merlodlliw
Established Member
Taken from this weeks North Wales Rail newsboard,copied with permission
'Statesman Rail have been told at the eleventh hour that their Yorkshire Coast Express' excursion featuring a run behind steam from York to Scarborough on Saturday 14 July will have to begin and end at Llandudno Junction rather than Llandudno. This is because of a decree by the "Area Signalling Supervisor" who has decided the platforms at Llandudno cannot accommodate 11 coach trains. If this decision is upheld, it will mean the end of Statesman's services to the resort and probably others as well.'
We would guess that this is the same problem experienced in the past, in that a long train including a locomotive standing in the station will be detected by the track circuits protecting the station 'throat', and prevent the signaller from clearing the signals for any other trains although the actual routes into the other platforms is clear. The operators probably feel that the loss of revenue for a shorter train will destroy the business case for running the train. (This one is 'sold out'.) And serving Llandudno Junction instead, although only a couple of miles away, is just not as attractive; providing a coach transfer is more expense. How about uncoupling the loco and sending it back to Llandudno Junction until soon before departure, or even put it in another platform at Llandudno?
We hear that Arriva will honour Statesman's tickets on their first service from Llandudno to connect with the Scarborough train at Llandudno Junction. Full marks to them. The matter has been raised in Llandudno Town Council, and 'strong letters' are going to MP and AM.
link http://www.nwrail.org.uk/nwnews.htm
'Statesman Rail have been told at the eleventh hour that their Yorkshire Coast Express' excursion featuring a run behind steam from York to Scarborough on Saturday 14 July will have to begin and end at Llandudno Junction rather than Llandudno. This is because of a decree by the "Area Signalling Supervisor" who has decided the platforms at Llandudno cannot accommodate 11 coach trains. If this decision is upheld, it will mean the end of Statesman's services to the resort and probably others as well.'
We would guess that this is the same problem experienced in the past, in that a long train including a locomotive standing in the station will be detected by the track circuits protecting the station 'throat', and prevent the signaller from clearing the signals for any other trains although the actual routes into the other platforms is clear. The operators probably feel that the loss of revenue for a shorter train will destroy the business case for running the train. (This one is 'sold out'.) And serving Llandudno Junction instead, although only a couple of miles away, is just not as attractive; providing a coach transfer is more expense. How about uncoupling the loco and sending it back to Llandudno Junction until soon before departure, or even put it in another platform at Llandudno?
We hear that Arriva will honour Statesman's tickets on their first service from Llandudno to connect with the Scarborough train at Llandudno Junction. Full marks to them. The matter has been raised in Llandudno Town Council, and 'strong letters' are going to MP and AM.
link http://www.nwrail.org.uk/nwnews.htm