Cross City 6 Car Diagrams

[centraltrains]

I am trying to find out why the new Aventras will only make "most" services 6 coaches, and not all.
To do this I wanted to work out how many diagrams there were on the Cross City line so I wasted lots of time and put together a spreadsheet. (there are lots of transposition errors, and the overnight transitions are very likely to be wrong - it is the main gist of the day I am interested in)

It shows there are 16 fully contained diagrams (with a few splits onto other diagrams on other lines) (and excluding the end/start of service), and 1 partially contained diagram (in the morning peak).

Which you could then question, couldn't all services be 6 coaches if 16*2 = 32 and they are getting 36 trains. 4 spare would seem enough? It seems very few extra trains would need to be ordered to make them all 6 coaches?




What I have labelled as diagram 13, is 3 coaches in the morning peak, but the timetable shows that in the evening peak it is 6 coaches from the 1716 departure from Four Oaks (FOK) onwards.

What I can't work out, and was wondering if anyone could help me work out is where it gains the additional 3 coaches from. I can't see any logical places it would pick them up.

The only possibility I can see is if what I have labelled as diagram 18, stables at platform 2 for around 5 hours before coupling to it, however given it would need to occupy half the platform for 5 hours, seems unlikely (and other 6 car diagrams are scheduled to use that platform fully in that time). I also went train spotting earlier in the year there, and this wasn't the case on that day either.

 

[6026KingJohn]

Four Oaks has 3 platforms. There is room in platform 3 (the bay) to put 3 coaches at the end during the day as the off peak services are only 3 coaches as well. Also, don't forget that your spreadsheet includes the Walsall-Wolverhampton services (2 more sets, making 18) which I agree can't be lengthened to 6 coaches as the bay at Wolverhampton only holds 4 coaches. You also need sets out for maintenance etc. This is presumably why WMR are only saying MOST services. Of course if the order had been for 40 sets...

 

[centraltrains]

Four Oaks has 3 platforms. There is room in platform 3 (the bay) to put 3 coaches at the end during the day as the off peak services are only 3 coaches as well.

Several services continue as 6 coaches throughout the day, despite not being advertised in the timetable as doing such. I believe the 1223 and 1233 from new street southbound are both 6 coaches.

Also, don't forget that your spreadsheet includes the Walsall-Wolverhampton services (2 more sets, making 18) which I agree can't be lengthened to 6 coaches as the bay at Wolverhampton only holds 4 coaches. You also need sets out for maintenance etc. This is presumably why WMR are only saying MOST services. Of course if the order had been for 40 sets...

I perhaps have the unrealistic dream that they could all go to 350s. Seems really strange how they are doing at the moment, with inter working with the Shrewsbury and Walsall services in the morning.
I wonder if there is any realistic scope on increasing the order...

 

[6026KingJohn]

Several services continue as 6 coaches throughout the day, despite not being advertised in the timetable as doing such. I believe the 1223 and 1233 from new street southbound are both 6 coaches.


I perhaps have the unrealistic dream that they could all go to 350s. Seems really strange how they are doing at the moment, with inter working with the Shrewsbury and Walsall services in the morning.
I wonder if there is any realistic scope on increasing the order...

But it is only trains terminating at Four Oaks that will use platform 3.

I think the Wolverhampton-Four Oaks and return is so that a Shrewsbury train can be sent to Walsall to avoid blocking a platform at New Street. In fact, I think that working has been in the timetable since the early days of electrification.

 

[centraltrains]

But it is only trains terminating at Four Oaks that will use platform 3.

I think the Wolverhampton-Four Oaks and return is so that a Shrewsbury train can be sent to Walsall to avoid blocking a platform at New Street. In fact, I think that working has been in the timetable since the early days of electrification.

One of the 6 coaches trains is scheduled to terminate at Four Oaks during the time it would need to be stabled there. (1416 departure from Four Oaks). (Unless anyone specify knows/has seen one stabling in the bay in the afternoon - which would disprove that?)

The run of that service between Four Oaks and New Street is in addition to the usual 10 minute frequency of the Cross City line. I would have thought the additional capacity would have been the main reason?

 

[6026KingJohn]

5U24 does stay in platform 3 from 1233 to 1715. The terminating 6 coach trains at 1411/16 & 1641/46 (2 trips on same diagram) use platform 2 (the through up platform to terminate), 3 coach trains use the bay platform 3 as normal. 5U24 combines with 2U64 to form 2R71 (1716 Four Oaks to Redditch)

 

[centraltrains]

5U24 does stay in platform 3 from 1233 to 1715. The terminating 6 coach trains at 1411/16 & 1641/46 (2 trips on same diagram) use platform 2 (the through up platform to terminate), 3 coach trains use the bay platform 3 as normal. 5U24 combines with 2U64 to form 2R71 (1716 Four Oaks to Redditch)

Thank you!