Emergency timetable to deal with coronavirus: what would you propose?

[Ianno87]

If push comes to shove - on CrossCountry's Voyager and HST services I'd prioritise the longer-distance services by running an hourly service to and from Manchester and Bournemouth only - no services to and from Manchester and Bristol.

On the XC services to and from the North East, I'd run the current services to and from Scotland and the South West.

So basically the only XC services from Oxford heading north are the Manchester services - south: Bournemouth bound trains. Passengers for between Derby - Newcastle would change at Birmingham New Street onto the xx:03. Including vice versa.

Rolling stock wise, I'd run double Voyagers on all the reduced Manchester services and double Voyagers on the booked Voyager services on the routes to and from Scotland and the South West and the HST's on the present routes or an extra 2 to compensate for the reduced frequency.

I'm not saying this will be the case but this is what I'd do.

Surely we should *not* be prioritising long distance travel as that tends to be less "necessary" in nature?

 

[Ianno87]

Really they still need to run as many services as possible running as long trains as possible. With transport being undoubtedly a place where there’s a risk of spread there’s no value in matching capacity perfectly to demand.

For something like GN it should be as many 12-car trains as possible, and concentrate resources on where people are actually travelling - so ideally turning some services back short of the extremities of the route in order to focus on London journeys. No point for example in having 6tph to and from Cambridge off-peak like the proper timetable does. Turning back at somewhere like Letchworth would make better use of resources.

Clearly the limiting factor is going to be crew availability if we start to see large numbers of operating staff off for one reason or another, as seems inevitable.

My money would be on chopping the 1Txxs to north of Cambridge only and let Thameslink (2C/9Sxx) take the load south of there.

 

[paulmch]

Cambridgeshire:

XX:22 from Birmingham calling all stations to Cambridge, including Manea and Whittlesea.
XX:52 services from Birmingham to Leicester, as well as peak time XX:09 departures, cancelled throughout.

No XC service Cambridge to Stansted Airport.

Semi-fast GA service Cambridge to Liverpool Street cancelled, replaced by a bare bones shuttle between Cambridge and Stansted Airport (or even no trains to Stansted at all!)

No GA service from Peterborough to Ipswich.

EMR Liverpool-Norwich terminate at Ely, or even Peterborough if things are getting really bleak!

 

[bramling]

My money would be on chopping the 1Txxs to north of Cambridge only and let Thameslink (2C/9Sxx) take the load south of there.

That just doesn’t work well. Experience during the storms when this has happened shows you can end up with a train full of people at Cambridge leaving no look in for people from the intermediate stations.

They’re better off keeping the 387 services and inserting a few extra calls to make better use of them.

Whatever happens reducing lengths is a really bad thing to do. A shuttle Cambridge to Kings Lynn would be a good shout as it would save a load of crews doing the shunting at Cambridge, and allow fixed formations inwards of there.

In reality much will of course be determined by crew availability more so than what is ideal on paper. The through services are likely to be victims as if we reach a situation where crew availability becomes volatile then Finsbury Park reliefs will be a major problem.

 

[London Trains]

This is a very rushed idea I've had (and I will likely edit it in the future)

Avanti West Coast:

xx:20 Manchester Picc (Milton Keynes, Stoke, Macclesfield, Stockport)
xx:23 Birmingham (Watford Jct, Rugby, Coventry, Bham Intl)
xx:30 Glasgow (Crewe, Warrington, Wigan, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle)
xx:33 Liverpool Lime St (Stafford, Crewe, Runcorn)
xx:40 Manchester Picc (Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport)
xx:43 Wolves (Milton Keynes, Coventry, Bham Intl, New St, Sandwell & Dudley)

• Chester/Holyhead services to start from Crewe.
• No services to Blackpool, Wrexham or Shrewsbury.
• No ticket inspections at Euston and early platform announcing for the safety of staff and to avoid the Euston scrum which causes crowds.
• All services out of Euston run with Pendolinos to avoid crowding.

LNWR/WMR:

xx:00 Northampton (Harrow, Bushey, Watford, Kings Langley, Apsley, Hemel, Berkhamsted, Tring, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Wolverton)

xx:30 Northampton (Harrow, Watford, Kings Langley, Apsley, Hemel, Berkhamsted, Tring, Cheddington, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Wolverton)

xx:45 Crewe (Milton Keynes, Rugby, Nuneaton, Atherstone, Tamworth, Lichfield, Rugeley, Stafford, Stone, Stoke, Kidsgrove, Alsager)

• Northampton services all run with 12 car 350s to avoid crowding.
• 2tph Northampton to Birmingham (all stops apart from alternating trains calling at Hampton in Arden and Adderley Park).
• 2tph Birmingham to Liverpool (all stops other than Acton Bridge).
• 2tph Birmingham to Rugeley via Aston (all stops).
• 2tph Cross City Line from Lichfield to Redditch (all stops).
• 1tph Birmingham to Shrewsbury (Sandwell & Dudley, Wolves, all stops)
• 1tph Birmingham to Hereford (normal calling pattern).
• All services run at max length to avoid overcrowding.

Caledonian Sleeper: Both cancelled.

Southern:

• All Gatwick Express services are cancelled (lack of demand to airport so these become unviable anyway).
• All WCML services cancelled.
• Dorking to Horsham to have no service with Victoria to Horsham services curtailed to Dorking.
• Peak time extensions to Guildford cancelled.
• London Bridge to Coulsdon Town services cancelled.
• London Bridge to Caterham via Streatham services cancelled.
• Peak extra services cancelled.
• London Bridge to Uckfield services to start from Oxted once the East Grinstead landslip has been sorted.
• Littlehampton to Portsmouth services cancelled with stops distributed to London/Brighton to Portsmouth/Southampton services.
• Brighton to Hove shuttles cancelled.
• Brighton to Lewes shuttles cancelled.
• Eastbourne to Ashford cut back to Hastings to Ashford with stops filled in by Brighton to Hastings services.

Thameslink:

• Luton to Rainham cancelled with stops that have no service due to this served by Southeastern services.
• Littlehampton and East Grinstead peak services cancelled.
• Peterborough to Horsham split to Peterborough to Kings Cross and London Bridge to Horsham.
• Cambridge to Brighton services cancelled with stops filled in by the Cambridge to Kings Cross and Bedford to Brighton services.
• Luton/Kentish Town to Orpington services start from Blackfriars.
• Planned additions to the service in the May timetable change to not take place due to the disruption.

Great Northern:
• Kings Cross to Ely services cancelled.
• All peak extra services cancelled.
• Moorgate to Welwyn and Hertford services halved to 2tph.

SWR:

• Waterloo to Poole stopping services to start at Southampton.
• Waterloo to Portsmouth via Eastleigh services to start at Eastleigh.
• Waterloo to Weymouth services to pick up any missed stops.
• Waterloo to Portsmouth fast services halved to 1tph.
• Waterloo to Portsmouth and Southsea stopper extended to Portsmouth Harbour.
• Waterloo to Haslemere services cancelled with missed stops picked up by the Portsmouth stopper.
• Waterloo to Salisbury services cancelled with missed stops picked up by the Exeter service.
• No services from Waterloo to Bristol.
• Waterloo to Weybridge services reduced to a Virginia Water to Weybridge shuttle that connects to Reading services.
• Hounslow loop services to only run Waterloo to Hounslow via Isleworth.
• Peak extra services cancelled.
• Waterloo to Dorking/Guildford via Epsom cancelled with services only running 2tph Waterloo to Epsom.
• Waterloo to Shepperton services start at Kingston with connections to Waterloo loop services.
• Waterloo to Woking and Basingstoke services combined, calling at Vauxhall, Clapham Jct, Earlsfield, Wimbledon, Surbiton then all stops all the way to Basingstoke.

Crosscountry:
• Manchester to Bristol (everything NW to SW) services cancelled.
• Newcastle to Reading (everything NE to SE) services cancelled.
• Everything terminates at Plymouth, extensions to Penzance and Paignton cancelled.
• Everything terminates at Edinburgh, extensions to Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow cancelled.
• All services to run with double Voyagers or HSTs to stop crowding.
• Birmingham to Nottingham service cancelled.
• Birmingham to Stansted service terminates at Cambridge.
• Birmingham to Leicester service cancelled with missed stops covered by the Cambridge service.
•

EMR:

xx:00 St Pancras to Sheffield (Leicester, Loughborough, Long Eaton, Derby, Chesterfield)

xx:30 St Pancras to Nottingham (Bedford, Wellingborough, Kettering, Market Harborough, Leicester, Loughborough, Beeston)

• 1tph Kettering to Corby shuttle that connects with the London service.
• Mansfield to Nottingham services cancelled.
• Liverpool to Norwich services start at Manchester Piccadilly.
• Terminate Matlock to Newark at Nottingham, with missed stops covered by Leicester to Lincoln.

TPE:

• Liverpool to Scarborough to only run from York to Scarborough.
• Manchester to Redcar to only run from York to Middlesbrough.
• Manchester Airport to Newcastle to start at Piccadilly main shed and not go through the Castlefield corridor.
• All services terminate at Newcastle with no Edinburgh extensions.
• Manchester Airport to Cleethorpes to start at Manchester Piccadilly.
• Irregular Liverpool to Glasgow services cancelled.

Heathrow Express: All services cancelled.

London Overground:

• Richmond to Stratford 2tph.
• Clapham Jct to Stratford 4tph.
• Gospel Oak to Barking halved in frequency to 2tph.
• Liverpool St to Chingford halved in frequency to 2tph.
• All services on the East London Line halved in frequency to 2tph.
• Bakerloo Line terminating at Queens Park so onwards services are London Overground only.
Chiltern Railways:

• Marylebone to Oxford halved in frequency to 1tph due to lack of demand to Bicester Village.
• Marylebone to Birmingham halved in frequency to 1tph calling at all stops either of the services called at.
• Marylebone to Gerrards Cross and High Wycombe services combined into a 1tph Marylebone to High Wycombe all stops service.
• All services that run solely in the Midlands are cancelled.
• All Kidderminster extensions are cut back to Birmingham Moor St.

LNER:

• All extensions to Skipton, Bradford, Harrogate, Hull, Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen, Stirling and Sunderland will not run.
• 1tph London to Edinburgh (Peterborough, Doncaster, York, Northallerton, Darlington, Durham, Newcastle, Alnmouth, Berwick)
• 1tph London to Leeds (Stevenage, Peterborough, Grantham, Newark, Doncaster, Wakefield)

Merseyrail: Halve frequencies to 2tph on every line (not Ellesmere Port as it already only has 2tph)

C2C: Halve the frequency of Fenchurch St to Shoeburyness services to 2tph.

Southeastern:

• Victoria to Bromley South cancelled.
• Charing Cross to Hayes cancelled.
• Cannon St to Orpington cancelled with Charing Cross to Sevenoaks services covering the missed stops.
• Bromley North shuttle reduced to 2tph.
• New service Cannon St to Dartford 2tph via the North Kent line calling at all stations.
• All Cannon St loop services cancelled with missed stops on the Sidcup Line added to the Charing Cross to Gravesend service.
• Charing Cross to Tunbridge Wells services cancelled with Hildenborough calls added to the Hastings services.
• Victoria to Dover Priory services reduced to 1tph.
• Peak extra services cancelled.

GWR:

• Paddington to Bristol services cancelled with missed stops added to the Paddington to Wales services.
• Paddington to Penzance/Plymouth service combined with Exeter to Penzance service with there being 1tph Paddington to Penzance calling at all stops that the Exeter to Penzance stopping service did.
• Paddington to Oxford service cancelled.
• Didcot to Oxford nonstop service cancelled.
• Reading to Gatwick service cancelled with missed stops added to the Reading to Redhill stopping service.
• All Cornish local service that run at 2tph are reduced to 1tph.
• All Brighton extensions are cancelled.

 

[Bletchleyite]

While wandering through an empty Euston towards the 1954 to NMP this evening (average <5 people per coach) it occurred to me that if the Government indeed means what they said (no non-essential travel) then we can actually cut a lot further, potentially just a couple of trains a day per route.

People normally ignore that and take their chances, but this is different.

 

[S&CLER]

Merseyrail might try a 20-minute frequency on all routes, with Ellesmere Port-Hooton served by a shuttle.

 

[Silverlinky]

So the shackles get thrown off and TOC's can run emergency timetables with no penalties......what happens to the staff?

Do we really think there will be dozens of traincrew sitting around "spare" with no trains to work.....or could we see "airline style" laying off/unpaid leave etc?

 

[VT 390]

How long would any emergency timetable be likely to last?

 

[bramling]

So the shackles get thrown off and TOC's can run emergency timetables with no penalties......what happens to the staff?

Do we really think there will be dozens of traincrew sitting around "spare" with no trains to work.....or could we see "airline style" laying off/unpaid leave etc?

I suspect any reduced workload might be balanced by self isolations. My place today has had several people phone in to say they won’t be in for 12 weeks through precautionary isolating due to underlying health conditions (in some cases presumably connected with being massively overweight).

There’s no way operating staff would be laid off as quite simply the cost of retraining something like a driver would outweigh having people sitting around. Likewise the “back of house” functions will still be needed, things like train planners and HR may well be more in demand.

Another point for the railway, could a training class count as a “mass gathering”?

 

[Silverlinky]

I suspect any reduced workload might be balanced by self isolations. My place today has had several people phone in to say they won’t be in for 12 weeks through precautionary isolating due to underlying health conditions (in some cases presumably connected with being massively overweight).

There’s no way operating staff would be laid off as quite simply the cost of retraining something like a driver would outweigh having people sitting around. Likewise the “back of house” functions will still be needed, things like train planners and HR may well be more in demand.

Another point for the railway, could a training class count as a “mass gathering”?

"No way operating staff would be laid off"??

How's that? Pilots have been/are being laid off by airlines......

 

[bramling]

"No way operating staff would be laid off"??

How's that? Pilots have been/are being laid off by airlines......

There is a difference though - airlines are by and large commercial, railways aren’t and aren’t regarded as being that. When this is over we will *need* trains to be running, whereas cheap holidays in Ibeza aren’t essential.

 

[Meerkat]

"No way operating staff would be laid off"??

How's that? Pilots have been/are being laid off by airlines......

Being totally cynical there isn’t anything stopping lay offs - not much point going on strike.
But most staff will be needed later.

 

[bramling]

Being totally cynical there isn’t anything stopping lay offs - not much point going on strike.
But most staff will be needed later.

Many staff will be needed *now*.

Even a Sunday service requires a fair few staff - and don’t forget it’s not just drivers; for grades like control or signalling you basically need the same numbers regardless of what is being run, although you might get away with less at a push. Any reductions in numbers are likely to be countered by those off I’d say.

 

[Bald Rick]

There is a difference though - airlines are by and large commercial, railways aren’t and aren’t regarded as being that. When this is over we will *need* trains to be running, whereas cheap holidays in Ibeza aren’t essential.

Also, international travel - the bulk of airlines’ business - is all but stopped. Domestic travel is very much continuing. The concourse at Euston was pretty busy 15 minutes ago, and there’s no major delayed boarding.

Given the effort it takes to train a driver, they will be the very last people in TOCs to be laid off. I expect a reduction in overtime / rest days first, then an increase in spare cover (as many people will be going off work at short notice), then a call for unpaid leave (which I suspect won’t get many takers).

But as a point of order, when this is over cheap holidays to anywhere will definitely be needed for people who have been at the frontline for this. As a further point of order, there haven’t been cheap holidays to Ibiza for at least a decade!

 

[Silverlinky]

Many staff will be needed *now*.

Even a Sunday service requires a fair few staff - and don’t forget it’s not just drivers; for grades like control or signalling you basically need the same numbers regardless of what is being run, although you might get away with less at a push. Any reductions in numbers are likely to be countered by those off I’d say.

I'd be surprised if its even the same level as a Sunday service....that doesn't sit right with only "essential travel" being allowed. Two or three trains an hour would be considered excessive.....

 

[Bald Rick]

I'd be surprised if its even the same level as a Sunday service....that doesn't sit right with only "essential travel" being allowed. Two or three trains an hour would be considered excessive.....

Let’s not forget that for a significant proportion of the workforce, they can’t work at home. Particularly most those who are responsible for operating, maintaining (and fixing) our essential public services. Not least the Health service, and the supply chain (including the railways themselves).

Whilst the fall off in traffic is significant (and variable, in my experience so far: some routes /times are still busy) it has effectively taken us back to demand levels around 20 years ago.

Expect Saturday services, at least initially.

 

[Meerkat]

Essential travel would be a few trains in the peak, then just the occasional one during the day for shift workers?

 

[OneOffDave]

There'll still need to be some level of commuter service into London as there are a number of essential services that need the staff to be able to get to work early enough

 

[Meerkat]

Let’s not forget that for a significant proportion of the workforce, they can’t work at home. Particularly most those who are responsible for operating, maintaining (and fixing) our essential public services. Not least the Health service, and the supply chain (including the railways themselves).

Whilst the fall off in traffic is significant (and variable, in my experience so far: some routes /times are still busy) it has effectively taken us back to demand levels around 20 years ago.

Expect Saturday services, at least initially.

Won’t quite a few of those drive, for the increased isolation, and because it’s now easier with quieter roads?

 

[Bald Rick]

Won’t quite a few of those drive, for the increased isolation, and because it’s now easier with quieter roads?

Not if they’ve already paid for their season ticket. Or don’t have a car. Or don’t want to drive into (for example) central London.

 

[Wiganlad]

Any chance of 4 coaches on the Manchester to Wigan service at peak times for social spacing?

 

[scotrail158713]

How long would any emergency timetable be likely to last?

How long is a piece of string?

 

[Wiganlad]

How long is a piece of string?

'Twice the half of its length'

 

[ChiefPlanner]

The interesting one is the maintenance of "high frequency" Airport services - not just on the National Network , - but say the Piccadilly line (accepting the fact it serves swathes of suburbia west of Hammersmith)

Key services to get people to and from work , am /pm and to an extent in "out of hours" times have to be maintained - else the economy does not function.

The recent excellent loadings on Saturday services are bound to take a hammering - to a lesser extent , Sundays - thinking selfishly of the L+SE areas - but applicable no doubt to many other areas - if we are told to minimise contact and exposure , with others and social / entertainment / social and football venues are temporarily knocked out , then a good hard look is needed - but I can see (thinking of Thameslink North) - a scenario where a service offer of 8 tph at these times for much of the day could come down to 4 TPH - maybe even less - in the interim period till things pan out.

Savings really on direct costs of units /cleaning / traction and driver train crew. Fixed track access costs etc are , unsuprisingly longer term and "fixed" (for now) ........

 

[HowardGWR]

Won’t quite a few of those drive, for the increased isolation, and because it’s now easier with quieter roads?

Presumably the Government would want to maintain present rail capacity so as to ensure the desired 'social spacing' which has now been achieved? It would be surely more a question of how many operational rail staff become unavailable?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Presumably the Government would want to maintain present rail capacity so as to ensure the desired 'social spacing' which has now been achieved? It would be surely more a question of how many operational rail staff become unavailable?

It's way beyond that at the moment. I reckon if you dropped each WCML branch to 1tph or even 1tp2h you would still only have every other seat occupied.

 

[Horizon22]

There'll still need to be some level of commuter service into London as there are a number of essential services that need the staff to be able to get to work early enough

They're not normally taking commuter trains (which I classify as city arrivals between 0700 - 0900) though as the majority of your essential service workers ("blue light", other transport industries) will be on shift work too.

 

[OneOffDave]

They're not normally taking commuter trains (which I classify as city arrivals between 0700 - 0900) though as the majority of your essential service workers ("blue light", other transport industries) will be on shift work too.

There is all the civil service staff supporting the response across Whitehall, most of who are working 0800-2000

 

[Class 466]

I reckon Southeastern (or whoever is operating it in 2 weeks time) will soon switch to a base Saturday timetable.