Chiltern delays

[NSE]

Hey, was on the 18:36 to Aylesbury at Marylebone tonight, and we were waiting to depart. A loco hauled set then turned up next to us. The driver for our train then turned up apologising for being late as he was the driver of said loco hauled set from Birmingham (do drivers swap on this route? Or would he do the whole journey in one go? I.e. Birmingham all the way through to Marylebone or maybe start at Banbury for example) and he was delayed and no other driver was around to take the set.
My questions are, what caused the loco hauled set to delayed, and why in the peak did Chiltern not have backup drivers? (apologies if this comment may seem arrogant, or the answer obvious, I have no knowledge in driver schedule type stuff so this is a genuine unknown to me)

Many thanks

 

[barrykas]

Hey, was on the 18:36 to Aylesbury at Marylebone tonight, and we were waiting to depart. A loco hauled set then turned up next to us. The driver for our train then turned up apologising for being late as he was the driver of said loco hauled set from Birmingham (do drivers swap on this route? Or would he do the whole journey in one go? I.e. Birmingham all the way through to Marylebone or maybe start at Banbury for example) and he was delayed and no other driver was around to take the set.

It varies. Sometimes they swap at Banbury, other times they work all the way through.

My questions are, what caused the loco hauled set to delayed, and why in the peak did Chiltern not have backup drivers? (apologies if this comment may seem arrogant, or the answer obvious, I have no knowledge in driver schedule type stuff so this is a genuine unknown to me)

Signalling problems between Bicester North and Kings Sutton according to NRES. (Which resulted in said set being 25 minutes late on arrival at Moor Street on its Northbound journey, so it was turned there instead of running through to Snow Hill).

As for why there was no other driver available, I'd suggest that the "cover" drivers had probably been used to fill other turns, and there was nobody who could be stepped up, given that not all the drivers sign the Met.

Cheers,

Barry

 

[Peter Mugridge]

That would probably have been the 15.55 Moor Street - Marylebone? Should be easy enough to find out if the driver is booked to then take the 18.36?

 

[saltley 1394]

That would probably have been the 15.55 Moor Street - Marylebone? Should be easy enough to find out if the driver is booked to then take the 18.36?

Yes it is the same Moor Street driver for both trains, i am on the job tomorrow, books on at 1535 to work the 1555 up to London then over to the other platform and the 1836 to Aylesbury, 2003 back to london and 2137 to Birmingham

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Ah... so you drive them do you? Perhaps you could answer a question... is 67 015 / 82303 captive on that diagram? Twice I've used the 13.37 out / 15.55 back, both times had that set. Seen gen mention of it on at least three other occasions recently and in all three cases it was the same set on the diagram...

 

[Cherry_Picker]

and why in the peak did Chiltern not have backup drivers?

They do. All TOCs do and they keep them at a variety of locations. Sometimes the cover driver(s) will have caught other jobs though. Somebody might have gone sick, somebody else might have already been late and a cover diver has gone out to work that train instead (etc)

Most of the time it works smoothly and passengers are blissfully unaware that the system of cover drivers is even in place, but from time to time a cover driver will be unavailable. Seems like that happened here.

 

[FLHH East Anglia]

Yes it is the same Moor Street driver for both trains, i am on the job tomorrow, books on at 1535 to work the 1555 up to London then over to the other platform and the 1836 to Aylesbury, 2003 back to london and 2137 to Birmingham

Just as a matter of interest,where's the PNB in that diagram.?Seems a bit tight to me.

 

[Tringonometry]

If the booked driver doesn't take his booked train, then there's also a pretty good chance that the next train to where he should have gone won't get him to where he next needs to be on time.

 

[TDK]

Just as a matter of interest,where's the PNB in that diagram.?Seems a bit tight to me.

You have the PNB at Aylesbury
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

They do. All TOCs do and they keep them at a variety of locations. Sometimes the cover driver(s) will have caught other jobs though. Somebody might have gone sick, somebody else might have already been late and a cover diver has gone out to work that train instead (etc)

Most of the time it works smoothly and passengers are blissfully unaware that the system of cover drivers is even in place, but from time to time a cover driver will be unavailable. Seems like that happened here.

I have worked the 15.55 a couple of times and run late - the Marylebone cover driver took the Aylesbury on both occasions - so the cover usually works, due to signalling problems the Cover driver was most likely working another train
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

If the booked driver doesn't take his booked train, then there's also a pretty good chance that the next train to where he should have gone won't get him to where he next needs to be on time.

That depeneds, on this occasion the next train worked is the return to Brum 2 and a half ours later

 

[Tringonometry]

That depeneds, on this occasion the next train worked is the return to Brum 2 and a half ours later

I'd be looking for a spare man every time, in that case!