TPE 1552 York to Manchester Airport...Saturday, 12/10/2019

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We had tickets and seat reservations booked on this service in the First Class section (coach C). We arrived at the station with plenty of time and looking at the large departures board on York station concourse, the stated departure platform on the board was flashing and was now showing bay platform 1.

The 3 coach Class 185 was already situated in bay platform 1 and all seemed well. A quarter of an hour prior to departure, a member of staff was seen moving around the train, ensuring the seat reservation cards were placed in the slots of the seats in question and with five minutes to go, the unit engines were started and the train internal lights came on. However 1552 came and went and no doors were opened on the unit and it was about 11/12 minutes after the supposed departure time that the doors were opened. When the unit set off, an announcement stated that the delay was due to "safety checks".

If that be the case, why was an announcement made on the final section coming into Manchester Airport railway station that the delay was due to "signalling problems". Can anyone shed any light on this, as at York, trains seemed all to depart on time from platform 3 at York that platform 1 has faces upon on time? It seems strange the have two announcements on the same train giving two completely differing explanations for the delay.

 

[Spartacus]

Well the reason it was starting from York platform 1 rather than Middlesbrough is there was no driver for the northbound service, possibly a sickness issue, so not directly anything to do with either of the reasons given, though I could see how it could be presented as being as it was announced, late start being due to prepping the unit, which could come under the broad definition of safety checks, while the driver who eventually worked the train may have come in off a service which was delayed due to a track circuit failure at Batley, which would be the signalling problems bit.

Still doesn't explain the TPE guard blaming the signaller for my train which was delayed due to units late off depot due drivers stepping up...... There's always been those out there more than happy to pass the blame elsewhere when their company's at fault, Reggie Perrin's daily commuting tales wouldn't have been half as interesting otherwise

On a broader note though it's quite possible to set off with one delay which is added to by a second cause until that second cause is the largest overall cause of delay. Either that or ongoing investigations may result in attribution of said delay, or specific reason for it, changing while the train's en-route, though as far as I can tell neither's happened here.

 

[LittleAH]

There were signalling issues between Dewsbury and Leeds again yesterday. Rather than someone passing the blame, it is more than likely that said issues delayed train crew who then signed 1P80.