May 2022 Timetable Changes

[Greybeard33]

Overview of timetable changes for May and beyond as reported to todays Rail North Partnership operational update

https://democracy.transportforthenorth.com/documents/s4263/RNP Operational Update.pdf

Note the quantity of training being done by TPE.

That paper was discussed in today's Rail North Committee meeting. Northern said that, in respect of driver route and traction knowledge, it still has a backlog of 12000 driver training days, after completing 5000 days in the whole of 2021. As a result, driver competence is likely to continue to constrain the timetable that Northern can resource well into 2023 and maybe into 2024.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

That paper was discussed in today's Rail North Committee meeting. Northern said that, in respect of driver route and traction knowledge, it still has a backlog of 12000 driver training days, after completing 5000 days in the whole of 2021. As a result, driver competence is likely to continue to constrain the timetable that Northern can resource well into 2023 and maybe into 2024.

Thats a pretty sobering situation although is in stark contrast to other operators

 

[Pumbaa]

I don’t think it’s that unrepresentative of the state of play across the industry. NTL are at least being honest about their situation, other operators are either being more coy or doing their best to stick their head in the sand.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Thats a pretty sobering situation although is in stark contrast to other operators

I’m not sure it’s in stark contrast to other operators, there’s a huge backlog of training in many places.

I don’t think it’s that unrepresentative of the state of play across the industry. NTL are at least being honest about their situation, other operators are either being more coy or doing their best to stick their head in the sand.

Agreed, I would suggest it’s very representative of most (but accept not all) TOCs.

 

[Bald Rick]

The quantity of training done in 2021 was less, plus there was a RDW agreement in place.

The quantity for 2022 is more, and there's currently no RDW in place.

but there’s fewer passenger services to run.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

I’m not sure it’s in stark contrast to other operators, there’s a huge backlog of training in many places.

Perhaps the ones that have managed this well is because they still have intact RDW agreements.

 

[Bald Rick]

Perhaps the ones that have managed this well is because they still have intact RDW agreements.

lots more about the local relationship with ASLEF.

 

[northernchris]

What is more worrying is that realtime trains suggests that Bradford - Ilkley and Bradford - Skipton are reduced to an hourly service from May, from the current half hourly service.

Not great, although it looks like the reductions are only planned until week commencing July 18th. It also seems that the temporary changes implemented in January are being extended until the same date, although as we've seen, and based on last summer, these will likely be extended again

 

[bramling]

I’ve now had time to have a proper look at what May brings (or doesn’t bring!) for the south end of the GN route. As far as weekdays go:

* Thameslink services on the Horsham/Peterborough and Cambridge/Brighton routes are essentially as per what May 20 originally proposed. All 12-car. The only change is that the various morning peak workings which used to start at Gatwick Airport haven’t returned, virtually all of the Peterborough service now originates from Horsham. There’s also been some tidying up of reporting numbers compared to May 20, mainly in the early morning and late evening.

* On the above Thameslink services, the number of up services which use Finsbury Park platform 4 has increased. There’s also a slight increase in down services using Stevenage platform 3, and one down evening peak service runs via Finsbury Park platform 5.

* Cambridge/King’s Cross 2Cxx Thameslink service is essentially as May 20. Diagrams generally no longer interwork with the Welwyn services at King’s Cross during the peaks, though there’s one crossover which has been built in during the early evening. One midday out and back working continues to reverse at Letchworth instead of Cambridge which is presumably to accommodate freight. All 700/0 as far as I can tell. Two up services run via Welwyn Garden City platform 1, and four down services run via platform 4. Just one down service runs on the fast lines between Finsbury Park and New Barnet.

* Three peak-flow Peterborough fast workings, all 2x387. One of these stables at Letchworth with ECS moves in consequence.

* Cambridge/King’s Cross fast services are largely as per May 20 inwards of Cambridge except that it is now solid 8-car. I can’t see any weekday 12-car at all. Beyond Cambridge continues to be slightly reduced in the peaks, this may be a permanent change as a result of Kings Lynn 8-car having happened.

* 717 services are half hourly to both Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City, increasing to 4tph on both routes during the peaks. There are two peak-flow Gordon Hill extras per peak. One change is that more services use Alexandra Palace platform 2, with all services booked to use that platform during the midday period. There’s a slight increase in services using Finsbury Park platform 2 as well, though fairly inconsistent. One evening peak service calls at Alexandra Palace platform 2 and then crosses to the US2 line, which is a fairly rare move for passengers.

* Welwyn Garden City/Sevenoaks happens, there’s two evening peak services which do Finsbury Park/Sevenoaks. The 700/0 requirement increases by one to facilitate these extras. Working at Welwyn Garden City has changed slightly, with some Sevenoaks services shunting via the reversing siding and departing from platform 1 instead of departing from the down side island. A couple of Welwyn trips are missing compared to 2019.

* Peak Baldock services remain completely missing, and no other Peterboroughs bar the peak trio.

* LNER looks to be largely a roll-over of present. Nothing of interest noted. More services are pathed as IEP, but in many cases have had allowances added to return to the previous paths.

 

[joshy.fre_2003]

Newquay’s additional summer services look to be confirmed now. No XC service at all this year, but two IET returns per day (At least one from Paddington, and one from Bristol Parkway / Plymouth), as well as all the usual 150 shuttles. Are XC ever planning to reinstate their summer Newquay services?

 

[Southern Dvr]

Newquay’s additional summer services look to be confirmed now. No XC service at all this year, but two IET returns per day (At least one from Paddington, and one from Bristol Parkway / Plymouth), as well as all the usual 150 shuttles. Are XC ever planning to reinstate their summer Newquay services?

No, they’re not!!

Fairly sure it’s been documented elsewhere that DfT have said no XC Newquays. Also factor into this that XC have a significant train crew shortage and overtime restrictions and therefore no capacity to release crews from running terms to route refresh a route they’ve not been over for 2 years or more.

 

[joshy.fre_2003]

No, they’re not!!

Fairly sure it’s been documented elsewhere that DfT have said no XC Newquays. Also factor into this that XC have a significant train crew shortage and overtime restrictions and therefore no capacity to release crews from running terms to route refresh a route they’ve not been over for 2 years or more.

Ah ok! Thanks for the heads up on that one. It’s unfortunate for sure as I’ve used the service direct from Manchester and it was super convenient, but it was never enough to run a 5 coach train all that way in the first place. It’s good that GWR are running one of the best summer service patterns I’ve ever seen Newquay get, hopefully with a good number of those IET diagrams being 9 cars.

 

[Revilo]

Are XC going to reinstate calls at Dawlish Warren and Weston-super-Mare, or have they gone forever too?

 

[tommy2215]

Are XC going to reinstate calls at Dawlish Warren and Weston-super-Mare, or have they gone forever too?

Dawlish Warren was on the Saturday summer specials to Newquay only. Weston-super-Mare maybe eventually but certainly not anytime soon. And it was only one per day in each direction anyway.

 

[irish_rail]

Ah ok! Thanks for the heads up on that one. It’s unfortunate for sure as I’ve used the service direct from Manchester and it was super convenient, but it was never enough to run a 5 coach train all that way in the first place. It’s good that GWR are running one of the best summer service patterns I’ve ever seen Newquay get, hopefully with a good number of those IET diagrams being 9 cars.

I think the services are booked to be a 5 car joining upto another 5 at Plymouth to make a 10. Hopefully this can be amended for boardmasters with 9 car throughout though I won't hold my breath.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

I’ve now had time to have a proper look at what May brings (or doesn’t bring!) for the south end of the GN route. As far as weekdays go:

* Thameslink services on the Horsham/Peterborough and Cambridge/Brighton routes are essentially as per what May 20 originally proposed. All 12-car. The only change is that the various morning peak workings which used to start at Gatwick Airport haven’t returned, virtually all of the Peterborough service now originates from Horsham. There’s also been some tidying up of reporting numbers compared to May 20, mainly in the early morning and late evening.

* On the above Thameslink services, the number of up services which use Finsbury Park platform 4 has increased. There’s also a slight increase in down services using Stevenage platform 3, and one down evening peak service runs via Finsbury Park platform 5.

* Cambridge/King’s Cross 2Cxx Thameslink service is essentially as May 20. Diagrams generally no longer interwork with the Welwyn services at King’s Cross during the peaks, though there’s one crossover which has been built in during the early evening. One midday out and back working continues to reverse at Letchworth instead of Cambridge which is presumably to accommodate freight. All 700/0 as far as I can tell. Two up services run via Welwyn Garden City platform 1, and four down services run via platform 4. Just one down service runs on the fast lines between Finsbury Park and New Barnet.

* Three peak-flow Peterborough fast workings, all 2x387. One of these stables at Letchworth with ECS moves in consequence.

* Cambridge/King’s Cross fast services are largely as per May 20 inwards of Cambridge except that it is now solid 8-car. I can’t see any weekday 12-car at all. Beyond Cambridge continues to be slightly reduced in the peaks, this may be a permanent change as a result of Kings Lynn 8-car having happened.

* 717 services are half hourly to both Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City, increasing to 4tph on both routes during the peaks. There are two peak-flow Gordon Hill extras per peak. One change is that more services use Alexandra Palace platform 2, with all services booked to use that platform during the midday period. There’s a slight increase in services using Finsbury Park platform 2 as well, though fairly inconsistent. One evening peak service calls at Alexandra Palace platform 2 and then crosses to the US2 line, which is a fairly rare move for passengers.

* Welwyn Garden City/Sevenoaks happens, there’s two evening peak services which do Finsbury Park/Sevenoaks. The 700/0 requirement increases by one to facilitate these extras. Working at Welwyn Garden City has changed slightly, with some Sevenoaks services shunting via the reversing siding and departing from platform 1 instead of departing from the down side island. A couple of Welwyn trips are missing compared to 2019.

* Peak Baldock services remain completely missing, and no other Peterboroughs bar the peak trio.

* LNER looks to be largely a roll-over of present. Nothing of interest noted. More services are pathed as IEP, but in many cases have had allowances added to return to the previous paths.

How many 717's will they need for the inners?

 

[HamworthyGoods]

I think the services are booked to be a 5 car joining upto another 5 at Plymouth to make a 10. Hopefully this can be amended for boardmasters with 9 car throughout though I won't hold my breath.

Weekdays are 5 cars to/from Newquay attaching/detaching at Plymouth which with the doubling with London services compared to pre-covid on Weekdays should be ample capacity.

Weekends are 9 cars to/from Newquay.

Regarding Boardmasters I’m not quite sure why you are so negative, last summer they ran 9 cars to cater for this so why would this year be any different.

Cornwall this summer probably has its highest ever capacity on London trains.

 

[bramling]

How many 717's will they need for the inners?

Letchworth C.S. - 3
Hornsey Depot - 8
Hertford North Up Sidings - 1
Welwyn Garden City - 1
Welwyn Garden City C.S. - 6

Total- 19.

Stabling for the midday: Letchworth C.S. - 2, Hertford North Up Sidings - 1, Welwyn Garden City C.S. - 2, Hornsey Depot - 4, Total - 9.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Letchworth C.S. - 3
Hornsey Depot - 8
Hertford North Up Sidings - 1
Welwyn Garden City - 1
Welwyn Garden City C.S. - 6

Total- 19.

Stabling for the midday: Letchworth C.S. - 2, Hertford North Up Sidings - 1, Welwyn Garden City C.S. - 2, Hornsey Depot - 4, Total - 9.

Thanks for that so perhaps another 3-4 sets available to boost frequencies in future back to where they were with the 40+ year old 313's.

 

[bramling]

Thanks for that so perhaps another 3-4 sets available to boost frequencies in future back to where they were with the 40+ year old 313's.

From memory, I think the pre-Covid utilisation was 21/25, with 3x stabling during the midday. The latter figure might be give or take one as my memory isn't what it was!

Having only 40% of the fleet out during the day is pretty poor really, especially for an ultra modern fleet.

 

[brad465]

Have Southeastern actually improved their service frequencies anywhere for the May timetable? The Maidstone East Line and Medway Valley lines both still seem to have hourly frequencies in the middle of the day during the week.

 

[MikeWM]

* Cambridge/King’s Cross fast services are largely as per May 20 inwards of Cambridge except that it is now solid 8-car. I can’t see any weekday 12-car at all. Beyond Cambridge continues to be slightly reduced in the peaks, this may be a permanent change as a result of Kings Lynn 8-car having happened.

I'm still surprised that the 0845 Ely-Kings Cross isn't going to start back from Kings Lynn, as it did for many years. This was a very busy train by the time it arrived at Ely, offering a just-after-9 arrival at Cambridge and just-after-10 at London. I think the people of Lynn will - quite fairly - complain about that, as will FLUA (though they've been rather quiet of late).

The other downside, though this is more a practical issue than a timetabling issue, is that the 0845 and 0947 starting at Ely rather than back at KLN seems to make it more likely these services will be cancelled. Out of the 9 days I've been in the office in the last three weeks, the 0947 has been cancelled twice from Ely (starting at Cambridge instead) apparently because they couldn't find a driver to take the service it is formed by from Cambridge to Ely and back. I was 40 minutes late to work today as a result; I can't be doing that 22% of the time, I'll have to do something else if this continues.

 

[centraltrains]

West Midlands Railway have announced a summary of their May 2022 timetable changes today:

Timetable Changes from 15 May | West Midlands Railway

www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk

Timetables are changing on Sunday 15 May. Overall train frequency is unchanged for most routes / stations, but we are introducing a number of small changes across the network to help improve performance and prepare for future services. Please find a handy summary below:

Cross City line (Lichfield – Birmingham – Redditch / Bromsgrove)​

• From Monday 16 May, Monday – Saturday services between Lichfield Trent Valley to Bromsgrove will be retimed slightly. Northbound services from Bromsgrove towards Lichfield will depart 10 minutes later than they do currently. In the opposite direction, services from Lichfield towards Bromsgrove will depart 10 minutes earlier than they do currently.
• Services between Four Oaks – Redditch will not be impacted by this change.

Snow Hill lines (Worcester – Birmingham – Stratford-upon-Avon)​

• From Sunday 15 May, Sunday services that currently start / terminate at Great Malvern will start / terminate at Worcester Foregate Street instead, in line with the service operated Monday – Saturday. You can still use services to/from Hereford and GWR services to travel between Worcester – Great Malvern.

Birmingham New Street – Shrewsbury line​

• From Monday 16 May, the weekday 22.36 Birmingham New St – Shrewsbury service will be retimed, to depart Birmingham New Street at 22.03. This change reduces the current 90-minute gap between evening services towards Shrewsbury.

From Monday 16 May, the following weekday services will no longer operate:

• 15.13 Shrewsbury – Birmingham
• 16.14 Shrewsbury – Birmingham
• 09.34 Birmingham – Shrewsbury
• 15.34 Birmingham – Shrewsbury

Changes at Dudley Port​

Due to platform lengths, some stops at Dudley Port will change. Where possible, additional services will call to offer alternative services.

Monday - Friday

• The 06.25 and 07.03 services to Birmingham will no longer call. Additional services will call at 06.00 and 06.59.

Saturdays

• The 06.30 service to Birmingham will no longer call. Additional services cannot be called at this time, but please check alternative trains here.

Sundays

• The 08.44 service to Birmingham will no longer call. An additional service will call at 08.34.

Crewe – Birmingham New Street via Stoke-on-Trent (and additional service per hour at Tame Bridge Parkway)​

• From Sunday 15 May, services between Crewe – Birmingham New Street via Stoke-on-Trent will run to an alternative route between Wolverhampton – Birmingham New Street, calling at Tame Bridge Parkway. This change prepares us for future services that will serve new stations at Darlaston and Willenhall, and provides Tame Bridge Parkway with an additional service per hour in each direction. This change also extends journey times towards Crewe by up to 20 minutes, and towards Birmingham by up to 10 minutes.

Don't get why their changing which of the original 6tph on Cross City are now running, they did a similar swap on the Snow Hill Lines in December 2021.
I wonder if Snow Hill loosing Great Malvern services is permanent. I'll have to try and schedule a trip on one of those if so as has been on my want to do list for several years...

 

[bramling]

I'm still surprised that the 0845 Ely-Kings Cross isn't going to start back from Kings Lynn, as it did for many years. This was a very busy train by the time it arrived at Ely, offering a just-after-9 arrival at Cambridge and just-after-10 at London. I think the people of Lynn will - quite fairly - complain about that, as will FLUA (though they've been rather quiet of late).

The other downside, though this is more a practical issue than a timetabling issue, is that the 0845 and 0947 starting at Ely rather than back at KLN seems to make it more likely these services will be cancelled. Out of the 9 days I've been in the office in the last three weeks, the 0947 has been cancelled twice from Ely (starting at Cambridge instead) apparently because they couldn't find a driver to take the service it is formed by from Cambridge to Ely and back. I was 40 minutes late to work today as a result; I can't be doing that 22% of the time, I'll have to do something else if this continues.

I suspect at least some of this is down to Kings Lynn 8-car. The platform limitation at Waterbeach resulted in some duplication of services between Ely and Cambridge which was probably always going to be tidied up. The single line sections north of Ely mean less could well be more here, certainly in terms of performance, which is already more risky than in the past thanks to the presence of Thameslink.

 

[MikeWM]

I suspect at least some of this is down to Kings Lynn 8-car. The platform limitation at Waterbeach resulted in some duplication of services between Ely and Cambridge which was probably always going to be tidied up. The single line sections north of Ely mean less could well be more here, certainly in terms of performance, which is already more risky than in the past thanks to the presence of Thameslink.

I've always thought FLUA's insistence on half-hourly all day to Lynn was rather excessive - they seemed to put that above anything and everything else, including the 8-car project (which I thought was significantly more important). I see no need for half-hourly off-peak north of Ely, at all.

But this particular train was well-used, and I don't see any reasonably justification for truncating it to Ely.

This was also the train there was much back-and-forth about in May 2018 when it moved from off-peak to peak when it moved 10 minutes earlier or so. I suppose they've now partly fixed that problem by removing it entirely north of Ely... (though it doesn't remove the anomaly that it is the first off-peak Ely to Cambridge train of the morning, but is still peak for Waterbeach to Cambridge... (!))

 

[Bantamzen]

Except that apart from school and college traffic they load significantly less well than Leeds services (including the ones from Foster Sq.). Some tweaking for specific flows ought to be done, I agree - and no doubt residents of parts of Baildon will be unhappy.

You are damn right we are not happy. Whilst it is true that loads on this line are far less loaded than Leeds facing lines, we are already faced with god-awful connection times to Leeds with them often being longer than the total time spent actually moving. All this will do is add to the already dire traffic situation through Shipley, which combined with reduced Bradford - Keighley services will further clog up the roads along the Aire valley. If this goes through, then say goodbye to any hope of moving when driving in this area through the peaks, and for those still choosing to use the trains, the 331s & 333s will need some external handles attached to allow people to cling to the outside.

 

[Watershed]

West Midlands Railway have announced a summary of their May 2022 timetable changes today:

Timetable Changes from 15 May | West Midlands Railway

www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk

Don't get why their changing which of the original 6tph on Cross City are now running, they did a similar swap on the Snow Hill Lines in December 2021.
I wonder if Snow Hill loosing Great Malvern services is permanent. I'll have to try and schedule a trip on one of those if so as has been on my want to do list for several years...

So basically a set of completely retrograde changes. From the LNR update, Harrow & Wealdstone, Bushey and Watford are also losing services because of Southern's MKC service being cut back to terminate at Watford, hence no platform available.

No indication of the Bedford branch gaining any more trains, let alone Birmingham-London or Birmingham-Liverpool returning to anything approaching pre-Covid levels.

And certainly I'd be pretty unhappy if I used Alsager, Kidgsrove, Stoke or Stone - where they have gone from having a semi-fast service to London, vaguely competitive in journey with Virgin/Avanti, to a semi-fast service to Birmingham, to now a meandering, slow service to Birmingham. Obviously connections are available at Stafford, Wolverhampton, Crewe etc. but it's still a significant downgrade overall.

 

[tommy2215]

You are damn right we are not happy. Whilst it is true that loads on this line are far less loaded than Leeds facing lines, we are already faced with god-awful connection times to Leeds with them often being longer than the total time spent actually moving. All this will do is add to the already dire traffic situation through Shipley, which combined with reduced Bradford - Keighley services will further clog up the roads along the Aire valley. If this goes through, then say goodbye to any hope of moving when driving in this area through the peaks, and for those still choosing to use the trains, the 331s & 333s will need some external handles attached to allow people to cling to the outside.

South Milford is be reduced to two hourly too. Knottingley will be reduced to hourly between 9:00 and 14:00. These in addition to the many Northern services missing already. Northern really are swinging their axe in May.

 

[Bantamzen]

South Milford is be reduced to half hourly too. Knottingley will be reduced to hourly between 9:00 and 14:00. These in addition to the many Northern services missing already. Northern really are swinging their axe in May.

By Northern you mean the government. They've already dialled back HS2/3 NPR in this region, and on the back of this they are now in full Beeching mode. If they stay in power post 2024, and given the weak opposition they might well be, come 2028 I'll be amazed if there are any trains running at all around here.

 

[Pinus contorta]

By Northern you mean the government. They've already dialled back HS2/3 NPR in this region, and on the back of this they are now in full Beeching mode. If they stay in power post 2024, and given the weak opposition they might well be, come 2028 I'll be amazed if there are any trains running at all around here.

That bad is it?