Cross Country Cancellations - Emergency Timetable

[sprinterguy]

There are no trains at all out of Wigan Wallgate on New Year's Day, all bustitution. Is this because of engineering work or because Northern anticipate not being able to crew any trains?

There are no trains out of Wigan North Western on NYD either but why should that affect the Wallgate services?

As Crosscountry services haven't served Wigan for at least fifteen years now, I think this post is intended for the Northern emergency timetable thread.

 

[Mugby]

As Crosscountry services haven't served Wigan for at least fifteen years now, I think this post is intended for the Northern emergency timetable thread.

Yes, quite right. My mistake!

 

[duffield]

Today, journey check shows 13 complete cancellations on the Nottingham-Birmingham-Cardiff route "due to a shortage of drivers".

I can't even be bothered to count the number of partial cancellations on the Birmingham to Cardiff leg. Seems like the whole "emergency timetable to train more drivers" business has been highly successful.

 

[43055]

Today, journey check shows 13 complete cancellations on the Nottingham-Birmingham-Cardiff route "due to a shortage of drivers".

I can't even be bothered to count the number of partial cancellations on the Birmingham to Cardiff leg. Seems like the whole "emergency timetable to train more drivers" business has been highly successful.

No allocations showing between the 1645 and 2145 from Cardiff! The Nottingham end has the odd 60/90 mins gaps as well.

 

[duffield]

No allocations showing between the 1645 and 2145 from Cardiff! The Nottingham end has the odd 60/90 mins gaps as well.

It's a joke. I was considering a trip to Birmingham today or tomorrow for some shopping, but I'll go elsewhere. The remaining services will probably be unbearable.

 

[Trainman40083]

Today, journey check shows 13 complete cancellations on the Nottingham-Birmingham-Cardiff route "due to a shortage of drivers".

I can't even be bothered to count the number of partial cancellations on the Birmingham to Cardiff leg. Seems like the whole "emergency timetable to train more drivers" business has been highly successful.

You seem to suggest that Cross Country were making up their plan to have a more deliverable but workable timetable, and that the Government Minster (now departed) knew that when she agreed to it.

 

[duffield]

You seem to suggest that Cross Country were making up their plan to have a more deliverable but workable timetable, and that the Government Minster (now departed) knew that when she agreed to it.

I'm not suggesting anything that specific. All I know is that yet another plan to stabilise the service seems to have failed. Incompetence and wishful thinking by the XC management could be the explanation rather than deliberate deception. Or maybe despite them training more drivers they were faced with a new, totally unexpected flurry of retirements, and the situation is outside their control. I really have no idea what's going on there. Perhaps someone with some inside knowledge will enlighten us - I sure I remember seeing somewhat insider-seeming comments a few months ago, to the effect that "training is proceeding on schedule".

 

[Trainman40083]

I'm not suggesting anything that specific. All I know is that yet another plan to stabilise the service seems to have failed. Incompetence and wishful thinking by the XC management could be the explanation rather than deliberate deception. Or maybe despite them training more drivers they were faced with a new, totally unexpected flurry of retirements, and the situation is outside their control. I really have no idea what's going on there. Perhaps someone with some inside knowledge will enlighten us - I sure I remember seeing somewhat insider-seeming comments a few months ago, to the effect that "training is proceeding on schedule".

When I was at work, the HR department had records of when they expected everyone to retire.

 

[LittleRedTrain]

Last 3 trains of the day on the Birmingham-Reading route cancelled as well, plus scattered cancellations throughout the day. This is getting beyond a joke!

Goodness knows how they plan to resource the reintroduced Reading-Newcastle services in May, would not be at all surprised if this gets deferred!

 

[Jimini]

Last 3 trains of the day on the Birmingham-Reading route cancelled as well, plus scattered cancellations throughout the day. This is getting beyond a joke!

Jeez, that is really poor!

 

[Snow1964]

Today, journey check shows 13 complete cancellations on the Nottingham-Birmingham-Cardiff route "due to a shortage of drivers".

I can't even be bothered to count the number of partial cancellations on the Birmingham to Cardiff leg. Seems like the whole "emergency timetable to train more drivers" business has been highly successful.

The latest quarterly ORR data issued yesterday, covering July-Sept are dreadful (or appalling), depending on how you want to describe them

for XC,
per table 4.2, just 46.4% punctuality
per table 4.3 cancellations 5.8%

So 1 in 17 chance your train doesn't run, and if it does run, more likely to be late, than on time.

A lot of this data was during the period of reduced emergency timetable, so ought to have been low cancellations (but wasn't)

https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/zvwf0eux/performance_stats_release_2024-25_q2.pdf

 

[GoneSouth]

Got a long distance trip booked next week, not looking forward to it at all, all thoroughly depressing. I’d like to see how the cancellations were broken down by route. I suspect the Cardiff -Nottingham was around 10% cancellations. Whilst this doesn’t sound like the end of the world, the reality is no service for 3 hours on Sundays, and cancellation of peak time commuter services which people rely on to get to work (and pay a hefty premium to use)

Considering their prices are sky high all day, it’s not good enough.

 

[WAB]

Got a long distance trip booked next week, not looking forward to it at all, all thoroughly depressing. I’d like to see how the cancellations were broken down by route. I suspect the Cardiff -Nottingham was around 10% cancellations. Whilst this doesn’t sound like the end of the world, the reality is no service for 3 hours on Sundays, and cancellation of peak time commuter services which people rely on to get to work (and pay a hefty premium to use)

Considering their prices are sky high all day, it’s not good enough.

50% cancellations some days Nottingham to Cardiff - sometimes 5/6 hour gaps. I’m taking increasingly comical routes in order to avoid CrossCountry services.

 

[Goldfish62]

50% cancellations some days Nottingham to Cardiff - sometimes 5/6 hour gaps. I’m taking increasingly comical routes in order to avoid CrossCountry services.

Terrible.

Even the usually pretty dependable SWR is really struggling with cancellations currently. I dare say that if XC hadn't instigated that emergency timetable to speed up training things would be even worse right now.

 

[GoneSouth]

But where is the transparency to show this. They’ve gone very quiet and as far as I can see are accountable to none.

I hate them!

 

[Jimini]

Last 3 trains of the day on the Birmingham-Reading route cancelled as well, plus scattered cancellations throughout the day. This is getting beyond a joke!

Last two cancelled tonight as well. I’m booked on the last one that is currently still running. Bet that’ll be cosy (and a four car unit!).

1733 edit: it is indeed a four car set

 

[43055]

Last 2 to Nottingham are also cancelled and the very last one to Derby as well.

 

[duffield]

Given the number of cancellations today I was surprised to find the 1501 from Derby to Nottingham (1D65, 1409 from Birmingham) wasn't absolutely rammed. It was pretty full, with some standing, but I've seen worse. I managed to get a seat in 1st for the last time ever on an XC 170, before they are permanently declassified tomorrow.

I'll miss the 1st class on these services - despite a lack of enforcement it still gave me a chance to get a seat on an otherwise rammed service in a quite a few cases when travelling further than Derby. My back *really* doesn't appreciate standing from - say - Cheltenham to Nottingham.

 

[ajp999]

At least they have ensured that the returning Villa fans are able to get back to Birmingham tonight after playing at Forest. There was an additional 1958 (1Z74) (3-car) non-stop service to Birmingham via Castle Donnington and the following two services at 2039 (1G89) (5-car) and 2137 (1G90) (6-car) were both strengthened. Not sure however if anyone intending to travel on the 1907 (1V16) or 1932 (1G83) from Nottingham to Birmingham would be best pleased to see both of these services cancelled yet resources were found for the additional 1958 service.

 

[Trainman40083]

At least they have ensured that the returning Villa fans are able to get back to Birmingham tonight after playing at Forest. There was an additional 1958 (1Z74) (3-car) non-stop service to Birmingham via Castle Donnington and the following two services at 2039 (1G89) (5-car) and 2137 (1G90) (6-car) were both strengthened. Not sure however if anyone intending to travel on the 1907 (1V16) or 1932 (1G83) from Nottingham to Birmingham would be best pleased to see both of these services cancelled yet resources were found for the additional 1958 service.

I'm sure the railway would not like to have seen losing team football supporters held up due to lack of trains.

 

[duffield]

... There was an additional 1958 (1Z74) (3-car) non-stop service to Birmingham via Castle Donnington ...

Something us Nottingham dwellers can normally only dream of!

 

[markydh]

I'm sure the railway would not like to have seen losing team football supporters held up due to lack of trains.

That didn’t seem to bother Northern with Leeds fans at Blackburn last weekend…

 

[greatkingrat]

When I was at work, the HR department had records of when they expected everyone to retire.

They may know when you reach the normal retirement age, but not when you actually will retire. Many staff will retire early in their late 50s, others may keep working well into their 60s.

 

[GoneSouth]

That didn’t seem to bother Northern with Leeds fans at Blackburn last weekend…

They’re just paying customers along with the rest of us. Giving them preferential treatment because they behave badly is definitely not something we should be aiming to do.

 

[Trainman40083]

They may know when you reach the normal retirement age, but not when you actually will retire. Many staff will retire early in their late 50s, others may keep working well into their 60s.

They sure knew when I intended to retire (in my late 50s).

 

[GoneSouth]

They sure knew when I intended to retire (in my late 50s).

They actually asked you? Very proactive of them!

 

[Falcon1200]

They may know when you reach the normal retirement age, but not when you actually will retire.

No-one knew when I planned to retire (early) until I handed in my notice! Whereas a colleague has continued working well beyond state pension age.

 

[Trainman40083]

They actually asked you? Very proactive of them!

No, I told them several years in advance, the date I would leave... After, I had told them, I just had to make it happen