Well, recent evidence with strikes/ short terms disruption does seem to suggest they don't have the capacity in the planning team to recast stuff even short term. If they are struggling with the day to day stuff I can't see they will be able to do a major recast.
Quite so. I only mentioned that as there might be some expectation that with improved acceleration and point to point timings, they (701's) would provide faster end to end journey times. Going back to the 2004 recast, some may point out that there was a degree of 'padding out' in the timetable. The most notable being the public v working time arrivals at Waterloo perhaps, where a 2 minute differential applied, although this was largely Main Line orientated, but yes, there were other areas. Using the Down Alton services is an example, with extra time approaching Woking on the DS, to allow the Down Pompey to weave DF to DS London end of Woking, before the Alton arrived, and then also in the Brookwood area, where the 450's were/are capable of a faster journey time than was planned at that time. BUT, one has to remember that (in the Down Alton scenario), Alton line services had to interact with a number of other services at Woking, Ash Vale Junction, Aldershot North Junction through to Aldershot, and then the single line/Bentley loop, whilst also allowing for a robust turn round at Alton (Timetable Performance was very high on the agenda at that time, believe me) and not to forget Waterloo, where the Alton's were concerned they were just one small part of a far wider jigsaw puzzle.
Not true. The Windsor lines and mainline suburban will be exclusively Class 701. That was the whole point of ordering one homogenous fleet!
Slight confusion here perhaps. What I referred to, and Peter agreed to (I think), was that the timetabled services could not be sped up DURING the period of (701) introduction, when there are still numerous diagrams worked by 455/458 which would not be able to keep time. Once ALL old stock is gone, and 701 works everything, that is the point a speeded up timetable might be the way to go.
There will be a curve, but numbers can be derived from it. For example (for a plot of acceleration vs speed) 0-60 time is the integral (area under the curve), maximum acceleration is the highest value that curve reaches (usually at a relatively low speed), and maximum speed is the point where the curve crosses the x axıs (acceleration = 0)
And conversely WCML times have alteady had to be dialled down in anticipation of the non-tilt fitted 805s and 807s
My belief is that they should get back to the (mostly 10 car) timetable that existed prior to the SWT/SWR franchise change. Towards the end of that period it was recognised that capacity had been exceeded (M. Holden's review), and performance was suffering. This I believe was largely due to the number of passengers using the service above anything else, which was causing delays, particularly the evening peak as I recall.
Agree - the 2016 timetable would be a vast improvement on the current situation. I think (off peak at least) the 2016 timetable was largely unchanged since the major rewrite in the mid 2000's.
A timetable recast is a massive task. You have all the effects of the changes you want impacting other services. Even gets as far as any change you make to a Waterlooto to Exeter service will impact GWR because of interractions at various points Salisbury and onwards. Then SWR have Southern to share tracks with as well. Because the railways are running so close to capacity nowadays (its temporarily eased of with Covid) there is often no slack to absorb changes - deliberate or due to disruption.
Ah.... The bigger picture.Quite so. I only mentioned that as there might be some expectation that with improved acceleration and point to point timings, they (701's) would provide faster end to end journey times. Going back to the 2004 recast, some may point out that there was a degree of 'padding out' in the timetable. The most notable being the public v working time arrivals at Waterloo perhaps, where a 2 minute differential applied, although this was largely Main Line orientated, but yes, there were other areas. Using the Down Alton services is an example, with extra time approaching Woking on the DS, to allow the Down Pompey to weave DF to DS London end of Woking, before the Alton arrived, and then also in the Brookwood area, where the 450's were/are capable of a faster journey time than was planned at that time. BUT, one has to remember that (in the Down Alton scenario), Alton line services had to interact with a number of other services at Woking, Ash Vale Junction, Aldershot North Junction through to Aldershot, and then the single line/Bentley loop, whilst also allowing for a robust turn round at Alton (Timetable Performance was very high on the agenda at that time, believe me) and not to forget Waterloo, where the Alton's were concerned they were just one small part of a far wider jigsaw puzzle.
Whilst the suburban area was/is largely self contained, it is this sort of planning scenario which was equally complex within that area.
My point here being that whilst some people will have very strong views about those services which they personally use, the timetable, taken from the overall perspective, has to 'work' to reflect the wishes of every route, as far as can be accommodated, so compromises will have to be made. This is why (as someone up thread mentioned) the services today are in some cases no faster than they were when the suburban was first electrified - an era which is of much interest to me as it happens - simply because the infrastructure within the suburban, is very largely still what it was back then, so even with advanced signalling, modern ways of train operation (I don't need to list these things here) there is only so much that can be done to accelerate a train service, if it is to be of benefit to the overall majority of those wishing to use it.
Now, where did I park my Tardis........
But any speed up is not going to happen soon. Only after the services are all 701s and have bedded in and then only if the capacity is needed.
Yes. It is going to be a lot easier eventually - when there is only one train type on the route OR set of routes.
Here we go again..
Is this SWR information, or something that’s been seen in RTT?
And what happens if the deadline is missed? Stand in the naughty corner? Meeting with no tea and biscuits? Take the contract away?
Not in RTT yet.
Why would a speed up depend on if capacity is needed.
LNER still run same timetable/timings as when mk4/hat were around, the abandoned timetable would have put in place Azuma timings.
Faster trains clear a section quicker, whiuch means you can get more trains through a section in the same time.
Should be but it is not often in the UK that you will see capacity running ahead of demand !.
. I do hope they enter service next week.
The same paths as had appeared in RTT for Thursday and Friday this week appears to be the plan. Running Wednesday to Friday next week.
I haven't dialed into this thread in a while. Do you know which line it may run on?
Came out today.
Official publication date was today, but my copy arrived in Monday's post. The article doesn't add anything we don't know already. "Poised" to undertake a soft launch "some time" in December, "it is now thought" that a single unit will run off peak on the Windsor route.
