Cross Country Service Reductions and Alterations, 28-11-2021 onwards

[4-SUB 4732]

Moderator note: Please see post below:

I'll start with what's already known. From Monday 29th November until at least Sunday 5th December there will be no HSTs in use with XC. The situation for 6th December onwards is currently unclear. The replacements are 4 car voyagers, made available by splitting diagrams that currently use voyager pairs.

In addition to the HSTs not being used, for the same period a number of Turbostar services have been cancelled, as well as a single Voyager service on the Reading - Manchester route. The services in question are as follows (Monday - Friday):
05:15 Cambridge - Birmingham New Street
06:52 Birmingham New Street - Leicester
07:14 Reading - Manchester Piccadilly
07:19 Birmingham New Street - Nottingham
07:37 Nottingham - Birmingham New Street
07:52 Birmingham New Street - Leicester
08:18 Leicester - Birmingham New Street
08:19 Birmingham New Street - Nottingham
09:07 Nottingham - Cardiff Central
09:12 Birmingham New Street - Nottingham
09:15 Leicester - Birmingham New Street
09:22 Birmingham New Street - Stansted Airport
10:07 Nottingham - Cardiff Central
10:22 Birmingham New Street - Stansted Airport
11:07 Nottingham - Cardiff Central
12:45 Cardiff Central - Nottingham
13:45 Cardiff Central - Nottingham
14:27 Stansted Airport - Birmingham New Street
14:45 Cardiff Central - Nottingham
15:27 Stansted Airport - Birmingham New Street
16:41 Nottingham - Birmingham New Street
17:41 Nottingham - Birmingham New Street
17:52 Birmingham New Street - Leicester
18:19 Birmingham New Street - Nottingham
18:45 Nottingham - Birmingham New Street
19:12 Birmingham New Street - Nottingham
19:18 Leicester - Birmingham New Street
19:50 Cardiff Central - Nottingham
20:22 Birmingham New Street - Cambridge

What remains unclear is exactly what the cause of all this is, but I've heard several suggestions that it's the expiration of the agreement between ASLEF and XC for rest day working on the 28th November. It would be incredibly helpful to establish what the real cause of all this is, given the level of service reductions this'll impose on many people (be that in the form of cancellations or short forms), this certainly deserves media attention, possibly the involvement of politicians (local MPs, not ministers).



An email went out to some staff members. It appears not to have gone out to all.

 

[Towers]

Reports on the other forum that they will be totally stood down on 28/11 and everything is Voyager only from 29/11.

I do hope not, they're hardly awash with spare capacity!

 

[DarloRich]

Do we know the reasoning for this change?

 

[voyagerdude220]

06:11 Leeds to Plymouth on Monday 6th December still showing reservations for a HST.

 

[Watershed]

Reports on the other forum that they will be totally stood down on 28/11 and everything is Voyager only from 29/11.

This would mean quite a lot of destrengthening on the Voyager services.

Which other forum have you read this on?

 

[ScotRail158725]

Reports on the other forum that they will be totally stood down on 28/11 and everything is Voyager only from 29/11.

Lack of driver competency i’d imagine

 

[yorksrob]

This would be a disastrous move. Where are they going to get the capacity from ?

If the DfT/Treasury let this go ahead, it does confirm a complete indifference to the needs of passengers. The HST's are about the one thing Arriva XC have got right.

 

[221129]

This is all rumour at the moment.

Lack of driver competency i’d imagine

Then you wouldn't have many Voyager services either.

 

[Melancholia]

XC social media responded to some, saying they're not aware of any of this

 

[4-SUB 4732]

Email to staff reportedly went out this week confirming the move.

What a shame. And just at a time when, if maintenance was extremely keen, you might be able to get all 5 sets out on weekends at Christmas and New Year to move all those passengers. Instead, 4 cars and 5 cars.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Is this then a suggestion that XC are never going to increase service back to what it was, e.g. Manchester-Birmingham which really does justify more than hourly? You probably can resource the reduced service properly using Voyagers, but not the full service.

 

[4-SUB 4732]

Is this then a suggestion that XC are never going to increase service back to what it was, e.g. Manchester-Birmingham which really does justify more than hourly? You probably can resource the reduced service properly using Voyagers, but not the full service.

You simultaneously need to provide 8/9 car trains on the Bournemouth pretty much for every train. And of course 8/9 car on the Bristol - Newcastle corridor.

This looks like it will end badly.

 

[221129]

Email to staff reportedly went out this week confirming the move.

Absolutely false.

 

[bramling]

You simultaneously need to provide 8/9 car trains on the Bournemouth pretty much for every train. And of course 8/9 car on the Bristol - Newcastle corridor.

This looks like it will end badly.

So is this a Covid thing? Covid of course being the answer to everything nowadays.

It would be an odd decision though, especially at a time of year when XC is likely to be busy.

 

[221129]

Is this then a suggestion that XC are never going to increase service back to what it was, e.g. Manchester-Birmingham which really does justify more than hourly? You probably can resource the reduced service properly using Voyagers, but not the full service.

Full pre covid service being planned for the May 22 timetable

 

[ScotRail158725]

Full pre covid service being planned for the May 22 timetable

Including a return of every 2 hours during the day to Glasgow?

 

[yorksrob]

If this does come to pass, one has to wonder what value Arriva will actually be providing.

 

[43096]

What a shame. And just at a time when, if maintenance was extremely keen, you might be able to get all 5 sets out on weekends at Christmas and New Year to move all those passengers. Instead, 4 cars and 5 cars.

If maintenance was keen? No chance - Laira are utterly hopeless at getting anything done in a reasonable time frame. To give you an idea, 43321 has just re-appeared after being stopped for near enough 12 months for maintenance.

 

[class 9]

A load of nonsense this rumour.
A training course for some Drivers at Leeds happened last month.

 

[Suraggu]

Some AXC employees stating the rumours to be false, some AXC employees stating that the funding for HST operation is being cut. Any official social media platform will have to deny any rumours until there is an official announcement, if any. This is also a current issue at another Arriva operation about funding for loco hauled services. The treasury are looking at making more cuts through the DfT, this could be another one of those.

STP diagrams for AXC next week have been issued, one wonders if any HST diagrams are being operated.

 

[ValentaFan1974]

Some AXC employees stating the rumours to be false, some AXC employees stating that the funding for HST operation is being cut. Any official social media platform will have to deny any rumours until there is an official announcement, if any. This is also a current issue at another Arriva operation about funding for loco hauled services. The treasury are looking at making more cuts through the DfT, this could be another one of those.

STP diagrams for AXC next week have been issued, one wonders if any HST diagrams are being operated.

Not any next week I’m led to believe…

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Absolutely false.

Perhaps not everyone received the email, and only the necessary staff involved in the decision were briefed.

 

[43096]

Well let’s face it, the HSTs aren’t cheap to run so could be true if the funding is being cut.

They are cheaper to run than a Voyager on a “per seat” basis, are they not?

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Full pre covid service being planned for the May 22 timetable

Many operators planned improvements for May, in many cases these are now under “discussion” with the DfT after the latest rail budget constraints. NR is expecting an element of re-bidding to take place in some instances.

 

[ABB125]

Well let’s face it, the HSTs aren’t cheap to run so could be true if the funding is being cut.

But cheaper than a double voyager? I'm pretty sure I've read somewhere that a 5-car voyager uses the same amount of fuel as a 7-car HST.

 

[222001]

A lot of XC 170 services have been removed from the timetable next week too. This is certainly bigger than just the HSTs.

 

[Bletchleyite]

A lot of XC 170 services have been removed from the timetable next week too. This is certainly bigger than just the HSTs.

This doesn't make much sense. Why would you make major structural timetable and diagram changes 2 weeks before the "big" change date?

 

[507020]

This doesn't make much sense. Why would you make major structural timetable and diagram changes 2 weeks before the "big" change date?

And why would you remove capacity at a time when it needs to be increased?

 

[sonic2009]

A lot of XC 170 services have been removed from the timetable next week too. This is certainly bigger than just the HSTs.

Source?

 

[DanNCL]

I'll start with what's already known. From Monday 29th November until at least Sunday 5th December there will be no HSTs in use with XC. The situation for 6th December onwards is currently unclear. The replacements are 4 car voyagers, made available by splitting diagrams that currently use voyager pairs.

In addition to the HSTs not being used, for the same period a number of Turbostar services have been cancelled, as well as a single Voyager service on the Reading - Manchester route. The services in question are as follows (Monday - Friday):
05:15 Cambridge - Birmingham New Street
06:52 Birmingham New Street - Leicester
07:14 Reading - Manchester Piccadilly
07:19 Birmingham New Street - Nottingham
07:37 Nottingham - Birmingham New Street
07:52 Birmingham New Street - Leicester
08:18 Leicester - Birmingham New Street
08:19 Birmingham New Street - Nottingham
09:07 Nottingham - Cardiff Central
09:12 Birmingham New Street - Nottingham
09:15 Leicester - Birmingham New Street
09:22 Birmingham New Street - Stansted Airport
10:07 Nottingham - Cardiff Central
10:22 Birmingham New Street - Stansted Airport
11:07 Nottingham - Cardiff Central
12:45 Cardiff Central - Nottingham
13:45 Cardiff Central - Nottingham
14:27 Stansted Airport - Birmingham New Street
14:45 Cardiff Central - Nottingham
15:27 Stansted Airport - Birmingham New Street
16:41 Nottingham - Birmingham New Street
17:41 Nottingham - Birmingham New Street
17:52 Birmingham New Street - Leicester
18:19 Birmingham New Street - Nottingham
18:45 Nottingham - Birmingham New Street
19:12 Birmingham New Street - Nottingham
19:18 Leicester - Birmingham New Street
19:50 Cardiff Central - Nottingham
20:22 Birmingham New Street - Cambridge

What remains unclear is exactly what the cause of all this is, but I've heard several suggestions that it's the expiration of the agreement between ASLEF and XC for rest day working on the 28th November. It would be incredibly helpful to establish what the real cause of all this is, given the level of service reductions this'll impose on many people (be that in the form of cancellations or short forms), this certainly deserves media attention, possibly the involvement of politicians (local MPs, not ministers).

Email to staff reportedly went out this week confirming the move.

Absolutely false.

An email went out to some staff members. It appears not to have gone out to all.