C2C 12 car to Liverpool Street?

[Essexman]

Is there any reason why C2C can't run 12 car trains into Liverpool Street? With Fenchurch Street closed on Saturday they were only running two trains an hour but these were only 8 coaches. Not enough with Westfield shopping and West Ham at home, plus the usual Saturday traffic.

 

[JonathanH]

They were using platforms 14 and 15 at Liverpool Street so no obvious issue there, compared to when they used to use the former platform 18.

Do they ever run 12 coach trains at the weekend? They would almost certainly have to run 12-car all day as they wouldn't have the facility to split them down to 8-car at the less busy times. The extra cost of running 12-car trains probably wouldn't generate the additional revenue around the West Ham peak. I note that the 1753 up service from Upminster that I caught was quite busy but it didn't need a 12-car. I appreciate that there will have been services earlier in the day that would have been loaded heavier.

Just as it can be asked why 12-car trains weren't running, is there any reason why passengers don't spread their journeys to avoid crowding? (Obviously there is, but you can see the predicament.)

 

[Essexman]

Obviously not so easy to spread journeys when travelling to a football match. Trains before and after the game were very busy.
So sadly again it’s profit over providing a service.
Presumably same reason C2C have stopped running any extra trains from West Ham after matches. They used to run one or two 12 car services from West Ham after West Ham games

 

[JonathanH]

So sadly again it’s profit over providing a service.

Minimising losses I would imagine - there isn't any profit in railways.

 

[iphone76]

I have definitely seen a 12 car c2c train going into Liverpool Street at the weekend, even post covid I seem to recall.

 

[Nora93]

Leigh-on-Sea to Shoeburyness has been closed at weekends for S&C renewal work at Southend Central. Most of the rolling stock is marooned at Shoeburyness CSD. East Ham EMUD does not have the stabling space for the additional units and Leigh-on-Sea platform 2 is not permissive for attaching and detaching.

 

[Kite159]

I have definitely seen a 12 car c2c train going into Liverpool Street at the weekend, even post covid I seem to recall.

I've been on a 12 coach C2C service into/out of Liverpool Street, Christmas Eve 2017 & January 2019.

Running 12 coach trains is one thing, getting passengers to spread out the entire platform to use the entire train is a different matter. Rear unit could be full & standing when the front unit is a lot emptier

 

[Halish Railway]

So sadly again it’s profit over providing a service.
Presumably same reason C2C have stopped running any extra trains from West Ham after matches. They used to run one or two 12 car services from West Ham after West Ham games

But why would they provide extra services from West Ham if they’ve moved from Upton Park to the Olympic stadium? Granted, there should be an increase in frequency from Stratford to Shoeburyness after games have finished, although I don’t know too much about whether they have done this past or present.

 

[DanNCL]

I was on a 12 car C2C service into Liverpool Street this year from Stratford, I’d not paid the slightest bit of attention to the screens when I’d gone to platform 5 at Stratford so was quite surprised when the set of 357s turned up instead of a 345! I can’t imagine for it’s return working the passengers at Liverpool Street spreading out, most would no doubt have crammed into the few coaches closest to the buffers.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, units being trapped at Shoeburyness at weekends whilst work is carried out at Southend Central is likely the reason why C2C are only running 8 car sets into Liverpool Street at present. 12 car sets can run into Liverpool Street and C2C have used them there on many occasions in the past.

 

[Essexman]

But why would they provide extra services from West Ham if they’ve moved from Upton Park to the Olympic stadium? Granted, there should be an increase in frequency from Stratford to Shoeburyness after games have finished, although I don’t know too much about whether they have done this past or present.

Because it takes so long to get into Stratford station that many people prefer to walk to West Ham or get the Jubilee or DLR. West Ham station is extremely busy after matches.

 

[357]

C2C have been running many 12 car trains to LST recent weekends. I was on one last weekend.

 

[Fredtheshred]

Do their 3 remaining 387s still get used?

 

[JonathanH]

Do their 3 remaining 387s still get used?

Yes, as noted this morning.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C87560/2021-12-23/detailed#allox_id=0

 

[Fredtheshred]

Yes, as noted this morning.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C87560/2021-12-23/detailed#allox_id=0

Thanks Jonathan

 

[357]

Yes, as noted this morning.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C87560/2021-12-23/detailed#allox_id=0

8 cars currently due to platform restrictions at West Horndon, but yes, they are in use