Busiest Services.

[Stuart-h]

Before the pandemic started the cross country services between Birmingham New Street and Leicester always seemd to be full.

 

[alistairlees]

Yesterday’s 10.19 Middlesbrough to Whitby was a 2-car 156 which was full and standing from Middlesbrough. More passengers (and dogs) got on at intermediate stations, so it was over 200 people on arrival at Whitby.

There were two more 2-car 156s in the sidings at Middlesbrough apparently not doing anything.

Whitby itself was packed.

 

[Scotrail314209]

I’m sure some of the peak time services between Glasgow and East Kilbride were also some of the busiest trains in Scotland prior to COVID.

 

[yorksrob]

Yesterday’s 10.19 Middlesbrough to Whitby was a 2-car 156 which was full and standing from Middlesbrough. More passengers (and dogs) got on at intermediate stations, so it was over 200 people on arrival at Whitby.

There were two more 2-car 156s in the sidings at Middlesbrough apparently not doing anything.

Whitby itself was packed.

Yes, it's always frustrating when Whitby services aren't adequately resourced.

Part of the issue seems to be that it's an extension of various through services now so you can't dedicate an extra unit to it for the day. On the plus side, the 16:00 back usually seems to be four carriages at the moment.

 

[peteb]

I've been stood in the 10 seat front 2nd class compartment of a Thumper DEMU headed to Uckfield, which was interesting as it rumbled and rattled non stop to East Croydon where (fortunately) 3 or 4 people got out.....

 

[voyagerdude220]

Seriously though, do some more modern train carriages now have weight/pressure sensors on board which can detect how heavily loaded the train is?

Pendolinos do as well. The Driver can see the % of how full each carriage is on their in cab TMS screen.

Also I'm quite certain if the Pendolino detects a carriage is "overloaded" it will refuse to tilt.

 

[simon7929]

Yes, it's always frustrating when Whitby services aren't adequately resourced.

Part of the issue seems to be that it's an extension of various through services now so you can't dedicate an extra unit to it for the day. On the plus side, the 16:00 back usually seems to be four carriages at the moment.

Crazy thing is. One of the two spare units couples up at Middlesbrough to the next service to make 4 cars. And that service is not as busy as the 1018 departure.

The problem is they don't have enough drivers or time to couple up at 1018. That service arrives from Whitby about 1014 then departs back out at 1018.

 

[The exile]

Going back a long time but I can remember standing in the door vestibule of a DMU between Preston and Bolton with my arm down the outside of the window because there wasn't really room for it inside (all in the days before door locks of course - the thought of what might have happened horrifies me now - but when you're 15....). Guessing the unit (and the passengers) were coming back from Blackpool.

 

[SirBroccoli]

When I was a student many a moon ago, I always used to book myself a ticket on the 19:32 Reading to Exeter on a Friday night, because it's was guaranteed to either be late or severly overcrowded.

 

[yorksrob]

Crazy thing is. One of the two spare units couples up at Middlesbrough to the next service to make 4 cars. And that service is not as busy as the 1018 departure.

The problem is they don't have enough drivers or time to couple up at 1018. That service arrives from Whitby about 1014 then departs back out at 1018.

Indeed. I suppose that if it was a self contained service, you could double up all day for weekends, bank holidays, summer etc (not that this happenned that often when it was self contained).

Another thing I've noticed about the line is that a service will often be comfortably busy upon departure from Middlesborough, but will be full and standing by Battersby Junction.

 

[Peter0124]

When the 08:03 Larkhall to Milngavie pre covid was short formed to a 3 car I really struggled to board the service at Newton it was that busy

 

[Scotrail314209]

When the 08:03 Larkhall to Milngavie pre covid was short formed to a 3 car I really struggled to board the service at Newton it was that busy

The Larkhall trains always seem to be generally busy, even off peak.

 

[Peter0124]

The Larkhall trains always seem to be generally busy, even off peak.

Especially as the following service originating in Motherwell / Cumbernauld came shortly afterwards, which weren't usually as busy as it created an uneven waiting time for passengers from Hamilton onwards. Probably due to fitting the Whifflet line into the Argyle.

 

[Skipness]

Middlesborough to Whitby is the busiest I've experienced since lockdown 1.

Specifically the mid day arrival into Whitby, always made up of a 2 car unit.

 

[yorksrob]

Specifically the mid day arrival into Whitby, always made up of a 2 car unit.

Indeed.

I'm quite pleased that the 16:00 (or thereabouts) return tends to be 4 carriages at the moment though.

 

[alistairlees]

Indeed.

I'm quite pleased that the 16:00 (or thereabouts) return tends to be 4 carriages at the moment though.

On Saturday there were over 200 people on the 2-car 156 arriving at Whitby. About 40 to 50 had got on at intermediate stations too, with fewer than 20 from Middlesbrough getting off at intermediate stations. It really needed to be a 4-car; I imagine quite a few people are not going to bother again (and will tell their friends not to, either).

 

[yorksrob]

On Saturday there were over 200 people on the 2-car 156 arriving at Whitby. About 40 to 50 had got on at intermediate stations too, with fewer than 20 from Middlesbrough getting off at intermediate stations. It really needed to be a 4-car; I imagine quite a few people are not going to bother again (and will tell their friends not to, either).

Indeed. The route has so much potential in the leisure orientated railway, it's a shame when the capacity issue lets it down.

 

[Skipness]

Indeed.

I'm quite pleased that the 16:00 (or thereabouts) return tends to be 4 carriages at the moment though.

The 16.00 departure is scheduled as a 4 car unit because in term time it carries the school children home.

 

[simon7929]

It is also a positioning move to get the unit back to Newcastle. It splits off at 1850 on arrival

From next May the Whitby is going to be a self contained service like it used to be before the May 2018 timetable change. The delays and single line restrictions play havoc with the daily operation of the services.

 

[PHILIPE]

The only seriously over-crowded trains I've encountered in the last year have been TfW ones - the Crewe-Chester shuttle and the Chester-Holyhead train.

And along the Marches.

 

[Neo9320]

Before the pandemic started the cross country services between Birmingham New Street and Leicester always seemd to be full.

Any XC from new street always seems to be overcrowded!