Direct Milton Keynes - Bedford services start!!!!!!!

[DarloRich]

For one day only there will be direct trains from MKC to/from Bedford AND with an hourly Sunday service on the vale!

On Sunday 17th July trains will leave Milton Keynes at 1447,1547 and 1647 and run direct to Bedford via the Marston Vale. Trains will leave Bedford for Milton Keynes at 1447, 1547, 1647 and 1747 with an hour set aside for the journey. They will reverse in Bletchley and run via Bletchley Up&Down Relief 2 for the track bashers. It looks like both the 153 and 150 will be in operation as an hourly service is running from Blethcley for the rest of the day.

There is also a late departure form Bedford on the Saturday evening at 2310


LM are running these trains in conjunction with the Bedford river festival and should be congratulated but I wonder if this is the first time a service train has run direct between MKC and Bedford

 

[87015]

Happens every year! Although I don't recall it being that limited previously, thought it was pretty much all day from memory?

 

[DarloRich]

Happens every year! Although I don't recall it being that limited previously, thought it was pretty much all day from memory?

no it doesn't ( it didn't last year) and certainly not direct to MK

 

[AlterEgo]

I certainly don't recall it from last year either (?)

 

[DarloRich]

I certainly don't recall it from last year either (?)

Services usually run on the Sunday for the River Festival but not to/from MK. They didn't run at all last year for some reason.

Bedford today: Extra rail services will operate on the Marston Vale Line this weekend for the Bedford River Festival.

A late night “Fireworks Flyer” will leave Bedford at 11.10pm on Saturday evening (July 16), arriving at Bletchley at 11.53pm.

And special services direct from Milton Keynes Central to Bedford will run throughout Saturday, beginning with the 2.47pm service from Milton Keynes.

Read more: http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/...edford-river-festival-1-7472267#ixzz4ENaGYX46

 

[86211]

Bedford River Festival only happens every two years.

 

[aal7]

The services to/from Milton Keynes Central appear to have 0 mins turnaround time in Bedford (for example 2S11 arrives at 1647 and 2S52 leaves at 1647). Is that realistic?

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sea...7/0200-0159?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=LM

 

[DarloRich]

Bedford River Festival only happens every two years.

oh

 

[Bletchleyite]

Happens every year! Although I don't recall it being that limited previously, thought it was pretty much all day from memory?

The Sunday service does, but I have never heard of through running to MKC. Indeed, I'm not sure it has ever happened.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The services to/from Milton Keynes Central appear to have 0 mins turnaround time in Bedford (for example 2S11 arrives at 1647 and 2S52 leaves at 1647). Is that realistic?

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sea...7/0200-0159?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=LM

If you compare the inbound to the outbound there are 2 minutes of recovery time. Not a lot but probably doable given that there's nothing else can get in the way at the Bedford end and the driver/guard have to walk only 23 or 40m.

 

[Deepgreen]

The services to/from Milton Keynes Central appear to have 0 mins turnaround time in Bedford (for example 2S11 arrives at 1647 and 2S52 leaves at 1647). Is that realistic?

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sea...7/0200-0159?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=LM

In a word, no. Not achievable for any reversal unless the outgoing driver has his hand hovering over the controls ready to go back the instant the train stops (never mind passenger alighting and boarding time, signal clearance, etc!); just looks like lazy timetable production.

 

[DarloRich]

In a word, no. Not achievable for any reversal unless the outgoing driver has his hand hovering over the controls ready to go back the instant the train stops (never mind passenger alighting and boarding time, signal clearance, etc!); just looks like lazy timetable production.

They should arrive early as there will be no other traffic on the branch on the Sunday and will not pick up many en route. There is an hour given for the full journey.

 

[Quakkerillo]

In a word, no. Not achievable for any reversal unless the outgoing driver has his hand hovering over the controls ready to go back the instant the train stops (never mind passenger alighting and boarding time, signal clearance, etc!); just looks like lazy timetable production.

They have 5 minutes to get from Bedford St Johns to Bedford; I doubt that's needed, as I've seen trains today arrive 2-3 minutes early; that time can be used to reverse, I guess.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's almost like the Ryanair practice of having the inbound aircraft timetabled to arrive after the same aircraft has gone back out again

 

[70014IronDuke]

For one day only there will be direct trains from MKC to/from Bedford AND with an hourly Sunday service on the vale!

On Sunday 17th July trains will leave Milton Keynes at 1447,1547 and 1647 and run direct to Bedford via the Marston Vale. Trains will leave Bedford for Milton Keynes at 1447, 1547, 1647 and 1747 with an hour set aside for the journey. They will reverse in Bletchley and run via Bletchley Up&Down Relief 2 for the track bashers. It looks like both the 153 and 150 will be in operation as an hourly service is running from Blethcley for the rest of the day.

There is also a late departure form Bedford on the Saturday evening at 2310


LM are running these trains in conjunction with the Bedford river festival and should be congratulated but I wonder if this is the first time a service train has run direct between MKC and Bedford

It's a good sign that LM are running from MKC, for sure. A possible portent of things to come?

Is this 'festival' what used to be called the Bedford 'Regatta' ?

Someone couldn't spell the latter, I suspect, and so changed the name on a whim?

 

[Bletchleyite]

It might well be an in-service trial run for a possible future expansion - I don't believe it has ever been done before.

 

[Deepgreen]

They have 5 minutes to get from Bedford St Johns to Bedford; I doubt that's needed, as I've seen trains today arrive 2-3 minutes early; that time can be used to reverse, I guess.

Probably so, but why not timetable that instead of the actual impossibility?

 

[GatwickDepress]

It might well be an in-service trial run for a possible future expansion - I don't believe it has ever been done before.

I hope so. As someone who commutes from Milton Keynes Central to Fenny Stratford, it would make life so much easier...

 

[DarloRich]

I hope so. As someone who commutes from Milton Keynes Central to Fenny Stratford, it would make life so much easier...

As someone who does the return journey daily I hope so to!

 

[Harbornite]

I wonder if you will see scenes reminiscent of when the Berlin Wall fell, and loads of Bedforders will take their chance to go "where the grass is greener".

 

[Bletchleyite]

I wonder if you will see scenes reminiscent of when the Berlin Wall fell, and loads of Bedforders will take their chance to go "where the grass is greener".

Barfordians, please

It's not as if there isn't presently a half hourly, very high quality coach service, nor indeed a nice new dual carriageway that makes the journey by car about 20 minutes, is there?

(edit: removed "by UK standards" - even by European regional bus standards the X5 is excellent)

 

[swt_passenger]

It might well be an in-service trial run for a possible future expansion - I don't believe it has ever been done before.

I doubt it very much. As discussed regular in the various EWR threads, there are explicit statements in the EWR consultations that a through service won't happen - it may not even be pathable alongside the planned service patterns.

Would they really introduce it as a trial, knowing it wouldn't survive EWR starting up?

 

[DarloRich]

I doubt it very much. As discussed regular in the various EWR threads, there are explicit statements in the EWR consultations that a through service won't happen - it may not even be pathable alongside the planned service patterns.

Would they really introduce it as a trial, knowing it wouldn't survive EWR starting up?

The users and the users group want it so a feasibility study is v welcome

 

[Bletchleyite]

The users and the users group want it so a feasibility study is v welcome

Now wire it and put the Newport Pagnell branch back, and give MK a U-shaped S-Bahn

 

[yorkie]

The services to/from Milton Keynes Central appear to have 0 mins turnaround time in Bedford (for example 2S11 arrives at 1647 and 2S52 leaves at 1647). Is that realistic?

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sea...7/0200-0159?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=LM

It's more realistic than the advertised turnaround times at Wrexham Central
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

... just looks like lazy timetable production.

Nah, they know what they're doing! They've added "padding" (some people dislike that term but whatever you call it, it's there) for PPM reasons.

 

[The Planner]

Need someone to find it for me, it is obviously some sort of dodgy agreement with LM to have a zero turnaround but there is no padding there. Engineering allowance doesnt count.

 

[DarloRich]

Now wire it and put the Newport Pagnell branch back, and give MK a U-shaped S-Bahn

linked with town centre trams

 

[IanD]

The services to/from Milton Keynes Central appear to have 0 mins turnaround time in Bedford (for example 2S11 arrives at 1647 and 2S52 leaves at 1647). Is that realistic?

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sea...7/0200-0159?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=LM

They seem to have amended that to match the timetable they have on their site with a 5 minute turnaround (*maybe not for the direct trains)

Follow the link from here

linked with town centre trams

Or the monorail.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Need someone to find it for me, it is obviously some sort of dodgy agreement with LM to have a zero turnaround but there is no padding there.

There is - Bedford Midland to St Johns is shown as 3 minutes, but 5 in the other direction.

 

[aal7]

Doesn't the weekly unit swapover usually take place on a Sunday afternoon? Will it happen later in the day? I can't seem to find this on RTT.

 

[Mike395]

Doesn't the weekly unit swapover usually take place on a Sunday afternoon? Will it happen later in the day? I can't seem to find this on RTT.

It does - as no trains usually run at all on Sundays. Would imagine they'll either run two weeks with the same units or swap after close of service Sunday.