Proportionately worst examples of padding

[calc7]

Is this the worst proportionate example of timetable padding - in terms of A->B journey time versus B->A?
Bidston - Upton Merseyside 1 minute
Upton Merseyside - Bidston 10 minutes

I know why this happens - indeed at the Wrexham Central end you have the ludicrous situation of a train "departing" a single-track terminus station before it's arrived; but can anybody beat this 10x multiple?

Rules: looking for a examples in the "everyday" peak or off-peak timetable, not at odd ends of the night or early morning

 

[ainsworth74]

I can't beat it but offer another pretty 'good' one.

Hull - Cottingham 6 minutes
Cottingham - Hull 12 minutes

 

[transmanche]

I can't beat it either, my offer is:

Manchester Piccadilly > Manchester Oxford Rd 2 mins
Manchester Oxford Rd > Manchester Piccadilly 8 mins

 

[bb21]

Newbury Racecourse - Newbury is 6 minutes. Newbury - Newbury Racecourse is 2 minutes.

I think 4-5 minutes padding is fairly common at the end of a service, though I believe nothing beats the OP's example of 10 times the difference. To do that on a non-padded 2 minute journey, 18 minutes of padding is required, which I don't think happens.

 

[158801]

0700 Kings Cross - Edinburgh - has 45 mins to Peterborough
0655 Edinburgh - Kings Cross - has 58 mins from Peterborough

Both run non-stop Kings Cross - Peterborough

 

[87015]

I think EC are the worse offenders for London Terminal differential although everybody does it in one shape or form.

 

[The Planner]

I know why this happens - indeed at the Wrexham Central end you have the ludicrous situation of a train "departing" a single-track terminus station before it's arrived; but can anybody beat this 10x multiple?

I'm not sure that is allowed, but I am not commenting on the padding as I have given up on that, unless it is stuck in the WTT schedule it isn't padded...

 

[Crossover]

One I can recall from the other year is the Chiltern service into Birmingham Moor Street/Snow Hill.

From Snow Hill to Moor Street it is timed 2 mins
From Moor Street to Snow Hill it is timed 11 mins

I guess this means the service can run fairly late into Moor St but still arrive on time at its destination!

Also, as for padding, I was on a GC service a couple of weeks ago that was 5 minutes late leaving Mirfield. A 10 minute journey later, we were sat outside Wakefield Kirkgate awaiting the departure of the Knottingley train as we were 8 minutes early! (We lost the advantage and arrived at Doncaster late)

 

[transmanche]

I'm not sure that is allowed, but I am not commenting on the padding as I have given up on that, unless it is stuck in the WTT schedule it isn't padded...

But from the passenger's point of view (especially for making connections) it is padded - and whatever the WTT says is irrelevant.

 

[philjo]

The East Coast services now have 30 mins Stevenage to KX southbound but they only take 19 minutes northbound.
The FCC services are scheduled to take less time southbound than the EC ones in the public timetable.


I was on a train from Lancaster-Leeds which had about 15 minutes of padding added between Shipley & Leeds.

 

[calc7]

But from the passenger's point of view (especially for making connections) it is padded - and whatever the WTT says is irrelevant.

Exactly - and the same goes for delay repay.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Some services between Newport and Cardiff are allocated 20-25 minutes, especially services from Holyhead and Taunton, but others are allocated the normal 13-15. All services from Cardiff to Newport are 13 minutes. Look at the timings for the 1515 Taunton to Cardiff compared to the 1515 London to Cardiff.

 

[Cliveblackpool]

Blackpool Pleasure Beach to Blackpool South - over 5 minutes extra!
.34 dep, & arrives .41, for a journey of less than 2 minutes!
(BPS - BPB - 2 minutes)

 

[Tilly]

southport to meols cop and return is a good example -
SOP-MEC - 5 mins
MEC-SOP - 11 or 12 minutes

I realised this when I was on a late running Manchester Victoria double pacer a couple of Mondays ago we were over 20 down due to a delay in changing driver at Wigan, but were 4 late when arriving at Southport! Made me look again at the timetable.

In the morning I get the 7.54 to Salford Crescent, the first time I caught it, I assumed the train would have been the 7.20 arrival from Manchester. However the 7.54 departure is comprised of the train that has just worked the 7.58 arrival! Somehow by the time it arrives back at Meols Cop it is running on time!

Tilly

 

[Bald Rick]

9I32 Ebbsfleet Int - Calais Frethun takes 1h44

9I61 Calais Frethun - Ebbsfleet Int takes minus 16min

Do I win £5 ?

 

[N Levers]

9I32 Ebbsfleet Int - Calais Frethun takes 1h44

9I61 Calais Frethun - Ebbsfleet Int takes minus 16min

Do I win £5 ?

Yes. You are a God

 

[Lampshade]

Liverpool Lime Street - Edge Hill is 4 minutes. The other way round is 11.

 

[Welshman]

Another from ATWland:-

The 1.75 miles from Deganwy to Llandudno are scheduled 12 minutes for trains from Manchester, and 6-11 minutes for trains from the Junction or Blaenau Ffestiniog. In the opposite direction, departing trains from Llandudno are allowed 4 minutes.

This creates the interesting situation where the last train of the day from the Blaenau branch, due at Llandudno at 2146, forms the 2145 departure for Crewe, without the necessity for the crew to change ends faster than the speed of light.

 

[MCR247]

Couldn't some of these just be due to pathing etc especially when we are talking about arriving at major terminals with not a lot of spare capacity?

 

[D1009]

"Padding" in this context is a word of which everyone has their own definition.

 

[LE Greys]

The East Coast services now have 30 mins Stevenage to KX southbound but they only take 19 minutes northbound.
The FCC services are scheduled to take less time southbound than the EC ones in the public timetable.

They often use it, though. However, I expect to see it halved when the Hitchin flyover is finished, that's generally the worst cause of delays in the area. Still, on at least 50% of journeys, I've arrived at the WTT-booked times and (after a 'pleased to inform you we are early' announcement) sometimes made what is technically a 'minus' connection at Paddington.

 

[Fred26]

The 0021 East Coast service from Stevenage to Kings Cross is given 36 minutes to make the journey. It's set-down only at Stevenage and at that time of night it should take less than half that time to get to London.

 

[transmanche]

Rules: looking for a examples in the "everyday" peak or off-peak timetable, not at odd ends of the night or early morning

The 0021 East Coast service from Stevenage to Kings Cross is given 36 minutes to make the journey. It's set-down only at Stevenage and at that time of night it should take less than half that time to get to London.

Bzzzzz... not allowed by the small print!

 

[SickyNicky]

Probably not a record breaker, but an interesting example is the 11.40 Hereford to Birmingham.

Go to http://www.trainscanbecheaper.info/...from=HFD&to=BHM&via0=&via1=&via2=&via3=&via4=

Give it a "Time Out" of 11am and click "Find Tickets"

A look through the suggested timetable data suggests a change at University would get you into Birmingham sooner

 

[LE Greys]

The 0021 East Coast service from Stevenage to Kings Cross is given 36 minutes to make the journey. It's set-down only at Stevenage and at that time of night it should take less than half that time to get to London.

Bzzzzz... not allowed by the small print!

Besides, that's to allow for Hertford diversions. It often seems to use the loop.

 

[dstrat]

Perhaps not strictly what you are talking about but I remember when there was engineering on the ECML a while back and EC was only running from Huntingdon north. Got on an FCC fast service to Peterborough.

Train ran its little wheels out on the fast lines all the way to Huntingdon...the amount of time we dwelled in station stops awaiting our actual departure time was mind numbing. In total by Huntingdon we had easily waited for 20 mins in stations waiting for the departure time. PADDING!

 

[LE Greys]

Perhaps not strictly what you are talking about but I remember when there was engineering on the ECML a while back and EC was only running from Huntingdon north. Got on an FCC fast service to Peterborough.

Train ran its little wheels out on the fast lines all the way to Huntingdon...the amount of time we dwelled in station stops awaiting our actual departure time was mind numbing. In total by Huntingdon we had easily waited for 20 mins in stations waiting for the departure time. PADDING!

Top speed on the slows is only 80 mph, IIRC. It could probably be raised to 100, but I expect that would require considerable work. Running at maximum permissable speed on the fasts does tend to have that effect.

 

[Howardh]

9I32 Ebbsfleet Int - Calais Frethun takes 1h44

9I61 Calais Frethun - Ebbsfleet Int takes minus 16min

Do I win £5 ?

That reminds me of the time I flew from (the wonderful Antwerpen "Airport") to London City. On take-off the pilot welcomed us on board and said "we will be arriving in London 15 minutes ago".