Chiltern Railways officially announced as EWR service operator

[Peter Sarf]

This hasn't been decided yet, the MD, on a Teams call today stated as much, and that talks about method of operation would be taking place with the relevant unions etc. Stressed that no decision had been made.

This really worries me. I immediately think of the class 701 roll out. Started as DOO, Upset by poor sighting/lighting, Degraded working at too many stations followed by no new training course going ahead. Not saying Chiltern is anything like comparable to SWR but then again who is pulling the strings ?.
DfT.....

 

[DarloRich]

Who does assistance on WMT services at MKC, or is it the guard? Certainly WMT services are guard dispatched, the only dispatchers are Avanti.

there is a team of platform staff at MKC. I see them doing the ramps and helping people quite often.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

EDIT My guess is that Bicester London Road Town Village will become a routeing point and that Winslow will be associated with it and Bletchley, and then the fares check will determine which or both can be used for a specific destination. This will determine whether or not Winslow-Bicester-Marylebone is a valid “any permitted” route.

Wouldn’t it be a bit odd if the route is operated by Chiltern but their services from Marylebone to Oxford Parkway don’t form part of the ”any permitted” route? At certain times of day Euston-Milton Keynes via Avanti isn’t ideal so you’d be connecting via Bletchley on slower LNW semi-fasts at best, not ideal either!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Wouldn’t it be a bit odd if the route is operated by Chiltern but their services from Marylebone to Oxford Parkway don’t form part of the ”any permitted” route? At certain times of day Euston-Milton Keynes via Avanti isn’t ideal so you’d be connecting via Bletchley on slower LNW semi-fasts at best, not ideal either!

Bletchley now has two WMT fasts per hour taking about 40 minutes. This will be by far the quickest way between Winslow and Euston assuming the connections don't miss.

 

[87015]

Bletchley now has two WMT fasts per hour taking about 40 minutes. This will be by far the quickest way between Winslow and Euston assuming the connections don't miss.

If its the times in from May shown in RTT, the "connections" are not far off as bad as they could be, pretty much +25s in both directions.

 

[zwk500]

Bletchley now has two WMT fasts per hour taking about 40 minutes. This will be by far the quickest way between Winslow and Euston assuming the connections don't miss.

A random sample of the timetable suggests the 1046 arrival at Bletchley from Winslow would connect into the 1110 Birmingham-Euston (as well as the 1104 MK Stopper).

Winslow 1035 Bletchley 1044
Bletchley 1110 Euston 1149

The connection's actually long enough you can meet the same train at MK with a 10 minute wait time.

 

[FGW_Lad]

It isn't going to call at Islip, so that's that one solved.

Winslow is going to be staffed but presumably not 24/7. Bletchley is only staffed for part of the day. I've never seen the ramp used at Bletchley late at night to know who would do it (if anyone). Indeed the one time I can recall seeing it at all was on a Marston Vale train and the guard did it.

Is Chiltern to Oxford DOO? Either way that will give you your precedent I guess.

I believe Chiltern are DOO all services south of Banbury apart from loco hauled, are they just borrowing the 196s or using WMR staff too?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I believe Chiltern are DOO all services south of Banbury apart from loco hauled, are they just borrowing the 196s or using WMR staff too?

The 196s are subleased and they will be worked by Chiltern crews. I believe they have opened a new Bletchley train crew depot for this.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Govt has invested c800m to reopen an existing railway which is later than planned yet they don't agree to formally appointing an operator until now. Doesn't quite chime with the Chancellor of Exchequer telling us today we need to move at pace to increase growth. OK this is a small cog in delivering that requirement but we should be, and can do, a lot better than this if only the DfT would het out of the way.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Govt has invested c800m to reopen an existing railway which is later than planned yet they don't agree to formally appointing an operator until now. Doesn't quite chime with the Chancellor of Exchequer telling us today we need to move at pace to increase growth. OK this is a small cog in delivering that requirement but we should be, and can do, a lot better than this if only the DfT would het out of the way.

Or alternatively: Given that the slow pace of East-West-Rail has up to now been almost entirely before the Chancellor of the Exchequer started talking about how we need to move more at pace: It's a perfect example of the problems she was talking about.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Or alternatively: Given that the slow pace of East-West-Rail has up to now been almost entirely before the Chancellor of the Exchequer started talking about how we need to move more at pace: It's a perfect example of the problems she was talking about.

I don’t think there has been any doubt for quite a while now that Chiltern would be the EWR operator. There are other reasons why it may not have been publicly announced, for example discussion around funding, revenue etc.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

If I read another government press release that contains the words “kickstart” and “unleash” I think I’ll move to Venus.

I note "forms a critical part of the government’s mission to kickstart economic growth by unleashing the potential of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor", even though getting to Cambridge is many years away and Bicester - Milton Keynes was approaching completion by the time the present government came to power.

 

[BlueLeanie]

If I read another government press release that contains the words “kickstart” and “unleash” I think I’ll move to Venus.

They are words that really shouldn't be used in a progressive organisation's press releases.

"Kickstart" is very much for the olden days of ICE engines, and "unleash" makes me think of slavery.

 

[swt_passenger]

If I read another government press release that contains the words “kickstart” and “unleash” I think I’ll move to Venus.

At least ‘Green lit’ hasn’t been used, which is equally boring…

 

[BlueLeanie]

At least ‘Green lit’ hasn’t been used, which is equally boring…

If "Chick lit" refers to fiction for young women, "Green Lit" must refer to The Graudian surely?

 

[coppercapped]

They are words that really shouldn't be used in a progressive organisation's press releases.

"Kickstart" is very much for the olden days of ICE engines, and "unleash" makes me think of slavery.

'Unleash' reminds me of Mark Antony's soliloquy in Act 3, Scene 1, of Julius Caesar: "Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war."

'let slip' = 'unleash', but your mileage may vary!

 

[birchesgreen]

'Unleash' reminds me of Mark Antony's soliloquy in Act 3, Scene 1, of Julius Caesar: "Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war."

Yes but works better in the original Klingon.

 

[IanXC]

Where are the Network Rail route boundaries in this area? Given the persistent talk of expanding Alliances as step 1 of GBR I'm guessing that the new infrastructure is Central Route rather than West Coast South? Or do I recall it is signalled from Rugby ROC (which is West Coast South)?

 

[The Planner]

Where are the Network Rail route boundaries in this area? Given the persistent talk of expanding Alliances as step 1 of GBR I'm guessing that the new infrastructure is Central Route rather than West Coast South? Or do I recall it is signalled from Rugby ROC (which is West Coast South)?

Jarvis Lane bridge is the boundary between Central and WCS. ½ mile north of Gavray Jn. Also the boundary between Rugby and Marylebone.

 

[coppercapped]

Yes but works better in the original Klingon.

You might be right…!

 

[Oxfordblues]

As the lucky possessor of a Western Region Status Pass I wonder where the regional boundary will be. My pass gets as far as Bicester Village but I don't know how much further.

 

[The Planner]

As the lucky possessor of a Western Region Status Pass I wonder where the regional boundary will be. My pass gets as far as Bicester Village but I don't know how much further.

Regional boundary between Western and NW&C isn't far past Oxford North Jn. Bicester Village is NW&C.

 

[Elecman]

Regional boundary between Western and NW&C isn't far past Oxford North Jn. Bicester Village is NW&C.

As is Parkway station

 

[CyrusWuff]

As the lucky possessor of a Western Region Status Pass I wonder where the regional boundary will be. My pass gets as far as Bicester Village but I don't know how much further.

From a purely geographic point of view, I'd suggest it'll at least get you to Winslow given it's also valid for Marylebone - Aylesbury Vale Parkway. Whether Chiltern and Rail Staff Travel agree remains to be seen, however.

 

[WolvertonWorks]

Not sure if this is the correct place to say this, please move if not, but we took a bus ride out to Bicester today and then walked past Bicester Village station, crossing the London Road level crossing, and out to Gravenhill to have a look at the houses that appeared on Grand Designs a few years ago. We spoke to a worker on the site who suggested we walked along what was originally a farm access by the looks of things and this brought us right next to the railway line.

On the other side of the fence were at least three train sets (don't know the correct terminology) with South West Rail on their sides. My first reaction was to think "what are SWR trains doing here" but then it occurred to me that these were probably the sets that are going to be used by Chiltern for E-W - was I correct?

 

[Bletchleyite]

The units to be used for EWR will presently (unless they've vinylled them) be branded West Midlands Railway and in their orange and purple livery. No idea what SWR units would have been doing at Bicester!

 

[Haywain]

No idea what SWR units would have been doing at Bicester!

I'm guessing there might be trains in storage on the remains of the Bicester Military Railway.

 

[zwk500]

Not sure if this is the correct place to say this, please move if not, but we took a bus ride out to Bicester today and then walked past Bicester Village station, crossing the London Road level crossing, and out to Gravenhill to have a look at the houses that appeared on Grand Designs a few years ago. We spoke to a worker on the site who suggested we walked along what was originally a farm access by the looks of things and this brought us right next to the railway line.

On the other side of the fence were at least three train sets (don't know the correct terminology) with South West Rail on their sides. My first reaction was to think "what are SWR trains doing here" but then it occurred to me that these were probably the sets that are going to be used by Chiltern for E-W - was I correct?

SWR stock appears to be have been stored there for a while: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/south-western-arterio-in-storage-near-bicester.271466/

 

[WolvertonWorks]

SWR stock appears to be have been stored there for a while: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/south-western-arterio-in-storage-near-bicester.271466/

Thanks - and yes I understand that the Gravenhill/Llangford(?) farm development is on old MOD land so makes sense.
Sorry to have jumped the gun assuming these were E-W rail units.

 

[ChooChooseMe]

The units to be used for EWR will presently (unless they've vinylled them) be branded West Midlands Railway and in their orange and purple livery. No idea what SWR units would have been doing at Bicester!

The plan is to have them in Chiltern livery; internally, they will remain the same, as it's not cost-effective to change the interiors.