XC Direct Award

[Class 170101]

I agree, there is no reason for XC either in this direct award or the next one to have extra stops on their services to stop at Manea when any extra calls is and should remain the responsibility of Greater Anglia.

Except the service won't increase until Ipswich to Peterborough becomes hourly and when that will be is anyone's guess.

Exactly even though XC stopped there before GA started to. All Ipswich-Peterborough services call on weekdays but do not serve Cambridge. Obviously Manea passengers (all in single figures) struggle with changing trains at Ely.

And Saturdays too.

 

[dk1]

Well that if the Peterborough to Ipswich and Ipswich to Cambridge services ran as one, there wouldn’t be a issue.

In any case, there is no need for XC to stop there as they already stop at March so Manea passengers can change there if they want a more direct service to Cambridge.

Also it’s no hardship to change at Ely especially as it’s same platform interchange going to Cambridge.

XC should run semi fast with the likes of Greater Anglia, West Midlands Trains etc picking up local calls.

The Peterborough-Ipswich & Cambridge-Ipswich cannot run as one without significantly increasing the end to end journey time.

Changing at Manea would mean passengers doubling back from March.

Yes changing at Ely is very simple indeed.

West Midlands Trains do not serve East Anglia.

 

[Aictos]

The Peterborough-Ipswich & Cambridge-Ipswich cannot run as one without significantly increasing the end to end journey time.

Changing at Manea would mean passengers doubling back from March.

Yes changing at Ely is very simple indeed.

West Midlands Trains do not serve East Anglia.

You've misunderstood the last reference though, when I said XC should run semi fast with Greater Anglia, West Midlands Trains picking up local calls I had meant in their respective local areas so as a example current the current Birmingham to Stansted Airport service would have in your area call Peterborough/Ely/Cambridge/Stansted Airport with March and Audley End served by Greater Anglia instead.

I do know that the West Midlands and Great Anglia regions are two different areas!

I'm not stating people ought to use it end to end but rather open up a choice of potential destinations served by a one train in much the same way as it would have been under Central Trains.

Changing at March isn't a issue as long as the fares structure allows you to double back, not sure on this.

 

[dk1]

You've misunderstood the last reference though, when I said XC should run semi fast with Greater Anglia, West Midlands Trains picking up local calls I had meant in their respective local areas so as a example current the current Birmingham to Stansted Airport service would have in your area call Peterborough/Ely/Cambridge/Stansted Airport with March and Audley End served by Greater Anglia instead.

I do know that the West Midlands and Great Anglia regions are two different areas!

I'm not stating people ought to use it end to end but rather open up a choice of potential destinations served by a one train in much the same way as it would have been under Central Trains.

Changing at March isn't a issue as long as the fares structure allows you to double back, not sure on this.

Crikey that post was so long ago that I'd forgotten. I maintain it was confusing though.

 

[Class 170101]

You've misunderstood the last reference though, when I said XC should run semi fast with Greater Anglia, West Midlands Trains picking up local calls I had meant in their respective local areas so as a example current the current Birmingham to Stansted Airport service would have in your area call Peterborough/Ely/Cambridge/Stansted Airport with March and Audley End served by Greater Anglia instead.

I do know that the West Midlands and Great Anglia regions are two different areas!

I'm not stating people ought to use it end to end but rather open up a choice of potential destinations served by a one train in much the same way as it would have been under Central Trains.

Changing at March isn't a issue as long as the fares structure allows you to double back, not sure on this.

GA only serve this route every two hours so the XC needs to stop.

 

[Aictos]

GA only serve this route every two hours so the XC needs to stop.

Really? Hardly any passengers use it and don’t say well it’s because of the train service!

A snapshot taken above shows that 1tp2h is more then enough and besides it isn’t a hardship to change at Ely or March.

 

[Class 170101]

Really? Hardly any passengers use it and don’t say well it’s because of the train service!

A snapshot taken above shows that 1tp2h is more then enough and besides it isn’t a hardship to change at Ely or March.

I am surprised you say that hardly any passengers use the Ipswich to Peterborough service. The last time I used it was standing room only and it wasn't commuters standing but leisure passengers. The limited service does discourage use. This route is ripe for expansion.

 

[Aictos]

I am surprised you say that hardly any passengers use the Ipswich to Peterborough service. The last time I used it was standing room only and it wasn't commuters standing but leisure passengers. The limited service does discourage use. This route is ripe for expansion.

But that won’t happen unless there are trains available to run the extra services which I fail to see happening.

 

[dk1]

But that won’t happen unless there are trains available to run the extra services which I fail to see happening.

Will be plenty of available trains. It's infrastructure issues that are causing the problem with enhanced timetables on the Peterborough-Ipswich/Colchester route.

 

[TheBigD]

This sas been posted on another forum*...

"...I am understanding that a direct award extension to Arriva for Cross Country trains from October to October next year is a "stand still" one - with no extra rolling stock and no extra stops apart from the planned ones on the Nottingham trains when Worcestershire Parkway opens. Single source at present - confirmation welcome.

Suggest it's a do-nothing decision made to wait the outcome of the Williams review. Seems sad with such dire overcrowding on some services when there are just over a dozen HSTs laid up not carrying any passengers... "

* http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=20417.msg271239#new

 

[pt_mad]

It's not as simple as that though. Unmodified MK3 coaches won't be PRM compliant from 1st Jan 2020 afaik. They need work doing to be usable next year.

 

[The Ham]

It's not as simple as that though. Unmodified MK3 coaches won't be PRM compliant from 1st Jan 2020 afaik. They need work doing to be usable next year.

Without a new franchise there's little which can be done, even if there were chances are it would be new capacity from the transfer of the 222's. Which would still be a few years away anyway, so as long as the new franchise starts before they go off lease there'll be no delay in their introduction (even if they were only brought in as a stop gap until new units could be delivered).

 

[ainsworth74]

It's not as simple as that though. Unmodified MK3 coaches won't be PRM compliant from 1st Jan 2020 afaik. They need work doing to be usable next year.

But their HSTs are already going through PRM work (indeed I think there's a couple of sets running around that are now compliant?).

 

[pt_mad]

Without a new franchise there's little which can be done, even if there were chances are it would be new capacity from the transfer of the 222's. Which would still be a few years away anyway, so as long as the new franchise starts before they go off lease there'll be no delay in their introduction (even if they were only brought in as a stop gap until new units could be delivered).

I don't think a direct award would actually prevent cascaded stock if it was what the DFT invisaged. As GWR are still on a direct award afaik and of course have had new trains. Although it's probably an extension more than a direct award in this case. Granted with it being one year it's probably a case of just let things tick over and see. But if a further more long term direct award did come later, there's nothing to stop cascaded 222s being part of that.

 

[pt_mad]

But their HSTs are already going through PRM work (indeed I think there's a couple of sets running around that are now compliant?).

I think the poster talking of the parked redundant MK3 coaches was talking about the non modified stuff with no sewerage tanks and slam doors rather than the stuff Wabtec are converting or have agreed to convert.
They were making the point that people are talking of a diesel shortage and yet there are many redundant MK3 coaches and power cars parked up off lease.
However these aren't modified or agreed to be yet.

 

[The Ham]

I don't think a direct award would actually prevent cascaded stock if it was what the DFT invisaged. As GWR are still on a direct award afaik and of course have had new trains. Although it's probably an extension more than a direct award in this case. Granted with it being one year it's probably a case of just let things tick over and see. But if a further more long term direct award did come later, there's nothing to stop cascaded 222s being part of that.

The 222's are a few years away, so they're not an option yet, GWR's new units were mostly due to them being the IEP units and then a decision being made about the HST and Pacer replacements.

As such, and bearing in mind that there's no other old stock which could be used without a large cost or without being at risk of being changed by the next franchise, it's likely that the next new trains would either be the 222's in a few years time or a new order a few years a few years after the franchise is relet.

 

[RealTrains07]

Wouldn’t a direct award be affected if the Williams review led to XC franchise being split up since its so big?