Train failing to stop at Conwy 'due to social distancing'

[Watershed]

There's also the fact that the Welsh network has numerous requests stops. On trains serving such stations, the conductor has no choice but to speak to the passengers to establish where they're going.

That means a period of less than 2m social distancing which is far longer, in aggregate, than the time they'd be close to someone boarding at a local door station.

And yet TfW have not made any of their request stops compulsory stops, which would avoid the need for the guard to pass through and speak with passengers in this "Covid unsafe" manner.

Inconsistency all round.

 

[Yew]

I think the answer is simple, if the TOC had their way, they wouldn't want to stop there at all.

 

[185]

On checking, the 1622 seems to have been a normally advertised stopping service, with a pathetic disclaimer hidden away if you click on it....

1622 Conwy
1725 Chester

You must wear a face covering on Transport for Wales network unless exempt. Places are limited on services to support social distancing. Use our capacity checker to find trains with space where available reserve a place when you buy your ticket.

Fewer trains than usual can call at Conwy until further notice. The closest alternative station is Llandudno Junction. In order to maintain a safe distance between the conductor and customers Transport for Wales need to be able to operate two train doors. Unfortunately due to the short platform length at this station it is not possible with all trains.

Not a properly cancelled stop. Oh, is it? Err?

The only other people I've recently seen doing something as daft as this, were Avanti, hidden in the subnotes of a running train, after masks & broken lifts, frogs in the car park etc... was "This Avanti train will not run"

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Conwy station is on a curve and goes through a break in the town wall, is there room to extend the platforms and make them wide enough? Is it the only station on the north Wales coast with short platforms?

Conwy's 2 car platform length is similar to Valley and Llanfairpwll on Anglesey, so one of the shortest (if not the shortest platform) on the line between Holyhead and Chester.

 

[david1212]

How are TfW managing this for passengers going to Conwy? Presumably someone could come from somewhere miles away, laden with luggage, and get to Chester to be told their connection isn’t stopping at Conwy. What do they do? Chuck them out at Llandudno Junction?

Oh, and I’m that event I bet the delay repay claim would get rejected too, as it’ll be “computer says no”

Surely this should be done by clear announcements to leave at Llandudno Junction where road transport will be waiting to take you to Conwy.

Would it not be more sensible for the taxis to have collected the passengers few minutes before the train and got them to Llandudno Junction so they can catch it there.

If as an 'out of the area' visitor I arrived at Conwy this is what I would expect.
The issue though is arriving at Conwy sufficiently early. Heading east towards Chester is not so bad but heading west towards Holyhead the departure time from Llandudno Junction is of course earlier.

Do correct me if wrong as many years since I have been at Llandudno Junction station and then changed to/from Llandudno or Blaenau Ffestiniog but I recall access to all platforms is from the bridge not the forecourt. This adds to the latest departure time for road transport to ensure a connection.

 

[BrianW]

Covid has exposed a large shortfall in folk able, available and 'empowered' to 'sort things'- so called 'lean management'. It's a cost not a saving. Examples on display in many other threads. Short trains, shortages of trains, shortages of crews, shortages of information, short tempers ...
Grrrr ... I'm kind of hoping that the 'new normal' will include more kindness and understanding- those should be free-of-charge, I hope Love and peace!?

 

[PHILIPE]

This has appeared on TFW Journey Check today

15:06 Birmingham International to Holyhead due 19:15


15:06 Birmingham International to Holyhead due 19:15 will no longer call at Conwy.
This is due to a short-notice change to the timetable.
Additional Information
For Conwy please contact Traveline on 0800 464 00 00 for alternative transport to/from nearest suitable station.

 

[py_megapixel]

This is due to a short-notice change to the timetable.

"This short-notice change to the timetable is due to a short-notice change to the timetable."

 

[Mcr Warrior]

"This short-notice change to the timetable is due to a short-notice change to the timetable."

That's up there with "This late running train is due to an earlier late running train".

 

[PHILIPE]

At least passengers are advised what to do in this casr

 

[Kite159]

All depends how helpful Traveline are.

 

[bearhugger]

Heard about this over a year ago but thought this had stopped before Christmas. Clearly not, and what an apalling way to treat their customers.
Suppose if these stations are request stops they do not get reported as a fail to call either, so they get away with it.
Conversely Greater Anglia have made all request stops into full stops since Covid.

So, TfW, what's wrong with this:
1. Train stops at platform.
2. Guard opens local door and then steps onto the platform two metres from the train
3. Customers board or alight as appropriate
4. Guard then gets back on the train, closes doors, buzzbuzz and off you go.

That's pretty much what happened on Northern when i traveled to Whitby & back on doubled up 156/158 units. The guard was using a door near the middle, encouraging people on the platform to come to that door & asking people to come back to same door when getting off. If I recall correctly, we weren't delayed significantly at the destination either, probably 2/3 minutes tops.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

This has appeared on TFW Journey Check today

15:06 Birmingham International to Holyhead due 19:15


15:06 Birmingham International to Holyhead due 19:15 will no longer call at Conwy.
This is due to a short-notice change to the timetable.
Additional Information
For Conwy please contact Traveline on 0800 464 00 00 for alternative transport to/from nearest suitable station

The number appears to be the normal travel enquiry line. As in, if there happens to be a public bus service they will tell you about it, you can then pay an extra fare to travel on it to another of our stations, regardless of the conditions of travel requiring us to honour our contract with you.

 

[Darandio]

At least passengers are advised what to do in this casr

Yeah, go and make your own way home because we've washed our hands of you.

 

[island]

Conwy isn’t exactly a high demand stop. The vast majority of passengers will know how to walk from Llandudno Junction. And (before I get sprung upon by the pedants who think a wheelchair user passenger, a senior citizen, a vulnerable minor, a passenger with no money other than rail travel vouchers and national travel tokens, a person with mental capacity limitations, and a cyclist get on and off at every station in the country) anyone who genuinely needs assistance would have been able to obtain it from the platform staff at LLJ.

Nevertheless I do hope this nonsense social distancing excuse goes away soon.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Conwy isn’t exactly a high demand stop.

And won't ever be if the few calls it gets all day are then skip-stopped (particularly so if these departures are still being displayed on the on platform matrix train departure boards until the moment that the train in question whizzes past).

Nevertheless I do hope this nonsense social distancing excuse goes away soon.

Indeed. I would suggest that most of us are in full agreement with that sentiment.

 

[Class 33]

Reading about this here, I think this is a complete and utter farce. Services not calling at Conwy "due to social distancing"!!! Dear oh dear oh dear!! What utter utter nonsense!! What harm is it going to do just passing people for barely a second or two?! No excuses for services not calling at Conwy! From my experiences when walking about now, I'd say about 99.5% of people have given up on social distancing now as they've realised it's absolutely pointless.

Hopefully come 19th July all this social distancing NONSENSE will finally finally be scrapped, and everything can get back to normal.

 

[duncanp]

Hopefully come 19th July all this social distancing NONSENSE will finally finally be scrapped, and everything can get back to normal.

No doubt Mark Drakeford will try and keep the social distancing rules going in Wales for a little longer, even if they are (fingers crossed) abolished in England on July 19th.

So if there is no social distancing in England, there is no reason for Transport for Wales not to stop at Hopton Heath.

But if social distancing continues in Wales after it is abolished in England, there will still be an excuse not to stop at the relevant Welsh stations.

I suspect Transport for Wales will carry on with their "couldn't give a stuff about the customers" attitude and keep Hopton Heath station closed until social distancing is abolished in Wales.

In reality, of course, there is no reason why all the relevant stations can't be served now, with a few sensible precautions.

 

[Class 33]

Ah yes, I forgot that Drakeford is intending on keeping social distancing nuisancing restrictions going for the rest of the year!

 

[duncanp]

Ah yes, I forgot that Drakeford is intending on keeping social distancing nuisancing restrictions going for the rest of the year!

If he does, then no doubt a lot of people in Wales will find an urgent need to visit Shrewsbury, Chester, and anywhere else close to the border, so that they can actually enjoy themselves and have a bit of fun.

 

[Dai Corner]

On the other hand, the Welsh Government's generous offer of making tickets optional except to/from barriered stations will probably continue.

 

[sd0733]

So if there is no social distancing in England, there is no reason for Transport for Wales not to stop at Hopton Heath.

I suspect Transport for Wales will carry on with their "couldn't give a stuff about the customers" attitude and keep Hopton Heath station closed until social distancing is abolished in Wales.

Dont worry Hopton Heath is back open this week
That one really did seem strange when the vast majority of its trains are single 153s.

 

[duncanp]

Dont worry Hopton Heath is back open this week
That one really did seem strange when the vast majority of its trains are single 153s.

Is Hopton Heath back open again?

It is still showing as closed on the Transport for Wales website, and I cannot find any news source online which suggests it is going to reopen.

 

[PHILIPE]

Dont worry Hopton Heath is back open this week
That one really did seem strange when the vast majority of its trains are single 153s.

Normally there are entries on TFW Journey Check listing certain trains unable to call at Conwy when the formation is other than booked and exceeds 2 Cars but there have been none today.

 

[sd0733]

Is Hopton Heath back open again?

It is still showing as closed on the Transport for Wales website, and I cannot find any news source online which suggests it is going to reopen.

Yes i worked down there on Saturday and its definitely back on the job cards and the screens show it too.
Apparantly its because everything is now booked a 150 or 153 so we can stop again. Unless im missing something, thats always been the case.

 

[PHILIPE]

According to the station boards 1W98 2141 Shrewsbury to Holyhead tonight is formed with 3 Cars and announced as calling at Conwy (Request)

 

[sd0733]

According to the station boards 1W98 2141 Shrewsbury to Holyhead tonight is formed with 3 Cars and announced as calling at Conwy (Request)

No emails about anything not calling either yesterday or today so i presume everything is calling again.

 

[PHILIPE]

It’s a 15-20 minute walk or less than 5 minutes on the bus to Llandudno Junction. Not the end of the world like some people seem to be making it out to be.

(And yes TfW are arranging taxis for the tiny minority of passengers who need them.)

This is hidden away on the TFW Website regarding closed stations:-

Hi, you can find information here: https://tfwrail.wales/timetables/may-2021-timetables…. Passengers who travel from these stations can arrange alternative transport by calling 0333 3211 202.

I have Tweeted TFW regarding Hopton Heath and they have now removed Hopton Heath and any other HOWL stations from the list

 

[williamn]

What’s the latest on this? According to TfW website Conwy is still having a reduced service.

Conwy | Transport for Wales

Transport for Wales | Buy Cheap Train Tickets and Check Train Times

tfw.wales

 

[PHILIPE]

What’s the latest on this? According to TfW website Conwy is still having a reduced service.

Conwy | Transport for Wales

Transport for Wales | Buy Cheap Train Tickets and Check Train Times

tfw.wales

Re opening Monday:-

Train timetables | Transport for Wales

Transport for Wales | Buy Cheap Train Tickets and Check Train Times

tfw.wales