Useful Cross Country diversion Thursday 6 July

[3141]

Yesterday I travelled on the 13.48 XC service from Basingstoke (originates from Bournemouth 12.45) to Birmingham New Street.

The platform information screen showed the train "to Manchester Piccadilly, calling at Oxford, Banbury," etc. It didn't list Reading, where the train is scheduled to call. Then it stated that because of a fault the train would terminate at Manchester Piccadilly, where of course it terminates anyway.

When the train arrived, though not until then, the loudspeakers announced that the train would not call at Reading, and on-board announcements also said that.

I guess that there was a fault in the rear cab. At Reading the train would reverse, and the rear cab would become the front. By omitting Reading they avoided the problem and could keep the train in service to its destination. I don't know how they planned to get it out of Manchester Piccadilly, but it was very helpful to large numbers of passengers on the way that they'd postponed the crunch point till then

 

[Muzer]

I'm always impressed with CrossCountry's ability to use a seemingly endless variety of diversionary and alternative routes at very short notice, while seemingly managing to largely keep the service sane. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of things about their operation I don't like, but in terms of the sheer logistics of organising this sort of thing, they usually (with a few exceptions) leave me impressed.

 

[1018509]

How did it avoid Reading?

 

[Muzer]

There's a curve used by freight that takes you from Reading West, to travelling west on the Great Western Main Line, west of Reading station.

See: http://www.openstreetmap.org/node/35509990#map=16/51.4590/-0.9898

 

[3141]

Before Reading station and its approaches were rebuilt and remodelled there was one XC train (at least) that normally used that curve and wasn't scheduled to stop at Reading. I think it was in the late afternoon, and presumably there were so many other moves going on at that time that it was better not to have that train further complicating the situation and risking being delayed and causing delays to other services.

 

[Muzer]

Before Reading station and its approaches were rebuilt and remodelled there was one XC train (at least) that normally used that curve and wasn't scheduled to stop at Reading. I think it was in the late afternoon, and presumably there were so many other moves going on at that time that it was better not to have that train further complicating the situation and risking being delayed and causing delays to other services.

Indeed. It was a fairly common diversion when they were rebuilding Reading, and I think even more recently there are still occasions when for whatever reason parts of Reading are closed and everything goes via the curve. Besides this there's also the Southampton-Havant-Guildford-Reading route, which is used from time to time if Basingstoke-Reading West is shut, and there's the less extreme Southampton-Romsey-Laverstock curve (avoiding Salisbury)-Andover-Basingstoke-Reading for if Winchester or Eastleigh are shut. I've heard that some CrossCountry drivers even sign more outlandish routes from Southampton via Salisbury, Westbury, the GWML and the west curve at Didcot, but I've never heard of this being used in practice so maybe it isn't a thing.

 

[Ianno87]

Could they have got it out of Piccadilly by attaching a second unit off a subsequent arrival to the rear (thus trapping the defective cab), then running back in service as a double set to New St and thence to Barton-under-Needwood. Pretty clever, actually, if that's what XC did.

 

[Kite159]

Did it call at Reading West for those passengers wanting Reading to connect with a GWR service to Reading?

 

[Muzer]

Could they have got it out of Piccadilly by attaching a second unit off a subsequent arrival to the rear (thus trapping the defective cab), then running back in service as a double set to New St and thence to Barton-under-Needwood. Pretty clever, actually, if that's what XC did.

Yes. The alternative would have been turfing people off at BHM and putting them on a spare unit fresh out of the depot. I'm sure with all the circular lines around Birmingham they could figure out a way to get it back into the depot without a reversal. I don't know which one they would have done; obviously as a passenger I'd have preferred your solution but this one could have been more operationally sane!

 

[3141]

Did it call at Reading West for those passengers wanting Reading to connect with a GWR service to Reading?

No, it didn't. Those who wanted Reading had been told at Basingstoke to change there for Reading. They'd have had to wait 18 minutes for the next Basingstoke to Reading service. Potentially more of a problem for passengers at Reading expecting to join the XC service there, who'd have to wait half an hour for the next one, which would be OK for passengers to Birmingham, but if you wanted Manchester you'd have to change there to a train that would probably be packed. (I haven't looked up the Virgin West Coast timetable that might provide a more comfortable journey to Manchester.)

 

[Hartington]

There's a Sunday only Bristol-Plymouth that runs via Westbury instead of Bridgwater. I've always assumed it's there (at least in part) for route knowledge but there isn't a return service. Despite that there are occasional planned and adhoc diversions via Westbury by XC.

Is route knowledge directional?

Are there other XC trains that detour via potential diversion routes regularly?

 

[randyrippley]

Many moons ago that curve used to be a regular sunday diversion while engineering was going on between Bristol and Birmingham
Whenever I did it, it seemed to always be 31444 hauling three or four Mk1 coaches hammering east along the GWML at breakneck speed. Late 1980s I guess

 

[Rich McLean]

There's a Sunday only Bristol-Plymouth that runs via Westbury instead of Bridgwater. I've always assumed it's there (at least in part) for route knowledge but there isn't a return service. Despite that there are occasional planned and adhoc diversions via Westbury by XC.

Is route knowledge directional?

Are there other XC trains that detour via potential diversion routes regularly?

For the other direction (well both) XC PL and BR (Plymouth and Bristol) crews refresh on GWR services via Westbury on Route Refrsh days. In practice there are enough weekend Westbury diverts per year that this isn't always necessary. XC also have similar arrangements elsewhere on the network. BR crews also have to sign the Severn Tunnel, Swindon - Gloucester via Stroud, and some even sign Didcot and Foxhall curve, but unsure if the latter has been scratched off.

 

[Clansman]

Never knew XC did diversions since they insisted on axing any service where the planned route is impeded in any way.

 

[causton]

Never knew XC did diversions since they insisted on axing any service where the planned route is impeded in any way.

Birmingham - Bristol via Kidderminster is just one example against that statement!

 

[louis97]

For the other direction (well both) XC PL and BR (Plymouth and Bristol) crews refresh on GWR services via Westbury on Route Refrsh days. In practice there are enough weekend Westbury diverts per year that this isn't always necessary. XC also have similar arrangements elsewhere on the network. BR crews also have to sign the Severn Tunnel, Swindon - Gloucester via Stroud, and some even sign Didcot and Foxhall curve, but unsure if the latter has been scratched off.

There is also this train which runs September-May.

 

[Rich McLean]

There is also this train which runs September-May.

Good spot. It's all change from December TT change however.

 

[petermiller36]

I guess that there was a fault in the rear cab.

Air-conditioning in rear cab was broken. Problem was later fixed meaning replacement wasn't needed.

 

[Clansman]

Birmingham - Bristol via Kidderminster is just one example against that statement!

I was more thinking of the routes surrounding Edinburgh. I imagine any other fringe routes such as Newquay would be the same - although the fact they insist on Glasgow via Shotts is surprising in this context.

 

[IanXC]

I was more thinking of the routes surrounding Edinburgh. I imagine any other fringe routes such as Newquay would be the same - although the fact they insist on Glasgow via Shotts is surprising in this context.

I'm not sure what else you'd like them to sign?! Surely Shotts and the Sub are plenty to cover their usual route between Glasgow and Edinburgh?

 

[PHILIPE]

An empty XC Voyager runs at night from Dundee to Craigentinny via Glenrothes and Dunfermline

 

[Kite159]

An empty XC Voyager runs at night from Dundee to Craigentinny via Glenrothes and Dunfermline

And I believe there is a service during the week which goes northbound via Dunfermline.

 

[swt_passenger]

There's a Sunday only Bristol-Plymouth that runs via Westbury instead of Bridgwater. I've always assumed it's there (at least in part) for route knowledge but there isn't a return service. Despite that there are occasional planned and adhoc diversions via Westbury by XC.

Is route knowledge directional?

Are there other XC trains that detour via potential diversion routes regularly?

Yes. Reading to Eastleigh via Guildford, Havant and Fareham. Runs each way 7 days a week. In service between Guildford and Reading, ECS on the rest.

 

[Muzer]

Never knew XC did diversions since they insisted on axing any service where the planned route is impeded in any way.

Really? As I said, my experience is completely the opposite. Which neck of the woods are you in?

 

[jamesontheroad]

Before Reading station and its approaches were rebuilt and remodelled there was one XC train (at least) that normally used that curve and wasn't scheduled to stop at Reading. I think it was in the late afternoon, and presumably there were so many other moves going on at that time that it was better not to have that train further complicating the situation and risking being delayed and causing delays to other services.

There's a Sunday only Bristol-Plymouth that runs via Westbury instead of Bridgwater. I've always assumed it's there (at least in part) for route knowledge but there isn't a return service. Despite that there are occasional planned and adhoc diversions via Westbury by XC.

Over on the other side of the country, one EMT train a week between Norwich and Nottingham avoids Ely by using the Ely West Curve, again for keeping diversionary route knowledge up to date. However because it's the same train every week, I can't help wondering if that means it is always piloted by drivers from either Nottingham or Norwich, but not both?

 

[jimm]

Are there other XC trains that detour via potential diversion routes regularly?

There are daily timetabled XC services (on both Cardiff and Bristol services) on weekdays that take detours off the main line to run via Worcester Shrub Hill and Droitwich Spa, first thing in the morning and late at night. Plus a mid-evening empty stock working from Gloucester to Barton-under-Needwood depot

 

[The Planner]

1M79 goes via Stechford and Aston during the week as well as reversing at Foxhall (not sure it does that often though). 1M76 goes via the Cross City north during the week. There are a couple more that do that on the weekend too if I recall.

 

[IanXC]

There are a number in South Yorkshire too, which variously cover Rotherham, Tinsley, Thrybergh and Beighton.

You may find this website useful on this topic: http://www.psul4all.free-online.co.uk/2017.htm

 

[swt_passenger]

Really? As I said, my experience is completely the opposite. Which neck of the woods are you in?

Agree. There may be somewhere on the whole XC network where there is no diversion possible at all, but my experience in the Southampton area is that they are always diverted somehow, either via Guildford or Laverstock (Salisbury). Obviously this means Winchester won't see a XC service, but there'll still be bus links.

Even when there were complete blockades in the Reading area, XC still ran an isolated Bournemouth to Basingstoke service hourly. On odd occasions when Southampton and the airport have been completely blocked XC have used Eastleigh as a Southern terminus, a station that isn't on their normal calling pattern.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Yesterday I travelled on the 13.48 XC service from Basingstoke (originates from Bournemouth 12.45) to Birmingham New Street.

The platform information screen showed the train "to Manchester Piccadilly, calling at Oxford, Banbury," etc. It didn't list Reading, where the train is scheduled to call. Then it stated that because of a fault the train would terminate at Manchester Piccadilly, where of course it terminates anyway.

When the train arrived, though not until then, the loudspeakers announced that the train would not call at Reading, and on-board announcements also said that.

...

Nobody seems to have mentioned (unless I've missed it, sorry) that when men were men and Bulleid pacifics were still the height of super power, this was the normal route for the precursors to XC trains along this route. They would stop at Reading West and save 20 minutes or so by taking the avoiding line to Tilehurst. They would then waste about 10 of those 20 minutes by changing locomotives at Oxford.

IIRC, this continued into the diesel era. I suppose they started reversing at Reading [General] in the early 70s?