December 2020 Timetable Change

[Bald Rick]

Let hope the govt take this into account before they tell everyone to go back to work this time otherwise many services risk being overcrowded around the main commuter flows.

No danger of overcrowding on the main commuter flows any time soon.

 

[Jamesrob637]

No danger of overcrowding on the main commuter flows any time soon.

Exactly. Most I know will WFH well into 2021. Could be odd days in office but driving is more practicable if there are car parking spaces available and it's only one day in X, people need to give their cars a run too plus you can more easily deviate to the shops etc on your return.

 

[Bald Rick]

Exactly. Most I know will WFH well into 2021. Could be odd days in office but driving is more practicable if there are car parking spaces available and it's only one day in X, people need to give their cars a run too plus you can more easily deviate to the shops etc on your return.

The issue with overcrowding currently is reaching the social distancing limits on the train. People aren’t go Ingatestone to be returning en masse until those social distancing limits are removed, and mask wearing is not required. At which point the current level of peak capacity effectively more than doubles.

 

[peters]

The issue with overcrowding currently is reaching the social distancing limits on the train. People aren’t go Ingatestone to be returning en masse until those social distancing limits are removed, and mask wearing is not required. At which point the current level of peak capacity effectively more than doubles.

Not sure what things are like in your part of the country but Northern have definitely operated services which have run with around twice as many passengers as seats. Up here some people didn't return to work, when the PM suggested people should start doing it because Northern hadn't reinstated the train they need to get to work! Therefore, their employer allowed them to continue to work from home, rather than making them catch an earlier train meaning they would arrive at work an hour before they need to start.

 

[Jez]

TFW have been running 153s in pairs or attached to something else throughout COVID but as from the Timetable today single ones are booked on the HOWL and Shrewsbury to Crewe locals. They are singles today.

HOWL is probabaly fine for a single 153 as passenger numbers are fairly low. Not sure about Crewe locals. Is the HOW line fully open now or is it still just the northern section. I see that HOWL is reverting to a Saturday service level as of tomorrow. Better than the Sunday two services a day which wasnt much use to anyone!

 

[PHILIPE]

HOWL is probabaly fine for a single 153 as passenger numbers are fairly low. Not sure about Crewe locals. Is the HOW line fully open now or is it still just the northern section. I see that HOWL is reverting to a Saturday service level as of tomorrow. Better than the Sunday two services a day which wasnt much use to anyone!

My post was to stress that TFW are going back to single 153s after abandoning them through COVID. The HOWL is not expected to be fully open before April, the details of which can be found on TFW Journey Check.. The HOWL and the Salop to Crewe locals are normally single 153s.

 

[sd0733]

HOWL is probabaly fine for a single 153 as passenger numbers are fairly low. Not sure about Crewe locals. Is the HOW line fully open now or is it still just the northern section. I see that HOWL is reverting to a Saturday service level as of tomorrow. Better than the Sunday two services a day which wasnt much use to anyone!

As of tomorrow it looks as if the HOW and the Crewe locals interwork a bit during the day, the first 0556 ex Shrewsbury goes to Llanwrtyd then forms a through service to Crewe then locals all day then the last H of Wales. The 2nd unit does the 2nd and 3rd heart of wales, the 3rd trip is also a through train to Crewe which hasnt happened since March.

 

[PHILIPE]

As of tomorrow it looks as if the HOW and the Crewe locals interwork a bit during the day, the first 0556 ex Shrewsbury goes to Llanwrtyd then forms a through service to Crewe then locals all day then the last H of Wales. The 2nd unit does the 2nd and 3rd heart of wales, the 3rd trip is also a through train to Crewe which hasnt happened since March.

One less unit is required for the HOWL at the moment and until April due to the closure at the bottom end following the derailment back in August

 

[daodao]

I note that there is no longer a current electronic version of the National Rail Timetable. While the National Rail and Network Rail websites state that this is due to the Covid crisis, I suspect that this will be the end of conventional rail timetables in GB. In future it seems that, other than some operator-specific timetables that typically only include that ToCs' services, it will only be possible to find information related to the specific journey that one wants to make, rather than being able to see an overview of service provision. Most airlines and many European railways (including France/Germany/Spain) seem to have made this change already, but I find it very disappointing.

 

[Bald Rick]

I note that there is no longer a current electronic version of the National Rail Timetable. While the National Rail and Network Rail websites state that this is due to the Covid crisis, I suspect that this will be the end of conventional rail timetables in GB. In future it seems that, other than some operator-specific timetables that typically only include that ToCs' services, it will only be possible to find information related to the specific journey that one wants to make, rather than being able to see an overview of service provision. Most airlines and many European railways (including France/Germany/Spain) seem to have made this change already, but I find it very disappointing.

It’s defintely because of COVID, specifically because it keeps changing so much that it would be out of date before it was published. Some TOCs planned their December 2020 timetable five times; and the last amendments only got published the week before. There’s likely to be more coming soon.

So, it will be back.

However, I suspect the market for it is limited to a rather small community of timetable enthusiasts.

 

[BoroAndy]

Let's hope that May 21 brings in the Northern York-Scarborough service, cos in the coast area the expectation is that next summer will be a mega mega one and with TPE even running 5 car nova 3s these will be mobbed especially on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays.

 

[dk1]

Exactly. Most I know will WFH well into 2021. Could be odd days in office but driving is more practicable if there are car parking spaces available and it's only one day in X, people need to give their cars a run too plus you can more easily deviate to the shops etc on your return.

Do people actually need to 'give their cars a run' these days? That's something my Grandad used to say years ago.

 

[Cheshire Rover]

Do people actually need to 'give their cars a run' these days? That's something my Grandad used to say years ago.

You should during Winter else your battery could go flat and if you haven't enough antifreeze in your coolant then that can also be an issue.

 

[dk1]

You should during Winter else your battery could go flat and if you haven't enough antifreeze in your coolant then that can also be an issue.

Thanks, thought that was just older cars. Mine does the 5 miles to work only when I can't get a train & down the road to Sainsbury's & that's it. Sometimes it doesn't leave the drive in over a week.

 

[bramling]

Thanks, thought that was just older cars. Mine does the 5 miles to work only when I can't get a train & down the road to Sainsbury's & that's it. Sometimes it doesn't leave the drive in over a week.

Mine can be the same. I don’t think it really does them good. As stated as a minimum there needs to be some activity every now and again to charge the battery, especially during cold weather.

 

[Horizon22]

Do people actually need to 'give their cars a run' these days? That's something my Grandad used to say years ago.

Not just cars - lots of electrical items should be "fired up" occasionally as months of non-usage can cause issues and often a cascade of updates at the same time!

 

[Bald Rick]

Thanks, thought that was just older cars. Mine does the 5 miles to work only when I can't get a train & down the road to Sainsbury's & that's it. Sometimes it doesn't leave the drive in over a week.

Mine doesn’t move from one month to another. I charge the battery up every 3/4 weeks. Works fine when I need it, which is typically for a long distance trip, or a few days concentrated activity.

 

[daodao]

Mine doesn’t move from one month to another. I charge the battery up every 3/4 weeks. Works fine when I need it, which is typically for a long distance trip, or a few days concentrated activity.

In January 2010, my car was frozen up and covered with deep snow outside for 2 weeks. I tried to open the door after 1 week to turn the engine over, but could not gain access. When the thaw came a week later, the battery was flat. I had only been able to use the car for 1 day in early January 2010 before the big freeze came, because of previous snow and ice, so it likely that the battery may not have been fully charged before the fortnight's gap in use. At that time I was living in a town close to the Pennines.

 

[Bletchleyite]

In January 2010, my car was frozen up and covered with deep snow outside for 2 weeks. I tried to open the door after 1 week to turn the engine over, but could not gain access. When the thaw came a week later, the battery was flat. I had only been able to use the car for 1 day in early January 2010 before the big freeze came, because of previous snow and ice, so it likely that the battery may not have been fully charged before the fortnight's gap in use.

If it went flat in two weeks then you probably need to get a new battery as it's not holding charge properly. I often leave mine unused for 2 weeks, it was unused for a good chunk of the first lockdown and started fine afterwards, if a little slowly off the mark.

 

[daodao]

If it went flat in two weeks then you probably need to get a new battery as it's not holding charge properly. I often leave mine unused for 2 weeks, it was unused for a good chunk of the first lockdown and started fine afterwards, if a little slowly off the mark.

It was a probably a combination of an old battery, very cold weather, and minimal use before the period of non-use. I did need to get a new battery.

 

[dk1]

Mine doesn’t move from one month to another. I charge the battery up every 3/4 weeks. Works fine when I need it, which is typically for a long distance trip, or a few days concentrated activity.

Apart from I don't do long distance car journeys mines the same. I can be on a couple of weeks leave at home & it still doesn't move. Furthest it's been in the 18mths I've had it is 20miles away. No fan of driving road vehicles.

 

[30907]

Most airlines and many European railways (including France/Germany/Spain) seem to have made this change already, but I find it very disappointing.

Slightly OT and purely for info:
the DB website still has them, though reports suggest that tables for non-DB regional routes are not always present (and I haven't checked for Flixtrain).
https://www.bahn.de/p/view/service/...anal_007=L01_S01_D001_KIN0023_-_kursbuch_LZ01t

 

[johnnychips]

The South Yorkshire Travel website reports that from 28th December, the Manchester-Sheffield-Doncaster-Cleethorpes service will be reduced from hourly to two-hourly.

For all your travel needs.

Plan your essential journeys with us.

www.travelsouthyorkshire.com

 

[Jamesrob637]

The South Yorkshire Travel website reports that from 28th December, the Manchester-Sheffield-Doncaster-Cleethorpes service will be reduced from hourly to two-hourly.

For all your travel needs.

Plan your essential journeys with us.

www.travelsouthyorkshire.com

Bad move. The only semi-wise thing to do would be to take out the two or three services that were only reinstated last week at the timetable change (from memory it's the 10:18 and 13:18 from Manchester).

The last thing we want/need is a service worse than during lockdown 1

 

[Aictos]

Well I queried a question with Thameslink recently as I've been travelling on a specific service for a few months that's always been a Class 700/0 (a 8 car) but last Friday and yesterday it turned out a Class 700/1 (a 12 car) on the working.

Apparently that working is diagrammed for a 12 car but for months has been a 8 car, would this mean the train has been short formed for months or just a timetable change?

 

[_toommm_]

Bad move. The only semi-wise thing to do would be to take out the two or three services that were only reinstated last week at the timetable change (from memory it's the 10:18 and 13:18 from Manchester).

The last thing we want/need is a service worse than during lockdown 1

The timetable hasn’t even been updated as of last night either, which is rather worrying.

 

[Bald Rick]

Well I queried a question with Thameslink recently as I've been travelling on a specific service for a few months that's always been a Class 700/0 (a 8 car) but last Friday and yesterday it turned out a Class 700/1 (a 12 car) on the working.

Apparently that working is diagrammed for a 12 car but for months has been a 8 car, would this mean the train has been short formed for months or just a timetable change?

Thameslink (and other operators’) Timetable and diagrams changed last week.

 

[Aictos]

Thameslink (and other operators’) Timetable and diagrams changed last week.

Well the diagram for this specific service changed on Friday then as the rest of last week prior, it was always a 8 car.

So much better now being 12 cars and long overdue as it is a busy service especially at St Alban's.

 

[bramling]

Well I queried a question with Thameslink recently as I've been travelling on a specific service for a few months that's always been a Class 700/0 (a 8 car) but last Friday and yesterday it turned out a Class 700/1 (a 12 car) on the working.

Apparently that working is diagrammed for a 12 car but for months has been a 8 car, would this mean the train has been short formed for months or just a timetable change?

I presume you’re referring to the Cambridge / Brighton diagram?

As of last May the sole 8-car diagram changed to be booked as a 12-car. Of course the May MF timetable never saw the light of day, and instead we saw a Saturday service which is booked all 12-car.

It’s quite clear they’re short of 700/1s, as it’s by no means uncommon for 700/0s to appear. I’ve seen it twice in the last week alone.

700/0s are favourite to appear on diagrams which start and finish at Hornsey, of which there’s at least one.

 

[Aictos]

I presume you’re referring to the Cambridge / Brighton diagram?

As of last May the sole 8-car diagram changed to be booked as a 12-car. Of course the May MF timetable never saw the light of day, and instead we saw a Saturday service which is booked all 12-car.

It’s quite clear they’re short of 700/1s, as it’s by no means uncommon for 700/0s to appear. I’ve seen it twice in the last week alone.

700/0s are favourite to appear on diagrams which start and finish at Hornsey, of which there’s at least one.

No, the diagrams that my trains work are Bedford to Brighton/ Gatwick Airport.

Don't think they interwork with the Cambridge to Brighton diagrams but I know there's a daily diagram which is Peterborough to Horsham to Bedford and probably a reverse working?