Wrexham trains defy the laws of nature

[Old Yard Dog]

Wrexham Central is a tiny little single platform terminus station with no sidings. Trains from Bidston simply arrive and go straight back out again. And in doing so, they prove that it is possible to defy the laws of nature and go backwards in time.

According to Arriva Trains Wales timetables, Bidston trains depart Central at 30 mins past the hour, two minutes before the incoming train arrives (at 32 minutes past the hour).

We all know why.

 

[David10]

Presumably due to some fat in the public timetable vs the working timetable.

 

[PHILIPE]

Recovery time to allow for TSRs en route and also as a performance buffer to aid punctuality figures.

 

[The Planner]

PTT differentials, that is all.

 

[317666]

Like how trains to Barry Island and Penarth apparently have a turnaround time of less than one minute in the public timetable, when in fact they arrive a few minutes earlier.

 

[emoaconr]

It's always been set up that way.

The same happens with Upton on the other side of the line... according to ATW, it takes far longer to get from Upton to Bidston than Bidston to Upton!

The advertised time for the Bidston service arriving at General is xx.27, however on the official timetable its xx.25. Most stops on the line prior to General are advertised as xx.02 mins more than the official timetable.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I read this and wondered why I was naive enough to believe that what I assumed was a great feat of the railway companies in the 1840's to standardise time all over the country to a single standardised time...:roll:

 

[Tracky]

The amazing thing is, even when the trains are running "to time" i.e. around 2 mins late, passengers still cut it fine or miss their trains...

 

[tsr]

The amazing thing is, even when the trains are running "to time" i.e. around 2 mins late, passengers still cut it fine or miss their trains...

If a passenger has looked up the live running information for the train they originally planned to take, then seen the previous service to be a few minutes late, they may dash to get the earlier (but late) train, rather than get a subsequent service which might be more heavily delayed (or cancelled, etc.). I think that's definitely one reason why you see so many people run into a station and try to make the late-running service.

Obviously, at very busy stations with a high frequency of departures, it can make less sense to get a late-running earlier train, as this may be in a position to miss its path and may be overtaken by a later, on-time service. Wrexham trains probably don't fit into this category, except in times of severe disruption, when you might be lucky to be on a train that goes in your chosen direction anyway!

 

[Requeststop]

It's always been set up that way.

The same happens with Upton on the other side of the line... according to ATW, it takes far longer to get from Upton to Bidston than Bidston to Upton!

The advertised time for the Bidston service arriving at General is xx.27, however on the official timetable its xx.25. Most stops on the line prior to General are advertised as xx.02 mins more than the official timetable.

Bidston is in the middle of nowhere. It's the Wirrals "Dovey Junction" so why wouldn't have its own time zone?

Old Edwardian Joke about standardisation of time: When it is 19:09 in Bristol is is still 18:56 in Weston-super-Mare.

 

[Welshman]

There are other examples of this kind of thing.

For example, the last train of the day off the Conwy Valley branch [2023 from Blaenau Ffestiniog] is advertised as arriving into Llandudno at 2146, yet it still forms the 2145 to Crewe! Obviously only very fit staff are rostered to work these services!

Staying in ATW-land, 1H80, the 0425 Saturdays service from Holyhead to Manchester Piccadilly is shown as calling at Oxford Rd from 0709-0711, yet in the public timetable it does not arrive into Piccadilly until 0718, whereas the working-timetable shows it arriving at 0713.

An insignificant detail, you may think. Passengers arrive 5 minutes earlier than expected, so that's to the good. But even the NRE computer is hoodwinked by this, as it recommends you change at Oxford Rd into 2H03, the 0631 Wigan Wallgate to Hazel Grove, as that is shown as departing Oxford Rd at 0715 and over-taking the Holyhead train, to arrive at Piccadilly's platform 13 at 0717!

I wonder if anyone has been fooled by this?

 

[12CSVT]

Bidston is in the middle of nowhere.

Not quite - it's very different once you cross the A553.

 

[fairysdad]

Old Edwardian Joke about standardisation of time: When it is 19:09 in Bristol is is still 18:56 in Weston-super-Mare.

Now it's 2012 in Bristol and still 1856 in Weston-super-Mare

 

[Ivo]

A similar yet different situation exists on the CrossCity Line in Birmingham. LM 170s from Herefore are given so long to get from University to New Street that, according to the public timetable, the next stopping 323 is supposed to catch and pass it - on a stretch of line where overtaking is impossible...

 

[merlodlliw]

Wrexham Central is a tiny little single platform terminus station with no sidings. Trains from Bidston simply arrive and go straight back out again. And in doing so, they prove that it is possible to defy the laws of nature and go backwards in time.

According to Arriva Trains Wales timetables, Bidston trains depart Central at 30 mins past the hour, two minutes before the incoming train arrives (at 32 minutes past the hour).

We all know why.

And heres me thinking its something to do with Asda & Argos on each side of it

 

[embers25]

Now it's 2012 in Bristol and still 1856 in Weston-super-Mare

Wow Weston must have received some regeneration recently then as it seemed more like 1656 when I was there a few weeks ago!

 

[kieron]

it recommends you change at Oxford Rd into 2H03, the 0631 Wigan Wallgate to Hazel Grove, as that is shown as departing Oxford Rd at 0715 and over-taking the Holyhead train, to arrive at Piccadilly's platform 13 at 0717!

I wonder if anyone has been fooled by this?

I don't know, but I have reserved a seat on the TPE train before now.

It's always been set up that way.

Although it used to be because the trains weren't capable of making the 30 mile journey in an hour. I don't know why they don't rejig the timetable so that the trains are expected to leave on time from more than two stations in each direction. I'm not sure that anyone benefits from making a service appear unreliable.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Staying in ATW-land, 1H80, the 0425 Saturdays service from Holyhead to Manchester Piccadilly is shown as calling at Oxford Rd from 0709-0711, yet in the public timetable it does not arrive into Piccadilly until 0718, whereas the working-timetable shows it arriving at 0713.

An insignificant detail, you may think. Passengers arrive 5 minutes earlier than expected, so that's to the good. But even the NRE computer is hoodwinked by this, as it recommends you change at Oxford Rd into 2H03, the 0631 Wigan Wallgate to Hazel Grove, as that is shown as departing Oxford Rd at 0715 and over-taking the Holyhead train, to arrive at Piccadilly's platform 13 at 0717!

Worse still, you would have been forced to rush over the footbridge at Oxford Road to catch the Hazel Grove train, only to see the train you just got off leaving first...