ECML closed PBO to KGX Aug Bank Holiday routing

[ashkeba]

Anyway, doing a cursory search of Twitter suggests very few "Nobody told us there were no trains!" type Tweets so far.

Almost as if the level of prior warning was spot-on.

Not sure what search terms you were using or if Twitter has gone like facebook and shows different things to different people! Searching for GNRailUK finds plenty of rants about the closure and alleged staff rudeness as well as some compliments on the bus crews. It interests me that LNER seems to have gone with a much clearer pinned tweet than the poster-like one that GNRailUK and TLRailUK are using as a banner and LNER seems to be getting fewer rants.

But as I posted earlier, it is the local social media and newspaper comments sections where the bigger rants are, as people look up next train times.

 

[swt_passenger]

Does anyone know if Peterborough PSB will remain or is control going to be handed over to the York ROC?

Peterborough doesn’t seem to be included in this phase, there’s a small thread describing which particular workstations are moving:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/york-roc-recontrol-of-kings-cross-psb.189777/

 

[365 Networker]

Peterborough doesn’t seem to be included in this phase, there’s a small thread describing which particular workstations are moving:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/york-roc-recontrol-of-kings-cross-psb.189777/

Ok, thanks for the info.

 

[Aictos]

Not sure what search terms you were using or if Twitter has gone like facebook and shows different things to different people! Searching for GNRailUK finds plenty of rants about the closure and alleged staff rudeness as well as some compliments on the bus crews. It interests me that LNER seems to have gone with a much clearer pinned tweet than the poster-like one that GNRailUK and TLRailUK are using as a banner and LNER seems to be getting fewer rants.

But as I posted earlier, it is the local social media and newspaper comments sections where the bigger rants are, as people look up next train times.

What rants? Only found ONE and that was someone moaning they have to buy a ticket before travelling!

Like they expect to travel for free just because there is rail replacement buses running!

 

[MikeWM]

Seems to have gone ok on the eastern side of things today. Got from Ely to London and back without issue or encountering any particular overcrowding. Ely and Cambridge stations both seemed rather quieter than usual, so perhaps the publicity has done the job in keeping people away...

 

[ashkeba]

What rants? Only found ONE and that was someone moaning they have to buy a ticket before travelling!

Like they expect to travel for free just because there is rail replacement buses running!

Maybe they expected to buy on the bus like you can buy on the train on some routes? And buses in most routes.

Rants like: "it's completely ridiculous! But it is what it is, and that's the way the government decides works best, so that's what we have to put up with!" or "From Welwyn Garden City your only run buses to Potters Bar what use is that!" or "ridiculous it’s going to take 1 hour to travel 8 miles but I have no choice "

But newspaper comment pages have many more: "What fools close a major transport link on a bank holiday weekend?" (Peterborough) and "Well at least they don’t have to use the excuse of not having enough drivers this weekend" (Stevenage Comet)

 

[800002]

There were some hefty delays into St Pancras - mainly from Sheffield (sustained getting into Derby).

 

[Aictos]

Maybe they expected to buy on the bus like you can buy on the train on some routes? And buses in most routes.

Rants like: "it's completely ridiculous! But it is what it is, and that's the way the government decides works best, so that's what we have to put up with!" or "From Welwyn Garden City your only run buses to Potters Bar what use is that!" or "ridiculous it’s going to take 1 hour to travel 8 miles but I have no choice "

But newspaper comment pages have many more: "What fools close a major transport link on a bank holiday weekend?" (Peterborough) and "Well at least they don’t have to use the excuse of not having enough drivers this weekend" (Stevenage Comet)

But you cannot buy onboard GN services as they operate a Buy Before You Board PF scheme and LNER will only sell the walk up ticket price with no discount service fail to see why they would expect to buy on the rail replacement buses...

As to those “comments” I’ve not seen any apart from countless advertising garbage that newspapers seem to put on their websites instead of you know actually put stuff that matters like news.

And it’s been explained many times that far less people would be inconvenienced as the works are done over a bank holiday then if it was done during the week.

 

[FQTV]

Well, it was all a bit shambolic at Newcastle yesterday evening, with numerous cancellations and significant late runnings, as well as platform screens not working.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/NCL/2019/08/24/1900?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

Luckily, when I passed through at least, it was busy but not swamped with passengers - but Durham was very busy as they were, presumably, getting some very sizeable gaps in both North and Southbound services.

 

[43055]

There were some hefty delays into St Pancras - mainly from Sheffield (sustained getting into Derby).

There were signalling problems in the Duffield area on the southbound line. Looms like services were being talked past one signal it it looked like the section was longer than that (2 or 3 signal sections).

 

[ashkeba]

But you cannot buy onboard GN services as they operate a Buy Before You Board PF scheme and LNER will only sell the walk up ticket price with no discount service fail to see why they would expect to buy on the rail replacement buses...

1. Maybe they are used to another train company and gone away for the holiday weekend?
2. Do you pass any Penalty Fare notices when boarding a replacement bus and isn't that necessary for a PF regime?

As to those “comments” I’ve not seen any apart from countless advertising garbage that newspapers seem to put on their websites instead of you know actually put stuff that matters like news.

You not seeing them doesn't mean they don't exist. (The world doesn't vanish when you close your eyes.)

And it’s been explained many times that far less people would be inconvenienced as the works are done over a bank holiday then if it was done during the week.

Don't tell me... Or any other weekday traveller... Tell the tourists!

 

[ac6000cw]

Seems to have gone ok on the eastern side of things today. Got from Ely to London and back without issue or encountering any particular overcrowding. Ely and Cambridge stations both seemed rather quieter than usual, so perhaps the publicity has done the job in keeping people away...

That was my impression yesterday as well - extra customer help staff around at Cambridge, but they were not very busy. The trains at Ely didn't seem to be any busier than I would expect on a nice summer Saturday.

 

[717001]

Seemed very quiet at Hatfield both days / WGC today and plenty of helpers. Some passengers were expecting buses but others hadn’t checked and weren’t.

Suspect most local people who needed to travel into London, got themselves to St Albans, Cockfosters or High Barnet.

 

[47421]

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/L72004/2019/08/25/advanced

I see today that GA removed Brox stops on various LivSt Camb services. Anyone know why? Were they 12car? A driver once told me that even though the two mainline platforms were extended to 12car only front 8cars are permitted to open. Some safety rule says if some platforms are 8 only then max that can be opened on any platform is 8. Consistent with this one day during disruption I was on a 12car 379 with stop added at Brox and driver did SDO first 8 only. Not sure what happens with 12car 317. None booked on GA.

Of course GA committed to installing beacons at 96 platforms to allow ASDO on 12car 317s, but like various other GA franchise commitments it never happened.

 

[MikeWM]

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/L72004/2019/08/25/advanced

I see today that GA removed Brox stops on various LivSt Camb services. Anyone know why? Were they 12car?

Didn't see any 12 cars yesterday, everything seemed to be 8 as is now normal for the weekend. To be fair, they didn't need 12 cars, at least not when I was travelling (Up in the early afternoon, Down in the mid-evening).

In so far as Cambridge ever has a 'quiet' time nowadays, end of August and beginning of September would be it (no regular students, summer schools mostly gone home, tourist trade dropping off compared to earlier in the summer). So in that respect, this timing worked quite well I suppose.

 

[Ianno87]

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/L72004/2019/08/25/advanced

I see today that GA removed Brox stops on various LivSt Camb services. Anyone know why? Were they 12car? A driver once told me that even though the two mainline platforms were extended to 12car only front 8cars are permitted to open. Some safety rule says if some platforms are 8 only then max that can be opened on any platform is 8. Consistent with this one day during disruption I was on a 12car 379 with stop added at Brox and driver did SDO first 8 only. Not sure what happens with 12car 317. None booked on GA.

Of course GA committed to installing beacons at 96 platforms to allow ASDO on 12car 317s, but like various other GA franchise commitments it never happened.

I think it's the GPS-triggered SDO, which cannot tell which platform the train is stopped in to decide how many doors should be opened. So if *any* platforms are less than 12 car, SDO will be used, irrespective of the platform actually stopped in.

Didn't see any 12 cars yesterday, everything seemed to be 8 as is now normal for the weekend. To be fair, they didn't need 12 cars, at least not when I was travelling (Up in the early afternoon, Down in the mid-evening).

In so far as Cambridge ever has a 'quiet' time nowadays, end of August and beginning of September would be it (no regular students, summer schools mostly gone home, tourist trade dropping off compared to earlier in the summer). So in that respect, this timing worked quite well I suppose.

Cambridge city itself was noticeably quiet today. I agree, definitely a 'respite' from the hustle & bustle this time of year.

 

[Bikeman78]

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/L72004/2019/08/25/advanced

I see today that GA removed Brox stops on various LivSt Camb services. Anyone know why? Were they 12car? A driver once told me that even though the two mainline platforms were extended to 12car only front 8cars are permitted to open. Some safety rule says if some platforms are 8 only then max that can be opened on any platform is 8. Consistent with this one day during disruption I was on a 12car 379 with stop added at Brox and driver did SDO first 8 only. Not sure what happens with 12car 317. None booked on GA.

Of course GA committed to installing beacons at 96 platforms to allow ASDO on 12car 317s, but like various other GA franchise commitments it never happened.

Curiously Cheshunt has DOO monitors on the up platform at the 12 car stop mark but I've never seen a 12 car 317 stop there. 379s have train mounted cameras for DOO.

 

[Ianno87]

Didn't see any 12 cars yesterday, everything seemed to be 8 as is now normal for the weekend. To be fair, they didn't need 12 cars, at least not when I was travelling (Up in the early afternoon, Down in the mid-evening).

In so far as Cambridge ever has a 'quiet' time nowadays, end of August and beginning of September would be it (no regular students, summer schools mostly gone home, tourist trade dropping off compared to earlier in the summer). So in that respect, this timing worked quite well I suppose.

The wife travelled yesterday (Sunday) and confirms that the 1632 off Cambridge was a 12-car Class 379.

Good work Greater Anglia!

 

[swt_passenger]

I think it's the GPS-triggered SDO, which can tell which platform the train is stopped in to decide how many doors should be opened. So if *any* platforms are less than 12 car, SDO will be used, irrespective of the platform actually stopped in...

I think you probably meant to write GPS based SDO cannot tell, therefore the system defaults to the minimum length platform at the location. It’s the use of beacons that then adds the individual platform specific info?

 

[Ianno87]

I think you probably meant to write GPS based SDO cannot tell, therefore the system defaults to the minimum length platform at the location. It’s the use of beacons that then adds the individual platform specific info?

Correct - I'll edit the quoted post!

 

[MikeWM]

The wife travelled yesterday (Sunday) and confirms that the 1632 off Cambridge was a 12-car Class 379.

Good work Greater Anglia!

I stayed home yesterday, bit warm for my liking (though I’m out and about today, when it is very similar. Oh well

It does seem the fairly wretched days of NatEx lack-of-planning are well behind us. I well remember numerous weekend trips when the Royston route was closed for engineering work, and NXEA sent a 4-car to work Cambridge to Liverpool Street . That was ... cozy.

Anyway, things seem to be running as planned today. Did everything go well with this engineering work then?

 

[TheBigD]

LNER's website showing that the 0930, 1000, 1030, 1130, 1200, 1230 & 1330 Edinburgh - Kings Cross as all being full and standing. 1115 ex Leeds and 1000 ex Kings Cross also listed.

 

[Hadders]

It's not my local line but I used the Hertford East service on Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday there appeared to be some amended stopping patterns due to football at Tottenham. Stansted Express services were making additional calls at Northumberland Park and (I think) Broxbourne.

 

[DarloRich]

were the works at Kings Cross handed back on time?

 

[91101]

Yes all 5 of the major projects underway this weekend handed back right time.

 

[krus_aragon]

Yes all 5 of the major projects underway this weekend handed back right time.

Congratulations to those involved on a job well done.

 

[Class 170101]

were the works at Kings Cross handed back on time?

Yes all 5 of the major projects underway this weekend handed back right time.

Was all the work completed that was meant to be though?

 

[91101]

Yes.

Kings Cross Remodelling
Kings Cross Recontrol
Stevenage Overheads
St Neots track
Newark

All done to spec and to time!

 

[Mag_seven]

Was all the work completed that was meant to be though?

Yes.

Kings Cross Remodelling
Kings Cross Recontrol
Stevenage Overheads
St Neots track
Newark

All done to spec and to time!

Sorry to disappoint you @170101

Seriously though these successes should be reported back to passengers on the route in posters etc along with a thank you to them for their patience and understanding whilst these works were undertaken.

 

[91101]

You should be seeing Green East Coast branded posters going up over the route and already on social media.