Extra Skegness HST...

[Deafdoggie]

Each to their own, but I like Skegness. Yeah, there are cheap, tacky places there, but there are some lovely parts too. Of course a full and standing HST is going to be dirty after a full day, you would have to be pretty daft to think it would not be! Particularly one running to a family destination!

One thing that winds me up, is people who think they are better and more classy because they don't have children! get a grip, go and visit Skegness, and you will find some lovely quiet well maintained parks and gardens.

 

[LowLevel]

To be fair if you were having to take charge of the trains running to and from said seaside destination on a regular basis your own opinion might change

By no means everyone going there is unpleasant - my point is enough of them are to make travelling on the trains a chore and working on them even more. I'm the first to admit that this is made worse by inappropriate and insufficient quantities of rolling stock being used. The rate of staff assaults and crime reports for the route speaks for itself. Skegness station staff is not a job for the faint hearted.

I merely expressed surprise that anyone would want to travel on the trains for the sake of it as a matter of choice - it's a known fact that they're very busy and generally from a relaxing train ride.

 

[Deafdoggie]

Personally, the need not to change at Nottingham is a big bonus! Plus, it is not a sprinter. I think where Skegness fails over, say Blackpool, is the general lack of services. Whereas Blackpool spreads it loads of holiday makers over many services, to many destinations. Skegness only has an hourly service to Nottingham, so they all ram onto the one. Give them one with more seats on, and they all favour that one.

 

[Rich McLean]

Personally, the need not to change at Nottingham is a big bonus! Plus, it is not a sprinter. I think where Skegness fails over, say Blackpool, is the general lack of services. Whereas Blackpool spreads it loads of holiday makers over many services, to many destinations. Skegness only has an hourly service to Nottingham, so they all ram onto the one. Give them one with more seats on, and they all favour that one.

There isn't the capacity with single line sections between Sleaford and Hecklington, Hubberts Bridge and Boston then again after Boston to Sibsey, together with Absolute Block signalling for large parts of the route.

 

[LowLevel]

There's capacity for more than runs at present, however what there isn't I'd say is either enough trains or demand. While what runs is busy, it's still not a patch on what it used to be.

 

[TheBigD]

Deleted

 

[bunnahabhain]

There's enough capacity to run half hourly, or with an imbalanced service you could probably achieve 3 per hours flighting them through the sections together as all of the single line sections are worked TCB with an acceptance lever (transient track circuit block).

 

[STKKK46]

Skegness *is* a horrible dump with plenty of horrible and a few misguided people that go there.

The HSTs are fully declassified - unfortunately for the passengers who have to travel on them when they get back to the East Mids down to London as the first class coaches are often wrecked with rubbish everywhere and children's snacks crunched into the carpet with no chance to clean them.

The second set is definitely planned to operate.

I don't understand why people want to ride on these trains for the sake of riding on them. If you want to surround yourself with people smoking in the bogs, drinking booze at 9am while shouting and swearing at little Logan-Jane-Kayjayrayden while they climb all over the seats and play tinny games at top volume on a cheap tablet, just before changing little Luceh' s nappy on the table and shoving the dirty one down the side of the Seat, knock yourself out.

I would be tempted to take a ride on one of these trains just to prove that; A) this isn't necessarily the case and B) we don't all have to be deterred by an extreme case of stereotyping and downright rudeness.

 

[Silver Cobra]

I'm planning a day trip to Skegness for August 5th (starting from Arlesey). If I arrive early enough at Grantham to catch the 08:17 to Skegness, I'm tempted to break my journey at Sleaford to catch the following HST just to see what it is like on board, following what LowLevel has described

 

[LowLevel]

Hopefully this year as it's running as an additional rather than part of the normal timetable, quite sincerely, it will be somewhat improved. Last year the highest count was over 750 on a single HST which was apparently far from a pleasant experience - they ran at least 20 minutes late every week trying to unload and reload.

I am quite sure my admittedly prejudiced view is stereotyped from painful experience eclipsing the good, but I'm afraid my various experiences on the route have well and truly damaged my perception of it forever - as a passenger you would probably see it differently to me - you won't get the being shouted at and threatened for telling people to fold their push chairs up for example!

 

[TheBigD]

Deleted

 

[TheBigD]

Deleted

 

[nottinghamcity]

I would be tempted to take a ride on one of these trains just to prove that; A) this isn't necessarily the case and B) we don't all have to be deterred by an extreme case of stereotyping and downright rudeness.

I made a journey a couple of years ago. For someone who spends most of my rail time as a commuter, it was definitely different from what I was used to, but ok. A bit more like a weekend NX coach.

 

[Silver Cobra]

Out of curiosity, would anyone know what the 16:11 ex-Skegness is booked to run as? It's the service I'm intending to catch when I leave Skegness, so I'm interested to know what to expect as a strengthening of the normal 2-car 156 that runs this service.

 

[TheBigD]

Deleted

 

[Silver Cobra]

Booked a 3 car... Will be a 153 +156 or 158... It has been that formation every Saturday so far this summer... Mondays to Fridays it booked a single 156...

I see. Thanks for your reply While it may not be as busy as the 1724 departure, I imagine it'll still be busy enough, so best to get to the station early enough to have a good choice of seat.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Has anyone been on the Summer Saturday Skegness HSTs yet?

I'm thinking of going this Saturday out on the 0753 ex-Nottingham then back on the 1235 but I'm concerned by the lurid tales of overcrowding and having to share declassified first class with the residents of Nottingham's sink estates.....

 

[TheBigD]

Deleted

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Observations from Sleaford last Saturday (29/07/17)...

0955 ex Nottingham (156) short formed and was full and standing... A relief bus ran from Sleaford...
0945 ex Nottingham (HST) looked about 50% full...
1045 ex Nottingham (158) short formed and was full and standing with some people unable to board...
1145 ex Nottingham (156+158) was over formed and was about 75% full...

1015 ex Skegness (153+156) looked about 50% full...
1115 ex Skegness (153+156) looked about 50% full...
1140 ex Skegness (HST) was only about 30% full... I suspect it will be a lot busier as the holiday season progresses...
1215 ex Skegness (156) short formed but not full...
1235 ex Skegness (HST) Virtually empty... Only a hand full of passengers... I suspect it will be a lot busier as the holiday season progresses...

Hope this helps!!!

Many thanks, that's very helpful.

In the unlikely event I find I'm rather enjoying Skegvegas and fancy making a day of it, any idea on how rammed the 1611 and 1724 departures are likely to be?

 

[TheBigD]

Deleted

 

[xc170]

Has anyone been on the Summer Saturday Skegness HSTs yet?

I'm thinking of going this Saturday out on the 0753 ex-Nottingham then back on the 1235 but I'm concerned by the lurid tales of overcrowding and having to share declassified first class with the residents of Nottingham's sink estates.....

I did it last year, my advice would be to head to Derby and catch it from there, head to 1st class and find a decent seat out of the way because as soon as you hit Nottingham every council estate, tracksuit wearing chav within a 40 mile radius descends onto the train...

As for the return, get the HST, don't bother trying to catch anything else, I got a single 156 back and was lucky to get on, it helped I was on my own, it must have left 50+ people and their baggage on the concourse...

 

[153375]

Does anyone happen to know what the 10:44 Sleaford - Skegness is meant to be formed of during the week ? TIA

 

[TheBigD]

Deleted

 

[153375]

4 car... Expect either 156+156, 156+158 or 158+158...

Thanks, didn't fancy trying to squeeze on to a two carriage.

 

[LowLevel]

It's usually 156+158 but don't be surprised if it's shortformed to 2 or 3 cars - the EMT local fleet is on It's backside availability wise.

 

[Silver Cobra]

Has anyone been on the Summer Saturday Skegness HSTs yet?

I'm thinking of going this Saturday out on the 0753 ex-Nottingham then back on the 1235 but I'm concerned by the lurid tales of overcrowding and having to share declassified first class with the residents of Nottingham's sink estates.....

I boarded the 0753 ex-Derby HST at Sleaford , and the first class end of the train is around only 40% loaded (coach H is only around 20-25% loaded). I imagine a lot of people do not realise that first class on this service is declassified, or maybe this HST is a little too early for the masses compared to the next one later. Anyways, your best bet would be to aim for the first class coaches if you do make this journey.

**Update: Only 2 people boarded coach H at Boston, so still reasonably empty. I imagine the second HST will be a lot busier than this one.

**EDIT: A nice little shot of the HST in the sunshine at Skegness:

 

[47802]

I see according to WNXX on Aug 26th the 07-53 and 11-40 return will be Loco Hauled allegedly GBRF 66 vice HST, I presume this is due the HST being required elsewhere with Euston being shut that weekend.

 

[CockneySparrow]

From the above, they are operating 2 HSTs to Skegness this year, not sure what else you want them to do?

And I still don't understand why anyone wants to go there, it is a horrible dump.

Was, not anymore, there has been alot of money spent in recent years

 

[43096]

Was, not anymore, there has been alot of money spent in recent years

They might have spent money on it, but it is still a complete dump. You can't polish a turd etc. etc.

 

[bunnahabhain]

I boarded the 0753 ex-Derby HST at Sleaford , and the first class end of the train is around only 40% loaded (coach H is only around 20-25% loaded). I imagine a lot of people do not realise that first class on this service is declassified, or maybe this HST is a little too early for the masses compared to the next one later. Anyways, your best bet would be to aim for the first class coaches if you do make this journey.

**Update: Only 2 people boarded coach H at Boston, so still reasonably empty. I imagine the second HST will be a lot busier than this one.

340 in total on the outward journey, 266 returning, Coach H had 18 in it out of Nottingham and was the quietest coach of the outward journey by far.