Greater Anglia Good and Bad Discussion

[306024]

Almost Norwich in 90 today. Following the failure of a 321 at Bethnal Green blocking in the 14:00 & 14:30 departures at Liverpool St, the 14:00 was duly caped & became 9P34 14:40 Calling Ipswich only. Departed 1 down at 14:41 terminating Norwich just 94 minutes later at 16:15 thanks to some nice regulating from Network Rail. It's next working (16:30up) was a right time start

Knocking three stops out is cheating Still a good effort to get the 16.30 up to start on time.

Norwich in 90 is supposed to be with existing stops, which kinda makes it more of a challenge. It will be interesting to see what ideas bidders come up with. No doubt the daftest one will win

 

[captainbigun]

If anything it proves how difficult it will be to achieve Norwich in 90.

It's going to need significant line speed increases and new faster accelerating stock. Still seems like a luxury on the route and one that I won't see any time soon.

 

[dk1]

It took 57 to reach Ipswich but I've done it the other way round in 53 & that was with stopping outside Liv St waiting for plat 13 to become unoccupied

 

[lordbusiness]

I can't see how Norwich in 90 is achievable unless:

Existing line speeds significantly increased= massive investment on top of what's already announced.

Take out stops from the Inter Cities= Diss, Stowmarket, Manningtree, Chelmsford. Not sure even that would achieve it?

 

[scott118]

not too mention taking out 90+ NR crossings, to allow for the increase in linespeed. At least the ballast is being cleaned though.

 

[lordbusiness]

To be honest, I don't really want Norwich in 90, it would be nice to have newer trains but I'm quite happy with the current timings. Faster timings would encourage more of the London and Home Counties crowd to sell up and move up here, I'm quite happy with things as they are thanks very much!

 

[Eshonbel]

I can't see how Norwich in 90 is achievable unless:

Existing line speeds significantly increased= massive investment on top of what's already announced.

Take out stops from the Inter Cities= Diss, Stowmarket, Manningtree, Chelmsford. Not sure even that would achieve it?

What you got against Manningtree? Hm?! Hmm?!?!?! HMMMM?!?!?!!?

 

[387star]

http://www.abelliogreateranglia.co....nglia-invests-in-additional-on-train-cleaners

 

[SPADTrap]

http://www.abelliogreateranglia.co....nglia-invests-in-additional-on-train-cleaners

Interesting! I saw them working hard steam cleaning one of the 379s in Orient way the other day, makes a big difference!

 

[scott118]

http://www.abelliogreateranglia.co....nglia-invests-in-additional-on-train-cleaners

will they be able to keep the toilets from being locked out of use? Well at least the poorly maintained stock, that comes out of Crown Point. Appalling situation.

 

[SPADTrap]

will they be able to keep the toilets from being locked out of use? Well at least the poorly maintained stock, that comes out of Crown Point. Appalling situation.

I hope so! Too many 317s are either dry of water or have the toilets blocked. Strange for something that flushes directly onto the tracks, makes me wonder what people put down there!

 

[lordbusiness]

What you got against Manningtree? Hm?! Hmm?!?!?! HMMMM?!?!?!!?

Nothing in particular, just saying that if Norwich in 90 is going to be a realistic proposition in the near future the intermediate stations will lose their ic services. The easiest way to do it is to cut stops. An hourly fast from Norwich calling at Ipswich and Colchester only, half hourly semi fast additionally calling at Diss, Stowmarket and Manningtree.

 

[dk1]

Nothing in particular, just saying that if Norwich in 90 is going to be a realistic proposition in the near future the intermediate stations will lose their ic services. The easiest way to do it is to cut stops. An hourly fast from Norwich calling at Ipswich and Colchester only, half hourly semi fast additionally calling at Diss, Stowmarket and Manningtree.

Exactly as it was in the later Anglia days...

XX:00 Diss, Stow, Ips, Mng, Col
XX:40 Ips, Col

Only trouble is as quoted to me by a senior train planner "it's easy to put services on & stops in, but you try taking them away".

 

[306024]

Very wise words

You can argue that faster journeys attracts more custom, and that greater frequency does likewise. With two Norwich trains per hour the realistic maximum required, it depends which way the political wind is blowing to determine what you do.

Norwich in 90 has certainly caused anxiety for the rail user groups representing the Essex stations, who can see potentially slower journey times while their trains are shunted out of the way.

 

[jon0844]

I hope so! Too many 317s are either dry of water or have the toilets blocked. Strange for something that flushes directly onto the tracks, makes me wonder what people put down there!

Don't they have retention tanks like the GN 317s?

 

[lordbusiness]

Exactly as it was in the later Anglia days...

XX:00 Diss, Stow, Ips, Mng, Col
XX:40 Ips, Col

Only trouble is as quoted to me by a senior train planner "it's easy to put services on & stops in, but you try taking them away".

Guess we'll have to wait and see what happens post Oct 16!

 

[SPADTrap]

Don't they have retention tanks like the GN 317s?

They don't. Fittings for them yes, that is it!

 

[306024]

Guess we'll have to wait and see what happens post Oct 16!

I'm not sure anyone has firm ideas yet on how to improve journey times without causing other difficulties. For example the current timetable pattern has some good connections with the Norwich trains:

At Colchester with the Walton trains and with up Clacton trains into down Norwich trains and vv
At Manningtree with the Harwich branch
At Ipswich with the East Suffolk and Cambridge line
At Stowmarket with up Cambridge trains into down Norwich trains and vv

Still let's see if Chloe Smith keeps her seat first

 

[lordbusiness]

Agreed.

When everything's running ok it's hard to fault the connections. I often work between Stratford and Colchester and I rarely have long to wait for a connection at Col either way.

As I said earlier, I couldn't give a monkey's about Norwich in 90. It seems the only people who do are the London crowd.

 

[306024]

What makes the connections harder to plan is that the Walton, Harwich, East Suffolk and Cambridge lines all have sections of single line. Getting a timetable that works in both directions is the challenge, without causing inefficient unit workings.

 

[dk1]

As I said earlier, I couldn't give a monkey's about Norwich in 90. It seems the only people who do are the London crowd.

& Chloe Bloody Smith

 

[jon0844]

http://www.abelliogreateranglia.co....nglia-invests-in-additional-on-train-cleaners

I've already seen so many train presentation staff in recent months that I'm wondering if AGA will employ more cleaners than any other staff.

 

[Trainfan344]

I couldn't give a monkey's about Norwich in 90. It seems the only people who do are the London crowd.

Now, as someone who uses the service from London to Norwich on the way home from uni regularly I wouldn't mind London to Norwich in 90.

 

[jon0844]

When we talk of London to Norwich in 90, are we talking about making it feel like it's still (19)90?

Because the current rolling stock seems to do a pretty good job of that.

 

[Trainfan344]

When we talk of London to Norwich in 90, are we talking about making it feel like it's still (19)90?

Because the current rolling stock seems to do a pretty good job of that.

Don't diss our Class 90's + MK3's It's better than a unit.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
So I may have started an argument with an anti Greater Anglia twitter account.. Someone had to stick up for AGA!

 

[scott118]

one off the road this morning at Ilford - thankfully the engineering works will no doubt, overshadow this. Let's hope they were under 5mph...

 

[Trainfan344]

one off the road this morning at Ilford - thankfully the engineering works will no doubt, overshadow this. Let's hope they were under 5mph...

Seen a post on facebook stating 2 carriages of the unit off the road.

 

[TheEdge]

https://twitter.com/greateranglia/status/577048379559161856

This is the sort of cr*p that makes me wish Twitter would just cease to be. That reads as nothing more than vindictive. What makes the whole saga worse is that while they think that they are going to get AGA in trouble when if it is an issue (reported to the police and press of course at the same time) is the bus driver will get the brunt.

 

[Trainfan344]

I've learnt that a lot of the Anti-Greater Anglia lot appear to be blaming Greater Anglia for things that aren't even their fault.

 

[scott118]

https://twitter.com/greateranglia/status/577048379559161856

This is the sort of cr*p that makes me wish Twitter would just cease to be. That reads as nothing more than vindictive. What makes the whole saga worse is that while they think that they are going to get AGA in trouble when if it is an issue (reported to the police and press of course at the same time) is the bus driver will get the brunt.

Twitter is fantastic. AGA use it a medium for reward and recognition, and they themselves, encourage it's use, hence their dedicated twitter team. So are you saying that, the bus driver is not an indirect ambassador for AGA? Right or wrong, this individual may have been travelling in a coach without a livery, and his only point of contact, with a dedicated reply team, is AGA. At least they acknowledged receipt of his inquiry.

Said individual has simply raised an issue of potential 'safety'. Would you not do the same in your workplace?