A train from Lincoln can be directly signalled in and out of Newark Northgate. It's a much more complicated operation at Newark Castle that involves clipping and scotching the crossover, with 2 car trains making an additional shunt forward very close to a danger signal in order to clear the crossover. Maybe the mandate/method of working for this move has expired and would take too long to renew it. Maybe Network Rail need the man who did the clipping and scotching elsewhere. It was a planned move for the duration of the blockade with the associated time it took factored in. A lot quicker to have a train in and out of Northgate as it could pick up the opposite direction working without too much delay as trains normally pass one another at Newark anyway.
Hope you understand that waffle but i can't phrase it any better this early in the morning unless i've had my third cuppa!
Thank you for the response... I am fully conversant with the situation regarding Newark castle, especially during the recent blockade and the method of working that was introduced.
As you should be aware an ECS movement over the crossover at Newark Castle does not need clipping and scotching; however the signalling staff there are quite competent in carrying out such a task, should it be required. The method of working implemented during the 'blockade' worked satisfactorily, apart from the time the TOC were insistent a 3-car unit was used (the clearance only being large enough for a 2-car unit). It should be noted that the 'additional shunt' was only done to afford some protection for the Network Rail staff responsible for clipping and scotching the points for a passenger train movement over the crossover. Normally should a driver stop at the correct part of the platform (i.e. with the front of the train level with the top of the ramp) then a 2-car unit does indeed clear the points, thus allowing them to be reversed. The only issue is if they then need to be clipped and scotched the responsible person is in the dangerous position under the cowling of the unit.
Numerous suggestions were made in the planning of the blockade, with regards to the crossing of trains at Newark Castle... though many of which were deemed unsuitable to either Network Rail, or more so EMT.
Whilst i agree it can be easier to operate in / out of Newark Northgate, subject to the constraints of platform arrangements it was more an observation that once again passengers from Lincoln are treated with contempt by the TOC as regards any journey beyond Newark. There would be no conflict with passing trains, they could operate on the same basis as they did during the blockade. What does beg the question though is the lack of foresight by some...admittedly at short notice...reagrding utilisation of traincrew. For example why put a driver and guard in a taxi from Nottingham to Newark for them to work a train (terminated at Newark Castle) back to Lincoln when the inward crew that brought the train from Lincoln were more than capable of working the revised service back to Lincoln? Better planning and initiative by some may have prevented numerous cancellations caused by crew displacement!
