Getting people back on trains as lockdown eases.

[dk1]

EMR where beyond social distancing on some departures from Norwich yesterday. I’ve not noticed any internal reporting of this with GA even though many I’ve worked recently have been F&S. It must be a policy with EMR to report busy trains.

 

[LowLevel]

Given the number of people, I'd say it was closer to a crush load issue than social distancing. Too many people were getting on it for my liking (in general, not a Covid issue) so I changed plans, which turned out to be a good idea given it didn't end up going anywhere.

I do wonder why so many people wanted to go that way off Nottingham, and indeed what happened to them! I suppose those for Grantham may have got the Skegness shortly after, though that looked rather busy too (not least because the previous one had been cancelled). Not a lot of use if you were going to eg. Peterborough though - another 'unintended' consequence of LNER's silly mandatory reservations...

It's always the way. Planning assumes people will use the buses from Luton, reality dictates they'll use the fast, easy and valid route via Grantham and the Regional services are always swamped and never strengthened.

I believe the train in question was cancelled as the crew also didn't wish to board the train which was packed out and no reasonable method of thinning numbers could be arrived at.

They were all wedged out today. In fact most services that were running were extremely busy, on all routes.

 

[Bald Rick]

I wonder how long it will be until NR move away from having masses of engineering works on bank holidays.

I can’t see it happening.

Would you for example prioritise a long weekend - where there might not be that many peopleactually travelling to work on a Friday/Monday, over a bank holiday with much greater volumes of travel.

Even with fewer people commuting on Friday / Monday, there will still be more people on the rails on most routes than on a BH weekend.

 

[Philip]

Well a service from South Wales arrived into Manchester today packed to the rafters; it was a 2 coach 175 but surprising how busy it was and all 'social distancing' had definitely gone out of the window! The aisles were full throughout each carriage.

 

[Bikeman78]

Has that been a problem overseas, trains getting cancelled due to excessive demand? Or do they actually plan these things out and put the required or even slightly too many carriages on?

It has in Belgium, with half the country trying to go to Blankenberge. Zandvoort was always popular in the Netherlands. The sprinters cannot cope so they put on a relief shuttle from Haarlem. Not sure what it's like this year.

 

[Solent&Wessex]

I've had nearly all my trains yesterday and today beyond social distancing capacity for part of the journey and some that have actually been full and standing with all seats taken and people standing down the aisles and in vestibules. A number of key stations have been very very busy and I've observed a number of trains full and standing using the old pre-covid standard, let alone social distancing standard.

Certainly seems no difficulty in attracting people on to the trains near me this weekend!

Incidentally I was travelling around south Wales 10 days ago and on the Thursday I caught the 1749 from Cardiff to Hereford. The 2 car 175 was full and standing, old style, and it was pleasantly normal to have a complete stranger come and sit next to me. I had to offer the seat as she was hovering nearby not wanting to make the first move to sit down next to a stranger but seemed relieved when I said I was fine and she should just sit down.

 

[yorksrob]

Yes, its been quite like old times !

 

[Killingworth]

Hope Valley stoppers today rammed though mostly running 2 and 3 cars when prior to May timetable changes most had been 150 x 2. Seems odd for a glorious Bank Holiday when loadings guaranteed to be high.. One return trip cancelled, rumoured to be overloaded at Piccadilly.

Updated, 10.16 was cancelled as staff were unhappy to take out due to crowding well beyond Covid levels. Last time I used a Saturday morning 4 car service out of Piccadilly a few weeks ago, on a cold and dull day, it was well loaded so how a 2 car was expected to cope on a glorious sunny day needs some explaining.

 

[yorksrob]

I was catching the double 150's on the hope valley pretty recently. Pretty good crowd absorbers !

 

[Killingworth]

I was catching the double 150's on the hope valley pretty recently. Pretty good crowd absorbers !

Which is what the crowds may have expected, but mostly didn't get today. Not helped by EMR cancelling most trains between Manchester and Sheffeld due to their strike.

 

[yorksrob]

Which is what the crowds may have expected, but mostly didn't get today. Not helped by EMR cancelling most trains between Manchester and Sheffeld due to their strike.

Goodness. At least TPE were running six carriages I assume (they were yesterday).

 

[185143]

The 13:18 MAN-DON was a rather well loaded 6 car 185. Piccadilly, Sheffield and Leeds were all very busy this afternoon.

 

[dk1]

Not many trains from Norwich this weekend due to engineering works but those running hourly to Yarmouth, Lowestoft & Sheringham have been full & standing even with Stadlers now. The many RR buses to Wymondham, Ipswich, & Peterborough also busy busy.

 

[Silver Cobra]

Today's 12:45 Thameslink service from Peterborough to Kings Cross (12-car 700) was well loaded when I boarded it at Biggleswade. As a regular user of this service between Biggleswade and Arlesey on a Sunday, I can say that today was the busiest I've seen it so far this year, with 60-70% of the seats in use in the carriages I could see from where I boarded.

 

[LowLevel]

Which is what the crowds may have expected, but mostly didn't get today. Not helped by EMR cancelling most trains between Manchester and Sheffeld due to their strike.

The contingency managers don't sign the route via Newton le Willows as via Warrington Central is closed due to engineering work. Hence everything turning around at Sheffield, presumably no capacity to handle the trains at Piccadilly.

 

[185143]

The contingency managers don't sign the route via Newton le Willows as via Warrington Central is closed due to engineering work. Hence everything turning around at Sheffield, presumably no capacity to handle the trains at Piccadilly.

Surely one possibility would have been to run in service as far as Oxford Road, terminate and run empties to Liverpool and back if there was no room at Piccadilly? Not ideal, granted, but better than just throwing the towel in completely.

 

[nedchester]

Surely one possibility would have been to run in service as far as Oxford Road, terminate and run empties to Liverpool and back if there was no room at Piccadilly? Not ideal, granted, but better than just throwing the towel in completely.

A ridiculous common sense idea……..

 

[Ianno87]

Surely one possibility would have been to run in service as far as Oxford Road, terminate and run empties to Liverpool and back if there was no room at Piccadilly? Not ideal, granted, but better than just throwing the towel in completely.

Good luck trying to detain a service in the through platform at Oxford Rd every hour and not cause chaos. Operationally brave to say the least.

 

[yorksrob]

Good luck trying to detain a service in the through platform at Oxford Rd every hour and not cause chaos. Operationally brave to say the least.

I'm not sure. I've seen reversible platform three used for terminating things during works a few times.

 

[Ianno87]

I'm not sure. I've seen reversible platform three used for terminating things during works a few times.

Which is pre-planned, not done on the fly (which will cause delay minutes)

 

[185143]

Good luck trying to detain a service in the through platform at Oxford Rd every hour and not cause chaos. Operationally brave to say the least.

I did consider that, hence why I didn't say Piccadilly. Surely on a Sunday Occy Road platform 1 could cope dealing with it?

Or detrain at Stockport. It's better than nothing.

 

[Ianno87]

I did consider that, hence why I didn't say Piccadilly. Surely on a Sunday Occy Road platform 1 could cope dealing with it?

You've either got to turn back against the flow, or have to re-start after the same dwell time to keep the path through Deansgate.

Or detrain at Stockport. It's better than nothing.

No, nothing is better than trying to do that on a busy Sunday!

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Quite astonishingly, I've just spotted that the Settle and Carlisile Community Rail Parternship (!) Twitter feed is encouraging people not to travel by train this weekend:

https://twitter.com/setcarrailway/status/1398255235252953091?s=19

If you're planning to explore #Settle and #Carlisle country #StaySafe & #TravelSafely. Walk, cycle or travel by car where possible. #SettleCarlisleRailway walking guides: https://t.co/q0wBEC4CIA Check travel restrictions: https://t.co/hQd2uts8jL #WalkThisMay #CommunityRail https://t.co/AnOUBPmFLc

 

[dk1]

353 alighted from the 10:30 ex-Liv St at Norwich today. Many transferred to the 12:36 Yarmouth with 130 being counted onboard after departure. It’s all quickly coming back.

 

[Bikeman78]

353 alighted from the 10:30 ex-Liv St at Norwich today. Many transferred to the 12:36 Yarmouth with 130 being counted onboard after departure. It’s all quickly coming back.

11:48 Paddington to Swansea 10 cars was around 50% full from Paddington. It was noticeable how many people were eating or drinking to have a mask break! Though obviously it coincided with lunch time.

 

[The Prisoner]

353 alighted from the 10:30 ex-Liv St at Norwich today. Many transferred to the 12:36 Yarmouth with 130 being counted onboard after departure. It’s all quickly coming back.

It is all coming back, so why are TOCs not running the services to match? TfW have reduced services to Llandudno and no direct North Wales/South Wales services are running, whilst Avanti have also not restarted numerous services.

 

[Bikeman78]

It is all coming back, so why are TOCs not running the services to match? TfW have reduced services to Llandudno and no direct North Wales/South Wales services are running, whilst Avanti have also not restarted numerous services.

Lack of train crew mainly. TfW has strengthened some trains along the coast although the demise of the Pacers has limited the options available.

 

[Freightmaster]

Lack of train crew mainly. TfW has strengthened some trains along the coast although the demise of the Pacers has limited the options available.

Out of curiosity, why is there a 'lack of traincrew' now that shielding has ended?




MARK

 

[seagull]

It is all coming back, so why are TOCs not running the services to match? TfW have reduced services to Llandudno and no direct North Wales/South Wales services are running, whilst Avanti have also not restarted numerous services.

In some cases because the DfT have specifically requested a certain (current) level of timetable to be run.

 

[dk1]

Out of curiosity, why is there a 'lack of traincrew' now that shielding has ended?




MARK

Shielding was never a problem. It was training during the pandemic. Some TOCs got a better hold on this than others.

 

[Watershed]

Out of curiosity, why is there a 'lack of traincrew' now that shielding has ended?




MARK

TOCs that have taken an excessively cautious approach to training (naming no names in particular!) are now bearing the brunt of those decisions. Some traincrew have retired or left the industry, others have lapsed competency whilst shielding or through the significant reduction in work. Meanwhile, at some TOCs, very few people have been trained to make up for it.