Transpennine Express on the West Coast

[Bletchleyite]

It’s changed a lot since then. Blackpool, Barrow, and Windermere have gone back to Northern and journey times have increased. TPE is really now an Intercity operator alongside Avanti.

I'd agree the Scottish services and the fast Liverpool to Newcastle services are, but the rest of it is more like Northern with posher trains, particularly south TPE.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I'd agree the Scottish services and the fast Liverpool to Newcastle services are

I should have been more clear, I was referring to TPE on the WCML.

The 185s are still nice pieces of kit IMO, but they’re not the same.

 

[TUC]

Just to say, you don't need their permission to use Northern services; there is blanket automatic acceptance between all 4 DfT TOCs (TPE, Northern, LNER and Southeastern) in the event of delays/cancellations.

This came in during December last year.

The unclear issue, as in this case, is whether these cross-acceptance arrangements also allow you to reroute where necessary?

 

[voyagerdude220]

There seems to have been some drama between Glasgow Central staff though: the TPE guard announced (several times) that their service was 60 minutes late due to the points failure, and a further 30 minutes late due to Avanti staff at Glasgow refusing to let TPE passengers onto the platform to board the TPE service. He was clearly not impressed!

Why on earth would Avanti staff prevent TPE pax gaining access to a TPE train?
Do they even have the authority to do so?

 

[BG2024]

Why on earth would Avanti staff prevent TPE pax gaining access to a TPE train?
Do they even have the authority to do so?

Platforms 1 & 2 at Glasgow Central share an island and don't have automated ticket barriers, but instead have Avanti staff blocking it manually until their trains are ready. I couldn't see everything that happened from where I was sat, but I think the TPE was ready on P2 while Avanti were prevaricating about whether their London Euston service on P1 would run (it was heavily delayed, then cancelled for maybe 5 minutes before being reinstated), and they thought they should stop any passengers going onto "their" platform until their train was ready.

 

[CHAPS2034]

Back to the shortage of TPE trains

Here's 397008 and one other routing ECS from Longsight to Doncaster West Yard via Crewe, then north along the WCML, across to Edinburgh and then south via the ECML to Doncaster West Yard today.

Realtime Trains | 5E23 0925 Longsight T.M.D. (D) to Doncaster West Yard | 24/02/2025

Real-time train running information for 5E23 0925 departure from Longsight T.M.D. (D) to Doncaster West Yard on 24/02/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

For attention or storage?

 

[RailWonderer]

Back to the shortage of TPE trains

Here's 397008 and one other routing ECS from Longsight to Doncaster West Yard via Crewe, then north along the WCML, across to Edinburgh and then south via the ECML to Doncaster West Yard today.

Realtime Trains | 5E23 0925 Longsight T.M.D. (D) to Doncaster West Yard | 24/02/2025

Real-time train running information for 5E23 0925 departure from Longsight T.M.D. (D) to Doncaster West Yard on 24/02/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

For attention or storage?

Could they not find a loco to haul it across the Hope Valley then from Sheffield to Doncaster? A very confusing move, ten needless hours.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Could they not find a loco to haul it across the Hope Valley then from Sheffield to Doncaster? A very confusing move, ten needless hours.

Possibly not route cleared via the Hope Valley - why would an emu be route cleared on a non electrified route?

 

[scrapy]

Some of the individuals at Carlisle agency are an absolute disgrace and shouldn't be allowed in any customer facing job.

Sadly there are insufficient safeguards in place at companies such as TPE, Northern etc, to ensure that their employees and agency staff are fit for the role and behaving appropriately.

I'm out of the UK at the moment, and reading threads like this reminds me of just how appallingly our railways are run

I would argue that it is a lack of training and ongoing training that is the problem, not the ability or way staff are acting. Guards and revenue staff get maybe 1-2 weeks training on revenue. Most of which is based on how to actually operate a machine or issue penalty fares.

They then get no training whatsoever on revenue for the rest of their career.

Guards with 20 years service have never received any training on validity of advance tickets etc. They may receive the odd email but this is generally about what not to accept, rather than putting the customer first. It's no wonder they get it wrong.

 

[driver9000]

Back to the shortage of TPE trains

Here's 397008 and one other routing ECS from Longsight to Doncaster West Yard via Crewe, then north along the WCML, across to Edinburgh and then south via the ECML to Doncaster West Yard today.

Realtime Trains | 5E23 0925 Longsight T.M.D. (D) to Doncaster West Yard | 24/02/2025

Real-time train running information for 5E23 0925 departure from Longsight T.M.D. (D) to Doncaster West Yard on 24/02/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

For attention or storage?

397003 towed 397008 to Doncaster for repairs. 397003 will return to Manchester tomorrow.