Northern Service Reductions from 4th Jan 2022

[Solent&Wessex]

The government machine will speak out against strike action, but internally they will be quite satisfied with the idea of no trains at all running on Northern routes because the cost savings are greater than the lost revenues.

The Government will do what it did with the Southern Guard's dispute.

It will tie the hands of the train company so that they have to meet the DfT objectives and therefore have no room to negotiate with the Union, but then publicly will speak out against the strikes and say that the employer should get round the table to negotiate and conclude the issue.

The longer it drags on then the more likely it is that a Southern style solution will be found. Various grades will be given new contracts, told that these apply from X date, take it or leave it. The vast majority will take it because they can't afford not to, some will leave. DfT objectives of saving money and reducing headcount have been achieved. As the vast majority of the wider public dislike trade unions and rail staff and their unions in particular, then Boris and co will be hailed as heroes for quashing the nasty militant rail unions and saving the rail network from collapse. It will be painful in the interim however.

 

[Killingworth]

Not a trial, that was conducted the other week. Its booked traction for the foreseeable on a weekend

Should perhaps have said in service. 2 diagrams initially but the third made up fairly late, not recorded on RTT.

Great news because it was getting ridiculous when ticket holders might be told to wait for the next service two trains running. Observation this morning suggests it wasn't over capacity at the Sheffield end.

Will need careful announcing to ensure Hope Valley backpackers get into the front first half of the train at Sheffield and Piccadilly. Human nature means many will always get into the carriage they first come to and those rear two are always far more heavily loaded. Apparently a few over carried today as a result, despite being warned.

We'll get used to this and will be able to safely go to catch weekend trains. Long may they continue, all credit to Northern for acting on crew and user feedback.

 

[175001]

Excellent news. The Hope Valley stoppers can be ridiculously busy even with EMR and TPE running due to the lower fares.

 

[Bald Rick]

The Government will do what it did with the Southern Guard's dispute.

It will tie the hands of the train company so that they have to meet the DfT objectives and therefore have no room to negotiate with the Union, but then publicly will speak out against the strikes and say that the employer should get round the table to negotiate and conclude the issue.

its rather different with Northern, seeing as they are 100% owned by Government.

 

[stew]

Good to see that the Blackpool South services were 4 cars (all the ones which I saw anyway) today, and also plenty of passengers