The last HST from Harrogate to KX and then storage at Ely ran tonight at 17;05, or should have been. ECS from Neville Hill, it arrived nearly 20 mins late because a Leeds-Knaresborough stopper it was following was 25 late. Many passengers joined together with loads of enthusiasts. I haven't seen that many photographing an HST ever let alone at Harrogate.
The train was turned round in rapid time with doors closed and locked waiting for a 'green' from platform 1 but it stubbornly stayed red and the returning Knaresborough-Leeds was given the road from platform 3 before it had even entered the station. This would make the London about 35 late into Leeds.
An appalling piece of regulating by the Harrogate signalman. It only takes three and a half minutes to the next block signal non-stop before the stopper can follow. That would have delayed the already late stopper only 50 seconds more if the London had been allowed to go when it was ready to.
I don't know what path it would get south of Leeds and then Doncaster to make up time. Probably stuck behind a Leeds-Doncaster stopper making it even more late.
Is there any hope for railways in this country if they are run this haphazard way?
Did you travel on the train?
I was on the train from 'arrogut. It was late in because the inbound ECS was held outside Leeds station due to congestion and then ran behind the stopper to Harrowgate. The HST had well and truly busted PPM by that point so it was, according to the rules, the right thing to do to send the northern train ahead. The rules say that the within PPM train take priority. The signalman did his job by the book. I know you don't like people following rules but such is life. The HST ran well between Leeds and Doncaster even with a stop at Wakey. All the delay meant was I got another pint in at the Harroate Tap and a delay repay, which was nice.
The HST was 32 minutes late into Leeds, made an additional stop at Retford and was 38 minutes late into Kings Cross. Personally, I expected the HST to be further held at Leeds to allow the 1815 Leeds > Kings Cross and the 18:11 Glasgow > Plymouth to run ahead. The Azuma was 8 late from Leeds and was further delayed en route arriving 25 late I suspect because of the extra HST stop at Retford and the long stop at Leeds. The HST stops at Newark & Doncaster also seemed elongated.
Perhaps, from experience, the signaller simply wasn't expecting such an impressively rapid turnround on the HST? Or would risk PPM-failing the Northern when the HST would have failed PPM regardless.
The later.