LNER Stevenage Pickup/Setdown

[sprunt]

I don't understand - if you can buy an Advance on an LNER train from King's Cross to Stevenage how can they possibly claim that the service doesn't set down at Stevenage?

 

[Mag_seven]

I don't understand - if you can buy an Advance on an LNER train from King's Cross to Stevenage how can they possibly claim that the service doesn't set down at Stevenage?

Can you buy such Advances for after the timetable change?

 

[Haywain]

I don't understand - if you can buy an Advance on an LNER train from King's Cross to Stevenage how can they possibly claim that the service doesn't set down at Stevenage?

You can now, but not in a couple of weeks after the change.

 

[35B]

Some very interesting analysis.

Also last night I note that the 20:01 and 20:46 Thameslink services from St Pancras to Stevenage were cancelled last night. This might have influenced some to travel on the 20:33.

I can't comment on the 17:33 or 18:33, but my experience (pre- and post-Covid) is that both 19:33 and 20:33 have long tended to carry a lot of people for Stevenage, and that the "inter city ambience" of the train is significantly impacted by both the number of short hop passengers and the time taken for people to alight.

My own feeling, with an unquestioned bias to being a Grantham user, is that if implemented effectively, this will make for a significant improvement.

 

[bramling]

I can't comment on the 17:33 or 18:33, but my experience (pre- and post-Covid) is that both 19:33 and 20:33 have long tended to carry a lot of people for Stevenage, and that the "inter city ambience" of the train is significantly impacted by both the number of short hop passengers and the time taken for people to alight.

My own feeling, with an unquestioned bias to being a Grantham user, is that if implemented effectively, this will make for a significant improvement.

I noticed the 2133 service seemed quite heavily loaded last night leaving KX as well, certainly appeared to have all seats taken. Though there were some cancellations on GTR which may have influenced things. Of course, it won’t have helped that this was a newly shortened 7-car IC225, which brings us back to that issue…

From a passenger perspective, it depends on where one is travelling. Naturally Stevenage passengers will be against it, whilst those from further north are more likely to be supportive as it will probably have a positive effect on their journeys - leaving King’s Cross it means more seats, on going south it means there won’t be a disruptive influx of people at Stevenage. And for passengers elsewhere on GTR, LNER stopping at Stevenage benefits them as it keeps Stevenage passengers off their trains.

Seems Stevenage passengers can’t win!

 

[35B]

I noticed the 2133 service seemed quite heavily loaded last night leaving KX as well, certainly appeared to have all seats taken. Though there were some cancellations on GTR which may have influenced things. Of course, it won’t have helped that this was a newly shortened 7-car IC225, which brings us back to that issues…

From a passenger perspective, it depends on where one is travelling. Naturally Stevenage passengers will be against it, whilst those from further north are more likely to be supportive as it will probably have a positive effect on their journeys - leaving King’s Cross it means more seats, on going south it means there won’t be a disruptive influx of people at Stevenage. And for passengers elsewhere on GTR, LNER stopping at Stevenage benefits them as it keeps Stevenage passengers off their trains.

Seems Stevenage passengers can’t win!

I was carefully avoiding getting into the impact of shortening sets

 

[bramling]

I was carefully avoiding getting into the impact of shortening sets

The problem is … it does seem like it’s linked to that, whether LNER admit it or not. Especially as, IIRC, it’s been stated that the restrictions may not be permanent, which would seem to coincide with when the new LNER trains arrive.

One presumes it would be regarded as too potentially confusing for restrictions to be implemented on just the specific services booked to be formed of shorter trains. Cynically, that would also be a bad look for LNER as it means admitting that the short trains are a problem.

 

[Edvid]

It'll be moot soon, but does anyone know why the LNER-only Super Off Peak Day Travelcard is effectively exempt from Railcard discounts? The Day Return equivalent to King's Cross isn't so I can't work it out.

And yes, both tickets are available in this latest fares period. For a week anyway.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

An interesting thing I just picked up on:

From the same timetable change where LNER became pick up/set down only at Stevenage, it appears Hull Trains have withdrawn this restriction. The weekly southbound call on 1A94 is now advertised from Stevenage as the 16:52 10 carriage Hull Trains Paragon service to London King's Cross only.

 

[Dewedin]

It would not surprise me if 'mandatory reservations' is a factor in this. A Stevenage-London passenger reserving a seat effectively blocks it for anyone going to London from further down the line.

 

[Kite159]

It would not surprise me if 'mandatory reservations' is a factor in this. A Stevenage-London passenger reserving a seat effectively blocks it for anyone going to London from further down the line.

The solution in that case would have been to get the system to only do counted place reservations for anybody wanting Stevenage to London.

 

[Hadders]

It would not surprise me if 'mandatory reservations' is a factor in this. A Stevenage-London passenger reserving a seat effectively blocks it for anyone going to London from further down the line.

But anyone boarding a train at Stevenage to travel further north (or alighting a southbound train) means an empty seat between Stevenage and Kings Cross.

Stevenage has become a very popular boarding/alighting point in recent years for journeys to/from the north so it makes sense to use the released seats.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

It's about 33 years (c1992) since I was booted off an IC225 at Stevenage having boarded a set-down only service there, by mistake. There were plenty of seats.The Intercity conductor searched me out and deported me, pretty much as a criminal.
Later I was told by station staff that only one ICEC conductor would do that, and he did.
Plus ca change ...

 

[LowLevel]

It's about 33 years (c1992) since I was booted off an IC225 at Stevenage having boarded a set-down only service there, by mistake. There were plenty of seats.The Intercity conductor searched me out and deported me, pretty much as a criminal.
Later I was told by station staff that only one ICEC conductor would do that, and he did.
Plus ca change ...

Being deported to Stevenage is a terrible fate indeed

 

[D1537]

It would not surprise me if 'mandatory reservations' is a factor in this. A Stevenage-London passenger reserving a seat effectively blocks it for anyone going to London from further down the line.

A few years ago when I booked a Stevenage to King's Cross ticket on an LNER train, it would not reserve me a seat. Whether that was still the case up until this timetable change, I don't know.

 

[Ellwill]

An interesting thing I just picked up on:

From the same timetable change where LNER became pick up/set down only at Stevenage, it appears Hull Trains have withdrawn this restriction. The weekly southbound call on 1A94 is now advertised from Stevenage as the 16:52 10 carriage Hull Trains Paragon service to London King's Cross only.

Well spotted! I think they may have cut down overall service because their website says there's two direct trains instead of one, could anyone confirm?

 

[Tester]

An interesting thing I just picked up on:

From the same timetable change where LNER became pick up/set down only at Stevenage, it appears Hull Trains have withdrawn this restriction. The weekly southbound call on 1A94 is now advertised from Stevenage as the 16:52 10 carriage Hull Trains Paragon service to London King's Cross only.

That is interesting!

Will they accept contactless?

 

[Hadders]

Well spotted! I think they may have cut down overall service because their website says there's two direct trains instead of one, could anyone confirm?

I don’t think it’s anything new. A few weeks ago I travelled between KGX and SVG on a Sunday evening with Hull Trains. It was advertised as calling at SVG.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I don’t think it’s anything new. A few weeks ago I travelled between KGX and SVG on a Sunday evening with Hull Trains. It was advertised as calling at SVG.

It definitely was pick up/set down at some point.
Also - you can't do that anymore - they've removed the northbound call sadly!

 

[bramling]

Being deported to Stevenage is a terrible fate indeed

Stevenage was recently voted in some survey or other as one of the happiest places to live in the country! Must admit, when I read that I wondered what the unhappiest places must be like…

 

[uglymonkey]

On the evening peaks ( depart St P at about 18:00 ) coaches are full to standing leaving St P, few get on and off Finsbury Park. About 20% get off at Stevenage ( still standing remain) and the train empties almost totally at Hitchin ( leaving about 5-6 people per coach. How this helps the discussion, but just an observation. Hitchin is way busier in the evening peaks than Stevenage .

 

[RacingGreen]

We/I work in an industry where the message from up on high is that we have to pull out all the stops to encourage people back onto the railway as we continue to recover from the long term consequences Covid.

How do we do that?

Ban people from getting on trains when they've paid for a ticket.

I honestly despair sometimes...

 

[Hadders]

On the evening peaks ( depart St P at about 18:00 ) coaches are full to standing leaving St P, few get on and off Finsbury Park. About 20% get off at Stevenage ( still standing remain) and the train empties almost totally at Hitchin ( leaving about 5-6 people per coach. How this helps the discussion, but just an observation. Hitchin is way busier in the evening peaks than Stevenage .

Stevenage has more passengers than Hitchin, although Stevenage has the Great Northern peak extra trains that don’t call at Hitchin and until last week there were also LNER trains that could be used as well.

I’m not surprised to hear that Thameslink trains leaving STP in the evening peak are full.

 

[87015]

We/I work in an industry where the message from up on high is that we have to pull out all the stops to encourage people back onto the railway as we continue to recover from the long term consequences Covid.

How do we do that?

Ban people from getting on trains when they've paid for a ticket.

I honestly despair sometimes...

Let's be clear, this is only certain operators who think they are better than everyone else.

 

[Bristol LHS]

I was on the 0709 from Northallerton to Kings Cross this morning, which now stops at Stevenage (the train it replaced, the 0715, stopped at York and Peterborough only).

Only a five carriage train, but was surprised to see double figures of people alighting at Stevenage. Not sure if anyone got on (no-one joined my carriage). I’ve got nothing against a stop at Stevenage - the extra stops on Northallerton trains are the price we pay for a better hourly service. But anyway, the ridiculous bit - the Azuma audio announcements and digital screens welcome people aboard for Kings Cross. Nothing to say the stop is alighting only.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Let's be clear, this is only certain operators who think they are better than everyone else.

LNER are the worst offenders for that.

 

[Hadders]

Observations from SVG this morning:

The 07:45 Thameslink 12 car left full and standing
The 07:51 LNER 5-car Azuma set down only was conveying fresh air
The 07:52 Great Northern 12-car peak extra has a few seats left at the rear

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Observations from SVG this morning:

The 07:45 Thameslink 12 car left full and standing
The 07:51 LNER 5-car Azuma set down only was conveying fresh air
The 07:52 Great Northern 12-car peak extra has a few seats left at the rear

Wholly infuriating.
Was there a great song and dance from staff about not getting on the Azuma, or did it just sneak up, dump its passengers and go?

 

[whoosh]

We/I work in an industry where the message from up on high is that we have to pull out all the stops to encourage people back onto the railway as we continue to recover from the long term consequences Covid.

How do we do that?

Ban people from getting on trains when they've paid for a ticket.

I honestly despair sometimes...

Making short distance passengers between London and Stevenage (sub 30 minute journey) use Thameslink trains to free up seats on LNER for long distance passengers and take their higher fares, is exactly how you'd increase revenue to recover from the long term effects of Covid.

 

[Kite159]

Making short distance passengers between London and Stevenage (sub 30 minute journey) use Thameslink trains to free up seats on LNER for long distance passengers and take their higher fares, is exactly how you'd increase revenue to recover from the long term effects of Covid.

But when those long distance passengers are hanging back until the end of the evening peak when they can pay super offpeak fares (and advances capped to that amount) rather than the eye wateringly high anytime fares there are plenty of seats on the long distance trains to carry the shorter distance passengers.