Welwyn Garden City to Hatfield 3 minutes timetabled to travel 2.59 miles

[Jonathan75]

Could this time allowed be wholly unrealistic? By the time the train got to Finsbury Park it was 9 minutes late. No obvious delay just gradual increases in lateness at each station. But this interval scheduled stood out as mad.

3 minutes to accelerate, decelerate, arrive, unboard, board & disembark? It's 2.59 miles! Has Thameslink discovered teleportation? No - it's just bull****ting that it can do this timetable. Why?

I would have missed my advance connection but that it had been scheduled on the same platform so had to wait for us!!

 

[Trainguy34]

It does do it, normally about an extra 30 seconds would be needed but not much. Most of the delay is from earlier in the journey, often near Stevenage.

 

[notverydeep]

The slow lines between Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield are 75 mph and most of my trips get somewhere near the scheduled three minutes if unimpeded. Moorgate and Sevenoaks trains typically start from the Down platforms 3 and 4, and take a bit longer via the Flyover route.

 

[Failed Unit]

The other thing that frequently happens to the faster trains is the Moorgate gets let out ahead of them, so they are running to Hatfield on Yellows and / or stopping outside the station to wait for the Moorgate. The 3 minutes is possible on a clear run. as Notverydeep says above the services starting from Welwyn Garden City frequently sit on the flyover waiting for a path. If they go out directly, then normally the "fast" is then stuck behind them.

It is much slower the other way, where you are frequently waiting for a platform at Welwyn Garden City and enjoying the views of Stanborough lakes.

 

[whoosh]

It's an average of 51.8mph.

A good mile and a quarter of that will be at 75mph. So that's 1 minute, leaving 2 minutes to get up to speed, and slow down and stop.


Easy!

 

[Magdalia]

In the working timetable the Hatfield time is 0624½ so the start to start time is 3½ minutes not 3 minutes.

The gradual increase in lateness suggests adhesion issues - we are in leaf fall season!