SWT v FCC

[bakerstreet]

Some of you know that many of my journeys are on both FCC and SWT in zones 2-3.

On SWT, almost without exception, for a 1230 departure, for example, the train will arrive at 1228.30 and doors close by 1229.30 with the train always out by the scheduled departure time.

On FCC / Thameslink, again almost without exception, for a 1230 departure the train arrives at 1230-1232 often departing 60-240 seconds late. This is even when the train departs the previous stop (3 mins away) on time!!

I'm sure it's about how both are timetabled and often because FCC run 4 cars which can be so busy dwell times increase but I'm amazed FCC don't tweak the timetable as it's been like this for as long as I can remember! Would FCC be fined each time or is their public timetable different from the working timetable on which presumably any late departure fines are calculated?

 

[harry42]

NR is VERY bad for this-especially Hope Valley Line: travelled 4 times last week between various stations-worse one was a 4 min journey between Chinley and Edale. Say it was due at 10:14:00...It arrived in at 10:16:00 (apparently still on time,) doors opened at 10:17:00. Left at 10:17:30. Got to Chinley 10:21:30. (due at 10:18:00.) We stood 2 minutes 45 seconds before the doors we're opened...the train will probably arrive in at Sheffield hours late!!

 

[Tomnick]

That's not a timetabling issue though - you can't plan trains on the basis of them standing for two or three minutes before the doors are released...

On the original post, it's perhaps not representative of either TOC. Some sections are timed very tightly, with late running inevitable. Does the FCC train get back to right time after a few more stations? It won't generate delay minutes unless it loses time over a whole reporting section (or delays something else) - and there could be some WTT/PTT differential too. SWT could well be exactly the same somewhere else on their network!

 

[causton]

Definitely. Sometimes FCC change the WTT but not the PTT as it's probably easier for customers to remember a clockface timetable even when it isn't possible...!

Edit: for example, http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/L00911/2013/07/22/advanced on the platform at Hatfield the train will show on time, and then at Welwyn North when the train arrives there at 10:53 on time, but 2 minutes late, the train will then show as 2 minutes late at Hatfield and people will sigh and huff :P (if the train even gets to Welwyn North on time, as this section is notorious for trains being held!)

 

[D1009]

Remember trains are only timed to the nearest half minute, so some slight variation from the schedule over the course of a journey is inevitable. Delays of 2 minutes or less are not normally attributed.

 

[W230]

On FCC / Thameslink, again almost without exception, for a 1230 departure the train arrives at 1230-1232 often departing 60-240 seconds late. This is even when the train departs the previous stop (3 mins away) on time!!

Quite a few of our diagrams have slightly later times (usually a minute but sometimes more) in the WTT than they show on the station.

I think the most usual station to see this is Blackfriars, though there are other locations.

 

[JB25]

Not a competition for me... I love using SWTs... I cannot stand FCC. They are always late, and the trains are absolutely disgusting!!!

Plus I have never forgiven them for 3 years ago when they didn't run any trains to Sutton from the City for about 2 months due to lack of staff. hock:

 

[Antman]

Not a competition for me... I love using SWTs... I cannot stand FCC. They are always late, and the trains are absolutely disgusting!!!

Plus I have never forgiven them for 3 years ago when they didn't run any trains to Sutton from the City for about 2 months due to lack of staff. hock:

I'd very much agree, I've generally found SWT very good and FCC quite abysmal, a no contest I'm afraid

 

[Aictos]

Not a competition for me... I love using SWTs... I cannot stand FCC. They are always late, and the trains are absolutely disgusting!!!

Plus I have never forgiven them for 3 years ago when they didn't run any trains to Sutton from the City for about 2 months due to lack of staff. hock:

Have you ever thought why trains can get in such a state of being disgusting? Not always fault of TOCs when you have people use them as skips and before you say, yes I have had the pleasure of cleaning a toilet with wall to wall **** as wallpaper!

And yes EVERY peak train I terminate in the evening looks like a pigstile but that's only because people like to read the free papers and just chuck them all over the carriage rather then take them with them or bin them when they get off at their stop!

As to claiming they are always late, again this is unfair as every TOC has a late train from time to time, again you should love at your beloved SWT to see why a minute delay can easily add up the delay mins.

 

[Tomnick]

Is a pigstile something that pigs use to get over fences?

 

[Uzair]

I've found Wimbledon loop FCC services to not be great. I used to take the 0758 Wimbledon to Luton train and it arrived later than 0758 95% of the time. They've now changed the timetable so it's the 0800.

 

[317666]

The first off-peak Cambridge to Kings Cross train used to be the 09:15, formed of four coaches starting at Cambridge and four coming down from Kings Lynn. The portion from Kings Lynn used to be consistently five minutes late, so they changed it to the 09:20!

 

[Class2ldn]

May not be great for the passengers but fcc are fairly good to work for