Thameslink Services/Timetable from May 20th 2018

[David Sinnett]

Not so good on the MML side this morning with over running engineering work. Two consecutive trains from Bedford cancelled and the 3rd 15 mins late yet an 8 coach left empty to St.Albans!

 

[philjo]

Particularly bad on the Cambridge branch this morning. The 0559 and 0628 Stoppers from Cambridge both cancelled.
The 0540 from Kings Lynn seemed to be delayed at Cambridge by around 40 minutes.
The 0712 from Baldock did not appear to run.

So at Letchworth after the 0648 the next service to call was the 0734 running slightly late which was already rammed due to the lack of other services so most people could not board it. The platform was very crowded. I think the 0704 then did call about 0750.
Fortunately I was going to Cambridge today so I had am empty 12 coach train though that also ran late again.

 

[BelleIsle]

Asked many times in the consultation. Welwyn North in particular considering it is on the 2 track section of the ECML so hammers the scarce capacity.

I asked David Evans once whilst off guard. I was unsure whether he was serious or having a joke.

 

[BelleIsle]

I am not sure how official it is. Just that it's being allowed now, and presumably only temporarily. Maybe tbe


Yes, a trolley on a 700 at times of high leisure usage would likely do a great trade. Such that GTR could probably charge someone to have access.

In the summer of '88 NSE really went for it. A few Gatwicks were extended to Brighton on Saturday mornings with corresponding returns in the evening. These were not all stations either with most of the smaller stops south of Three Bridges cut to make a nice saving in journey time. Not only was there a trolley but there were children's entertainers, people giving out colouring books etc.

Get Chris Green back now!

 

[Downthelane]

I’m on the 08:02 WGC-KGX right now...

Useful if you wanted that train but not if you wanted the 7.25 or 7.37 from HAT!

 

[sefton]

Rather odd the 1633 LNER to Leeds is making an extra stop at St Neots tonight -
"Service update: - 16:33 London Kings Cross to Leeds due 19:05 will call additionally at St Neots.
This is due to the train making extra stops because a train was cancelled."

I wonder who it is with influence wants to travel north and has been affected by GNRs usual afternoon cancellations.

 

[Aictos]

Rather odd the 1633 LNER to Leeds is making an extra stop at St Neots tonight -
"Service update: - 16:33 London Kings Cross to Leeds due 19:05 will call additionally at St Neots.
This is due to the train making extra stops because a train was cancelled."

I wonder who it is with influence wants to travel north and has been affected by GNRs usual afternoon cancellations.

Well you do get a number of GTR directors and senior managers using St Neots so take your pick...

 

[sefton]

Well you do get a number of GTR directors and senior managers using St Neots so take your pick...

I know, and they hate it when they realsise one of their SLF has recognised them.

 

[Aictos]

I know, and they hate it when they realsise one of their SLF has recognised them.

SLF?

As to LNER stopping there, usually the only time that they do is in times of disruption and Peterborough PSB decide to hold them there going north or south, the same applies to Hull Trains and Grand Central.

In fact that's the first time I've heard of LNER stopping there with a stop order as usually it's more Huntingdon.

 

[Skimble19]

Rather odd the 1633 LNER to Leeds is making an extra stop at St Neots tonight -
"Service update: - 16:33 London Kings Cross to Leeds due 19:05 will call additionally at St Neots.
This is due to the train making extra stops because a train was cancelled."

I wonder who it is with influence wants to travel north and has been affected by GNRs usual afternoon cancellations.

As of today there are a number of LNER services stopping additionally at GTR stations, mainly extras for Stevenage though.

 

[MML]

Not only was there a trolley but there were children's entertainers, people giving out colouring books etc.

We still have clowns today, it's just they've taken over the senior management positions.
Worth every penny.

 

[greyman42]

As of today there are a number of LNER services stopping additionally at GTR stations, mainly extras for Stevenage though.

How long is this likely to last for?

 

[ChiefPlanner]

A friend reporting a 60 min gap at Blackfriars northbound for Bedford .This is serious. (as if we did not know that of course)

 

[SPADTrap]

SLF?

Self loading freight?

 

[Downthelane]

Hour gap KGX to HAT and WGC in the evening peak in 2018?

Thankfully we have a stable government to ride out this storm....

 

[OwenB]

Hour gap KGX to HAT and WGC in the evening peak in 2018?

Thankfully we have a stable government to ride out this storm....

I'm on the 18.21 and it's absolutely rammed. This service is somehow getting worse. No idea how it's possible.

 

[theageofthetra]

Hour gap KGX to HAT and WGC in the evening peak in 2018?

Thankfully we have a stable government to ride out this storm....

Has anyone at the DFT resigned yet?

 

[87015]

Has anyone at the DFT resigned yet?

deleted

 

[AM9]

Yawn. It’s GTR that (should have) train drivers, produce crew diagrams, roster these and manage the operation... GTR that chose they could “get by” with control arrangements since the TT, etc etc...

It's the DfT that manages the major projects, controls their budget, controls Network Rail and hands out the management contracts to profit seeking commercial companies. The public has no control over the TOCs but it does vote for the political party that appoints the SoS that is responsible for the DfT.

 

[87015]

It's the DfT that manages the major projects, controls their budget, controls Network Rail and hands out the management contracts to profit seeking commercial companies. The public has no control over the TOCs but it does vote for the political party that appoints the SoS that is responsible for the DfT.

deleted

 

[ComUtoR]

The project isn’t what’s caused these issues though is it. No-one at DfT is going to have a fraction of the effect on the driver diagram versus roster issues - and that’s the core issue - compared to those at GTR.

But.. Late availability of rolling stock, restrictions on the canal tunnels, late availability of route learning pathways were out of GTRs control. I DO however, feel that poor management decisions by GTR could have and certainly should have overcome those issues. Driver side, GTR really ****ed it.

 

[bramling]

The project isn’t what’s caused these issues though is it. No-one at DfT is going to have a fraction of the effect on the driver diagram versus roster issues - and that’s the core issue - compared to those at GTR.

And who selected GTR and clearly failed to monitor what was going on? Answer - DFT.

If there was no Thameslink Programme there would be no TSGN franchise, so whichever way one looks as it all roads lead back to DFT.

The whole thing is a pathetic display of incompetence from start to finish, from specification to implementation.

How many years did they all have to plan for this?

One can make excuses about late delivery of this or non availability of that, but things should have happened when these issues arose. Instead it seems to have been an arrogant “it will work” attitude, as typified by a certain poster who used to frequent this forum.

 

[Verulamius]

Has anyone at the DFT resigned yet?

Chris Green has resigned. He was Grayling's PPS.

It is due to Brexit not GTR though!

 

[MML]

A friend reporting a 60 min gap at Blackfriars northbound for Bedford .This is serious. (as if we did not know that of course)

Overrunning engineering work this morning on MML created multiple cancellations due non-availability of rolling stock, most frustrating those services that do operate to Brighton, Gatwick and Bedford turn up as 700/0 - 8 car units. Bad enough that 50% of these services are cancelled at short notice, but on the main trunk route where 700/1 can be used, they still don't turn up ! Result = significant overcrowding of an already busy service.

And this evening, signalling and points failure south of Redhill, and a broken down train between St Pancras and Blackfriars led to service meltdown, with 50% of trains seemingly delayed and then cancelled. Only for an 8-car unit to run the service that does operate.

This is just what happens when you put all your eggs in one basket. There is little or no resilience when things go wrong.
From what I have seen today, the new timetable launch next week is likely to be as successful as the one in May.
Lots of doubling up of drivers still going on with lots of empty units still parked in sidings.

 

[Failed Unit]

Yet again WGC and HAT have no KGX services. In 25 years of commuting this is unknown.

Apart from this time last week where they didn’t manage anything at all (including to Moorgate) But I know what you mean.

 

[The Box Photter]

0729 FLT to somewhere south of the river this morning made additional calls at West Hampstead and Kentish Town. Why? The train was rammed once it left St Albans so hardly anyone could get on and frankly there are alternative routes into Central London from both these stations (Jubilee & Northern Lines). All it did was make the train later through the core and pissed off the rest of us on the train who were subsequently late for work. And it wasn't to allow passengers from St Albans who wanted these two stations to get where they wanted to go because the stops weren't announced until after we left St Albans.

Tonight a northbound train was run fast St Pancras to Bedford, cutting out all intermediate stops, meaning most of the passengers on the train had to decamp at St Pancras onto an already crowded platform. Th reason given for skipping all but one stop was that it was running 50 minutes late and had to get to Bedford to form the return working. Bear in mind that this was after 1900 hours so it wouldn't have been forming a southbound servive from Bedford until around 2030. So a train full of already annoyed commuters who were trying to get home were inconvenienced so that GTR could get a unit to Bedford to pick up perhaps 40 passengers, who by that time would have been able to use EMT anyway. Even running the train non-stop to Befdford would at best have gained 10-15 minutes back, so It would still have been 30-40 minutes late arriving at Bedford.

Who makes these amended stop order decisions and when are they due their next mental examination/dose of anti-psychotic drugs? The decisions taken by GTR management in these circumstances make no sense and whoever takes on the poisoned chalice after GTR should be told in words of one syllable that ALL trains are to run to their booked calling pattern, regardless of delays. Dumping a mass of passengers at St Pancras onto an already crowded platform is a recipe for disaster.

 

[HH]

Chris Green has resigned. He was Grayling's PPS.

It is due to Brexit not GTR though!

What we need is GTRexit.

 

[Downthelane]

Apart from this time last week where they didn’t manage anything at all (including to Moorgate) But I know what you mean.

What is enlightening is that it's quicker to get a fast train from STP to St Albans and then 724 bus to HAT than taking the 'fasts' KGX to HAT. Until the 313's are gone or unless the 51 and 21 are re-routed back to the FL I can see this remaining to be the case.

 

[MCSHF007]

15th July is 8 weeks after what should have been the timetable implementation date. Has 'emergency rostering' (i.e. drivers booking on and off as per the previously agreed roster) been in operation in the intervening period? Someone must know.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Are any trains coming through the new link from Finsbury Park to the South and VV. I hope to be travelling to Ely and Cambridge later this year and was wondering if I could get a through train from perhaps London Bridge or Blackfriars?