Transpennine Express decide not to use MK3's on limited services

[37201xoIM]

If the semi-fasts run as six cars, only one unit will be platformed at some (all?) of the smaller stations.

No: a mix of limited platform lengthening, SDO and various operating expediences, including to allow 6 cars to stop at stations whose platforms have only been lengthened to 4.

The only real immediate constraint - at least between Leeds and Manchester - is not platform lengths but stock shortage.

 

[mde]

I imagine the instruction would be the station but if the taxi is only carrying one passenger I doubt the driver will mind if the passenger asks to be dropped off somewhere which doesn't require more time/diesel to get to than the station.

I would imagine the paying customer (e.g. TPE) would mind - these services are monitored after all.

 

[dilbertphil]

Some talk today from people at TPE that the MK3's may not be in passenger service until October now.

 

[BeHereNow]

They must be so relieved that they aren't needed after all...

https://mobile.twitter.com/healey_andrew/status/999193690873704449

People couldn't get on at batley! Not good enough!

 

[ash39]

Some talk today from people at TPE that the MK3's may not be in passenger service until October now.

What's the point? The mk5A's will be mostly delivered by then!

 

[BeHereNow]

Exactly.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Except they have a contract they are not bothering to deliver.
I expect the reason is that their crews are fully committed running the new timetable with none spare for training on new services (the same trap as Northern).
It's entirely possible the new LHCS sets will suffer the same problem when they turn up.

 

[Mollman]

Except they have a contract they are not bothering to deliver.
I expect the reason is that their crews are fully committed running the new timetable with none spare for training on new services (the same trap as Northern).
It's entirely possible the new LHCS sets will suffer the same problem when they turn up.

Training runs were still operating today.

 

[D.K.TAYLOR]

68022 + 68026 thought Liverpool South Parkway at least 3 times I saw 68031 spare at Crewe

 

[BeHereNow]

https://twitter.com/TPEassist/status/999594492368949248

Sorry for the inconvenience Shaun, all carriages were in use across the network this morning ^LH

Seems they were in use today!

 

[geoffk]

No: a mix of limited platform lengthening, SDO and various operating expediences, including to allow 6 cars to stop at stations whose platforms have only been lengthened to 4.

The only real immediate constraint - at least between Leeds and Manchester - is not platform lengths but stock shortage.

I rode from Piccadilly to Greenfield at 1517 yesterday and came straight back. No capacity problem at that time and a guy with a bike who got off at Greenfield hadn't made a reservation. I expect the Greenfield passengers appreciated the more comfortable stock! My mate was going to Leeds and didn't realise it was a semi-fast but, as he had arrived at Piccadilly off another train, there was no point in him going over to Victoria for a fast train (or leaving from platform 14 and going all the way round).

 

[Ianigsy]

Some talk today from people at TPE that the MK3's may not be in passenger service until October now.

In the current state of affairs there may equally well be pressure to get them in service sooner rather than later, even if it's only covering York-Scarborough to free up some 185s.

 

[rich-leeds]

At a time when every train set really counts, this whole episode is very disappointing. It's a shame as otherwise TPE has a decent record. There's no clear excuse either. This is one bit of the 'plan' which does not rely on new infrastructure, or other third party projects.

 

[dilbertphil]

There are simply not enough drivers trained up to drive them. With all the current problems all instructors have been returned to work their rostered trains. A few of the 68 courses have been cancelled and those drivers are covering work also.

 

[yorkie]

So.. not enough drivers basically?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

There are simply not enough drivers trained up to drive them. With all the current problems all instructors have been returned to work their rostered trains. A few of the 68 courses have been cancelled and those drivers are covering work also.

We are back to being more than 2 years into the franchise, with class 68s and Mk3s having lain idle for most of that time.
Plus a franchise commitment to bring them into service before now.

 

[43096]

There are simply not enough drivers trained up to drive them. With all the current problems all instructors have been returned to work their rostered trains. A few of the 68 courses have been cancelled and those drivers are covering work also.

Yet another WorstGroup franchise that cannot get to grips with the basics of training its staff.

Part of the reason why the Mark 3 sets were taken on was to get crews trained up on the 68s, yet now we have staff being pulled from their courses. Just like the failing GWR franchise every crew member will need training on new/different stock. I predict that the TPE introduction of the new trains will be an utter fiasco as staff are not trained in time.

 

[Ih8earlies]

... and yet Door Marshall jobs are still being advertised internally on the vacancy list

 

[kingqueen]

Can somebody explain to me please why these don't have a carriage or carriages with standard class wheelchair space & toilet?

The staff briefing says that the wheelchair space won't be accessible. I get that on HSTs a lot in first class, e.g. on most VTEC and GWR the interior doorway is 55cm or 63cm which isn't enough for most wheelchairs, so VTEC don't advise them any more. But on those sets there is a fully accessible wheelchair space and loo.

Did this ex-Pretendolino set / wherever the other carriages come from, not have an accessible standard class wheelchair space?

Thanks

 

[BMIFlyer]

Can somebody explain to me please why these don't have a carriage or carriages with standard class wheelchair space & toilet?

The staff briefing says that the wheelchair space won't be accessible. I get that on HSTs a lot in first class, e.g. on most VTEC and GWR the interior doorway is 55cm or 63cm which isn't enough for most wheelchairs, so VTEC don't advise them any more. But on those sets there is a fully accessible wheelchair space and loo.

Did this ex-Pretendolino set / wherever the other carriages come from, not have an accessible standard class wheelchair space?

Thanks

The coaches that are being used do not have any sort of wheelchair access / space / toilet or bike accommodation.

 

[kingqueen]

The coaches that are being used do not have any sort of wheelchair access / space / toilet or bike accommodation.

The staff briefing says there is.

"despite having a certain level of wheel chair space and an old style (ex British Rail) access toilet, the trains will run without wheelchair or cycle provision."

But that's not what I was asking. I was asking: why is there no Standard Class coach with a wheelchair space? Did the rake(s) these coaches came from not have such a TSO(D), so to speak?

 

[kingqueen]

More screenshots from the same briefing, in case of interest to anyone.

 

[Bornin1980s]

Will any of these be crossing Yarm Viaduct, even if just a training run?

 

[USRailFan]

What haulage? DRS 68s I presume? Or (ex-)DBC 67s?

 

[59CosG95]

What haulage? DRS 68s I presume? Or (ex-)DBC 67s?

DRS 68s. Very definitely 68s.

 

[BeHereNow]

So they do have carriages with wheelchair spaces in... but those are the spares?

 

[kingqueen]

So they do have carriages with wheelchair spaces in... but those are the spares?

They have carriages with what used to be termed "wheelchair spaces", but the spaces were made decades ago to accessibility standards of the time and thus have doorways that are far too narrow for wheelchair users to actually get through, and the "accessible" toilets are similarly problematic. The "wheelchair spaces" are therefore not actually usable by people in wheelchairs so they've designated the carriages as not having any wheelchair access at all. Said carriages won't being held in reserve, they will be in use all the time.

 

[kingqueen]

Was the Pretendolino run without wheelchair accommodation?

 

[Bornin1980s]

They have carriages with what used to be termed "wheelchair spaces", but the spaces were made decades ago to accessibility standards of the time and thus have doorways that are far too narrow for wheelchair users to actually get through, and the "accessible" toilets are similarly problematic. The "wheelchair spaces" are therefore not actually usable by people in wheelchairs so they've designated the carriages as not having any wheelchair access at all. Said carriages won't being held in reserve, they will be in use all the time.

If that's the case, how were the spaces actually used in BR days?

 

[kingqueen]

If that's the case, how were the spaces actually used in BR days?

I wonder that too.

VTEC's Mark 3 carriages on their HST sets have similar issues.

https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/rail-travel/your-journey/assisted-travel/

"We do have a wheelchair space in First accommodation on these Diesel trains. However, due to the very old design of the trains the aisle to access the wheelchair space in First will only fit wheelchairs up to 55cm wide and there is no accessible toilet (just a standard sized toilet). For this reason it is inaccessible to nearly all wheelchair users."

I did some research: of the wheelchairs issued by the NHS or local authorities, no adult wheelchairs are narrower than 55cm and only the smallest of paediatric wheelchairs.

I guess wheelchair users could only travel if they could get out of their wheelchair, fold it and walk through that door, and similarly get out of their wheelchair and walk into the loo.