wombatofludham Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 News item on the start of construction work for the new Ricoh Arena station. Strange to relate I had some involvement in the negotiations to secure developer funding for a new station and public transport improvements in the area when at Centro nearly 15 years ago, I know the project was stalled by the inflexibility of the newly privatised rail industry at the time, with Railtrack (as was) blowing hot and cold and Central Trains (as was) unable to resource the service but 15 years is a hell of a wait. An arthritic slug riding a glacier down a mountain moves quicker. At least with the NUCKLE project the capacity to serve the station and improve the service will be put in so perhaps there is a little bit of a silver lining in having had such a sclerotic rate of progress. http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/work-new-coventry-railway-station-7888550 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brigo Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Now that the station is about to be opened it appears that the best London Midland can provide is one train per hour carrying 75 passengers. Football and rugby fans are being told they cannot use the train and use the buses instead. Apparently London Midland cannot source any more DMUs. Absolute farce. http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/government-rejects-calls-intervene-34-9947215 http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/train-company-says-told-coventry-9924279 Brian G. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium phil-b259 Posted August 29, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 29, 2015 Now that the station is about to be opened it appears that the best London Midland can provide is one train per hour carrying 75 passengers. Football and rugby fans are being told they cannot use the train and use the buses instead. Apparently London Midland cannot source any more DMUs. Absolute farce. http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/government-rejects-calls-intervene-34-9947215 http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/train-company-says-told-coventry-9924279 Brian G. Its not a farce - there is, and has been for a number of years now a national shortage of DMUs not helped by a marked reluctance to invest in any more due to the previously announced electrification plans (which did include the Coventry - Nuneaton line as part of the 'electric spine' iniative the Government announced a couple of years ago). This was well known when the project recieved the go ahead and as such it was always intended to be a phased one with incremental improvements rather than everything being in place from the word go Contrary to what the media like to say the station did not pass the cost - benefit ratios set by the Treasury simply on the basis of football / rugby fans. Rather the new station at this location and elsewhere were justified due to the number of local residents / workers who would use the facility as part of their ordinary lives (commuting to work, going shopping etc) and thus hopefully reducing road congestion in the area too. Yes being able to take the train to and from games would be nice, and as more resources become available to London midland I'm sure they will want to consider serving this market. The fact that they are unable to do so at the moment is unfortunate, but in the context of why the station was built in the first place, hardly justifies calling it a 'farce'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold CovDriver Posted August 29, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 29, 2015 We are employing extra traincrew so there must be some sort of plan as also we are possibly having the franchise extension until 2018. I have signed the new stations off regarding risk assessments they should be operational next month and I do agree its a farce but certainly not on LM's part after all we are the service provider not the infrastructure provider that's all I can say without stepping on anyone's toes here at work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfsup Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Out of question, How many units are stabled at Tyseley over the weekend periods? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stadman Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Will be handy for the next RM Web exhibition there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold CovDriver Posted August 30, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 30, 2015 Out of question, How many units are stabled at Tyseley over the weekend periods? From what I gather there's a few 172's stabled on the fuel pit and maybe the odd 170 but unfortunately we don't sign them as drivers or guards. Plus there's the various units that are on the depot site as well but when I was at Tyseley depot on Friday there wasn't any spare units at all. I did mention to my instructor that we could have the rake of Mk2's that have been at Tyseley for years and borrow a 37 from the railway museum. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted August 30, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 30, 2015 According go the local paper LM advised the council of the shortage of trains but they still went ahead and built it.There are plans at Coventry station to have a platform to accommodate a service too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grovenor Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 At 75 people an hour its going to take a long time to clear that huge holding area! Regards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold CovDriver Posted August 30, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 30, 2015 Robin I wouldn't use that local paper for toilet paper if it's the one I'm thinking of to be honest!! Yes your right there are plans for a new platform at Coventry it's due to go in the place of Kemps siding (the headshunt from Coventry North yard) but when that will happen I'm not sure now I did have a copy of the plans but can't find them now. Cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatofludham Posted August 30, 2015 Author Share Posted August 30, 2015 Disappointing they can't find the rolling stock resource for crowd shifting. Oh hang on, Long Marston is just down the road and I did hear there is a company recycling old LU stock based there...doesn't LU stock shift big crowds? Perhaps they could get into a spot-hire deal. A 60mph top speed shouldn't be too much problem on the Nuneaton to Coventry line. Or, the route could become a micro-franchise operated by Vivarail for LM similar to the Stourbridge Shuttle. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold CovDriver Posted August 30, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 30, 2015 The route is signalled for 60mph but NR say its 45mph and god for bid it becomes a micro franchise as that would result in job loses for our depot and the new staff being treated like crap. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 Wouldn't fancy doing the line at 60mph, it's bad enough at 45mph in some places! By the time you'd get to 60 you'd be on the brake anyway, the gradients are quite steep in places too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
South of 1E Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 we had a similar farce with Bletchley remodelling in 2012/3. An upgraded connection was made to allow Bedford - Bletchley services to use the former Bletchley down goods to allow an hourly Bedford - BY- M.Keynes service without a sometimes long wait at Bletchley for a connecting service . Then the Train operator advised it wasn't possible operationally within the existing timetable so long promised through Bedford - MK services were dropped. Also do LM really have no spare 150's for the Ricoh service on Saturdays as far as I know the Hereford turn used Mon-Fri is spare, one is used on the Bedford - BY and the other is also spare Perhaps the "Ricoh" and Bedford - MK are just more examples of how today's broken up railway doesn't always deliver... NR www.leightonlogs.org Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 The route is signalled for 60mph but NR say its 45mph and god for bid it becomes a micro franchise as that would result in job loses for our depot and the new staff being treated like crap. Not quite sure what you mean by the second part, but in the case of other franchise changes (such as the Caley Sleepers), staff have basically moved from one employer to another. Trying to fix capacity on that route is like trying to plug holes in a leaky collander, the biggest one being capacity at Coventry where one busy line crosses another. One solution that I've never heard discussed is operating Leamington to Nuneaton as a light rail scheme, with cheaper civils works to grade separate traffic. Just a thought.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
43110andyb Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 I hope it gets more usage than Ramsline halt did at Derbys old Baseball ground Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
28XX Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 It was so easy between the wars when lots of new halts were built out of old sleepers and prefab tin huts. Why does it have to be so complicated??? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher125 Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Trying to fix capacity on that route is like trying to plug holes in a leaky collander, the biggest one being capacity at Coventry where one busy line crosses another. One solution that I've never heard discussed is operating Leamington to Nuneaton as a light rail scheme, with cheaper civils works to grade separate traffic. Just a thought.... It needs to remain open as a through route for passenger and freight services, so I'm not sure it would achieve much if anything. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted January 23, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 23, 2016 Now/when it's open, trains won't be stopping there on match day according to the BBC radio news. 'Shot' and 'foot' come to mind yet again for our railways. When will they ever learn? It must have been obvious from the outset that there would be rolling stock problems by Midland Trains or whoever (?). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted January 23, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 23, 2016 This station is now open with London Midland providing a service between Coventry and Nuneaton. One carriage seating 75 persons only and due to lack of rolling stock will not stop on matchdays/concerts at the moment.A piss up in a brewery springs to mind with lack of leadership coming from the council in my opinion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 If I thought that holding the matter up to public ridicule would do any good ... It has been mentioned on Radio 4 news already. Sadly it is no longer possible to conjure up rolling stock to deal with peak traffic - assuming that many people want to see Coventry City play, of course. If I were a cynic I might think that London Midland perceive enough problems in running their services already without being expected to carry football supporters as well. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Robert Shrives Posted January 23, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 23, 2016 Hi TYS depot sets on weekends are not that "spare" as you need more than night time down time to cure backlog of repairs so seeing stuff in the top sidings is misleading. Whilst not every fan fits the label- having seen some quite appalling behaviour not having on network might have benefits for lots of other users - but also have seen fans really being helpful and courteous plus self policing all very difficult for all concerned.- joy of the human race I guess... This goes for all sports "fans" - York racing drunks to Rugby Fans carrying bags for old ladies at Bristol it takes all to make the world. How long is the platform? Robert Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave47549 Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold CovDriver Posted January 23, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 23, 2016 And while your on the 360 bus service make sure you have a packed lunch or something similar as it takes an age. And all being well by the end of 2017 its going upto a half hourly service between Coventry and Nuneaton and eventually a new bay platform at Coventry so it doesn't affect the mainline the site of the bay platform will be opposite to the central 6 retail park on the old kemps siding. I'm all being well going to be learning the 153 for traction knowledge by the end of the year. And I don't really see how its all Londonmidland's fault this is down to Coventry City council being pedantic on health and safety grounds regarding passenger numbers and yes we have a shortage of rolling stock the same as most other TOC's in the country thanks to lack of investment before privatisation. I think we should have top an tailed 37's with 4 mk2 coaches I'll be volunteering for that if it was ever going to happen !! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave47549 Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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