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Midland Mainline TT Change

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Guinness

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The MML Summer Timetable has had minor changes to it but big changes to traction on the line.

Some Express Services (Not Semi-Fast) formerly served by HSTs are now served by Meridians particularly with Nottingham services.

I've got a list below of some of the changes made...

MON - FRI (All to St. Pancras otherwise stated)
0623 - ex Nottingham - Now Meridian
0638 - ex Derby - Meridian
0600 - ex Sheffield - Meridian
0630 - ex Sheffield - Meridian
0714 - ex Sheffield - Meridian
0930 - ex Nottingham - Meridian
1130 - ex Nottingham - Meridian
1230 - ex Nottingham - Meridian
1330 - ex Nottingham - Meridian
1430 - ex Nottingham - Meridian
1630 - ex Nottingham - Meridian
1730 - ex Nottingham - Meridian
1830 - ex Nottingham - Meridian
1827 - ex Sheffield - Meridian
1930 - ex Nottingham - Meridian

SAT
0625 - ex Nottingham - Meridian
0658 - ex Sheffield - Meridian
0732 - ex Sheffield - Meridian
0930 - ex Nottingham - Meridian
1130 - ex Nottingham - Meridian
1127 - ex Sheffield - Meridian
1230 - ex Nottingham - Meridian
1330 - ex Nottingham - Meridian
1430 - ex Nottingham - Meridian
1630 - ex Nottingham - Meridian
1930 - ex Nottingham - Meridian

Sunday
Not many people travel Sunday would be useless

I'll post Northbound timings if people want them.
 
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ChrisCooper

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If you have the Sunday workings it would be very useful. I'd say that those who care about the type of train (e.g casual enthusiast travellers) often travel on sunday, both returning from weekends away, or for diversions. With the latter many would particularly appreaciate a HST for the chance of HO milage.
This isn't anything new though since those workings have been Meridiens since at least Feb 06 (according to thejunction.org.uk). Saturday (and Sunday if you have it) info is very useful though since thejunction.org.uk doesn't have them, only M-F.
Most diagrams starting at Etches Park are now 9 car Meridiens, with only 2 HST diagrams starting from Etches Park, but all diagrams starting from Neville Hill are HSTs. The Meridiens though are based at Central Rivers, and the diagrams are all prefixed CZ.
 

richa2002

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Can you please tell me if the 09:25 London St. Pancras - Sheffield is still an HST ?
 

yorkie

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Thanks for that, it got me worried for a moment as I booked on the 10:27 from SHF because it's down as being an HST, but these changes do seem to be reflected in the new timetable booklet.

The only one I am likely to be at risk of catching, those listed is the 11:27, one to avoid!!

The Donny/Leeds ones are safe though fortunately!
 

Guinness

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Sunday Southbound
Below, Services are now operated by Meridian and not HST trains
(Note that there are 2 different Timetables on Sunday one until 17th September and one from)

0721 - ex Nottingham
0903 - ex Derby
1010 - ex Sheffield
1221 - ex Nottingham
1416 - ex Sheffield
1630 - ex Nottingham
1809 - ex Sheffield
1725 - ex York
2206 - Sheffield - Derby


1127 Sheffield - St. Pancras is HST Monday - Fridays. Saturdays it's a Meridian.

09:25 London St. Pancras - Sheffield - HST Monday - Fridays. Saturdays it's a Meridian.
[EDIT]
BTW If you need something to put on the RailUK website feel free to stick this News on it provided I get some form of Credit. :)
 

Nick

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Thanks for the update Chaz. Shame the Meridians are still taking over...
 

bunnahabhain

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Nick said:
Shame the Meridians are still taking over...
They're speeding up the timetable, and potentially bringing more passengers to rail travel due to 'nice shiny train syndrome', so they arnt all that bad, though I'd much prefer a Class 45 at the head of 9 or 10 Mk2's.
 

yorkie

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Jamie said:
They're speeding up the timetable, and potentially bringing more passengers to rail travel due to 'nice shiny train syndrome', so they arnt all that bad, though I'd much prefer a Class 45 at the head of 9 or 10 Mk2's.
I think MML are growing their business more due to the increased number of services than when they took over, plus the cheap advance fares and the move toward singles (which is what has got me buying them for the purposes of circular routes, I'd never get them for a day return otherwise).

Unfortunately the cost of the greater acceleration is at a huge one financially (increased track wear & tear, maintenance and fuel costs) and environmentally (all those engines), and it has been recognised as a mistake and HST2 won't be similarly specified.
 

bunnahabhain

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yorkie said:
I think MML are growing their business more due to the increased number of services than when they took over, plus the cheap advance fares and the move toward singles (which is what has got me buying them for the purposes of circular routes, I'd never get them for a day return otherwise).

Indeed, a note towards the improved services, recently I discovered a copy of the 1989 Summer British Rail timetable, and looked up Table 53, and it had roughly the following services (not all were HST's).

Every 90 minutes, London to Leicester calling Luton, Bedford, Wellingborough, Kettering and Market Harborough
Every 90 minutes, London to Nottingham calling Leicester and occasionally Loughborough and Beeston
Every 90 minutes, London to Sheffield calling Kettering, Leicester, Derby and Chesterfield.

Combined with that are a few oddities, somebody told me there was an 18.xx service from St. Pancras to Nottingham formed of a Class 47 hauling a rake of FO's and FK's (all declassified), and also that was the year of the Kettering to Corby shuttle service, and there are a few Bedford to Corby/Kettering services in there too, obviously Class 127's to connect with the Thameslink services.

So services have greatly improved, however I recently read that the specification for the new East Midlands franchise will cut out all Meridians serving Market Harborough to be replaced with a High Speed service once an hour, seems like a backwards step to me!
 

Lewisham2221

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An interesting point I read somewhere the other day (exactly where escapes me at the moment) is that one proposal that may be considered in the new East Midlands franchise is the running of Derby and Nottingham trains on the MML in multiple until Leicester and then splitting with one portion going to derby and another to Nottingham. Not quite sure how this would work though, as surely there aren't those many 4 car 222s and joining a 9 car and 4 car 222 would cause headaches with fitting into platforms?
[EDIT]
Not sure why they'd want to alter the stopping patterns and/or service structure, surely the current patterns are what has lead to the increase in passenger numbers?
 

bunnahabhain

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That's what I thought, though I did read somewhere that Market Harborough is the least used station south of Loughborough that Midland Mainline serve.
 

Guinness

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Nick said:
Thanks for the update Chaz. Shame the Meridians are still taking over...

Although leaving them all lying about would be another step backwards and a waste. Besides GNER need a few sets along with VT on Saturdays.

As long as the HSTs sets are been used it doesn't particularly bother me.
 

yorkie

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This idea of reducing the service or splitting/combining would be a backward step.

Apart from the Meridian farce (which the SRA were allegedly to blame for), MML have done a good job of improving the service and passenger numbers have grown to reflect the increase in service, so why do the idiots at the DfT want to reduce it?

Why does the DfT want splitting/combining, when NR are trying to get rid of the practice where possible?! are these people just dumb or what?!

Still, it may not happen - look at the proposed reductions in Devon and Cornwall, the DfT had to backtrack due to opposition, and the cutbacks are not happening now ;)

I wonder how many people are employed to propose cutbacks, and if only their wages were saved to ensure services were not cut back ;)
 

Demps

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im not to up-to-date on the MMl stock and timetables, but do they run a HST to york (question because of meridian changes) and are any of the power cars in the original livery?
 

bunnahabhain

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Demps said:
im not to up-to-date on the MMl stock and timetables, but do they run a HST to york (question because of meridian changes) and are any of the power cars in the original livery?

Not anymore in the current timetable, there used to be a Sundays Only 10.00 Leicester to York service and 17.25 return to London, but I believe that's changed over to Meridian operation now.

The best you'll get now is Leeds to London via Derby, Nottingham or Toton.

I'm not aware of any power cars remaining in Tangerine & Teal, I think they've all been revinyled into Ocean Blue & Silver Speed.
 

Nick

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Jamie said:
I'm not aware of any power cars remaining in Tangerine & Teal, I think they've all been revinyled into Ocean Blue & Silver Speed.

They use paint actually. Just the MML logo is a decal in vinyl.
 

bunnahabhain

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Nick said:
They use paint actually. Just the MML logo is a decal in vinyl.

The gloss paint on most modern trains is actually acrylic based vinyl. It makes it more durable to grit and the like at speeds of over 100mph.
 

Table 52

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Jamie said:
The gloss paint on most modern trains is actually acrylic based vinyl. It makes it more durable to grit and the like at speeds of over 100mph.

Hmmm. MML shouldn't need it then!
 

Coxster

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Nick said:
They use paint actually. Just the MML logo is a decal in vinyl.
As for the livery, some still display a small 'Bambi' logo a opposed to the HST shaped logo IIRC.
 

clagmonster

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Demps said:
im not to up-to-date on the MMl stock and timetables, but do they run a HST to york (question because of meridian changes) and are any of the power cars in the original livery?
No, they were all repainted out of original livery in the 1980s. However, I am not sure about the preserved power car at the NRM.
 

metrocammel

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clagmonster said:
No, they were all repainted out of original livery in the 1980s. However, I am not sure about the preserved power car at the NRM.

That is in reversed Blue / Grey. But I dont think that was what he meant, I saw a Tangerine P/C about a month ago (while I was stabled in Etches Park it passed me London bound), but I didn't see the number. The MML operations manager (or somthing like that) said in a magazine how the new livery is a b*stard to keep clean, especially the mk3's with loads of white bits - this was back when the Rio P/C's were being painted. At the end of the day I'm not bothered about the livery of a train, for all I care someone could paint a power car purple and put pink stripes on it. . . oh wait a company already has! :)
 
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