Cross Country Cancellations - Emergency Timetable

[HamworthyGoods]

XC Moving over to an emergency timetable in August, removing Newcastle to Reading services and the extensions to Aberdeen.

“Dear Stakeholder,


I am writing to let you know about some temporary resource led changes we will be making to our train timetable for the next 13 weeks, to ensure we can deliver a reliable and consistent service for our passengers.


We understand the value passengers place on having a train service they can rely on without worrying about a last-minute cancellation. To ensure we have a more reliable service that passengers can trust, we are taking proactive action to stabilise our timetables with a temporary change that will allow us to accelerate our driver training programme.


We are implementing this plan because the prolonged industrial action across the rail industry has meant it has not been possible to deal with the backlog of critical training days required by train drivers accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic - when social distancing restricted training taking place.

By implementing these temporary reductions to our timetables, we can accelerate this training and invest in building a more resilient and dependable service that passengers can trust.


Removing services from our timetable, even temporarily, is always a last resort, but it is essential we implement this revised timetable on a short-term basis to invest in building a more resilient and dependable service that passengers can trust. Implementing a plan at Easter to tackle a similar issue meant that we reduced challenging, on-the-day cancellations by 94%.


The temporary reductions will reduce the number of on-the-day cancellations, providing greater certainty to passengers. While there will be reductions in the total number of services, we can operate longer trains to provide greater capacity by implementing the changes in a pre-planned manner. This means we can deliver more seats for passengers compared to when there are high numbers of on-the-day cancellations.


For the North East and Scotland region, these changes will see the removal of 8 direct services between Newcastle and Reading and all services from Edinburgh through to Aberdeen. Where services have been removed, where possible we have used those trains to provide more seats on some of our Edinburgh - Birmingham - Plymouth services”

 

[Peter0124]

Now I can understand why XC have not reinstated their Glasgow Central services since pre-pandemic, and kept it to just 1tpd (surprised to see that hasn't been curtailed in this).

Disappointing to see Aberdeen lose its direct link even if its temporary.

 

[Trainguy34]

Does that mean that trains due to start at Aberdeen will be cancelled fully or starting at Edinburgh, thus only losing the Aberdeen section?

 

[Parallel]

I wonder if this means the Dundee starters and terminators will also be removed?

I’m surprised XC haven’t removed some services on other routes, like their Penzance or Glasgow services. Maybe some depots are more impacted than others.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

XC Moving over to an emergency timetable in August, removing Newcastle to Reading services and the extensions to Aberdeen.

“Dear Stakeholder,


I am writing to let you know about some temporary resource led changes we will be making to our train timetable for the next 13 weeks, to ensure we can deliver a reliable and consistent service for our passengers.


We understand the value passengers place on having a train service they can rely on without worrying about a last-minute cancellation. To ensure we have a more reliable service that passengers can trust, we are taking proactive action to stabilise our timetables with a temporary change that will allow us to accelerate our driver training programme.


We are implementing this plan because the prolonged industrial action across the rail industry has meant it has not been possible to deal with the backlog of critical training days required by train drivers accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic - when social distancing restricted training taking place.

By implementing these temporary reductions to our timetables, we can accelerate this training and invest in building a more resilient and dependable service that passengers can trust.


Removing services from our timetable, even temporarily, is always a last resort, but it is essential we implement this revised timetable on a short-term basis to invest in building a more resilient and dependable service that passengers can trust. Implementing a plan at Easter to tackle a similar issue meant that we reduced challenging, on-the-day cancellations by 94%.


The temporary reductions will reduce the number of on-the-day cancellations, providing greater certainty to passengers. While there will be reductions in the total number of services, we can operate longer trains to provide greater capacity by implementing the changes in a pre-planned manner. This means we can deliver more seats for passengers compared to when there are high numbers of on-the-day cancellations.


For the North East and Scotland region, these changes will see the removal of 8 direct services between Newcastle and Reading and all services from Edinburgh through to Aberdeen. Where services have been removed, where possible we have used those trains to provide more seats on some of our Edinburgh - Birmingham - Plymouth services”

So busiest time of the year and XC are cutting services back one Louise Haigh to shift to OLR sooner rather than later. Also with Scotrail on emergency timetable as well the only winners here are the coach companies. How long before other operators go down the same road.

 

[Lewisham2221]

So busiest time of the year and XC are cutting services back one Louise Haigh to shift to OLR sooner rather than later. Also with Scotrail on emergency timetable as well the only winners here are the coach companies. How long before other operators go down the same road.

OLR isn't a magic wand - look at Northern.

Seems like a reasonably sensible decision to cut a relatively small number of services to free up drivers (I suspect the number of drivers likely to be on annual leave within the period affected has some bearing on the decision). Hopefully it is planned sufficiently, as suggested, to maximise the use of units to maintain capacity overall.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

OLR isn't a magic wand - look at Northern.

Agree more an inference that Avanti are slated and MPs bay for them to be OLRised so why not same for XC

Seems like a reasonably sensible decision to cut a relatively small number of services to free up drivers (I suspect the number of drivers likely to be on annual leave within the period affected has some bearing on the decision). Hopefully it is planned sufficiently, as suggested, to maximise the use of units to maintain capacity overall.

Agree sensible to prioritise capacity but to announce this at less than a weeks notice is pretty poor although I wouldn't be surprised to find out they notified DfT a while back and they've sat on it and probably Hendy just told them to get on with it. Doubt you will see Aberdeen reinstated as like LNER they will take the savings to avoid cuts elsewhere.

 

[XC victim]

I travelled on a XC NE to Reading service last Friday. It was absolutely jam packed all the way from Doncaster to Oxford. And now they are cancelling all the NE to Reading services once again

 

[Adsy125]

Disappointing to see seats removed on the incredibly busy Birmingham to Reading corridor and moved onto the Edinburgh - Plymouth route. While XC overcrowding is definitely experienced across the network, it seems like an odd choice given the overcrowding already seen between Reading and Birmingham. Why not split the units between both routes?

 

[D6130]

Bang goes my planned Aberdeen-Penzance trip on my first class All Line Rover in September!

 

[OrangeJuice]

When are XC supposed to be upping the Newcastle Reading frequency again, is that December or May 25. And will they have enough train crew trained to not keep cancelling or resorting to temporary timetables?

 

[M60lad]

With XC moving to this emergency timetable will we see other services temporarily strengthened using sets that would be used on the now cancelled services?

 

[Snow1964]

The explanation is also odd, because they have used a national reason over last 4 years, but it mainly seems to affect North East and Scotland.

The reason given, doesn't explain how there are no problems in South West, but failings in North East, and why there is inconsistency

 

[cslusarc]

If staffing is now a major issue @ XC, I hope we don't see any single 4-car Voyager trains through BHM anymore as single 4-car Voyagers are a poor use of scarce driver resources.

 

[Snow1964]

With XC moving to this emergency timetable will we see other services temporarily strengthened using sets that would be used on the now cancelled services?

It says will be operating 97% of planned seats operating, so some strengthening, but not to 100%, and possibly not where demand is highest

 

[Falcon1200]

Disappointing to see seats removed on the incredibly busy Birmingham to Reading corridor and moved onto the Edinburgh - Plymouth route. While XC overcrowding is definitely experienced across the network

I agree absolutely; I have rarely been on an Oxford/Birmingham route train which has not been overcrowded, grossly so sometimes.

 

[louis97]

The explanation is also odd, because they have used a national reason over last 4 years, but it mainly seems to affect North East and Scotland.

The reason given, doesn't explain how there are no problems in South West, but failings in North East, and why there is inconsistency

Not all train crew depots will be in the same situation. Excluding the Scottish changes, it is very likely the problem location is Birmingham, and the obvious first step is to remove the limited Reading to Newcastle services. Birmingham (and Bristol) over the last few years have always been very tight with driver resource, this is why during weeks of driver overtime bans there were a small number of trains taken out the timetable on both Voyager and Turbostar routes.

 

[Kettledrum]

very disappointing when you see how packed some of the Birmingham to Oxford trains are. This is also entirely foreseeable. If you don't train and employ enough drivers, you will be short in holiday periods. XC have consistently under whelmed with their delivery and should be high on the list to be nationalised so that the right medium term decisions are taken to be able to actually run the services that are timetabled

 

[swt_passenger]

When are XC supposed to be upping the Newcastle Reading frequency again, is that December or May 25. And will they have enough train crew trained to not keep cancelling or resorting to temporary timetables?

May 2025 as shown in the last track access application, and discussed in a few earlier XC threads, such as the one on Voyager refurbishment

 

[fishwomp]

Unbelievable. COVID isn't washing as an excuse now. For an *emergency* timetable? Emergency doesn't fit the definition as something that they must have predicted.

The insanity is that they cut the whole thing. Not, say, north of York - where there's ample (2-3x / hour) options to get north, nor terminating at Oxford where there's half hourly to Reading.

This is nuts, and the poor 4-5 each day per direction on the route is shabby. They are the only operator on Oxford-Birmingham, and southbound connection at brum don't work, so incur an extra hour.. Open access operator needed here!

 

[Bishopstone]

The first of many emergency timetables post-election, I suspect.

The Government have a difficult inheritance, and I will give them the benefit of the doubt until next spring, to resolve festering industrial relations and staffing issues. After that, it’s on them.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

They are the only operator on Oxford-Birmingham...

How straightforward is it to get from Oxford to Birmingham (with a change at Banbury) using GWR and Chiltern?

 

[HamworthyGoods]

How straightforward is it to get from Oxford to Birmingham (with a change at Banbury) using GWR and Chiltern?

It’s straightforward but a lot slower.

 

[Watershed]

How straightforward is it to get from Oxford to Birmingham (with a change at Banbury) using GWR and Chiltern?

GWR's Banbury services only have two or three coaches and only run every two hours outside the peaks, and only a handful of times on Sundays. Add on Chiltern's timetable and capacity still being heavily reduced vs pre-Covid and the answer is essentially "not very".

 

[dk1]

Unbelievable. COVID isn't washing as an excuse now. For an *emergency* timetable? Emergency doesn't fit the definition as something that they must have predicted.

Unbelievable is so true. Some of us never stopped training drivers not letting a pandemic get in the way and even passing out a record number of new drivers during 2021/2022.

To use this old chestnut now is absolutely laughable.

 

[JD2168]

So with the removal of the Newcastle to Reading services will this mean none going via Doncaster as these usually do or are Cross Country going to divert the Edinburgh to Plymouth service via Plymouth.

I caught one today from Doncaster to Sheffield, was a 4 car & with people stood up through the train.

 

[Carntyne]

Embarrassing to claim it's COVID and not downright terrible management.

For those in Scotland it's another kick in the teeth for those on the East Coast affected by the current ScotRail shambles as well.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Very frustrating. Cross country seem rammed on every axis and yet we are cutting services and blaming COVID. Not sure about others in the industry but I can no longer recommend the train to family and friends and look them in the eye on many routes.

 

[voyagerdude220]

Does anyone know when these changes will be inputted onto Journey Planner/online search engines?

 

[Bread & cheese]

PDF timetables for the first week of the temporary timetable are now available on the CrossCountry website.

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