May 17 timetable changes

[berneyarms]

Realtime trains shows the 20:30 Shrewsbury-Aberystwyth arriving at Machynlleth at 21:43, and the service for Pwllheli departing at 21:47 as per the WTT but with completely different GBTT times departing at 21:43 - so we will have to wait and see whether the connection becomes an advertised one or not.

 

[PHILIPE]

Realtime trains shows the 20:30 Shrewsbury-Aberystwyth arriving at Machynlleth at 21:43, and the service for Pwllheli departing at 21:47 as per the WTT but with completely different GBTT times departing at 21:43 - so we will have to wait and see whether the connection becomes an advertised one or not.

There has been some discussion recently regarding this in the current timetable as to why the Pwllheli can't be retimed. Although not definitely confirmed, it seems to be that the Pwllheli should have connected out of the earlier service but the unit had to be fuelled first and then couldn't be held back due to train crew hours. Currently, the WTT and GBTT times are the same so it could be watch this space as you say, 4 minutes in between in GBTT times and this tallies with the minimum connectional time allowance at Machynlleth. The thread is here

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2914092

 

[berneyarms]

There has been some discussion recently regarding this in the current timetable as to why the Pwllheli can't be retimed. Although not definitely confirmed, it seems to be that the Pwllheli should have connected out of the earlier service but the unit had to be fuelled first and then couldn't be held back due to train crew hours. Currently, the WTT and GBTT times are the same so it could be watch this space as you say, 4 minutes in between in GBTT times and this tallies with the minimum connectional time allowance at Machynlleth. The thread is here

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2914092

Oh I remember it - I participated in that discussion!!

 

[Gareth Marston]

There has been some discussion recently regarding this in the current timetable as to why the Pwllheli can't be retimed. Although not definitely confirmed, it seems to be that the Pwllheli should have connected out of the earlier service but the unit had to be fuelled first and then couldn't be held back due to train crew hours. Currently, the WTT and GBTT times are the same so it could be watch this space as you say, 4 minutes in between in GBTT times and this tallies with the minimum connectional time allowance at Machynlleth. The thread is here

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2914092

The new Printed timetables show it as a connection.

 

[PHILIPE]

Oh I remember it - I participated in that discussion!!

I didn't read through it again today but, quite right, I thought you did.

 

[PHILIPE]

The new Printed timetables show it as a connection.

Which Timetables are these, Gareth. ATW haven't posted on Line yet or are they the pocket ones sent out first. Journey Planner doesn't show it as a connection, Machynlleth arrive 2143, Machynlleth depart 2143
? Platforming at Machynlleth also as part of equation.

 

[PHILIPE]

I suspect the Fishguard discrepancies are engineering retimings that were done before the boat related changes were confirmed.
The Sunday times look OK now, other than that.
;
Interestingly both the new 08.13 from Radyr and 08.13 from Barry involve crossovers not done by any other passenger service, while there is a new 06.31 Cardiff-Taffs Well which seems to be the only passenger train using the facing crossover there.
Another oddity is the 18.53 Ystradd Mynach-Cardiff which runs non-stop through Queen Street - possibly unprecedented for a service train?
;
The poster states that the 20.30 Shrewsbury-Aberystwyth will connect to Pwllheli, but RTT doesn't show it yet.

Not sure I follow re the 0813 ex Radyr. The Taffs Well and the Ystrad Mynach services currently run but as ECS

 

[Gareth Marston]

Which Timetables are these, Gareth. ATW haven't posted on Line yet or are they the pocket ones sent out first. Journey Planner doesn't show it as a connection, Machynlleth arrive 2143, Machynlleth depart 2143
? Platforming at Machynlleth also as part of equation.

Pocket number one the red one - I have stock already for new tt agree it not online.

 

[berneyarms]

Well that is a positive development eliminating something that was so out of line with best practice.

Hopefully the journey planners will update as well to reflect it.

 

[DaveHarries]

ATW are lagging behind as usual.

Poster at Cardiff Central earlier today containing quite a few changes to mainline and valley services., including some between Penarth and Rhymney. Also revisions to certain Fishguard journeys.

Can't find the info online but if my camera battery had not run out I would have photographed the info and then posted it here.

Dave

 

[Gareth Marston]

Well that is a positive development eliminating something that was so out of line with best practice.

Hopefully the journey planners will update as well to reflect it.

shows as detached portion off 1809 ex BHM INT arriving 2047 continuing at 2147 after 2030 from Shrewsbury arrives at 2143.

 

[berneyarms]

shows as detached portion off 1809 ex BHM INT arriving 2047 continuing at 2147 after 2030 from Shrewsbury arrives at 2143.

Well picking a random weekday in June, NRE is currently showing the only option as leaving Shrewsbury at 19:30, arriving Machynlleth at 20:47, and then departing there at 21:43 - that needs to be addressed online so that passengers can book tickets on the 20:30 and connect with the retimed Pwllheli service at 21:47 if that is indeed what is in the new timetable.

 

[berneyarms]

Pocket number one the red one - I have stock already for new tt agree it not online.

Bizarre that printed copies have been distributed to stations, but that the pdfs upon which they are based are still not available online!!

 

[PHILIPE]

Bizarre that printed copies have been distributed to stations, but that the pdfs upon which they are based are still not available online!!

And station posters up according to a couple of posting people (couldn't really say posters again to make sense). Passengers cannot reliability book journeys yet as Journey Planner not updated.

 

[PHILIPE]

Bizarre that printed copies have been distributed to stations, but that the pdfs upon which they are based are still not available online!!

And Train Planning staff presumably now on longer than normal weekend.

 

[Class455]

No major timetable changes on the Caterham line but any stock changes on any service running on the Caterham branch? I'm hoping some of the evening peaks will become 455's (most morning peaks are worked by 455's to Victoria, with one 377/6). I remember last time one evening peak diagram was converted from 377 to 455, but that was the first fast service of the peaks.

 

[dk1]

Good to see that VTEC are boosting the busy Leeds route to half hourly all day Saturdays & to think 20yrs ago it was very different with gaps in the service especiàlly Sunday's & I used to pick this route & change as loading where often light.

Only down side is the hiring in of a MML set which will no doubt lead to complaints as these are not upto the same standard internally & have WiFi issues unless the latter is sorted. Surprised they didn't just wait for until IEP units become available.

 

[Gareth Marston]

And station posters up according to a couple of posting people (couldn't really say posters again to make sense). Passengers cannot reliability book journeys yet as Journey Planner not updated.

Station poster specifically says retimed to connect for Pwllheli,

 

[traveller1]

Fishguard trains seem to be confirmed now according to the posters at Sarn Station yesterday. New timetables in print at Bridgend but still in boxes so could not pick up. I wonder why the pdfs are not online if the printed versions are already out?

 

[traveller1]

Poster at Cardiff Central earlier today containing quite a few changes to mainline and valley services., including some between Penarth and Rhymney. Also revisions to certain Fishguard journeys.

Can't find the info online but if my camera battery had not run out I would have photographed the info and then posted it here.

Dave

I took a photo yesterday but dont think it came out very well unfortunately, difficult to make out the text. It did say no changes to Route 2 services (South Wales to North Wales and Manchester), but all the other Routes had changes, nothing for HoW from what I can remember, about three on the Cambrian, then lots on the SWML due to changes at Fishguard primarily, and throughout the day on the Valleys, with the 0742 Bridgend to Cardiff via VoG running non-stop Cadoxton to Central, being preceeded by the new 0813 Barry to Cardiff stopper (except Grangetown from memory). Also the two Merthyr - Barry Island at 1208 and 1308 and returns terminating/starting from Central.

 

[LowLevel]

Good to see that VTEC are boosting the busy Leeds route to half hourly all day Saturdays & to think 20yrs ago it was very different with gaps in the service especiàlly Sunday's & I used to pick this route & change as loading where often light.

Only down side is the hiring in of a MML set which will no doubt lead to complaints as these are not upto the same standard internally & have WiFi issues unless the latter is sorted. Surprised they didn't just wait for until IEP units become available.

Not to mention the problems caused by it on the EMT side where HST availability is poor already and this has been the nail in the coffin of providing extra capacity to Skegness where the HST loadings were over 700 per train last year at their busiest and the busiest season in years. Less capacity than previously gets provided instead as the DMU allocation relied on the availability of a second HST set following an increase in Saturday services on the Newark - Matlock route. I'm waiting for the first train crew to declare enough is enough and refuse to take a train out as most previously 4 car trains become 3 many of which are 158s with no luggage space. At it's worst passengers were queuing for hours to get on a train and places like Heckington with a poor bus service were effectively cut off as locals couldn't use the trains for tourists. I won't be taking any abuse over it this year - any grief off the passengers and I'll walk off the job as it's infuriating being shafted in favour of a sister franchise.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I fully sympathise with you LowLevel, its just another thing about VTEC that anoys me and all the more so when an opperation I have a lot of respect for, namely EMT is being shafted in favour of them. The more crews that refuse to work trains with the conditions talked about the better.

 

[MCR247]

Do EMT still have any HST sets left

 

[brompton rail]

I fully sympathise with you LowLevel, its just another thing about VTEC that anoys me and all the more so when an opperation I have a lot of respect for, namely EMT is being shafted in favour of them. The more crews that refuse to work trains with the conditions talked about the better.

How are East Midlands Trains "shafted" by Virgin Trains East Coast?

VTEC must have an agreement with EMT to hire in an extra HST, or do you imagine the VTEC driver arrives at Neville Hill and pushes the EMT driver out of the cab and onto the track, and thus drives away with the EMT set!

 

[Muzer]

How are East Midlands Trains "shafted" by Virgin Trains East Coast?

VTEC must have an agreement with EMT to hire in an extra HST, or do you imagine the VTEC driver arrives at Neville Hill and pushes the EMT driver out of the cab and onto the track, and thus drives away with the EMT set!

 

[Starmill]

There must be more to it than that. Who owns these HSTs? The first one was transferred to East Coast years and years ago. It's an extension of this process that there are three now rather than one, and I personally would be asking serious questions about why, but still. I really hope EMT can find something else to boost capacity to and from Skegness. However I would make the point that before last year it might have been difficult to predict the rise of a place like Skegness in terms of rail travel. It's also very seasonal and seems only to affect Friday, Saturday, Sunday flows. By contrast traffic between Leeds and London is regular, growing steadily and is a heavy flow every day of the week, all year round.

We can hope that by next summer there will be plenty of HST availability as a result of new stock at east coast... hopefully...

 

[bunnahabhain]

I imagine EMT make more money by hiring an HST to VTEC rather than using a HST to Skegness.

Unless you account for the hidden cost of verbal and physical assaults on staff, probably.

 

[Starmill]

Unless you account for the hidden cost of verbal and physical assaults on staff, probably.

And indeed the cost of lost revenue or bad will from customers who have to stand, or are left behind...

 

[brompton rail]

And indeed the cost of lost revenue or bad will from customers who have to stand, or are left behind...

On that basis XC would have lost all passengers by now!

 

[IanXC]

We can hope that by next summer there will be plenty of HST availability as a result of new stock at east coast... hopefully...

Erm... Azuma introduction is Autumn 2018.

On that basis XC would have lost all passengers by now!