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Thameslink Services/Timetable from May 20th 2018

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bramling

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Hitchin, Arlesey and Sandy were the Stations not called at. I suspect this was a dispatch issue.

I missed that you'd mentioned Hitchin. Can't see why there should be a dispatch issue there, unless there's been some kind of procedures change since 12-car 365s ceased calling there a week ago?
 
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bramling

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Seems like a lot of folk are saying that the new timetable is fundamentally flawed on the basis of running trains through the core, between disparate destinations, and the unreliability this creates as a result of problems in one location spreading to others far away.

That's fair enough, of course this is going to be a problem but that's always been a problem on Thameslink; it's the nature of the beast.

What's the alternative, assuming we don't give up on the attempt to increase capacity overall? Trains obviously can't terminate in the core so where is it that they should be turning back? Are there feasible locations that are closer in to London than the current end points? What are they?

The obvious starting point is ensuring nowhere is fully reliant on a Thameslink service - especially where the frequency is less than 4tph. So in the case of GN, in general add the Thameslink service on top of the old GN service -- although there would still likely be an all-round performance hit.

A lot of crowding on the GN side over the last decade has been due to lack of rolling stock, with plenty of 8-car and even 4-car services which could have been lengthened to 12 relatively easily had suitable EMUs been available. I'd have looked to extend the suburban platforms at King's Cross, although unfortunately this boat has likely sailed with the new concourse.
 

t0ffeeman

Member
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11 Jul 2008
Messages
291
The obvious starting point is ensuring nowhere is fully reliant on a Thameslink service - especially where the frequency is less than 4tph. So in the case of GN, in general add the Thameslink service on top of the old GN service -- although there would still likely be an all-round performance hit.

A lot of crowding on the GN side over the last decade has been due to lack of rolling stock, with plenty of 8-car and even 4-car services which could have been lengthened to 12 relatively easily had suitable EMUs been available. I'd have looked to extend the suburban platforms at King's Cross, although unfortunately this boat has likely sailed with the new concourse.
Ive heard that they are to be lengthened. When and where, we don't know. Platform 0 is going to be OOU as well. Hopefully not soon
 

AM9

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13 May 2014
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14,191
Location
St Albans
The timetable looks to be too complicated on the MML never mind how it ever works on the core. Trains crossing FL/SL/FL all over the place, Bedford, Flitwick, Harpenden, Radlett and then back again at West Hampstead and no grade separation anywhere. I don't know how it ever works.

What happened to KISS?

Genuine fast services only on the FLs. No double switches back again.

Whose idea was it to make all the fast and stopping trains class 9? Must make regulation of it all an absolute nightmare.
Most fast trains have been using parts of the fast lines in the most intensely served area, (i.e. Kentish Town to Harpenden) for many years. Bear in mind that the stoppers take 10-14 minutes longer than the fasts so queueing them in between the slows would just reduce the capacity of the line. The crossovers are designed for the highest safe speeds (40/50mph) to minimise conflicts and delays. The class 700s have greater acceleration that anything else on the MML so their headways can be cut almost to the same as the EM through trains, (bear in mind that not much of the track south of St Albans is cleared for more than 100mph running).
As for the class 9 headcodes, the bottom line is that Thameslink carries many more passengers than EM trains and in order to clear the lines they are given priority courtesy of their headcodes. If that didn't happen, they would just queue back from West Hampstead South Junction, Radlett Junctions or Harpenden South Junction, delaying everything. Class 9 codes make regulation easier because they all have to enter the core at Dock Junction.
 

bramling

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Most fast trains have been using parts of the fast lines in the most intensely served area, (i.e. Kentish Town to Harpenden) for many years. Bear in mind that the stoppers take 10-14 minutes longer than the fasts so queueing them in between the slows would just reduce the capacity of the line. The crossovers are designed for the highest safe speeds (40/50mph) to minimise conflicts and delays. The class 700s have greater acceleration that anything else on the MML so their headways can be cut almost to the same as the EM through trains, (bear in mind that not much of the track south of St Albans is cleared for more than 100mph running).
As for the class 9 headcodes, the bottom line is that Thameslink carries many more passengers than EM trains and in order to clear the lines they are given priority courtesy of their headcodes. If that didn't happen, they would just queue back from West Hampstead South Junction, Radlett Junctions or Harpenden South Junction, delaying everything. Class 9 codes make regulation easier because they all have to enter the core at Dock Junction.

Ah yes, Thameslink’s solution to everything. Not much use when two class 9s arrive at a junction together. Likewise give priority to a class 9 and delay something else, which then clashes with another service somewhere, which in turn then ends up delaying another class 9 somewhere. In the real world hardly worth bothering with, and they didn’t stop Friday morning’s shambles at Blackfriars either.

In any case, on the Midland side, isn’t most of the infrastructure mostly untouched from rationalisation in the 70s/80s? The barely-fit-for-purpose layout at Bedford is one example of this.
 

Dren Ahmeti

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17 Oct 2017
Messages
550
Location
Bristol
Many, many, many cancellations tomorrow on TL, as of 00:32, 30/05/2018:
Cancelled: 1C02 05:33 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 1C00 04:57 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 1C93 22:54 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 9S69 21:54 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 9J57 18:24 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9W21 23:45 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9J57 18:24 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9S69 21:54 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 1T71 22:46 from Ely.

Cancelled: 1T18 09:42 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 1T24 11:12 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 1T31 12:47 from Ely.

Cancelled: 2B24 08:05 from Moorgate.

Cancelled: 1T14 08:42 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 1T18 09:42 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 1T24 11:12 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 1T31 12:47 from Ely.

Cancelled: 2B24 17:40 from Moorgate.

Cancelled: 1T71 22:46 from Ely.

Cancelled: 1T06 06:42 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 1T01 04:43 from Kings Lynn.

Cancelled: 1T13 07:42 from Kings Lynn.

Cancelled: 2C00 06:21 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C08 08:21 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C01 04:47 from Letchworth Garden City.

Cancelled: 2C27 10:44 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 2C30 13:51 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C37 13:27 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 2C22 11:51 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C31 11:44 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 2C29 11:27 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 2C18 10:51 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C10 08:51 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C17 08:25 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 9R11 08:32 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9J21 09:26 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9Y27 11:46 from London Blackfriars.

Cancelled: 9J36 12:23 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9Y32 13:22 from Sevenoaks.

Cancelled: 9R38 14:03 from Gatwick Airport.

Cancelled: 9P40 14:28 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9T49 16:18 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9P19 09:16 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9T55 17:46 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9T35 12:49 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9R94 17:03 from Gatwick Airport.

Cancelled: 9P29 11:48 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9R21 11:05 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9T19 08:46 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9R80 06:04 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9T86 15:26 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9R44 15:33 from Gatwick Airport.

Cancelled: 9R50 16:57 from Gatwick Airport.

Cancelled: 9P15 08:16 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9R09 08:01 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9P16 08:30 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9R24 10:33 from Gatwick Airport.

Cancelled: 9P31 12:18 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9P32 12:28 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9P33 12:48 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9T35 12:49 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9P38 13:58 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9R72 15:27 from Gatwick Airport.

Cancelled: 2C46 17:51 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C55 17:44 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 2C42 16:51 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C41 14:27 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 2C38 15:51 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C39 13:44 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 2C47 15:44 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 2C64 22:21 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C59 18:50 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 2C63 19:48 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 2C69 21:27 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 2C68 23:24 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C75 22:44 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 2C73 22:27 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 2C64 22:21 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C75 22:44 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 2C69 21:27 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 2C68 23:24 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C63 19:48 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 2C59 18:50 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 9V23 07:36 from St Albans City.

Cancelled: 9O40 13:19 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9O39 11:51 from St Albans City.

Cancelled: 9J29 11:23 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9J30 10:55 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9V24 09:16 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9J14 07:13 from Gatwick Airport.

Cancelled: 2T09 07:15 from Ely.

Cancelled: 2F72 13:10 from Moorgate.

Cancelled: 2J51 09:28 from Stevenage.

Cancelled: 2T07 06:45 from Ely.

Cancelled: 9P81 07:01 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9J40 13:25 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9T26 11:58 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9J25 10:24 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9T99 10:22 from London Bridge.

Cancelled: 9P22 09:58 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9L92 09:21 from East Grinstead.

Cancelled: 9J13 07:24 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9L87 07:04 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9S09 06:54 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 9R84 07:04 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9J33 12:24 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9O36 12:19 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9Y25 11:16 from London Blackfriars.

Cancelled: 9S24 11:08 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9O35 10:52 from St Albans City.

Cancelled: 9Y18 09:52 from Sevenoaks.

Cancelled: 9T21 09:16 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9Y11 07:46 from London Blackfriars.

Cancelled: 9Y04 06:22 from Sevenoaks.

Cancelled: 9P60 19:28 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9P55 18:16 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9Y49 17:16 from London Blackfriars.

Cancelled: 9Y42 15:52 from Sevenoaks.

Cancelled: 9P26 10:58 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9P13 07:46 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9S21 09:54 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 9V31 09:37 from St Albans City.

Cancelled: 9R13 09:02 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9T91 08:22 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9O14 06:49 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9Y04 06:22 from Sevenoaks.

Cancelled: 9N84 05:52 from Littlehampton.

Cancelled: 9T02 05:52 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9T80 05:26 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 2K22 07:08 from Welwyn Garden City.

Cancelled: 2K70 12:09 from Welwyn Garden City.

Cancelled: 2V53 10:50 from Moorgate.

Cancelled: 2V05 06:17 from Moorgate.

Cancelled: 9P32 12:28 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9J59 18:52 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9O60 18:19 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9J58 17:55 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9P43 15:18 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9P40 14:28 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9J39 13:54 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9P35 13:18 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9J38 12:55 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9P29 11:48 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9R24 10:33 from Gatwick Airport.

Cancelled: 9K56 18:33 from Orpington.

Cancelled: 9K49 17:06 from West Hampstead Thameslink.

Cancelled: 9O59 16:52 from St Albans City.

Cancelled: 9T41 14:19 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9T08 07:18 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9O38 12:49 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9T35 12:49 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9O37 11:22 from St Albans City.

Cancelled: 9V28 10:16 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9T15 07:48 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9R04 05:27 from Three Bridges.

Cancelled: 9O13 05:51 from Kentish Town.

Cancelled: 9Y92 05:52 from Sevenoaks.

Cancelled: 9Y09 07:16 from London Blackfriars.

Cancelled: 9V16 07:16 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9Y16 09:22 from Sevenoaks.

Cancelled: 9O31 09:51 from St Albans City.

Cancelled: 9O32 11:19 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9T28 12:26 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9S00 05:06 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9T05 05:15 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9V15 05:20 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9P01 05:22 from West Hampstead Thameslink.

Cancelled: 9P06 06:00 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9S09 06:54 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 9T10 07:59 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9P18 09:00 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9T21 09:16 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9S24 11:08 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9T59 18:46 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9T68 22:26 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9P68 21:28 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9J67 20:54 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9S61 19:54 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 9K54 18:02 from Orpington.

Cancelled: 9J54 16:55 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9K47 16:36 from West Hampstead Thameslink.

Cancelled: 9P49 16:46 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9S44 16:08 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9R39 15:35 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9R41 16:02 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9P47 16:18 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9P48 16:30 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9J51 16:54 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9T47 15:48 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9R56 18:33 from Gatwick Airport.

Cancelled: 9S56 19:08 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9P59 19:18 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9J66 19:55 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9V27 08:37 from St Albans City.

Cancelled: 9V28 10:16 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9T23 09:48 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9R16 08:04 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9O16 07:19 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9L04 06:45 from East Grinstead.

Cancelled: 9L02 06:13 from East Grinstead.

Cancelled: 9O10 05:49 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9L01 05:37 from London Bridge.

Cancelled: 9O15 05:36 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9Y60 20:22 from Sevenoaks.

Cancelled: 9W16 22:56 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9O81 22:22 from St Albans City.

Cancelled: 9K58 19:03 from Orpington.

Cancelled: 9K51 17:36 from West Hampstead Thameslink.

Cancelled: 9J45 15:24 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9V10 05:46 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9L03 05:43 from West Hampstead Thameslink.

Cancelled: 9V85 23:09 from St Albans City.

Cancelled: 9Y67 21:46 from London Blackfriars.

Cancelled: 9V11 04:20 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9Y71 22:46 from London Blackfriars.

Cancelled: 9O76 22:19 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9S65 20:54 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 9Y62 20:52 from Sevenoaks.

Cancelled: 9S48 17:08 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9T90 16:26 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9T37 13:19 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9R26 11:03 from Gatwick Airport.

Cancelled: 9V12 06:16 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9J69 21:24 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9V92 22:18 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9P64 20:28 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9P70 22:00 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9P65 20:48 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9L01 05:37 from London Bridge.

Cancelled: 9L04 06:45 from East Grinstead.

Cancelled: 9W07 01:53 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9J68 20:25 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9J72 21:25 from Horsham.
 

jon0844

Veteran Member
Joined
1 Feb 2009
Messages
28,013
Location
UK
I missed that you'd mentioned Hitchin. Can't see why there should be a dispatch issue there, unless there's been some kind of procedures change since 12-car 365s ceased calling there a week ago?

There have been some 3x365s that may be the problem. 387s and 700s are self dispatch from Stevenage northwards now AFAIK. Stevenage are presumably only dispatching Virgin trains now.
 

Sleepy

Established Member
Joined
15 Feb 2009
Messages
1,537
Location
East Anglia
So they have cut platform/station staff as well as trying to shut ticket offices before they had a backlash then !! Come back FCC all is forgiven .........
 

Fred26

Member
Joined
5 Mar 2010
Messages
1,107
There have been some 3x365s that may be the problem. 387s and 700s are self dispatch from Stevenage northwards now AFAIK. Stevenage are presumably only dispatching Virgin trains now.

387s are still dispatched. As are 313s.
 

jon0844

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Joined
1 Feb 2009
Messages
28,013
Location
UK
387s are still dispatched. As are 313s.

Ah, thanks for that. I wasn't sure what happened 'up north' these days!

At WGC it's everything on platforms 3&4 and 365s or 313s hours of darkness on 1&2. With no 365s booked, and 717s on their way, soon (a year or so) it will be nothing from 1&2.
 

700007

Established Member
Joined
6 May 2017
Messages
1,195
Location
Near a bunch of sheds that aren't 66s.
Many, many, many cancellations tomorrow on TL, as of 00:32, 30/05/2018:
Cancelled: 1C02 05:33 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 1C00 04:57 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 1C93 22:54 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 9S69 21:54 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 9J57 18:24 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9W21 23:45 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9J57 18:24 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9S69 21:54 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 1T71 22:46 from Ely.

Cancelled: 1T18 09:42 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 1T24 11:12 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 1T31 12:47 from Ely.

Cancelled: 2B24 08:05 from Moorgate.

Cancelled: 1T14 08:42 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 1T18 09:42 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 1T24 11:12 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 1T31 12:47 from Ely.

Cancelled: 2B24 17:40 from Moorgate.

Cancelled: 1T71 22:46 from Ely.

Cancelled: 1T06 06:42 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 1T01 04:43 from Kings Lynn.

Cancelled: 1T13 07:42 from Kings Lynn.

Cancelled: 2C00 06:21 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C08 08:21 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C01 04:47 from Letchworth Garden City.

Cancelled: 2C27 10:44 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 2C30 13:51 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C37 13:27 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 2C22 11:51 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C31 11:44 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 2C29 11:27 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 2C18 10:51 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C10 08:51 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C17 08:25 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 9R11 08:32 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9J21 09:26 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9Y27 11:46 from London Blackfriars.

Cancelled: 9J36 12:23 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9Y32 13:22 from Sevenoaks.

Cancelled: 9R38 14:03 from Gatwick Airport.

Cancelled: 9P40 14:28 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9T49 16:18 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9P19 09:16 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9T55 17:46 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9T35 12:49 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9R94 17:03 from Gatwick Airport.

Cancelled: 9P29 11:48 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9R21 11:05 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9T19 08:46 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9R80 06:04 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9T86 15:26 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9R44 15:33 from Gatwick Airport.

Cancelled: 9R50 16:57 from Gatwick Airport.

Cancelled: 9P15 08:16 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9R09 08:01 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9P16 08:30 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9R24 10:33 from Gatwick Airport.

Cancelled: 9P31 12:18 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9P32 12:28 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9P33 12:48 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9T35 12:49 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9P38 13:58 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9R72 15:27 from Gatwick Airport.

Cancelled: 2C46 17:51 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C55 17:44 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 2C42 16:51 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C41 14:27 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 2C38 15:51 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C39 13:44 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 2C47 15:44 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 2C64 22:21 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C59 18:50 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 2C63 19:48 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 2C69 21:27 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 2C68 23:24 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C75 22:44 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 2C73 22:27 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 2C64 22:21 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C75 22:44 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 2C69 21:27 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 2C68 23:24 from London Kings Cross.

Cancelled: 2C63 19:48 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 2C59 18:50 from Cambridge North.

Cancelled: 9V23 07:36 from St Albans City.

Cancelled: 9O40 13:19 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9O39 11:51 from St Albans City.

Cancelled: 9J29 11:23 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9J30 10:55 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9V24 09:16 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9J14 07:13 from Gatwick Airport.

Cancelled: 2T09 07:15 from Ely.

Cancelled: 2F72 13:10 from Moorgate.

Cancelled: 2J51 09:28 from Stevenage.

Cancelled: 2T07 06:45 from Ely.

Cancelled: 9P81 07:01 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9J40 13:25 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9T26 11:58 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9J25 10:24 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9T99 10:22 from London Bridge.

Cancelled: 9P22 09:58 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9L92 09:21 from East Grinstead.

Cancelled: 9J13 07:24 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9L87 07:04 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9S09 06:54 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 9R84 07:04 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9J33 12:24 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9O36 12:19 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9Y25 11:16 from London Blackfriars.

Cancelled: 9S24 11:08 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9O35 10:52 from St Albans City.

Cancelled: 9Y18 09:52 from Sevenoaks.

Cancelled: 9T21 09:16 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9Y11 07:46 from London Blackfriars.

Cancelled: 9Y04 06:22 from Sevenoaks.

Cancelled: 9P60 19:28 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9P55 18:16 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9Y49 17:16 from London Blackfriars.

Cancelled: 9Y42 15:52 from Sevenoaks.

Cancelled: 9P26 10:58 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9P13 07:46 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9S21 09:54 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 9V31 09:37 from St Albans City.

Cancelled: 9R13 09:02 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9T91 08:22 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9O14 06:49 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9Y04 06:22 from Sevenoaks.

Cancelled: 9N84 05:52 from Littlehampton.

Cancelled: 9T02 05:52 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9T80 05:26 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 2K22 07:08 from Welwyn Garden City.

Cancelled: 2K70 12:09 from Welwyn Garden City.

Cancelled: 2V53 10:50 from Moorgate.

Cancelled: 2V05 06:17 from Moorgate.

Cancelled: 9P32 12:28 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9J59 18:52 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9O60 18:19 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9J58 17:55 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9P43 15:18 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9P40 14:28 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9J39 13:54 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9P35 13:18 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9J38 12:55 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9P29 11:48 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9R24 10:33 from Gatwick Airport.

Cancelled: 9K56 18:33 from Orpington.

Cancelled: 9K49 17:06 from West Hampstead Thameslink.

Cancelled: 9O59 16:52 from St Albans City.

Cancelled: 9T41 14:19 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9T08 07:18 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9O38 12:49 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9T35 12:49 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9O37 11:22 from St Albans City.

Cancelled: 9V28 10:16 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9T15 07:48 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9R04 05:27 from Three Bridges.

Cancelled: 9O13 05:51 from Kentish Town.

Cancelled: 9Y92 05:52 from Sevenoaks.

Cancelled: 9Y09 07:16 from London Blackfriars.

Cancelled: 9V16 07:16 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9Y16 09:22 from Sevenoaks.

Cancelled: 9O31 09:51 from St Albans City.

Cancelled: 9O32 11:19 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9T28 12:26 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9S00 05:06 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9T05 05:15 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9V15 05:20 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9P01 05:22 from West Hampstead Thameslink.

Cancelled: 9P06 06:00 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9S09 06:54 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 9T10 07:59 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9P18 09:00 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9T21 09:16 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9S24 11:08 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9T59 18:46 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9T68 22:26 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9P68 21:28 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9J67 20:54 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9S61 19:54 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 9K54 18:02 from Orpington.

Cancelled: 9J54 16:55 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9K47 16:36 from West Hampstead Thameslink.

Cancelled: 9P49 16:46 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9S44 16:08 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9R39 15:35 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9R41 16:02 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9P47 16:18 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9P48 16:30 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9J51 16:54 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9T47 15:48 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9R56 18:33 from Gatwick Airport.

Cancelled: 9S56 19:08 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9P59 19:18 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9J66 19:55 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9V27 08:37 from St Albans City.

Cancelled: 9V28 10:16 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9T23 09:48 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9R16 08:04 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9O16 07:19 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9L04 06:45 from East Grinstead.

Cancelled: 9L02 06:13 from East Grinstead.

Cancelled: 9O10 05:49 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9L01 05:37 from London Bridge.

Cancelled: 9O15 05:36 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9Y60 20:22 from Sevenoaks.

Cancelled: 9W16 22:56 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9O81 22:22 from St Albans City.

Cancelled: 9K58 19:03 from Orpington.

Cancelled: 9K51 17:36 from West Hampstead Thameslink.

Cancelled: 9J45 15:24 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9V10 05:46 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9L03 05:43 from West Hampstead Thameslink.

Cancelled: 9V85 23:09 from St Albans City.

Cancelled: 9Y67 21:46 from London Blackfriars.

Cancelled: 9V11 04:20 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9Y71 22:46 from London Blackfriars.

Cancelled: 9O76 22:19 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9S65 20:54 from Cambridge.

Cancelled: 9Y62 20:52 from Sevenoaks.

Cancelled: 9S48 17:08 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9T90 16:26 from Brighton.

Cancelled: 9T37 13:19 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9R26 11:03 from Gatwick Airport.

Cancelled: 9V12 06:16 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9J69 21:24 from Peterborough.

Cancelled: 9V92 22:18 from Sutton Surrey.

Cancelled: 9P64 20:28 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9P70 22:00 from Rainham Kt.

Cancelled: 9P65 20:48 from Luton.

Cancelled: 9L01 05:37 from London Bridge.

Cancelled: 9L04 06:45 from East Grinstead.

Cancelled: 9W07 01:53 from Bedford.

Cancelled: 9J68 20:25 from Horsham.

Cancelled: 9J72 21:25 from Horsham.
Bloody hell that's a lot of cancellations. Round 2 of wrestling to begin this morning during rush hour, with a lot of unhappy and angry customers. That petition has already reached about 1,900 signatures I believe and it's only been live for less than a day....
 

Dren Ahmeti

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Bristol
Bloody hell that's a lot of cancellations. Round 2 of wrestling to begin this morning during rush hour, with a lot of unhappy and angry customers. That petition has already reached about 1,900 signatures I believe and it's only been live for less than a day....
There have been a bunch more added since I stopped looking at them!
It's absolutely insane.
 

Skimble19

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Messages
1,487
Location
London
Hitchin, Arlesey and Sandy were the Stations not called at. I suspect this was a dispatch issue.
Hitchin and Sandy are both staffed by Platform staff 24/7 so no issues with dispatch there. Only place that would be an issue is Arlesey.
 

Failed Unit

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Must admit that the lack of services today gives an interesting dilemma. Nothing from WGC - Kings cross at the time of writing between 0702 and 0752. But will you be able to board the 0752 as it will probably be full of passengers further north. I wish they could publish the cancellations a day before. It is bad but not knowing until you intend to travel is unacceptable. Massive gaps at some stations again. South of potters bar is grim.

I am going to put delay repay claims in against these trains missing from the journey planners. Sorry London travelwatch. You have some appeals heading your way.
 
Last edited:

Mintona

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Is this true that Thameslink are contacting drivers of other TOCs via social media and asking if they fancy joining, no interview required? Anyone else heard anything?
 

Failed Unit

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Is this true that Thameslink are contacting drivers of other TOCs via social media and asking if they fancy joining, no interview required? Anyone else heard anything?
Everything is possible but surely that won’t help as they will need traction/ route knowledge. So that will take time. Although with morale low who would want to work for GTR?
 

Failed Unit

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Is this a problem with just route knowledge or traction knowledge. No idea why the services that were never intended to go to the core are so badly hit. Don’t enough drivers know the 700s yet? Or are they core route learning? Today I must get the 0724 WGC - Moorgate which is full at Hatfield.
 

jayah

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18 Apr 2011
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Most fast trains have been using parts of the fast lines in the most intensely served area, (i.e. Kentish Town to Harpenden) for many years. Bear in mind that the stoppers take 10-14 minutes longer than the fasts so queueing them in between the slows would just reduce the capacity of the line. The crossovers are designed for the highest safe speeds (40/50mph) to minimise conflicts and delays. The class 700s have greater acceleration that anything else on the MML so their headways can be cut almost to the same as the EM through trains, (bear in mind that not much of the track south of St Albans is cleared for more than 100mph running).
As for the class 9 headcodes, the bottom line is that Thameslink carries many more passengers than EM trains and in order to clear the lines they are given priority courtesy of their headcodes. If that didn't happen, they would just queue back from West Hampstead South Junction, Radlett Junctions or Harpenden South Junction, delaying everything. Class 9 codes make regulation easier because they all have to enter the core at Dock Junction.

You need fast trains that stay on the fast lines and slow trains that stay on the slow lines.

An inadequate solution like swerving trains this way and that or stopping on the fast lines at all shacks, soon comes unstuck when capacity becomes constrained and would be even worse if Thameslink tried to run a full service up there.
 

ChiefPlanner

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In any case, on the Midland side, isn’t most of the infrastructure mostly untouched from rationalisation in the 70s/80s? The barely-fit-for-purpose layout at Bedford is one example of this.

Bedford
got the extra platform for the off peak 4 tph MML service , there have been line speed increases roughly Elstree to Luton on the fast lines , Kentish Town is now a lot more functional for reversing trains , Cricklewood depot has been transformed from a derelict husk for storing a few off peak services , platform lengthening , Bedford Jowett depot and sidings ...so all in all a reasonable bit of spend , but potentially more could have been done. Particularly on the main line junctions to get them up to say 60 vice 45 , but that would / be very intrusive. (16 weekend blocks on those who can recall the Bourne End and Ledburn Junction issues on WCML for those who recall the pain they caused!)

Bedford could do with more being done to it , certainly it has been discussed many times , - the never ending delay to the East- West plan does not help drive some action. That and austerity etc !

The interface with the fast trains that cross over on the down to the slow lines at Radlett , works well - and rarely does a fast get clobbered by a terminating service at St Albans. The balance of maximising the fast line paths south of Luton , is , in my opinion well handled. Operationally and planning wise.
 

benk1342

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Messages
367
Location
Welwyn Garden City
Must admit that the lack of services today gives an interesting dilemma. Nothing from WGC - Kings cross at the time of writing between 0702 and 0752. But will you be able to board the 0752 as it will probably be full of passengers further north. I wish they could publish the cancellations a day before. It is bad but not knowing until you intend to travel is unacceptable. Massive gaps at some stations again. South of potters bar is grim.

I am going to put delay repay claims in against these trains missing from the journey planners. Sorry London travelwatch. You have some appeals heading your way.

I caught the 0752. It was busy but I had no trouble boarding and it was less crowded than a 387 would have been.

I haven’t had any trouble so far getting delay repay out of GTR for “deleted” trains. In fact all my claims have been approved very quickly; I expect they are erring on the side of approval at the moment.
 

AM9

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St Albans
You need fast trains that stay on the fast lines and slow trains that stay on the slow lines.

An inadequate solution like swerving trains this way and that or stopping on the fast lines at all shacks, soon comes unstuck when capacity becomes constrained and would be even worse if Thameslink tried to run a full service up there.
The thameslink fast services are 'fast trains' so they go on the fast lines so your statement:
"swerving trains this way and that or stopping on the fast lines at all shacks"is actually wrong. I assume that your experience on TL services is limited as your "all shacks" actually boils down to:
West Hampstead Thameslink - a major interchange station
St Albans City - the busiest TL station on the MML and the second busiest station outside the zones and within 30 miles of London
Harpenden - a major commuter railhead​
In fact all three of those stations have as large passenger numbers as Bedford, and much larger than Wellingborough and Kettering, so hardly 'shacks'. All of the other stations between Kentish Town and Luton have fenced-off platforms on the fast lines so no trains can stop there.
The MML operation is nothing unusual, - on most main routes away from a city there is a hierachy of train service patterns where all but the slowest all-station stoppers skip all/most of the stations on the first part of their journeys and then often turn into providers of local services. Consider:
The WCML to MK. LNW trains use the fasts and slows swapping at Ledburn & Hanslope
The GWML as far as Didcot (until TFL takes almost exclusive use of the reliefs)
The SWML (which is a SFFS configuration) has many swaps as far out as Basingstoke
The GEML has had swaps at Stratford, Ilford and Gidea Park/Harold Wood (until recently when TfL took over the Electric lines)​
There are a few exceptions on some inter-city services like the WCML and ECML where cities at both ends of the journeys are large enough to have their own local hierachy of slows/semi-fasts etc..
See the Chief Planner's post above. He/(she?) has more knowledge than me of the intricacies of F-S line inter-ops. My comments are based on over 25 years of travel on Thameslink mainly off-peak but sometimes in the thick of it.
Of course anything can go wrong sometimes but the MML setup works pretty well most of the time for all. The alternative is to have a dedicated fast line to the outer reaches of the MML. It is rarely viable, let alone affordable for such an expensive project. Amazingly, there is to be an exclusive line for fast trains to the East Midlands but it will take a few years to build, - oh by the way, it's called HS2 phase 2! :)
 

Thebaz

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Purley
There's a lot of defensive talk in this thread saying that people shouldn't expect something so new to work straight out of the box. Well, why not? It should work straight out of the box if it's been designed properly. But it hasn't, has it. GTR has had a very long time to plan this and now we hear that they 1) don't have enough drivers and 2) of the ones they do have, many are not yet route-trained. This is a total and complete fundamental failure to ensure the basics that would underpin the programme. And the blame lies squarely at the door of GTR, it has nothing to do with unions or rostering (disclaimer: I neither work on the railways, for the unions or any other bureau which may be associated with this mismanagement). It beggars belief that simple commuters such as myself could see exactly what was going to happen from miles off and yet GTR just goes wading in expecting everything to be alright, defying all logic - either that or they must believe some in kind of magic. To invoke the old English idiom; fail to prepare - prepare to fail. I would suggest that this so-called "box" should have remained tightly sealed until such time as recruitment and training was at a sensible level.
 

Julia

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19 Jun 2011
Messages
293
Up Peterboroughs have been working OK this morning, but one of my team travels RYS-CMB and found the first train running was after 9am (actually one did run, but skipped everything north of Letchworth - a bit of a pyrrhic victory as it only saved 8 minutes). People on the local radio claiming to have been disciplined and in one case fired over the inability to get to work. I've had to change my own work plans. This isn't just "inconvenience" as the automated voice says, disruption on this scale is potentially life-changing.
 

ChiefPlanner

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The thameslink fast services are 'fast trains' so they go on the fast lines so your statement:
"swerving trains this way and that or stopping on the fast lines at all shacks"is actually wrong. I assume that your experience on TL services is limited as your "all shacks" actually boils down to:
West Hampstead Thameslink - a major interchange station
St Albans City - the busiest TL station on the MML and the second busiest station outside the zones and within 30 miles of London
Harpenden - a major commuter railhead​
In fact all three of those stations have as large passenger numbers as Bedford, and much larger than Wellingborough and Kettering, so hardly 'shacks'. All of the other stations between Kentish Town and Luton have fenced-off platforms on the fast lines so no trains can stop there.
The MML operation is nothing unusual, - on most main routes away from a city there is a hierachy of train service patterns where all but the slowest all-station stoppers skip all/most of the stations on the first part of their journeys and then often turn into providers of local services. Consider:
The WCML to MK. LNW trains use the fasts and slows swapping at Ledburn & Hanslope
The GWML as far as Didcot (until TFL takes almost exclusive use of the reliefs)
The SWML (which is a SFFS configuration) has many swaps as far out as Basingstoke
The GEML has had swaps at Stratford, Ilford and Gidea Park/Harold Wood (until recently when TfL took over the Electric lines)​
There are a few exceptions on some inter-city services like the WCML and ECML where cities at both ends of the journeys are large enough to have their own local hierachy of slows/semi-fasts etc..
See the Chief Planner's post above. He/(she?) has more knowledge than me of the intricacies of F-S line inter-ops. My comments are based on over 25 years of travel on Thameslink mainly off-peak but sometimes in the thick of it.
Of course anything can go wrong sometimes but the MML setup works pretty well most of the time for all. The alternative is to have a dedicated fast line to the outer reaches of the MML. It is rarely viable, let alone affordable for such an expensive project. Amazingly, there is to be an exclusive line for fast trains to the East Midlands but it will take a few years to build, - oh by the way, it's called HS2 phase 2! :)


Quite well put - and credit for giving credible route examples elsewhere.

The pattern of MML Thameslink service has been laid down by several "generations" of train planners , who have realistically worked the route infrastructure practically (signal headways are shorter south of St Albans for example) , along with a practical and balanced view of "what the market needs" - e.g south of SAC , sensible to go all stations on the Wimbledon loop on the slow lines - off peak you can add (valuable) West Hampstead calls on the Bedford "fasts" ..and so on. Aligned to good junction margins etc.

Obviously - any one who suggested (and trust me , some have) , that the fasts should be totally given over to the very fast trains , would be getting it very wrong - (dumbing down the service to that which has largely happened on the Met Line !) ,

Maybe one option , which would really be attractive, would be for a long term fast Luton / LAP/ Harpenden / St Albans peak fast ..very attractive to sell , and partly there in the present (vice EMT calls) scenario from Bedford. . say 2 TPH. The 700's would walk it.

Yes - Chief Planner is a male - (occasionally called Guvnor to this day) :D
 

NorthKent1989

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Still warning signs next to the Rainham service on NR’s website, my partner said it was extremely slow this morning and once again crossing over at the NKE rather slowly.
 

AM9

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Quite well put - and credit for giving credible route examples elsewhere.

The pattern of MML Thameslink service has been laid down by several "generations" of train planners , who have realistically worked the route infrastructure practically (signal headways are shorter south of St Albans for example) , along with a practical and balanced view of "what the market needs" - e.g south of SAC , sensible to go all stations on the Wimbledon loop on the slow lines - off peak you can add (valuable) West Hampstead calls on the Bedford "fasts" ..and so on. Aligned to good junction margins etc.
I don't know all the speed breaks on the fasts, but I don't think that down TL fasts using the Carlton Road Junction crossover delay down EM trains much, especially as most of the EM trains haven't really got much speed up by there (especially the HSTs), and even if they do have to ease off a bit, starting at about 50mph, the 700s will power through the tunnels leaving them behind to at least Elstree. Similarly the WH South junction seems to be taken at 50 all the time now meaning that the up EM trains barely have to ease off any earlier than they would anyway for the Kentish Town approaches. The subject of flying junctions was discussed in a thread a few weeks ago and it seems that the Radlett and Harpenden crossovers woud be the first candidates but if the ramp up from STP could split and have an arm surfacing between the fasts it would make a real difference. clearly that would be in the very difficult/expensive box though.

Obviously - any one who suggested (and trust me , some have) , that the fasts should be totally given over to the very fast trains , would be getting it very wrong - (dumbing down the service to that which has largely happened on the Met Line !) ,
Maybe this is the hidden agenda of some here who want TfL to take over anything less than 20 miles from central London. Just look at the GE and GW problems that might be arising. I remember the Southends flipping at Gidea Park to serve Harold Wood and Brentwood and there weren't that many issues from a passenger PoV. So many posters here see the provision of rail services through their own personal wishes, completely missing the point of a 'public' transport system.

Maybe one option , which would really be attractive, would be for a long term fast Luton / LAP/ Harpenden / St Albans peak fast ..very attractive to sell , and partly there in the present (vice EMT calls) scenario from Bedford. . say 2 TPH. The 700's would walk it.

That looks interesting. It could at times even be served by whatever does the Corby branch.

Yes - Chief Planner is a male - (occasionally called Guvnor to this day) :D

One has to be careful these days even in a predominately blokey environment like RUK.
 

KC1

Member
Joined
20 Jul 2009
Messages
100
This has come up a few times in this thread so I'd like to attempt, if I may, to put the matter to bed.

It is not necessarily about giving those direct 'journey opportunities' through the core to places the other side of London.

London termini are filling up, and London cannot cope with their expansion as demand increases - although it's in a lull at the moment, it's likely it will continue to increase. There is simply not the capacity to continue ramping up services to them. See: how TL/GN cannot plan to use King's Cross for trains diverted from the core.

Increasing the size of London termini is not a futureproof solution. The problem will only inevitably roll around again - and it will - and by that time, it will be even more difficult to add terminating capacity in the city centre.

Where there is space, however, is at the ends of the route. So by terminating trains there, and not in central London (and perhaps some time in the future expanding those termini?) we've reached a futureproof solution to these capacity issues.

It's a much more efficient use of space to run trains through London than to terminate them there.

Yes, the core has its reliability issues. Yes, maybe it shouldn't be two-track throughout. But, existing London termini are not without these issues.

Just imagine it doesn't say 'Luton' on the front, and says 'London Blackfriars' instead. That's for people travelling from London northwards to worry about, and a few select people making the thorugh journey on the train.

Finally!!!!!

Someone actually talking sense.
 

NorthKent1989

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Any excuse just to unfairly bash Thameslink particularly the Medway lot who fail to see the long term benefits to having Thameslink in their area, its a better version of Crossrail that actually serves you, unlike your beloved Crossrail which only goes to Abbey Wood for the foreseeable future.

Just stop being selfish for a moment and see the benefits this brings to Inner SE London, they can now get to North London on one train, and I'm sorry but Medway has to make that sacrifice, ice said it before and ill say it again dig deeper in your pockets for HS1 if you want a fast service.
 
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