Bantamzen
Established Member
Northern have just sent a load of Pacers back to Angel trains, so there can't be a DMU shortage. In any case the recent changes haven't saved a DMU diagram, you'd probably need to terminate all the Carlisles/Morecambes at Skipton to save a DMU.
That doesn't follow. Pacers have been retired for political reasons. Logic would have been to retain them.
Most of the Carlisle / Lancaster services have/had long layovers in the bays at Leeds, of which there is currently a shortage of spare capacity due to the works on P0 and re-configuring P1-3. Hence the reason why some services are terminated short at Skipton whilst the works go on.
As a longer term plan, I'm afraid it isn't going to happen. Permanently cutting them back to Skipton will do nothing for their popularity or feasibility, especially the S&C in summer months. No what both need are longer formations so that north & west of Skipton their is plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the spectacular scenery, and Leeds-bound more room to soak up the commuter traffic at the peak times.
Passengers for Bradford have always had to change somewhere. On the old times there was a potential saving of five minutes by changing at Shipley instead of Skipton, but only with a platform change. I suspect some passengers would have changed at Skipton all along. That's heading towards Bradford, I haven't checked the other way.
Some Leeds-bound passengers avoid the worst of the peak loading by changing at Shipley from a Skipton > Bradford service onto the Bradford > Leeds service. Eastbound this involves walking the short distance from P5 to P3, and has a connection time of only about 8-9 minutes. Its a slightly longer walk & connection westbound, but some do still do it to at least have a chance of a seat, although the Forster Square services are themselves becoming more popular.
It might have been an idea to run the services currently turning at Skipton down to Forster Square, but platform capacity is at a premium there too. It could be possible, P3 was at one time used to stable a 333 for much of the day, but it only takes a couple of late runners to start to fowl up Forster Square, and turning at Shipley would be even more problematic. And of course the very slow trundle that is needed through P5 at Shipley would add to those woes.