TPE Emergency Timetable from Jan 10 2022

[CAF397]

TPE from January 10th.

Amended Timetable | Travel Updates | TransPennine Express

www.tpexpress.co.uk

 

[YorksLad12]

Am I right in saying that the North TPE route is basically what it is now then (but without the occasional peak services)? I don't know enough about the other routes to see how they've changed.

 

[SuperNova]

Am I right in saying that the North TPE route is basically what it is now then (but without the occasional peak services)? I don't know enough about the other routes to see how they've changed.

No - it's effectively moved back to the timetable before December. Scarborough's were by and large going through to Man Vic from Dec 21. These are curtailed at York again.

South route effectively reverts back to how it was before the uplift in Spring, similar with the Scottish services on the WCML.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Not another one

Some hours there'll be neither TPE nor EMR on Manchester to Sheffield. Unacceptable when we're not in any sort of lockdown.

 

[Failed Unit]

Not another one

Some hours there'll be neither TPE nor EMR on Manchester to Sheffield. Unacceptable when we're not in any sort of lockdown.

Are EMR not back to hourly (according to the timetable)

edit - never believe a press release I see the 0852 Liverpool - Norwich still starts at Nottingham

 

[Jamesrob637]

The railway ombudsman needs to step in to prevent this severity of cuts.

 

[55002]

The railway ombudsman needs to step in to prevent this severity of cuts.

Isn’t this all down to the Treasury?

 

[mike57]

For North Transpennine customers main change seems to be the Scarborough service becoming a York shuttle again. To be honest as a user of this route the improvement in reliability is worth the change in York if you are travelling further west, and of course probably 2/3rds get off/change at York anyway. So not a big impact, and may even befefit some.

 

[DoubleO]

The railway ombudsman needs to step in to prevent this severity of cuts.

Apparently these cuts are being driven by the DfT.....

 

[Jamesrob637]

For North Transpennine customers main change seems to be the Scarborough service becoming a York shuttle again. To be honest as a user of this route the improvement in reliability is worth the change in York if you are travelling further west, and of course probably 2/3rds get off/change at York anyway. So not a big impact, and may even befefit some.

That seems to work and, like you say, York has its catchment anyway.

 

[VauxhallNova]

Link to BBC article https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-59899485?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

"The firm's managing director Matthew Golton said the timetable changes would affect all routes and was due to "the ongoing impact of Covid and the Omicron variant, as well as some industrial relations issues. While we are disappointed to be making these changes and reducing services, our priority is keeping people moving," he said.
He added: "We will continue to regularly review these changes in line with the current situation."

 

[Fokx]

Apparently these cuts are being driven by the DfT.....

That isn’t accurate in this case at all, it’s pure and simple due to having too many services with too few staff.

Last week there was 63 single cancellations or alterations in a day pre-planned due to sickness (which is currently more than 3 times the usual winter level) and the driver RDW ban. A situation that would only become increasingly worse with the guards ballot.

The service cuts are simply to provide passengers with a greater reliability of train services, instead of leaving passengers with 5 hour gaps which has been seen regularly on both the Hull and South route, and paying out endless amounts of cash in delay repay, network rail fines, ticket acceptance and bus (taxi) replacement

 

[SuperNova]

Some hours there'll be neither TPE nor EMR on Manchester to Sheffield. Unacceptable when we're not in any sort of lockdown.

Not sure what can be done. Apparently staff sickness is 17% at TPE, similar to plenty of other industries too - out of all my closest friends, me included, 7 out of 9 of us have had covid in the last 4 weeks. If an emergency timetable wasn't being run then there would be significant levels of cancellations, as there are daily currently. Only time there can be the co-ordination wanted is if one operator ran that route - which is another story in itself. Simply, you can't run trains if the staff aren't there.

Apparently these cuts are being driven by the DfT.....

No, they're not. Staff sickness is. Although it probably doesn't make economic sense carting around fresh air either.

 

[YorksLad12]

No - it's effectively moved back to the timetable before December. Scarborough's were by and large going through to Man Vic from Dec 21. These are curtailed at York again.

South route effectively reverts back to how it was before the uplift in Spring, similar with the Scottish services on the WCML.

Ah... I'd missed the December changes, which is why I thought there was no change. Ta.

 

[lammergeier]

Whilst staff sickness might be the immediate cause, the unwillingness of the DfT/treasury to sanction new RDW deals will be having an inevitable impact. Drivers are usually happy to work overtime to help ensure a decent service yet we are unable to and this is the result.

 

[Watershed]

Whilst staff sickness might be the immediate cause, the unwillingness of the DfT/treasury to sanction new RDW deals will be having an inevitable impact. Drivers are usually happy to work overtime to help ensure a decent service yet we are unable to and this is the result.

Nobody is being very forthcoming as to the full story on this one, nor the reductions on other TOCs. I fear it's going to be a winter of discontent on the railway...

 

[xtpe]

Nobody is being very forthcoming as to the full story on this one, nor the reductions on other TOCs. I fear it's going to be a winter of discontent on the railway...

Im guessing the DFT have told the companies to trim the timetables down as they want to save money and also know that if they try to push reforms through, once of the first things to get pulled is rest day working. Pay talks will be due to start soon at most TOCS and i'm guessing the DFT will want another pay freeze.

 

[Solent&Wessex]

Call me a cynic, but I will predict the following. I will use TPE as an example but I am sure it will be applied to other, if not all, operators too.



a) Temporary timetable due to Covid related staff absences. This is accepted by the public as fewer people are travelling, people are working from home, staff shortages nationally are widely reported.

b) Drivers continue rest day working ban. Guards have a strop too and start working to rule, no overtime etc.

c) Despite Temporary timetable random cancellation and disruption continues due to b).

d) A further reduced timetable is introduced as a result of c).

e) DfT continues to refuse to accept the various Union demands. Disruption continues.

f) General public starts returning to work and leisure activities. Other industries start returning to normal. Omicron related staff absences subside in the general workforce so public don't expect the Railways to be any different.

g) Public get increasingly angry about reduced timetables and industrial relations issues disrupting their return work and leisure activities. Discretionary travel fails to pick up again causing further rail industry financial issues.

h) DfT continues to refuse to cave in to Union demands citing continued reduced income as mentioned in g).

i) The Government attempts to force through changes to staff terms etc to get things back to normal.

j) Government makes it very clear to the general population that the trouble on the railways is not now covid related, but caused by nasty bolshy unions and lazy overpaid inflexible staff.

k) Government legislates to ban strikes on the Railways and forces through money saving and efficiency changes to staff contracts to get trains running again and get the economy back on track.

l) Boris is hailed a hero by the general population for standing up to the nasty unions. Rail industry staff get s*afted.

 

[Watershed]

Call me a cynic, but I will predict the following. I will use TPE as an example but I am sure it will be applied to other, if not all, operators too.



a) Temporary timetable due to Covid related staff absences. This is accepted by the public as fewer people are travelling, people are working from home, staff shortages nationally are widely reported.

b) Drivers continue rest day working ban. Guards have a strop too and start working to rule, no overtime etc.

c) Despite Temporary timetable random cancellation and disruption continues due to b).

d) A further reduced timetable is introduced as a result of c).

e) DfT continues to refuse to accept the various Union demands. Disruption continues.

f) General public starts returning to work and leisure activities. Other industries start returning to normal. Omicron related staff absences subside in the general workforce so public don't expect the Railways to be any different.

g) Public get increasingly angry about reduced timetables and industrial relations issues disrupting their return work and leisure activities. Discretionary travel fails to pick up again causing further rail industry financial issues.

h) DfT continues to refuse to cave in to Union demands citing continued reduced income as mentioned in g).

i) The Government attempts to force through changes to staff terms etc to get things back to normal.

j) Government makes it very clear to the general population that the trouble on the railways is not now covid related, but caused by nasty bolshy unions and lazy overpaid inflexible staff.

k) Government legislates to ban strikes on the Railways and forces through money saving and efficiency changes to staff contracts to get trains running again and get the economy back on track.

l) Boris is hailed a hero by the general population for standing up to the nasty unions. Rail industry staff get s*afted.

The outcome of the last couple of major disputes has shown that the DfT seem to like letting disruption rumble on for months, sometimes even more than a year, until finally capitulating. A very curious strategy given the amount of taxpayer money that is p****d away paying drivers when guards are on strike and vice versa, and one that simply serves to reinforce the predilection of the rail unions to go down this road.

As for the driver dispute on this one, having heard some of the details through the grapevine, it's not looking like something that will be resolved anytime soon. The guards 'dispute' (I suspect the ballot is just a formality) is rather different as it's basically just about money and won't, I suspect, be as big an issue.

 

[Fokx]

k) Government legislates to ban strikes on the Railways and forces through money saving and efficiency changes to staff contracts to get trains running again and get the economy back on track.

l) Boris is hailed a hero by the general population for standing up to the nasty unions. Rail industry staff get s*afted.

And then don’t forget M - The rail staff leave the industry in their droves due to poor working conditions to work elsewhere for a better work-life balance

The government once again ask the rail staff to return (just as they have teachers, signallers and healthcare professionals), they don’t. They’ve f’cked it yet again.

 

[SuperNova]

The outcome of the last couple of major disputes has shown that the DfT seem to like letting disruption rumble on for months, sometimes even more than a year, until finally capitulating. A very curious strategy given the amount of taxpayer money that is p****d away paying drivers when guards are on strike and vice versa, and one that simply serves to reinforce the predilection of the rail unions to go down this road.

As for the driver dispute on this one, having heard some of the details through the grapevine, it's not looking like something that will be resolved anytime soon. The guards 'dispute' (I suspect the ballot is just a formality) is rather different as it's basically just about money and won't, I suspect, be as big an issue.

Perhaps it's not worth posting conjecture on something which isn't relevant currently.

 

[Killingworth]

Whatever the rights and wrongs the reality is that returning rail passengers will experience confusing timetables and fewer trains, plus unplanned cancellations.Those who have alternative transport, usually a car, will be more inclined to use it. Establish that pattern for long enough and the slow return to rail will turn the other way again.

My local route between Sheffield and Manchester experienced regular strikes by Northern not so long ago however users returned. Its currently strikes by EMR on Sundays and now disputes on TPE. Adding in the latest cuts by all three for Covid we end up with a greatly reduced total service.

As recently as 2013 it was being suggested we'd get 4 fast services plus a stopping train an hour once line improvements were completed (then said to be by 2018). By 2015 that reduced to 3 fasts an hour. In the meantime it's supposed to be 2 fast and one slow.

Currently an unsuspecting passenger missing what should be a half hourly fast train could find a 90 minute wait or take a stopping train. Any passenger from Sheffield to Hathersage needs to have their wits about them. Miss the 12.14 and the next supposedly hourly train isn't until 15.46! A few more users lost to cars.

All the temporary timetables say UFN but are further wrecked by engineering work.

All this is understandable to most on this forum. It isn't by most who pay the fares to finance it and find their train hasn't turned up. Some of the shortcomings aren't going to get much sympathy either from those in the Treasury who have other pressing priorities for scarce funds.

I'd like to think many of these latest cuts can be restored before May. Covid should be subsiding. Strikes are self inflicted damage.

Positively I see a desire for leisure travel by train. A very slow return to commuting was appearing, but what has been very well demonstrated over the last 2 years is that most of us can manage well enough without using passenger trains.

 

[bramling]

And then don’t forget M - The rail staff leave the industry in their droves due to poor working conditions to work elsewhere for a better work-life balance

The government once again ask the rail staff to return (just as they have teachers, signallers and healthcare professionals), they don’t. They’ve f’cked it yet again.

Quite probable, given this particular government’s tendency to screw pretty much anything they touch.

One way or other it’s going to be a messy year. Indeed, it does cross the mind whether there will be any rail passengers left by this time next year - the DFT seem to be doing everything possible to drive them all away.

 

[Mugby]

I see that some services on the South TPE route, operating to the temporary timetable, have been reduced to single 185s.

It's indefensible that the capacity should be reduced as well as the frequency, is there any valid reason for this?

 

[Watershed]

I see that some services on the South TPE route, operating to the temporary timetable, have been reduced to single 185s.

It's indefensible that the capacity should be reduced as well as the frequency, is there any valid reason for this?

Which services do you have in mind? I'm not aware of any services being destrengthened.

If any are singles then AFAIK it's either due to on-the-day shortforms (due to unit failure for example), or on one of the early or late services where it's required so as to get sets in the right stabling locations for the start/end of day. Which has always been a facet of the timetable.

 

[Jamesrob637]

I see that some services on the South TPE route, operating to the temporary timetable, have been reduced to single 185s.

It's indefensible that the capacity should be reduced as well as the frequency, is there any valid reason for this?

The 06:26 Cleethorpes to Piccadilly was 3-car today, however it's booked 6-car as it featured on Journey Check.

 

[robbeech]

The 06:26 Cleethorpes to Piccadilly was 3-car today, however it's booked 6-car as it featured on Journey Check.

If the ECS move was shortformed from the depot then it’s very poor as they have spare units, but if it broke down and has had to be left at Cleethorpes it’s not as easy to get another unit there. You’d like to think they’d work out a plan to put a spare unit on it mid diagram but it might be considered too much effort when they could just not have it running instead.

 

[Watershed]

If the ECS move was shortformed from the depot then it’s very poor as they have spare units, but if it broke down and has had to be left at Cleethorpes it’s not as easy to get another unit there. You’d like to think they’d work out a plan to put a spare unit on it mid diagram but it might be considered too much effort when they could just not have it running instead.

That service stables overnight at Cleethorpes, which is only a stabling/fuelling point and has no maintenance facilities. If there's a problem with one of the units (particularly if it's only discovered in the morning), there's not many options to prevent a shortform.

Assuming the resources (driver and spare unit) are available, it would be normal practice to re-strengthen the service upon arrival the Manchester end. And indeed that's exactly what happened today.

 

[robbeech]

That service stables overnight at Cleethorpes, which is only a stabling/fuelling point and has no maintenance facilities. If there's a problem with one of the units (particularly if it's only discovered in the morning), there's not many options to prevent a shortform.

Assuming the resources (driver and spare unit) are available, it would be normal practice to re-strengthen the service upon arrival the Manchester end. And indeed that's exactly what happened today.

I did wonder if that was the case over night. Makes a lot of sense. Good to see they are on top of it.

 

[Mugby]

Which services do you have in mind? I'm not aware of any services being destrengthened.

If any are singles then AFAIK it's either due to on-the-day shortforms (due to unit failure for example), or on one of the early or late services where it's required so as to get sets in the right stabling locations for the start/end of day. Which has always been a facet of the timetable.

I took my information from RTT, today (Thurs. 13th.} According to them the single 185s were on;

1026 Cleethorpes - Manchester
1218 Manchester - Cleethorpes
1418 Manchester - Cleethorpes.