Thameslink Services/Timetable from May 20th 2018

[choochoochoo]

Given that the Welwyn building could clearly be seen to be a building site as recently as a week or two ago, it looks like another rush job!

To be fair, one could run a train crew depot with a timetable, a set of duty sheets, some telephone lines, a log book, and a portacabin full of lockers, but - again - how many years have they had to prepare for all this?!

At least WGC got posh cladding. The Hornsey depot is portakabin central.

 

[bramling]

At least WGC got posh cladding. The Hornsey depot is portakabin central.

I bet Welwyn only got the cladding because it has housing overlooking it!

I suppose the new thing is going to be drivers galore passing to and from Welwyn now, as presumably the lack of a previous depot there means few drivers will actually live in Welwyn?!

 

[jon0844]

Drivers at least stand a chance of according a home in WGC or surrounds! With the new development given the go ahead in the other side of the station, there will soon be over 1000 new flats (and a lot of people adding to the commuter numbers every day) so maybe they'll move?

 

[bramling]

Drivers at least stand a chance of according a home in WGC or surrounds! With the new development given the go ahead in the other side of the station, there will soon be over 1000 new flats (and a lot of people adding to the commuter numbers every day) so maybe they'll move?

Fair point. Hitchin is rapidly reaching the point where there’s not much under seven figures, and Letchworth isn’t too far behind. Having said that, plenty of railway staff in Hitchin.

 

[Aictos]

Whereabouts did they locate these depots then at these locations?

 

[bramling]

Whereabouts did they locate these depots then at these locations?

Welwyn is adjacent to the shunter's cabin in the carriage sidings (down side north of the station). Hornsey is inside the depot, near the wheel lathe.

 

[Bald Rick]

Fair point. Hitchin is rapidly reaching the point where there’s not much under seven figures, and Letchworth isn’t too far behind. Having said that, plenty of railway staff in Hitchin.

Now come on, that’s not really true.

If you search Rightmove for properties for sale in Hitchin, you will find the following

Under £1m : 225 properties
Over £1m : 4 properties.

And of those under £1m more than half (115) are £350k or less. Now that’s still a lot of money, but should be within reach of a GTR driver with a deposit.

 

[ungreat]

I wait with baited breath for tomorrow.....I'm a GTR driver....

 

[bramling]

Now come on, that’s not really true.

If you search Rightmove for properties for sale in Hitchin, you will find the following

Under £1m : 225 properties
Over £1m : 4 properties.

And of those under £1m more than half (115) are £350k or less. Now that’s still a lot of money, but should be within reach of a GTR driver with a deposit.

Okay I was exaggerating a bit. However when one looks in the estate agent window one's eye tends to be drawn to small one-up-one-down type properties going for figures like £800k!

(I remember when my neighbour's property sold for something like £170k in the mid-1990s, and is now not far short of ten times that value, which is ridiculous).

 

[choochoochoo]

I wait with baited breath for tomorrow.....I'm a GTR driver....

Anybody know how day 1 has gone so far ?

I mean apart from the broken down train at Stevenage meaning no Hertford loop beyond Hertford north.

 

[choochoochoo]

I bet Welwyn only got the cladding because it has housing overlooking it!

I suppose the new thing is going to be drivers galore passing to and from Welwyn now, as presumably the lack of a previous depot there means few drivers will actually live in Welwyn?!

But Hornsey will have lovely expensive flats looking over it soon too...

 

[jon0844]

Anybody know how day 1 has gone so far ?

I mean apart from the broken down train at Stevenage meaning no Hertford loop beyond Hertford north.

While the timetables usually start on a Sunday, this time it's Monday (given no weekend trains are changing).

 

[jon0844]

I wait with baited breath for tomorrow.....I'm a GTR driver....

Have they given you your diagram yet?

 

[Failed Unit]

Anybody know how day 1 has gone so far ?

I mean apart from the broken down train at Stevenage meaning no Hertford loop beyond Hertford north.

Same as normal- remember GTR try not to run services at weekends.

But lots of cancellations and delays.

 

[Bald Rick]

But lots of cancellations and delays.

Really? That’s not supported by train running details on RTT.

 

[Failed Unit]

Really? That’s not supported by train running details on RTT.

I went to catch the 1353 WGC - London Kings Cross. Cancelled.

So to me a typical Sunday.

 

[DaveN]

On the "traditional" Thameslink side, not a standard Sunday as the core is shut. Presumably so Thameslink can blame Network Rail for any cancellations tomorrow with stock being in the wrong place

 

[ChiefPlanner]

On the "traditional" Thameslink side, not a standard Sunday as the core is shut. Presumably so Thameslink can blame Network Rail for any cancellations tomorrow with stock being in the wrong place

From my observations from the SAC box today, the restricted SPX services were loading well , especially the 2 tph Bedfords , which had some standing on board.

By the way - the new semi- permanant train crew depot (with faux brick cladding) , on the down side car park at SAC does not seem to be in use yet. Not a bad building , but then this is a conservation area.

 

[sprunt]

I wasn't affected myself, but saw a new GTR trick on Twitter yesterday - Moorgate services diverted into Kings Cross due to a lack of station staff on the NCL. Disgraceful.

 

[greatkingrat]

How is that a "trick"? Kings Cross has always been used as an alternative terminus if the Moorgate branch is unavailable for whatever reason, this is nothing new. Most of the stations are LU run anyway, so it might not have been GTR's fault anyway.

 

[sprunt]

The "trick" is not bothering to employ that particular category of people to provide the service they're contracted to provide. Some of the stations are TfL run, yes, but there are GN staff in all of them so it absolutely was GTR's fault. The platform staff on the GN platforms at Moorgate, Old Street and H&I are GTR staff, not TfL staff.

 

[ungreat]

Have they given you your diagram yet?

They have.....

 

[jon0844]

The "trick" is not bothering to employ that particular category of people to provide the service they're contracted to provide. Some of the stations are TfL run, yes, but there are GN staff in all of them so it absolutely was GTR's fault. The platform staff on the GN platforms at Moorgate, Old Street and H&I are GTR staff, not TfL staff.

I assume a member of staff didn't turn up then, as there's surely no way they'd not roster someone.

 

[ungreat]

I assume a member of staff didn't turn up then, as there's surely no way they'd not roster someone.

You think......!!!
If station staff rosters are anything like ours it will be common.

 

[jon0844]

You think......!!!
If station staff rosters are anything like ours it will be common.

My point is it wouldn't be a mistake but rather someone not turning up. Not that it makes any difference to passengers.

 

[Aictos]

The "trick" is not bothering to employ that particular category of people to provide the service they're contracted to provide. Some of the stations are TfL run, yes, but there are GN staff in all of them so it absolutely was GTR's fault. The platform staff on the GN platforms at Moorgate, Old Street and H&I are GTR staff, not TfL staff.

So in that case whenever LUL closes these stations above, how come GTR is affected and cannot run a service by that I mean being unable to call at these stations...

By your explanation, even if LUL had a strike on the Victoria line then GTR should still be running trains into Moorgate regardless?

So no it's not a "trick" diverting NCL services into Kings Cross as that has been done since the 1970s under BR, Network South East, WAGN, First Capital Connect and now GTR as Moorgate is a alternative terminus for Inner Suburban services and I can't see how this is such a big deal as apart from Essex Road and Drayton Road, the other three stations all have LUL services direct from Kings Cross that can be used.

As to lack of staff, there could be any reason for lack of staff being available at the time and not just because GTR doesn't hire enough staff.

 

[Failed Unit]

So in that case whenever LUL closes these stations above, how come GTR is affected and cannot run a service by that I mean being unable to call at these stations...

By your explanation, even if LUL had a strike on the Victoria line then GTR should still be running trains into Moorgate regardless?

So no it's not a "trick" diverting NCL services into Kings Cross as that has been done since the 1970s under BR, Network South East, WAGN, First Capital Connect and now GTR as Moorgate is a alternative terminus for Inner Suburban services and I can't see how this is such a big deal as apart from Essex Road and Drayton Road, the other three stations all have LUL services direct from Kings Cross that can be used.

As to lack of staff, there could be any reason for lack of staff being available at the time and not just because GTR doesn't hire enough staff.

If Highbury and Islington is closed. They still run to Moorgate and don’t stop at the closed station

 

[Aictos]

If Highbury and Islington is closed. They still run to Moorgate and don’t stop at the closed station

You miss the point though I only used Highbury & Islington as a example but you forget that when there are LUL strikes they usually affect more then just one station hence why I took the time to debate the other poster by saying by their explanation that a full GTR service would run regardless isn't accurate because in the past when there has been industrial action taken by LUL members, no NCL service has operated with them being diverted to Kings Cross as such industrial action affects more then one LUL line.

 

[sprunt]

So no it's not a "trick" diverting NCL services into Kings Cross as that has been done since the 1970s under BR, Network South East, WAGN, First Capital Connect and now GTR as Moorgate is a alternative terminus for Inner Suburban services and I can't see how this is such a big deal as apart from Essex Road and Drayton Road, the other three stations all have LUL services direct from Kings Cross that can be used.

As to lack of staff, there could be any reason for lack of staff being available at the time and not just because GTR doesn't hire enough staff.

Do you want to read what you're replying to? Where did I suggest that diverting trains to Kings Cross hasn't been done before? I've been on plenty of their trains that have been Moorgate services when I boarded them, and Kings Cross services when I got off them. It's only the excuse that's a new one on me.

And yes, if there are no staff available, then they haven't hired sufficient staff by definition. But of course you can't see that it's a big deal - it's just GTR failing to provide the service that they've contracted to provide. Again. And sod the people who live near Essex Road or Drayton Road[sic].

 

[sprunt]

I assume a member of staff didn't turn up then, as there's surely no way they'd not roster someone.

I can see that causing a station to be closed (or if it were one of the TfL stations, GN services not stopping there), but the whole NCL?