Northern's Problems in the North West

[Moonshot]

I can guarantee you it hasn't, because I also see the same noticeboards, and have seen then for a lot longer than you have.

Im afraid you are wrong. Period....so will agree to disagree

 

[Llama]

Not only do I see the noticeboards, I am also involved directly in the figures they display. So yes, we will disagree.

 

[Bovverboy]

The number of training days had actually increased steadily despite there having been a RDW agreement for the last two or three years which stopped in February. There hasn't been a ''surge" since RDW stopped, some depots have actually had some reductions in training requirements (eg Man Vic losing 155s, some Airport, some Huddersfield work) and some have had increases (eg Man Picc learning the Chat Moss, or Lime Street learning Airport to Crewe and 323s).

This is something which must have passed me by, i.e. Piccadilly drivers learning Chat Moss, and Lime Street drivers learning Airport to Crewe.
I thought a lot of recent fuss was about trains having to change crews at Oxford Road, simply because none (or few) crews knew the complete route. Is this not the case?

 

[Llama]

Yes, and this also goes for the Airport-Prestons/Blackpools being relieved at Oxford Rd more than originally scoped because of Golborne/158/319 complications. The company originally wanted as little booked relief as possible at Oxford Rd but had to capitulate.

 

[Howardh]

At risk of being scalded for duplicating the same post in two seperate threads...this is the situation at Bolton a few minutes ago.

Out of the next 11 services shown from Bolton at 1206;
3 are so far on time
6 are late from 4 to 23 mins
2 are cancelled.
Unsure if the cancelled trains have a substitute bus.

Frankly the mid-day situation looks as bad as it was last week.

 

[backontrack]

At risk of being scalded for duplicating the same post in two seperate threads...this is the situation at Bolton a few minutes ago.

Out of the next 11 services shown from Bolton at 1206;
3 are so far on time
6 are late from 4 to 23 mins
2 are cancelled.
Unsure if the cancelled trains have a substitute bus.

Frankly the mid-day situation looks as bad as it was last week.

They may as well still be working on the tunnel!

 

[RickSanchez]

At risk of being scalded for duplicating the same post in two seperate threads...this is the situation at Bolton a few minutes ago.

Out of the next 11 services shown from Bolton at 1206;
3 are so far on time
6 are late from 4 to 23 mins
2 are cancelled.
Unsure if the cancelled trains have a substitute bus.

Frankly the mid-day situation looks as bad as it was last week.

140 full and part cancellations so far, added to the 165 removed from the timetable and the situation doesn’t look to have improved any

 

[Moonshot]

At risk of being scalded for duplicating the same post in two seperate threads...this is the situation at Bolton a few minutes ago.

Out of the next 11 services shown from Bolton at 1206;
3 are so far on time
6 are late from 4 to 23 mins
2 are cancelled.
Unsure if the cancelled trains have a substitute bus.

Frankly the mid-day situation looks as bad as it was last week.

What impact does that have on the passenger who turns up at Bolton in the next hour and wants to get a train into manchester?

 

[Moonshot]

140 full and part cancellations so far, added to the 165 removed from the timetable and the situation doesn’t look to have improved any

I was actually wondering if the 165 removed from the timetable was actually counted in todays figures? Not sure myself

 

[Llama]

Playing devil's advocate, tomorrow *may* be slightly better, as today's driver rostering was prepared prior to the temporary timetable being confirmed, so today's driver rostering bears some differences from what is actually now diagrammed to run.

 

[Howardh]

What impact does that have on the passenger who turns up at Bolton in the next hour and wants to get a train into manchester?

None. They will just turn up and hope their scheduled train isn't late, very late, stopping short, put on a bus or cancelled altogether. As usual.

 

[Moonshot]

None. They will just turn up and hope their scheduled train isn't late, very late, stopping short, put on a bus or cancelled altogether. As usual.

So no impact on passengers then

 

[Howardh]

So no impact on passengers then

Exactly - the same old clapped-out service on clapped-out trains except possibly with fewer timetabled trains.

 

[Moonshot]

Exactly - the same old clapped-out service on clapped-out trains except possibly with fewer timetabled trains.

And what will the service look like once everything from new trains, trained up staff and completed infrastructure is in place?

 

[Howardh]

And what will the service look like once everything from new trains, trained up staff and completed infrastructure is in place?

I'll see it when I believe it. It was supposed to have happened months and months ago. I might be dead when it happens if there are any more delays (seriously). And it son't stop the congestion between Deansgate and Piccadilly either!!!

 

[Moonshot]

I'll see it when I believe it. It was supposed to have happened months and months ago. I might be dead when it happens if there are any more delays (seriously). And it son't stop the congestion between Deansgate and Piccadilly either!!!

Well pardon me for stating the obvious, but isnt what I posted in 1543 actually the target? The fact that dates have come and gone for completion doesnt actually stop us getting to the end point.

 

[CentralTrainer]

From Twitter:

“I see that Chris Grayling is having to rearrange or cancel meetings with MPs about Northern today because he underestimated demand and cannot make the timetable work...”

 

[Merseysider]

What impact does that have on the passenger who turns up at Bolton in the next hour and wants to get a train into manchester?

That they'd be better off jumping on the bus

 

[cumbersome]

how do you find this new timetable which is supposed to provide certainty

whichever day I pick, the national rail journey planner has an exclamation mark in a yellow triangle next to the journey of interest, (with on-time underneath), which says service status "amended northern timetable until the end of july", so does that mean this train is supposed to be running or not?

 

[EnRoute]

Trains have been a pain in the North. Speaking from personal experience. - EnRoute

 

[Requeststop]

Reading what is happening from afar via news websites and chatrooms and other social media, what is happening in the north and London and South East is mayhem and indefensible.
How is it possible for TOC's to say they will deliver a service, supposedly "improve" that service and keep their franchises?

Customers, are just not getting the service they have paid for, pure and simple.

Three things have to happen.

TOC's have to pay the drivers to come into work. Forget the extra costs involved. They must think of it as NHS practices where locums may be paid a relative fortune to keep the local medical area going in a healthy state.

The TOC's have to be put on local notice. You cannot provide to the services you promised, then the costs will come out your subsidies and profits at an exorbitant rate, lets say 20 times the costs to long suffering public.

You loose your franchise, and the ability to bid for a franchise for 15-20 years, partial bids are banned too.

Why should the paying public have to suffer the inadequacies of the TOC's, and pay a relative fortune for the privilege.

If the public want to travel by train then the TOC's have to provide a safe, comfortable and reliable service. If it means that some drivers are hanging around a few days each month as cover for illness etc, so be it. If it means that some trains are kept in reserve to cover for breakdowns, weather related problems and illnesses etc, so be it. It is up to the TOC's to provide the services they signed up to in the first place.

Basically it's the magical letters PSO. Public Service Obligation. At this time, PSO has gone out the window.

It's about time PSO was rammed down the TOC's faces and the trades unionists who fight for their members interests, were reminded that the people they serve are not the shareholders or union memberships but the long suffering paying public.

 

[Howardh]

On Thursday I want to catch a plane at Manchester Airport 12.35pm. Terminal 3 (so that's 10 mins walk from the station) but I will pay extra for fast-track through security. I intend to be at Bolton station as soon as off-peak starts.

Anyone like to run a book on the time I will arrive at security?!!

 

[randyrippley]

Surely the only reason this emergency timetable exists is to minimise delay repayments?
Cancel the train by deleting it from the timetable and it doesn't exist, so no repayments for it

 

[Moonshot]

On Thursday I want to catch a plane at Manchester Airport 12.35pm. Terminal 3 (so that's 10 mins walk from the station) but I will pay extra for fast-track through security. I intend to be at Bolton station as soon as off-peak starts.

Anyone like to run a book on the time I will arrive at security?!!

11am roughly

 

[Moonshot]

Surely the only reason this emergency timetable exists is to minimise delay repayments?
Cancel the train by deleting it from the timetable and it doesn't exist, so no repayments for it

No....165 services have been took out so as to ease the pressure. To what extent delay repay amounts are is probably not as high as what one may assume

 

[randyrippley]

No....165 services have been took out so as to ease the pressure. ..........

But to paraphrase Mandy R-D......."Well they would say that"

 

[randyrippley]

On Thursday I want to catch a plane at Manchester Airport 12.35pm. Terminal 3 (so that's 10 mins walk from the station) but I will pay extra for fast-track through security. I intend to be at Bolton station as soon as off-peak starts.

Anyone like to run a book on the time I will arrive at security?!!

12:40

 

[Moonshot]

But to paraphrase Mandy R-D......."Well they would say that"

This is where fantasy and reality meet......and the reality is that 165 services have been took out to ease the pressure on a very difficult situation. The T and Cs of delay repay have not changed at all.

 

[Buspilot]

If you have a similar journey to the one I had from Blackpool North to Manchester Airport on 22 April, before the new timetable, you won't make your flight. It is worth remembering that from Piccadilly Station to the Airport by Metrolink takes the best part of an hour and the trams are not direct . A change at Colnbrook is required. That is if your train is terminated at Piccadilly.

 

[CentralTrainer]

On Thursday I want to catch a plane at Manchester Airport 12.35pm. Terminal 3 (so that's 10 mins walk from the station) but I will pay extra for fast-track through security. I intend to be at Bolton station as soon as off-peak starts.

Anyone like to run a book on the time I will arrive at security?!!

October 14th