Influencing an almost connection

[56 1/2]

Newby here, mods if I am in the wrong topic please move

Travelling next week and it looks like a 57 min wait @ Preston, how who would I ask that 09-33 ex Preston > Blackpool South might wait


thanks for reading

 

[PR1Berske]

Newby here, mods if I am in the wrong topic please move

Travelling next week and it looks like a 57 min wait @ Preston, how who would I ask that 09-33 ex Preston > Blackpool South might wait


thanks for reading

I would suggest that no such request could be made, or honoured.

 

[Tomnick]

You can ask anyone, really, and the answer shouldn't change from a firm 'no'! As inconvenient as a 57' connection might be, why should those already on the train be delayed by five minutes or more, in turn delaying the train that you've just arrived on (which, incidentally, is booked to use the same platform - even if it's permissive, that's an extra minute or two) and probably resulting in a late start on its back working from Blackpool, in turn knocking the next one onto the tightly timed branch. The timetable's there for a reason!

 

[Quakkerillo]

Nowadays letting trains wait for connecting passengers, even with late running trains, seems to be a rather rare exception. Only

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

If you are connecting off the Manchester Airport-Blackpool North service, there's a faint chance of making the connection.
It is booked on the Slow line from Balshaw Lane, to follow the Blackpool South train.
But if it stays on the Fast for some reason (it happens), you might make it.
At least there is somewhere decent for a coffee and read of the papers at Preston.
Welcome to the forum, by the way.

 

[carriageline]

I would suggest speaking to the guard, if one is available. They will be the ones who can ask!

 

[yorkie]

Newby here, mods if I am in the wrong topic please move

I moved this thread into the appropriate forum.

Travelling next week and it looks like a 57 min wait @ Preston, how who would I ask that 09-33 ex Preston > Blackpool South might wait

It's not clear what your planned itinerary is, but the train is almost certainly not going to be held, and it would not be possible to request it.

If you are delayed you may be entitled to compensation, however we wouldn't be able to advise without knowing full details of your journey and ticket(s) held, including the origin and destination.

 

[30907]

If you are connecting off the Manchester Airport-Blackpool North service, there's a faint chance of making the connection.
It is booked on the Slow line from Balshaw Lane, to follow the Blackpool South train.
But if it stays on the Fast for some reason (it happens), you might make it.
At least there is somewhere decent for a coffee and read of the papers at Preston.
Welcome to the forum, by the way.

Unfortunately there is normally a Euston to Glasgow train on the Fast line at the time.
There is a better chance of the Colne to Blackpool South being late, but if arrival time at destination is crucial, sorry, but the only options are to catch the previous train 20 minutes earlier or to pay for a taxi from Kirkham or Blackpool N.

 

[crispy1978]

Unfortunately just one of those annoyances is missing a train by <5-10 minutes and waiting 50+ minutes for another one. Even more annoying when you in theory can make a quick connection but get held up for a couple of minutes just before entering the station, causing you to miss your (admittedly) tight connection.

 

[70014IronDuke]

I moved this thread into the appropriate forum.

............ but the train is almost certainly not going to be held, and it would not be possible to request it.

....

I agree, but in days of old, really pretty damned old, 'tis true, it did happen.

I remember reading somewhere (and even that was a decade back) that the morning train from Silloth used to arrive at Carlisle either a minute or two late, or perhaps precisely when, the first (I think) morning Euston departure was leaving. It would have been, presumably, around 06.00.

Apparently, a kindly worded request to the station master at Silloth would usually mean the Euston train would be held back for the odd long-distance passenger.

Of course, for a keen crew, it would not have been a big problem. The Lizzie at the head of the London train would have had a bit in hand, and nothing like the pathing difficulties of the modern railway south of Crewe.

Not sure when the last passenger from Silloth could have availed him/herself of this unofficial customer service benefit - not much later than 1960, I'd guess.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I agree, but in days of old, really pretty damned old, 'tis true, it did happen.

Indeed it was possible to request a "hold"; most of the time it worked but when such a request went wrong on a busy route, it could really cause some serious timetable chaos - I speak with red-faced experience!