating north of Edinburgh.

Indeed, they previously tried to have these services removed from their franchise.

In addition to the "missing" stops between Dundee and Aberdeen, we have nonsense such as XC running ECS from Craigentinny to Dundee as 5A01.

It then forms 2A01 to Aberdeen (non-stop), departing Dundee 7 minutes before ScotRail stopper 1A71 to Aberdeen (6 intermediate stops).

The XC service spends much of its time waiting for signals, so takes 1h17m compared to the following ScotRail's 1h23m. So little gained for the non-stop service.

If one was cynical, it would be easy to think XC were trying to show low passenger numbers in order to support their case for removal of the services.

The 1V60 XC working back south from Aberdeen after arrival of 2A01 does stop at Stonehaven, Montrose and Arbroath, as does the evening 1B61 XC departure from Aberdeen.

Have any of the CrossCountry timings changed to reflect the reduced number of stops? Last time I checked, the Aberdeen-Penzance still took the same length of time.

 

[gomango]

Lumo seem interested in partially filling the gap though.

Do Scotrail still have plans to run via Carstairs and Motherwell every 2 hours?

 

[dk1]

So Scotrail still have plans to run via Carstairs and Motherwell every 2 hours

Not sure about that one.

 

[MCR247]

Ha

Have any of the CrossCountry timings changed to reflect the reduced number of stops? Last time I checked, the Aberdeen-Penzance still took the same length of time.

With XCs long distance routes, generally stops that are missed just result in a larger dwell time at the stops before/or after. I guess their paths are fixed at certain congested points (Bristol, New St, Leeds, ECML) etc that it’s not easy to reduce journey times. I also gather that XC quite like having longer station dwells for reliability.

 

[kkong]

Have any of the CrossCountry timings changed to reflect the reduced number of stops? Last time I checked, the Aberdeen-Penzance still took the same length of time.

As mentioned above, southbound XC departures from Aberdeen still call at these stops.

It's only the northbound ones which run non-stop between Dundee and Aberdeen.

 

[hexagon789]

Do Scotrail still have plans to run via Carstairs and Motherwell every 2 hours?

That has already resumed.