There are plenty of threads which explore what went wrong and I don't want that to be regurgitated here. Neither am I wanting people to hanker about their favourite destinations. However, I am interested in understanding the Winter 2002 timetable and whether it could ever have been sustainable with the rolling stock available with the missing services filled in.
Attached is the Monday to Friday version of Table 51 for the Winter 2002 timetable showing the Cross Country services at that time.
There were nominally 40 221s and 34 220s allocated to Cross Country, the remaining four 4-car 221s intended for North Wales. That fleet size must have been determined against a base timetable, but I don't think what actually happened in September 2002 was that base timetable as it had been too difficult to schedule all of the journeys wanted.
Having pieced together the workings that must have constituted the timetables from Summer 2002, it appears that 66 Voyagers from 74 would have been needed. However, I think in that timetable, HSTs were still in use on the main routes, not just on Blackpool North to Birmingham International.
(ABD = Aberdeen, BHI = Birmingham International, BHM = Birmingham New Street, BMH = Bournemouth, BPN = Blackpool North, BRI = Bristol Temple Meads, BTN = Brighton, CDF = Cardiff Central, DAR = Darlington, DBY = Derby, DEE = Dundee, EDB = Edinburgh, EXD = Exeter St Davids, GLC = Glasgow Central, GTW = Gatwick Airport, LDS = Leeds, LIV = Liverpool Lime Street, MAN = Manchester Piccadilly, MIA = Manchester Airport, NCL = Newcastle, PAD = London Paddington, PGN = Paignton, PLY = Plymouth, PMH = Portsmouth Harbour, PMS = Portsmouth & Southsea, PNZ = Penzance, POO = Poole, PRE = Preston, RDG = Reading, RDH = Redhill, SHF = Sheffield, SOU = Southampton Central, SWA = Swansea, YRK = York)
So my question is really, what was the vision in terms of routes covered when the Voyager fleet was ordered, as something must have determined the fleet size at 34 4-car units and 40 5-car units and would the Summer 2003 timetable have been more comprehensive, had the whole thing not fallen over on the basis of being too ambitious? Presumably, they planned 74 units and then found that they couldn't run the intended service as the actual timetabling ended up with the running times being longer than in the bid.
It looks like the basic timetable plan was:
Hour 1 through Birmingham
Liverpool to Portsmouth
Edinburgh (East Coast) to Paignton
Manchester to Birmingham
Newcastle to Bournemouth
Scotland (West Coast) to Plymouth
Hour 2 through Birmingham
Manchester to Brighton
Dundee (East Coast) to Cardiff
Scotland (via Manchester) to Bournemouth
Blackpool North to Birmingham International
Newcastle to Plymouth
The West Coast services then further alternate between Glasgow and Edinburgh. There is a bit of a bias towards morning services going to Cardiff and afternoon services to the West Country.
However, maybe I am trying to read too much into the pattern that was still intended to vary. It seems clear though that this could not have been delivered in every hour with 74 Voyagers. Perhaps they did just get the sums wrong. As it happens, on Saturdays in that timetable, they did get more trains through to Guildford and beyond.
In particular, there are still compromises here - for instance, there are trains into Paddington which could have gone towards Guildford and Portsmouth or Brighton - the summer 2002 timetable had included more services to Brighton than were possible in winter 2002. I'm sure they would have wanted a more frequent service to Brighton in their plan. There is a somewhat haphazard number of trains into Cardiff, some direct via Lydney and others via Bristol. There are some services which turn short, in particular one at Exeter, one at Darlington and another at Southampton that are out of pattern.
Is there any book published that goes into this in more detail?
Attached is the Monday to Friday version of Table 51 for the Winter 2002 timetable showing the Cross Country services at that time.
There were nominally 40 221s and 34 220s allocated to Cross Country, the remaining four 4-car 221s intended for North Wales. That fleet size must have been determined against a base timetable, but I don't think what actually happened in September 2002 was that base timetable as it had been too difficult to schedule all of the journeys wanted.
Having pieced together the workings that must have constituted the timetables from Summer 2002, it appears that 66 Voyagers from 74 would have been needed. However, I think in that timetable, HSTs were still in use on the main routes, not just on Blackpool North to Birmingham International.
(ABD = Aberdeen, BHI = Birmingham International, BHM = Birmingham New Street, BMH = Bournemouth, BPN = Blackpool North, BRI = Bristol Temple Meads, BTN = Brighton, CDF = Cardiff Central, DAR = Darlington, DBY = Derby, DEE = Dundee, EDB = Edinburgh, EXD = Exeter St Davids, GLC = Glasgow Central, GTW = Gatwick Airport, LDS = Leeds, LIV = Liverpool Lime Street, MAN = Manchester Piccadilly, MIA = Manchester Airport, NCL = Newcastle, PAD = London Paddington, PGN = Paignton, PLY = Plymouth, PMH = Portsmouth Harbour, PMS = Portsmouth & Southsea, PNZ = Penzance, POO = Poole, PRE = Preston, RDG = Reading, RDH = Redhill, SHF = Sheffield, SOU = Southampton Central, SWA = Swansea, YRK = York)
0730 | ABD | BMH | 1822 | 1938 | BMH | MAN | 0026 | ||||||||||||||||
0542 | BHM | PNZ | 1058 | 1130 | PNZ | GLC | 2119 | ||||||||||||||||
0600 | BHM | NCL | 0916 | 1005 | NCL | PNZ | 1907 | 1950 | PNZ | BRI | 2359 | ||||||||||||
0603 | BHM | BMH | 0915 | 0938 | BMH | NCL | 1622 | 1644 | NCL | SOU | 2244 | ||||||||||||
0618 | BHM | LIV | 0751 | 0804 | LIV | PMH | 1251 | 1306 | PMH | LIV | 1751 | 1804 | LIV | PAD | 2144 | ||||||||
0620 | BHM | DEE | 1319 | 1410 | DEE | BRI | 2211 | ||||||||||||||||
0633 | BHM | RDG | 0802 | 0835 | RDG | LIV | 1151 | 1204 | LIV | PMS | 1648 | 1918 | PMS | LIV | 2359 | ||||||||
0658 | BHM | EDB | 1206 | 1230 | EDB | PLY | 2113 | ||||||||||||||||
0700 | BHM | NCL | 1023 | 1043 | NCL | BMH | 1712 | 1738 | BMH | LDS | 2304 | ||||||||||||
0718 | BHM | MAN | 0859 | 1017 | MAN | BHM | 1203 | 1251 | BHM | MAN | 1438 | 1456 | MAN | BTN | 2028 | ||||||||
0730 | BHM | EDB | 1237 | 1406 | EDB | POO | 2228 | ||||||||||||||||
0851 | BHM | MAN | 1038 | 1058 | MAN | RDH | 1459 | 1627 | RDH | MAN | 2056 | ||||||||||||
0628 | BMH | GLC | 1452 | 1606 | GLC | PAD | 2317 | ||||||||||||||||
0519 | BRI | GLC | 1127 | 1205 | GLC | POO | 2049 | ||||||||||||||||
0652 | BRI | DEE | 1523 | 1615 | DEE | BHM | 2244 | ||||||||||||||||
0711 | BRI | GLC | 1318 | 1352 | GLC | PLY | 2156 | ||||||||||||||||
0920 | BTN | MAN | 1501 | 1617 | MAN | BHM | 1754 | 1851 | BHM | MAN | 2038 | ||||||||||||
1318 | BTN | MAN | 1906 | 2017 | MAN | BHM | 2201 | ||||||||||||||||
0656 | CDF | EDB | 1440 | 1550 | EDB | PLY | 2357 | ||||||||||||||||
0544 | DBY | DEE | 1120 | 1210 | DEE | CDF | 2100 | ||||||||||||||||
0555 | DBY | CDF | 0856 | 0935 | CDF | EDB | 1638 | 1710 | EDB | BHM | 2239 | ||||||||||||
0625 | DBY | PLY | 1049 | 1113 | PLY | EDB | 1930 | ||||||||||||||||
0600 | DEE | PLY | 1549 | 1613 | PLY | LDS | 2216 | ||||||||||||||||
0643 | DEE | PGN | 1633 | 1712 | PGN | YRK | 2240 | ||||||||||||||||
0810 | DEE | CDF | 1655 | 1720 | CDF | NCL | 2320 | ||||||||||||||||
0555 | EDB | ABD | 0824 | 0855 | ABD | CDF | 1836 | 1920 | CDF | SHF | 2255 | ||||||||||||
0610 | EDB | PLY | 1449 | 1513 | PLY | GLC | 2317 | ||||||||||||||||
0630 | EDB | EXD | 1423 | 1545 | EXD | EDB | 0013 | ||||||||||||||||
0730 | EDB | CDF | 1435 | 1515 | CDF | EDB | 2241 | ||||||||||||||||
1030 | EDB | PGN | 1859 | 1919 | PGN | BHM | 2226 | ||||||||||||||||
0534 | GLC | BMH | 1413 | 1438 | BMH | EDB | 2251 | ||||||||||||||||
0750 | GLC | BMH | 1612 | 1638 | BMH | MAN | 2136 | ||||||||||||||||
0950 | GLC | PLY | 1749 | 1813 | PLY | DBY | 2251 | ||||||||||||||||
0515 | GTW | LIV | 0951 | 1004 | LIV | PMH | 1451 | 1506 | PMH | LIV | 1952 | 1959 | LIV | GTW | 0025 | ||||||||
1215 | GTW | MAN | 1658 | 1817 | MAN | BHM | 2003 | ||||||||||||||||
0526 | LDS | CDF | 0956 | 1110 | CDF | ABD | 2114 | '2210 | ABD | EDB | 0044 | ||||||||||||
0604 | LIV | PMS | 1046 | 1112 | PMS | LIV | 1552 | 1604 | LIV | PAD | 1945 | ||||||||||||
0523 | MAN | BMH | 1012 | 1038 | BMH | GLC | 1850 | 1915 | EDB | MIA | 2311 | ||||||||||||
0703 | MAN | RDG | 1007 | 1035 | RDG | LIV | 1351 | 1404 | LIV | RDG | 1710 | 1835 | RDG | LIV | 2152 | 2204 | LIV | BHM | 2356 | ||||
0717 | MAN | BMH | 1211 | 1238 | BMH | EDB | 2058 | ||||||||||||||||
0816 | MAN | BHM | 1005 | 1051 | BHM | MAN | 1238 | 1258 | MAN | PMS | 1755 | 1812 | PMS | MAN | 2258 | ||||||||
0853 | MAN | BTN | 1412 | 2018 | GTW | BHM | 2319 | ||||||||||||||||
0556 | MIA | EDB | 1036 | 1150 | EDB | PNZ | 2142 | ||||||||||||||||
0652 | NCL | BMH | 1312 | 1338 | BMH | NCL | 2020 | ||||||||||||||||
0709 | NCL | BRI | 1211 | 1258 | BRI | DEE | 2121 | ||||||||||||||||
0844 | NCL | BMH | 1512 | 1538 | BMH | YRK | 2119 | ||||||||||||||||
1145 | NCL | PLY | 1855 | 1920 | PLY | BHM | 2257 | ||||||||||||||||
0703 | PAD | MAN | 1101 | 1217 | MAN | BHM | 1403 | 1451 | BHM | MAN | 1639 | 1657 | MAN | BTN | 2205 | ||||||||
0903 | PAD | MAN | 1259 | 1417 | MAN | BHM | 1602 | 1651 | BHM | MAN | 1839 | 1853 | MAN | RDG | 2200 | ||||||||
0703 | PGN | DEE | 1722 | 1810 | DEE | DBY | 2356 | ||||||||||||||||
0613 | PLY | NCL | 1322 | 1445 | NCL | POO | 2148 | ||||||||||||||||
0713 | PLY | EDB | 1521 | 1630 | EDB | BRI | 2314 | ||||||||||||||||
0813 | PLY | NCL | 1516 | 1541 | NCL | PLY | 2303 | ||||||||||||||||
0850 | PLY | EDB | 1738 | 1830 | EDB | BHM | 2345 | ||||||||||||||||
0720 | PNZ | GLC | 1718 | 1752 | GLC | BRI | 2351 | ||||||||||||||||
0822 | PNZ | NCL | 1722 | 1743 | NCL | BHM | 2110 | ||||||||||||||||
0827 | POO | ABD | 1927 | 2055 | ABD | EDB | 2329 | ||||||||||||||||
0616 | PRE | PLY | 1149 | 1213 | PLY | NCL | 1908 | ||||||||||||||||
0830 | PRE | PLY | 1349 | 1413 | PLY | YRK | 2012 | 2101 | YRK | BHM | 2314 | ||||||||||||
0605 | RDG | EDB | 1300 | 1430 | EDB | PGN | 2301 | ||||||||||||||||
0640 | SHF | BMH | 1112 | 1138 | BHM | NCL | 1821 | 1842 | NCL | BHM | 2218 | ||||||||||||
0610 | SOU | NCL | 1219 | 1240 | NCL | SOU | 1847 | 1910 | SOU | MAN | 2334 | ||||||||||||
0810 | SOU | DAR | 1343 | 1413 | DAR | PLY | 2053 | ||||||||||||||||
0609 | YRK | SWA | 1131 | 1244 | SWA | EDB | 2047 | ||||||||||||||||
0644 | YRK | PNZ | 1456 | 1530 | PNZ | PRE | 2245 | ||||||||||||||||
0652 | YRK | PGN | 1228 | 1310 | PGN | EDB | 2146 | ||||||||||||||||
0654 | BPN | BHI | 0926 | 0946 | BHI | BPN | 1209 | 1306 | BPN | BHI | 1527 | 1546 | BHI | BPN | 1812 | 1906 | BPN | BHI | 2126 | 2146 | BHI | PRE | 2350 |
0603 | BHM | BPN | 0818 | 0906 | BPN | BHI | 1126 | 1146 | BHI | BPN | 1408 | 1506 | BPN | BHI | 1727 | 1746 | BHI | BPN | 2008 | 2106 | BPN | BHM | 2327 |
0603 | MAN | BHM | 0754 | 0803 | BHM | BPN | 1011 | 1106 | BPN | BHI | 1326 | 1346 | BHI | BPN | 1611 | 1706 | BPN | BHI | 1926 | 1946 | BHI | BPN | 2208 |
So my question is really, what was the vision in terms of routes covered when the Voyager fleet was ordered, as something must have determined the fleet size at 34 4-car units and 40 5-car units and would the Summer 2003 timetable have been more comprehensive, had the whole thing not fallen over on the basis of being too ambitious? Presumably, they planned 74 units and then found that they couldn't run the intended service as the actual timetabling ended up with the running times being longer than in the bid.
It looks like the basic timetable plan was:
Hour 1 through Birmingham
Liverpool to Portsmouth
Edinburgh (East Coast) to Paignton
Manchester to Birmingham
Newcastle to Bournemouth
Scotland (West Coast) to Plymouth
Hour 2 through Birmingham
Manchester to Brighton
Dundee (East Coast) to Cardiff
Scotland (via Manchester) to Bournemouth
Blackpool North to Birmingham International
Newcastle to Plymouth
The West Coast services then further alternate between Glasgow and Edinburgh. There is a bit of a bias towards morning services going to Cardiff and afternoon services to the West Country.
However, maybe I am trying to read too much into the pattern that was still intended to vary. It seems clear though that this could not have been delivered in every hour with 74 Voyagers. Perhaps they did just get the sums wrong. As it happens, on Saturdays in that timetable, they did get more trains through to Guildford and beyond.
In particular, there are still compromises here - for instance, there are trains into Paddington which could have gone towards Guildford and Portsmouth or Brighton - the summer 2002 timetable had included more services to Brighton than were possible in winter 2002. I'm sure they would have wanted a more frequent service to Brighton in their plan. There is a somewhat haphazard number of trains into Cardiff, some direct via Lydney and others via Bristol. There are some services which turn short, in particular one at Exeter, one at Darlington and another at Southampton that are out of pattern.
Is there any book published that goes into this in more detail?