Northern's Grand Tour

[spionkop64]

Many of you will know Northern's 'grand tour' from Selby to Wakefield Westgate via Bradford and Huddersfield. It's several local trips tied together to save on crew and units. My question is could it be an even grander tour?

Since the new timetable change there has been a couple of times when the Wakefield Kirkgate-Knottingley service lengthy(ish) occupation of platform 3 at Wakefield Kirkgate has caused operational problems when Grand Central services have run late. Given that it is not at all far from Knottingley to Selby (reversal at Knottingley and into Selby via Gascoinge Wood) I pondered whether the platforming at Wakefield Kirkgate could be solved by combining the grand tour with the Knottingley-Wakefield Kirkgate service and making a Selby-Selby circular service? A couple of units running in each direction?

I know it is physically possible, but perhaps someone much cleverer than I would like to comment on the timetabling possibilities and unit allocation? Would it save a unit or crew? Would the new service be of any use to the passengers? I guess a lot would hinge on the shuttle in and out of Wakefield Westgate?

 

[Anvil1984]

Many of you will know Northern's 'grand tour' from Selby to Wakefield Westgate via Bradford and Huddersfield. It's several local trips tied together to save on crew and units. My question is could it be an even grander tour?

Since the new timetable change there has been a couple of times when the Wakefield Kirkgate-Knottingley service lengthy(ish) occupation of platform 3 at Wakefield Kirkgate has caused operational problems when Grand Central services have run late. Given that it is not at all far from Knottingley to Selby (reversal at Knottingley and into Selby via Gascoinge Wood) I pondered whether the platforming at Wakefield Kirkgate could be solved by combining the grand tour with the Knottingley-Wakefield Kirkgate service and making a Selby-Selby circular service? A couple of units running in each direction?

I know it is physically possible, but perhaps someone much cleverer than I would like to comment on the timetabling possibilities and unit allocation? Would it save a unit or crew? Would the new service be of any use to the passengers? I guess a lot would hinge on the shuttle in and out of Wakefield Westgate?

Would probably not save on crew as quite a few PNBs are taken at Selby and as only 1 of the 3 depots who serve the route actually currently sign the whole lot at present (York crew don't sign beyond Halifax (Dryclough Jn), Huddersfield don't sign east of Leeds), then none of the 3 would sign beyond Knottingley to wherever it would pop up on route to Selby (added that neither York or Huddersfield sign Leeds to Knottingley either) .

Then stock wise I'd be doubtful as units interwork this route with the Man Vic services, and this proposed route might even be over utilised even if you just used a 142 on it,