London Midland service performance

[87015]

Somebody reporting on another forum that there is a rumour that the 350/1's and /2's have a brake problem.

Any chance of a link please? Plenty of 350s out yesterday, well plenty relative to the level of 'service' offered.

Btw, does anyone know of any stations which still have any delay repay forms left? I need to stock up but Leighton, Euston, Bletchley and the Keynes are all out!!

 

[Pumbaa]

The LM website is reporting that plans for Monday morning will be available on the site from 9PM tonight. Looks like its not going to be a happy commute tomorrow morning!

Plan? PLAN?! It's quite simple - run a full timetable, and where that isn't possible, run as closely to it as possible! None of this one train an hour jobby. Pillocks the lot of them.

 

[45378]

I may live to regret posting this, but the Birmingham NS - Liverpool Lime St bit of the franchise has been reasonably robust - in my experience.

Having said that, off to Liverpool tomorrow, so perhaps i ought to cut sandwiches and take a flask!

rgds

45378

 

[Edvid]

run a full timetable

Monday 9th February
We are planning to run a full timetable on all routes from the start of service on Monday.

We'll see what tomorrow brings. Good luck to LM passengers - you might need it!

 

[Danielo]

We'll see what tomorrow brings. Good luck to LM passengers - you might need it!

Cheers mate. It'll be a pleasant surprise to wake up, check live departure boards and not see any red fonts on H&W's departures.

As for the link that rumoured the faulty brakes, its on:

http://www.railwayscene.co.uk/showthread.php?thread=5542

 

[33056]

LM website says

We are planning to run a full timetable on all routes from the start of service on Monday

Presume that means the normal shambles of playing "train roulette", ie. going down to the station to see just what is running :roll:

Can't wait for the Southern service to start running through to Milton Keynes, but that has just been put back another week (16th February quoted now and I would not bet against it being put back even further). As for the DC being diverted from Euston, that has been doing the rounds for some time now - not very helpful to those of us who work in the suburbs and would like to get to Euston in order to catch fast trains home

Danielo, I am sure that you will continue to see lots of red on H&W's departure boards - LM is an utter shambles at present and it isn't going to get any better.

 

[WillPS]

Balls to Richard Branson - Stagecoach should be given the franchise, giving unity between the East and West.

 

[MCR247]

Balls to Richard Branson - Stagecoach should be given the franchise, giving unity between the East and West.

If they were to get the franchise, I would say merge it with EMT, but the last time, one train company merged two completely different franchises (ahem VWC,VXC) then when they run out, the stock gets sent to the wrong places! (ahem XC,LM,EMT)

 

[Danielo]

One cancellation and one late running this morning so far on LM from H&W. Looks like you're right 33056!

The train I usually get hasn't left MKC yet, so fingers crossed it will turn up at least!

 

[me123]

Issues with Virgin out of Euston, but LM seem to be running OK at the moment (!).

 

[Danielo]

The commute into Euston this morning was fine, although there was a late running but did not affect me. And for once, there was room to move my elbows!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Overheard LM staff this evening saying to irate passengers 'blame the management'

 

[87015]

Issues with Virgin out of Euston, but LM seem to be running OK at the moment (!).

But their 'OK' service is still crap! Plenty of cancellations and late running aplenty due the usual crewing issues.

Shall see what state they are in tomorrow if the allocated snowfall arrives!

 

[me123]

It was "OK" when I looked at it! Only one train expected late! Obviously, this changed since then.

 

[Danielo]

Already one H&W train cancelled, due to a 'train fault'
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Spoke to a LM 'manager' at Euston this morning. He acknowledges that there has been a brake problem with the 350 1/s and 2/s, which have now been rectified. He also mentioned something about the 321's having a problem dealing with the snow, which was a known problem before, but hadn't been previously dealt with, but had now been rectified.

He also told me that the reason for the non existent service last week was because of these technical issues and subsequent fleet withdrawals.

As for the current situation, he said that the AM peaks are a problem and that they couldn't really do anything about it until December 09. He said that peak AM freight trains were getting in the way on the slow lines, and if he had his way, he'd ban them during peak periods.

He also mentioned that the majority of LM customers are from Watford, Bushey and Harrow, and that they were considering brining back fast services to Euston, calling and Bushey and H&W, from Watford only.

 

[Daimler]

Well, appeared to be another fiasco today - trains massively late in the morning, and several cancellations and delays this evening - not to mention various short-formed trains. Useless.

 

[Danielo]

Yup, I got the 18.34, which is normally 8 coaches, but was only 4 this evening. Jam packed way before departure time. Guard had to say over the intercom that passengers may want to consider getting later trains! A couple of minutes later, he advised passengers trying to board not to get on. Left on time though, and arrived at H&W on time too. This train used to get held up at Willesden behind late running Southerns that had stopped at Wembley Central - but that appears to have been fixed now.

 

[Pumbaa]

Why the hell are the Southerns stopping at Wembley Central anyway? Waste of time IMO, only delays other trains, and is hardly well-used!

 

[Danielo]

Why the hell are the Southerns stopping at Wembley Central anyway? Waste of time IMO, only delays other trains, and is hardly well-used!

Yup, its high time they were booted onto the DC line!

 

[Daimler]

Why the hell are the Southerns stopping at Wembley Central anyway? Waste of time IMO, only delays other trains, and is hardly well-used!

I wouldn't say that! On occasions when I've caught it from Watford at around 5:30 and it's stopped at Wembley Central, they're standing 4-deep on the platform waiting to get on!

 

[Danielo]

I wouldn't say that! On occasions when I've caught it from Watford at around 5:30 and it's stopped at Wembley Central, they're standing 4-deep on the platform waiting to get on!

Its a popular service to and from Harrow too, and I think its a great shame that it no longer goes onto Gatwick.

 

[87015]

Its a popular service to and from Harrow too, and I think its a great shame that it no longer goes onto Gatwick.

I reckon it will be horrendously overcrowded when extended to MK, hopefully from Monday. Its overloaded as it is during the peaks or if there is anything on at Earls Court/Olympia/Stamford Bridge and a lot more people will use it to commute towards the west end if it proves to be reliable. I'll be doing plenty of 'daysave' leaps aswell!

LM not doing too bad today - just the usual splattering of delays, cancellations (crew...) and short formations.

 

[Daimler]

I reckon it will be horrendously overcrowded when extended to MK, hopefully from Monday. Its overloaded as it is during the peaks or if there is anything on at Earls Court/Olympia/Stamford Bridge and a lot more people will use it to commute towards the west end if it proves to be reliable. I'll be doing plenty of 'daysave' leaps aswell!

LM not doing too bad today - just the usual splattering of delays, cancellations (crew...) and short formations.

Do you think there'll ever be a chance of 8-coach Southerns to Milton Keynes in the peak - it's needed!

 

[Danielo]

I am surprised that more isn't made of this Southern service. I think north-south links that bypass the tube are vital to ease conjection in central London. I doubt there is the capacity to run 2 tph at peaks, but 8 coaches would certainly be a viable alternative. That's provided the platform lengths at Shepherd's Bush, Olympia and West Brompton are long enough.

I would also like a chnage of rolling stock to diesel. The current Electrostar wastes a bit of time changing currents before Shepherd's Bush on the way to the south.

 

[Mojo]

Given the shortage of DMUs, then where are these new diesels going to come from? Changing from AC to DC takes just a few seconds and running slow, smelly & noisy diesels on electric lines where electric stock is pure lunacy! It happens far too much in this country already - it doesn't need expanding!

 

[Danielo]

It takes a bit more than a few seconds. The Electrostar is at a standstill for a good two minutes at least while the switch is made and all the other systems are rebooted. Southbound, the switch over point is on a downhill gradient, so in addition to the two minute standstill, you have to add on the creep time. I am pretty sure it adds a good 5 minutes.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I am pretty sure it adds a good 5 minutes.

:? A minute or two dwell time at North Pole seems about right. Doubt if five minutes is added on to journey times even if you allow for having to slowing down / coming to a halt before changing from AC to DC (or vice-versa) and then moving off.

 

[Failed Unit]

It takes a bit more than a few seconds. The Electrostar is at a standstill for a good two minutes at least while the switch is made and all the other systems are rebooted. Southbound, the switch over point is on a downhill gradient, so in addition to the two minute standstill, you have to add on the creep time. I am pretty sure it adds a good 5 minutes.

Seems like the problem is with the Electostar and another running of a Diesel train 100% under the wires not the way forward, as already stated we already do it too much in the UK (Virgin West Coast).

On the 2 routes I use a lot where it happens, the train doesn't need to wait excessively long at either Drayton Park or Farrington. If I recall on a journey from City Airport - Richmond on the NLL the 313's changed voltage very quickly.

Changing voltage in a station seems to be the way forward, but I guess the only one suitable on the Milton Keynes route is olimpia and if I recall there is a good reason this can't be done. I am sure however that even with the "long" changeover time the Diesel would still be slower overall as it can't keep up with an EMU's start / stop times.

 

[Mojo]

:? A minute or two dwell time at North Pole seems about right. Doubt if five minutes is added on to journey times even if you allow for having to slowing down / coming to a halt before changing from AC to DC (or vice-versa) and then moving off.

I agree, just checking for a random train now, a train left Shepherds Bush at 10.54, passed North Pole Signal VC813 at 10.57, passed Mitre Bridge Junction at 10.59 and passed Willesden Junction at 1100. I'm not sure exactly where the changeover takes place (I get the feeling it may be VC813), but there's no way it takes 5 minutes.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Apparently changing the location of the switchover point on the West London line was considered as part of Network Rail's Cross London Route Utilisation Strategy in c. 2006.

The Association of London Government's response to the consultation paper stated that the changeover point is currently located between North Pole depot and Mitre Bridge Junction. This requires all electric services to stop in section to effect the changeover, costing around 2 minutes per train. The opportunity therefore exists to look at moving the changeover point to the planned station at Shepherds Bush.

However, the electrification engineer has advised that the cost of the alteration would be prohibitive, due to the need for extensive immunisation of the signalling equipment on the surrounding routes, including the lines operated by London Underground. However, it is understood that the Hammersmith & City line is due to be re-signalled in 2013, and this may give the opportunity for the issue to be revisited.

 

[Danielo]

Would safety be compromised by moving the switch over point to a station, say Shepherds Bush? I'm no train expert, but I get the impression the Electrostar's systems reboots at switch over. For example, would the passenger alarm still work? Can a switch over be done while the doors are open?