Lots of ECS running

[Bovverboy]

I never cease to be amazed how much empty running there is on Britain's railways. This morning, Northern's 2K30 (0603 Manchester Piccadilly - Crewe) was cancelled through lack of a conductor. Naturally enough, the return 2F23 (0713 Crewe - Liverpool Lime Street via Manchester Airport) was cancelled over the section Crewe - Manchester Oxford Road. Yet both those journeys operated, ECS. Does that sort of thing happen a lot?

 

[gnolife]

I never cease to be amazed how much empty running there is on Britain's railways. This morning, Northern's 2K30 (0603 Manchester Piccadilly - Crewe) was cancelled through lack of a conductor. Naturally enough, the return 2F23 (Crewe - Liverpool Lime Street via Manchester Airport) was cancelled over the section Crewe - Manchester Oxford Road. Yet both those journeys operated, ECS. Does that sort of thing happen a lot?

You'd have to run at least part of it, whether it's to Longsight, to Alderley Edge, or all the way to Crewe to get the unit in place at Oxford Road for it to work 2F32 to Liverpool.

 

[Bovverboy]

Services regularly get cancelled Piccadilly - Crewe - Oxford Road, or vice versa, but they aren't usually sent to Crewe to reverse.

 

[dk1]

Until I became traincrew I thought like that. Nowadays it’s just normal. Miles & miles of ECS & all I worry about is getting back & done as early as possible.

 

[6Gman]

I never cease to be amazed how much empty running there is on Britain's railways. This morning, Northern's 2K30 (0603 Manchester Piccadilly - Crewe) was cancelled through lack of a conductor. Naturally enough, the return 2F23 (0713 Crewe - Liverpool Lime Street via Manchester Airport) was cancelled over the section Crewe - Manchester Oxford Road. Yet both those journeys operated, ECS. Does that sort of thing happen a lot?

Presumably it's easier to keep them rolling than to find somewhere to stable it.

 

[175001]

Yesterday, a Blackpool - Hazel Grove was caped at Oxford Road due to no conductor, so the units ran ECS to Hazel Grove to sit in the sidings out of the way

 

[dk1]

Yesterday, a Blackpool - Hazel Grove was caped at Oxford Road due to no conductor, so the units ran ECS to Hazel Grove to sit in the sidings out of the way

EMR regularly run empty Norwich-Nottingham if no conductor is available.

 

[Jimini]

The 2230 off Euston last night was cancelled, thus giving it a nice early start and swerving Brum as well:

Realtime Trains - 5G48 2230 London Euston to Wolverhampton

Realtime Trains is an independent source of live realtime running information for the Great British railway network.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[dk1]

The 2230 off Euston last night was cancelled, thus giving it a nice early start and swerving Brum as well:

Realtime Trains - 5G48 2230 London Euston to Wolverhampton

Realtime Trains is an independent source of live realtime running information for the Great British railway network.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Early bed for the driver & catering staff there then.

 

[The Lad]

If the driver is available it keeps the unit in the right places for crew swaps or in one recent case to catch up the conductor who had mistakenly caught an earlier train.

 

[47827]

I know how ridiculous some of these things are. It's been going on for years too. I wouldn't be surprised if sometimes the drivers don't sign a siding or depot (say Longsight) the train should be sent instead. There's also the mindset that diversion into a depot or siding space could create a conflict with another scheduled train using the route. On some occasions trains have also run ECS to keep up route knowledge on occasions when drivers don't get to go over a line very often. There's a whole host of random reasons. I remember 47772 one Sunday on a XC service many years ago running ECS from Darlington to Newcastle and back to somewhere else as it had a safety fault preventing it carrying on in service as there was nowhere to put it.