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Why have TPE extended some trains beyond Newcastle to Edinburgh?

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route101

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I'm not complaining. I'm on the 1732 from Edinburgh-Liverpool train now, having taken advantage of TPE's £1 sale. I live in Maghull just north of Liverpool, but I'm back in Huddersfield for a few days. The fact that I could travel without changes both ways has been great. Also, as I now live in Liverpool, it's given us Scottish services we didn't have previously.

We've just arrived in Leeds and I'm somewhat surprised to see we're on Platform 8. Is this normal?

Was the service busy?
 
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wezmerc

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I was one of 8 people on the 2030 between Edinburgh and Morpeth on Thursday. Did 2 returns Dar to Edb last week none of which were particularly busy. Very civilised indeed.
 

route101

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I was one of 8 people on the 2030 between Edinburgh and Morpeth on Thursday. Did 2 returns Dar to Edb last week none of which were particularly busy. Very civilised indeed.

I suppose it might take a wee while for traffic to build up on the services or there wasnt any advances sold for these trains
 

47271

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I suppose it might take a wee while for traffic to build up on the services or there wasnt any advances sold for these trains
They need to sharpen their pencil on fares if they want to build business north of Newcastle.

Aside from me avoiding them until now because they've been so unreliable, I was wondering why I never even look at TPE as on option when I plan.

I travel to Sunderland quite a bit and I'm in the habit of booking through at no extra cost on LNER. Nine times out of ten I can find an Advance that suits.

I've just looked again and I've found the problem - no Advances Edinburgh to Sunderland using TPE.

Oh well, I'll stick with LNER for that reason in amongst all of the other reasons...
 

Tetchytyke

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Given its location it should have four services per hour in both directions

There are many things Chester-le-Street needs, but 4tph is not one of them. Hourly would be plenty, and there's no reason why TPE couldn't do hourly calls.

TPE have massively improved the northbound service at Morpeth.

ORCATS is increasingly irrelevant as most people have been priced away from walk-up fares.

Leeds-Edinburgh can, and will, support 2tph.

I don't see the problem?
 

Killingworth

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Until TPE can run the full timetable each and every day they'll not want to expose themselves to any extra risks with pantographs deployed at speed. One of the causes of many delays is issues with the overhead equipment so why invite more.

9 TPE trains to/from Edinburgh cancelled on Monday. When the full service runs more reliably they'll get a better understanding of regular loadings to base decisions on discounted deals.
 

xtradj

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I was informed by a member of TPE staff that they don’t have permission to use the wires between Edinburgh and York as capacity is full?

I find that remarkable if true. However it doesn’t count for the fact the sets clearly have engine issues which need rectifying immediately
 

yorkie

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Can we stick to the topic please?

Ideas and suggestions for Crosscountry belong in a different area of the forum. We have had over a dozen threads on that subject, but if none of them are a suitable match for anyone's proposals please do feel free to create another one.

But it doesn't belong here, as it's both off topic and the wrong forum section.

I was informed by a member of TPE staff that they don’t have permission to use the wires between Edinburgh and York as capacity is full?

I find that remarkable if true. However it doesn’t count for the fact the sets clearly have engine issues which need rectifying immediately

See https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...astle-to-edinburgh.201385/page-2#post-4469067
 

yorkie

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I've just looked again and I've found the problem - no Advances Edinburgh to Sunderland using TPE.

Oh well, I'll stick with LNER for that reason in amongst all of the other reasons...
please create a new thread in either the trip planning or fares sections and we will be happy to help you find a decent price for your journey.
 

47271

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please create a new thread in either the trip planning or fares sections and we will be happy to help you find a decent price for your journey.
Fair enough, but I wasn't so much looking for fares advice. My point was a bit more on topic, which is why extend the service to Edinburgh if it isn't run competitively and obvious fares like the one I mentioned isn't available?

I suspect that the answer is that it's a temporary thing until they have more confidence in the service.
 

BeHereNow

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It's actually a DfT-imposed Orcats Raid, which is a variation on a theme. When the end-2015 franchise award was announced, Virgin had beforehand been given the ECML franchise, after the well-known argument and making the DfT look fools, always a bad plan even though true. So the tenders for the TP franchise would cost the DfT much less, less subsidy/more premium, if they offered the carrot of allowing TP to do an Orcats Raid on the established and substantial North-East to Scotland flows. The fact that it upsets the balance with others is by the by; whoever was determining the TP award was only interested in that, coming in under the anticipated subsidy and getting the credit for it.

DfT did not impose it, it was not part of the ITT for the Transpennine franchise. DfT permitted it by accepting the First bid though.
 
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