Pick up/set down only?

[SprinterMan]

I was on what should have been a London-Lowestoft direct train the other day that is pick-up only at Shenfield. Shenfield wasn't shown on the Liverpool Street but Shenfield was announced as usual over the P.A. system and someone got off. The train was a 321 that terminated at Ipswich where I assume people had to change to a train to Lowestoft. The train was timetabled as dircet so I assume the Turbostar broke down somewhere.

 

[bengolding]

I was on the 07:00 Manchester-Euston a few Wednesdays back. Pick-up at Stockport, but the TM allowed customers to alight if they had an invalid ticket. The non-stop run was great too - arriving into Euton at 08:53.

Returned on the 17:10 Holyhead which is pick-up at Milton Keynes, but the TM made an announcement before arrival asking customers alighting to ensure they had their belongings with them and thanking them for travelling with Virgin! Milton Keynes really does have it bad in the peaks with LM.

 

[londonbridge]

Sometimes late at night when coming back from Victoria I've been on a train which has made an unadvertised stop at Selhurst to allow depot workers on or off-at Victoria the train is advertised as calling at Clapham Junction and East Croydon. On one such occasion a passenger got off and the guard shouted after him that he wasn't allowed to get off. To which the passenger replied 'If you stop me from leaving I'll report you for stopping where you shouldn't have',and carried on towards the exit.

 

[Flying Snail]

Not sure they are being blocked, but in the morning thats exactly what Virgin would want to happen, they dont want shed loads piling on at MK and using it as a commuter service.

Must have been a change in policy then as Virgin used to run a commuter service from Rugby via Northampton and MKC.

Used it several times when it was the last 87 hauled diagram as it was a short detour off the overnight Holyhead boat train connection.

It was very lightly used from Rugby, the preceeding Wolverhampton taking most of the passengers but had a very heavy loading at Northampton and seemed full+standing in standard from MK.


I agree that staff would be correct in stopping someone boarding a set-down only service or even removing them before the train left the station but I cannot see how an ALR holder could be charged anything or fined if they were able to board and remain on once the train had resumed it's journey. I find it very unlikely any court would uphold a fine on that basis.

I must say I was tempted to bail out at Wolverhampton on a W&S service earlier this year on my Britrail pass just to see what reaction it would provoke from the Virgin staff but as I was going to Shrewsbury and did not fancy an hour on an ATW 158 I stayed on.

 

[MCR247]

Virgin run a Rugby - Euston calling at Northampton only if thats what you mean. It uses a voyager

 

[Flying Snail]

Virgin run a Rugby - Euston calling at Northampton only if thats what you mean. It uses a voyager

So they do, I checked the May 2010 NRT and there is no VT serving Northampton in it. Should have known better to expect that useless publication to be correct.

 

[Drsatan]

I've noticed that several late night services are set-down only, such as the 0105 from Waterloo to Southampton Central which is set-down only from Farnborough. Is this to stop drunks boarding or is it for operational convenience?

 

[MCR247]

If it arrives early, it can just leave, so it could have a lot of padding in case of diversions, if they cancelled it, they could provide a taxi from Waterloo and thats it, they don't need one from Eastleigh - S'oton etc I suppose

 

[Aictos]

East Coast might as well make Stevenage a Pick Up or Set Down only depending on direction for example, the typical FCC between Stevenage and Kings Cross is only just 5 minutes longer then the typical East Coast and there's a regular 30 minute service which could take passengers who might just be travelling between the two locations so having East Coast Pick Up Only Northbound and Set Down only Southbound is quite feasible.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

So they do, I checked the May 2010 NRT and there is no VT serving Northampton in it. Should have known better to expect that useless publication to be correct.

It shows in the NRT on table 66, 22.45 from Wolverhampton Rugby 23.44 Northampton 00s07 Milton Keynes 00s23 Euston 01.13.

Plus a few other stops.

It runs on Sunday nights as well, but not Saturdays.

 

[MCR247]

I meant the 0620 Rugby - Euston via Northampton only

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Just had a look - yes, I agree that is missing from the May 2010 timetable even though it does show in the Dec 2009 issue.

 

[scotsman]

I was on what should have been a London-Lowestoft direct train the other day that is pick-up only at Shenfield. Shenfield wasn't shown on the Liverpool Street but Shenfield was announced as usual over the P.A. system and someone got off. The train was a 321 that terminated at Ipswich where I assume people had to change to a train to Lowestoft. The train was timetabled as dircet so I assume the Turbostar broke down somewhere.

aye, it's the 133X to Lowestoft. Shenfield usually doesn't appear on either.

 

[Fred26]

East Coast might as well make Stevenage a Pick Up or Set Down only depending on direction for example, the typical FCC between Stevenage and Kings Cross is only just 5 minutes longer then the typical East Coast and there's a regular 30 minute service which could take passengers who might just be travelling between the two locations so having East Coast Pick Up Only Northbound and Set Down only Southbound is quite feasible.

They can't take a share of the fares if they don't pick up and set down in both directions.

 

[northwichcat]

Must have been a change in policy then as Virgin used to run a commuter service from Rugby via Northampton and MKC.

There's been significant changes to WCML services over the past few years. Virgin have squeezed on as many services as possible and made a lot of them reach London quicker by having less stops. Some stations that Virgin used to serve are now only served by other operators, mainly London Midland.

 

[rail-britain]

If it arrives early, it can just leave

I was on a service through Edinburgh to Glasgow Central with Motherwell as a set-down only stop
I noted the signal was clear when we arrived
We were held for four minutes until the "correct" departure time

 

[Deerfold]

I was on a service through Edinburgh to Glasgow Central with Motherwell as a set-down only stop
I noted the signal was clear when we arrived
We were held for four minutes until the "correct" departure time

He didn't say it had to - just that it could We've certainly left Stevenage before the time in the public timetable on a set-down only service (I think the main reason they have it as set down is due to regular engineering works they don't actually have to change the published timetable - we got into London significantly earlier than the published time too).