Engineering works on Sundays and slower train times

[infobleep]

I was talking once to a South West Trains manager at London Waterloo and asked him why trains wait so long as stations on Sundays compared to Monday to Saturday.

He said it was due to the fact if they didn't do that, they would have to keep retiming services due to engineering works.

This got me wondering. What type of engineering works takes place on a Sunday that would require such retimings but still allow trains to run over the lines in question? As in not have the trains rerouted.

For example the Weymouth train from Waterloo seems to wait about 4 minutes at Clapham Junction and then another 6 minutes at Woking. The Portsmouth Harbour train doesn't want as long at Woking but bar engineering works, such as today, that runs on a different line south of Woking anyway. It does however wait 4 minutes at Guildford.

 

[steamybrian]

I was talking once to a South West Trains manager at London Waterloo and asked him why trains wait so long as stations on Sundays compared to Monday to Saturday.

He said it was due to the fact if they didn't do that, they would have to keep retiming services due to engineering works.

This got me wondering. What type of engineering works takes place on a Sunday that would require such retimings but still allow trains to run over the lines in question? As in not have the trains rerouted.

For example the Weymouth train from Waterloo seems to wait about 4 minutes at Clapham Junction and then another 6 minutes at Woking. The Portsmouth Harbour train doesn't want as long at Woking but bar engineering works, such as today, that runs on a different line south of Woking anyway. It does however wait 4 minutes at Guildford.

It is additional recovery time for
(a) trains may run on slow lines ( instead of fast lines) which have a lower speed restriction or crossing fast line to slow and later back to fast line to pass around a blocked section. The crossovers may have a low speed restriction
(b) there may be temporary speed restrictions in place whilst work is taken place on adjacent lines or on the lineside.
(c) Connecting with trains delayed due to (a) or (b) above.

 

[455driver]

Its because the passengers take longer to get off and on the train on a Sunday!

yes seriously, watch a train load up during the week and then watch the same train load up on a Sunday, everyone seems to just dawdle along without a care in the world.

 

[swt_passenger]

There are also pre-booked timed periods for daytime track patrolling between Waterloo and Clapham Jn on a Sunday, which take individual lines out of use for certain periods until mid afternoon Sunday - there's a list of the time slots in the back of the Wessex timetable planning rules.

 

[scotraildriver]

Its because the passengers take longer to get off and on the train on a Sunday!

yes seriously, watch a train load up during the week and then watch the same train load up on a Sunday, everyone seems to just dawdle along without a care in the world.

I actually thought it was just me that thought that. The number of times I write "station overtime" on a Sunday delay slip is amazing! Glad others noticed!

 

[Rapidash]

Bizarrely I enjoy commuting on a sunday - less IC services means less waiting around at Scabbot and the Warren! Usually twenty minutes quicker!

Just a shame I can't into Exeter untill nearly 11. Guess NR have to repair tracks at somepoint, eh!

 

[infobleep]

Its because the passengers take longer to get off and on the train on a Sunday!

yes seriously, watch a train load up during the week and then watch the same train load up on a Sunday, everyone seems to just dawdle along without a care in the world.

I don't know, these Sunday passengers!

Perhaps the passengers know trains run slower on a Sunday so feel they can match the pace and go slower to.

Or perhaps passengers keep hearing the guards whistle during the week, when the train arrives less than 30 seconds prior to departure or even after it should have departed and feel the need to rush or it will leave without them.

I only tend to board more slowly if I have suitcases. I guess not all passengers are like that though.
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It is additional recovery time for
(a) trains may run on slow lines ( instead of fast lines) which have a lower speed restriction or crossing fast line to slow and later back to fast line to pass around a blocked section. The crossovers may have a low speed restriction
(b) there may be temporary speed restrictions in place whilst work is taken place on adjacent lines or on the lineside.
(c) Connecting with trains delayed due to (a) or (b) above.

Thanks for that. I've yet to arrive into Woking less than 6 minutes early but I don't catch the Weymouth trains that often. I didn't realise they closed lines whilst trains are running beside them. I thought these days they mostly closed all the lines or none. Saying that I do see people beside the tracks even during the week and they wouldn't be twiddling their thumbs that's for sure.

As it was. We waited 8 minutes at Woking, having arrived 6 minutes early and then arrived into Guildford 2 minutes late! Such is life. I have to have at least one minor or greater train delay a day. It would be boring otherwise.

 

[Kite159]

The 159s from Salisbury normally waits around 5 to 10 minutes at Basingstoke, enough time to get rid of the alternative stopping and stop at all 4 stations between Salisbury & Basingstoke.

I prefer it when there are engineering works as all the trains stop.

 

[Dr_Intoxicated]

Its because the passengers take longer to get off and on the train on a Sunday!

yes seriously, watch a train load up during the week and then watch the same train load up on a Sunday, everyone seems to just dawdle along without a care in the world.

I assumed it was the opposite, and overcrowding leads to longer dwell times at stations Monday to Friday. Now if they want to keep the same clock face times on weekdays and weekends they pad the timetable so the train runs to time on weekdays even with the excess dwell times. On weekends however, due to the smaller dwell times, the trains leave the previous station on time and have to wait longer at the next station before the advertised departure time.

It is really noticeable on the Windsor lines at weekends.