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XC changes from 28/11/2021


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Given how chaotic every one of my recent journeys with Cross Country have been - with no trains arriving or departing anywhere close to their stated time - I’m not sure if anyone will actually notice the changes to the timetable 

 

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I have an event at Tyseley on Friday. My preferred connection between Manchester and Birmingham hasn't run for nearly two years as the setvice has been less than 50% of pre-pandemic levels since the spring of 2020. I had already decided that the Manchester  to Birmingham leg could be done better by using the Pendo to Stoke and LNW, changing at Galton Bridge. All I know is that the ends of the return journey will be a 172 and 323, the middle bit looks as if it will be planning on the hoof.

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1 hour ago, TheSignalEngineer said:

I have an event at Tyseley on Friday. My preferred connection between Manchester and Birmingham hasn't run for nearly two years as the setvice has been less than 50% of pre-pandemic levels since the spring of 2020. I had already decided that the Manchester  to Birmingham leg could be done better by using the Pendo to Stoke and LNW, changing at Galton Bridge. All I know is that the ends of the return journey will be a 172 and 323, the middle bit looks as if it will be planning on the hoof.

Does that mean there are a load of Voyagers stood down?

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No, they've been doubling up the sets on most of the remaining services, until now!

 

The service hasn't been running at under 50% of pre pandemic either, it's been well above that for quite a while now, it started out at roughly 50% when they got rid of the NCL/SOU/RDG and MAN/BRI/EXD services (the "half hourly" ones at New Street), but they have been creeping back in for some time now, though that'll all be out of the window with this. 

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3 hours ago, Hobby said:

The service hasn't been running at under 50% of pre pandemic either, it's been well above that for quite a while now, it started out at roughly 50% when they got rid of the NCL/SOU/RDG and MAN/BRI/EXD services (the "half hourly" ones at New Street), but they have been creeping back in for some time now, though that'll all be out of the window with this.

Certainly are today.

The pre-pandemic weekday service c2015 WTT had 14 to Bristol or beyond, 13 Bournemouth, 1 Southampton, 1 Reading and 4 Birmingham trains.

Today we have 7 Bournemouth, 1 Southampton, 5 Reading and 3 Birmingham running. About half of the number of trains but a very considerable reduction in mileage.

 

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On top of that there are no trains from the northeast to Reading and Bournemouth so only about half of the trains running. I think today there are two as far as Banbury. Virtually all journeys NW - SW or NE - South Coast currently entail a 12-15 minute change across New Street station. The main benefit of the present situation is that most things actually running are close to time rather than the usual lateness.

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22 minutes ago, TheSignalEngineer said:

On top of that there are no trains from the northeast to Reading and Bournemouth so only about half of the trains running. I think today there are two as far as Banbury.

 

Tell me about it!

 

Apart from a very few odd ones (e.g. 1035 Newcastle-Banbury), this means York-Sheffield-The Midlands has been hourly instead of twice per hour since the start of the pandemic, and all go via Leeds & Wakefield which puts about 25 minutes into the journey time to Sheffield and beyond.  It also means there's now usually only one train per hour between Doncaster & York (LNER), apart from in the evening when the 1730 King's Cross-Edinburgh omits Doncaster and leaves a two hour gap between 1812 and 2012.

 

I can understand running the remaining trains with two Voyagers coupled to aid with social distancing, but the ones I've travelled on recently hardly seem to have had enough passengers on to make a single set look busy.

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Lucky you, the ones I've worked over the past few weeks have had in excess of 2/300 per double set and if we hadn't been running doubles it would have been rather cosy!

 

It does depend on the route, though. York to Newcastle tend to be quiet except at certain times  (weekends or some evenings) but South of Leeds we are usually quite busy most if the time. Much of it is short hop custom rather than long distance. Birmingham to Derby  Sheffield to Leeds and rush hour Leeds to York and Newcastle to Durham and Darlington. Its much the same on other routes. That's the trouble with XC, it doesn't know if it's a commuter train, long distance IC express or leisure train, we get the lot!

Edited by Hobby
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3 hours ago, Hobby said:

Lucky you, the ones I've worked over the past few weeks have had in excess of 2/300 per double set and if we hadn't been running doubles it would have been rather cosy!

 

It does depend on the route, though. York to Newcastle tend to be quiet except at certain times  (weekends or some evenings) but South of Leeds we are usually quite busy most if the time. Much of it is short hop custom rather than long distance. Birmingham to Derby  Sheffield to Leeds and rush hour Leeds to York and Newcastle to Durham and Darlington. Its much the same on other routes. That's the trouble with XC, it doesn't know if it's a commuter train, long distance IC express or leisure train, we get the lot!

 

Interesting to know, and encouraging for the future.  I suppose thinking about it, a few of my journeys on XC have been north from York; as you say, usually a bit quieter going that way.  A couple of weeks ago I went to Tamworth and the double Voyager was pretty busy in the part where I was now I think about it.  Coming back in the afternoon it was the HST, which was also fairly busy.  When you're a passenger you don't always know what it's like in the rest of the train!

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Little did I know it, this scene was about to become history, at least for the time being, when I took it on 16th Nov. Guess this will be the end of regular HST working through New St, after what, 40 years?

 

Awaiting the Road

 

Edited by rodent279
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I'm puzzled why you added "Guess this will be the end of regular HST working through New St, after what, 40 years?"? As you are aware from the thread it's temporary whilst the Drivers/ASLEF and Management sort themselves out, XC couldn't run their normal timetable without HSTs so I'm sure they'll be back.

 

Unless you have evidence they won't?

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I don't have any concrete proof. I know it's a dispute, I guess it is possible they will return. I hope they do.

Given the downturn in traffic post-pandemic, I don't think it's an unreasonable statement though. 

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25 minutes ago, Hobby said:

I'm puzzled why you added "Guess this will be the end of regular HST working through New St, after what, 40 years?"? As you are aware from the thread it's temporary whilst the Drivers/ASLEF and Management sort themselves out, XC couldn't run their normal timetable without HSTs so I'm sure they'll be back.

 

Unless you have evidence they won't?

Do you have any evidence they will ?

 

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19 hours ago, Hobby said:

That's the trouble with XC, it doesn't know if it's a commuter train, long distance IC express or leisure train, we get the lot!

I think that when Chris Tibbits took over XC about 1992, he was pleasantly surprised to find it wasn't all studente and OAPs. Current incumbent Tom Joyner - office colleague in my last job - does seem to be mired in it right now. And at least Sectorisation had improved XC's standing at key intersections like BNS. My recent XC trips were all pretty much on time, although dwell time at Temple Meads does help. Traincrew are often excellent. 

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7 hours ago, Hobby said:

From the evidence of past disputes where they have been resolved and RDW re-introduced, yes, they will get back to normal. This isn't the first time this has happened!

Since the railways became pseudo-nationalised and managed to every penny ?

 

How does RDW relate to HSTs and nothing else ?

Edited by adb968008
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I'm not sure. A guess would be that they need drivers to get stock off and onto depot and they can get three voyagers for one hst. It could also be that not every driver signs them so running voy/170s is less risk. The latter sounds more plausible. 

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26 minutes ago, Hobby said:

I'm not sure. A guess would be that they need drivers to get stock off and onto depot and they can get three voyagers for one hst. It could also be that not every driver signs them so running voy/170s is less risk. The latter sounds more plausible. 

Eitherway, if there is a hiring freeze and a dispute over RDW, then its a recipe for deadlock that doesnt need to be resolved as there is another solution that solves both parties issues.

 

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