EMR to introduce reduced Inter City service from Monday 20th July

[D1537]

A significant number of cancellations.

an important update to our services

From Monday 20 July, we’ll be introducing a temporary reduced Intercity timetable to provide a more consistent and reliable service while the performance and reliability issues affecting our trains are addressed.

The introduction of the new Class 810 fleet was designed to provide a smooth transition from the Class 222 fleet, with a significant period where both fleets would operate alongside one another under the maintenance of Hitachi Rail.

However, a three-year delay in the first Class 810 trains coming into service, together with ongoing service reliability issues across both fleets, has significantly impacted EMR’s ability to run a reliable Intercity service.

We know this change will be disappointing, but introducing a temporary timetable will allow us to provide a more dependable service while we continue to work with Hitachi Rail to make the improvements needed as quickly as possible.

 

[norbitonflyer]

"However, a three-year delay in the first Class 810 trains coming into service, together with ongoing service reliability issues across both fleets, has significantly impacted EMR’s ability to run a reliable Intercity service."

Not to mention that one of the new fleet is currently off the road due to severe accident damage............

 

[johnw]

Not that Wellingborough will be missing out with its “inter city” fares….

 

[Northerngirl]

Just had an email saying the same, I'm shocked to see how upfront they are being with pointing fingers at hitachi, although its hardly surprising

 

[sheff1]

At least they are now being honest, rather than trying to hide behind "extreme weather" when no weather warnings (even of a yellow variety) were in place.

 

[speedy1]

"We know this change will be disappointing"

This all-too-common modern patronising tone drives me bonkers

 

[81A]

Not very surprising, unfortunately... The combination of late 810s, one accident damaged and losing 222s to Lumo was probably going to catch up eventually... At least they seem to be avoiding random last minute cancellations (like some TOCs have form for)!

 

[Trainfan2019]

EMR should have been honest and open from the start really about lack of serviceable trains. It might not be what the passengers want to hear but if I was using that route, I would think much better of EMR if they had done this at the start rather than mass cancellations due to fake severe weather warnings. Extreme temperatures at 5am only cancelling EMR trains is not the way to keep passengers happy.

 

[Bletchleyite]

EMR should have been honest and open from the start really about lack of serviceable trains.

Damned if they do...maybe they made a mistake at the start but are now being VERY honest...

 

[TheWierdOne]

Just had an email saying the same, I'm shocked to see how upfront they are being with pointing fingers at hitachi, although its hardly surprising

It does seem to be a case of:


Alt text: Joseph Jostar from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure stands and shakes his fist at the sky, declaring “I’ll never forgive the Japanese”.

 

[Harpo]

I’m busily making a mental list of all the railway managers and consultants who used to cite ‘Japanese levels of reliability’ as the holy grail for us all.

 

[thelongestroad]

I am pretty sure the only similarities Hitachi in the UK and Japan share are a name.

 

[Djgr]

losing 222s to Lumo

Aren't we continually told that Open-Access Operators provide incremental benefits without any detriment?

 

[ainsworth74]

I am pretty sure the only similarities Hitachi in the UK and Japan share are a name.

Hitachi in the UK are definitely an offshoot of the Japanese Hitachi. Indeed I remember seeing plenty of Japanese gentlemen and ladies travelling on LNER from Darlington around the time the plant there was first coming into operation. However my understanding is that the 810s are very much a product of Hitachi Italy (in terms of design and development if not manufacture) which is basically just a rebadged AnsaldoBreda who were not renowned for quality or reliability...

Aren't we continually told that Open-Access Operators provide incremental benefits without any detriment?

I imagine that had EMR wished to sign a new lease agreement with Beacon Rail before Lumo for some of them and then Scotrail for the rest I'm sure they'd have been amenable to it. But once those contracts were signed there's not a lot that EMR or the Government can do. The 222s are, after all, privately owned assets. Now, the reader may have thoughts as to whether this is the best way to arrange rolling stock procurement and distribution but that would be a topic for another thread

 

[thelongestroad]

Hitachi in the UK are definitely an offshoot of the Japanese Hitachi. Indeed I remember seeing plenty of Japanese gentlemen and ladies travelling on LNER from Darlington around the time the plant there was first coming into operation. However my understanding is that the 810s are very much a product of Hitachi Italy (in terms of design and development if not manufacture) which is basically just a rebadged AnsaldoBreda who were not renowned for quality or reliability...

Apologies, I knew that but was being facetious. Let's just say if this was happening in Japan (which I am guessing it probably wouldn't in the first place) there would be extreme shame and culpability in Japanese work culture.

 

[ainsworth74]

Apologies, I knew that but was being facetious. Let's just say if this was happening in Japan (which I am guessing it probably wouldn't in the first place) there would be extreme shame and culpability in Japanese work culture.

Aha gotcha, and completely agree!

 

[222001]

Aren't we continually told that Open-Access Operators provide incremental benefits without any detriment?

To be fair, the 5 sets lost to Lumo have been long covered by the 810s available. I doubt there would still be room for these sets on Etches Park anyway.

 

[Bow Fell]

I alluded to it in the 222 thread a while ago, but because of the way these contracts work between the TOC and the maintainer, there is only one loser, the passenger.

If Hitachi physically can’t or won’t handover the required amount of units each day, then there is little EMR can do apart from apply pressure to Hitachi and continually fine them as part of the TARA. Control then have to scramble round and send out some sort of service with what they’re given. This isn’t in-house maintenance where it’s in EMR’s own gift to put out a service and provide excellent unit availability, you’re at the perils of another company.

Apart from reputation, Hitachi aren’t interested in running a train service, they are just the maintainer. I’ve seen it all before, first hand.

The passenger just wants a train service to rely on at the end of the day, but I think EMR are absolutely correct to point the blame where the actual issues lie.

 

[Djgr]

I alluded to it in the 222 thread a while ago, but because of the way these contracts work between the TOC and the maintainer, there is only one loser, the passenger.

If Hitachi physically can’t or won’t handover the required amount of units each day, then there is little EMR can do apart from apply pressure to Hitachi and continually fine them as part of the TARA. Control then have to scramble round and send out some sort of service with what they’re given. This isn’t in-house maintenance where it’s in EMR’s own gift to put out a service and provide excellent unit availability, you’re at the perils of another company.

Apart from reputation, Hitachi aren’t interested in running a train service, they are just the maintainer. I’ve seen it all before, first hand.

The passenger just wants a train service to rely on at the end of the day, but I think EMR are absolutely correct to point the blame where the actual issues lie.

Although presumably EMR made the choice to outsource?

 

[speedy1]

Although presumably EMR made the choice to outsource?

You see Minister, the difficulty with retaining a function in-house is that, in the regrettable event of its proving less than entirely successful, one is left in the profoundly inconvenient position of having no one else to blame. Outsourcing, by contrast, has the considerable administrative virtue of ensuring that responsibility is always located at a comfortable and professionally appropriate distance.

</SirHumphrey>

 

[LYuen]

Apologies, I knew that but was being facetious. Let's just say if this was happening in Japan (which I am guessing it probably wouldn't in the first place) there would be extreme shame and culpability in Japanese work culture.

One thing to note is that railway companies in Japan are very involved in the R&D of trains.
Not just defining the specifications, but also the development of parts, integration and evolution with track equipment, etc
To the point that the intellectual property of Shinkansen trains are more controlled by the JR companies while the makers are more of a supplier - the export of Shinkansen technology is subjected to JR companies’ approval. The JR Central - Kawasaki dispute was an interesting read.
J-TREC and Nippon Sharyo are fully subsidiary companies of JR companies respectively. I always tend to describe the Hitachi A-Train line up as a stretch from classic line trains rather than a native high speed train, since it was not built to use this way in Japan. Not as far as CAF Civity but also not that adapted to 125mph running.

Also, Hitachi Europe is more of a continuation of the Italian AnsaldoBreda. I recognize their effort in resurrecting the company, but as a product for European market, it inherited more technology and practices from Italy than from Japan. Although their products from the Italy could have better quality than those from from Aycliffe.

 

[Merle Haggard]

The 222s at the moment are frequently failing while in service during the day. I don't see how reducing the number of diagrams will have any effect on this, *unless* currently units with known defects are being sent out from Etches Park in the morning to achieve some Key Performance Indicator based on 'entering service at the start of the diagram' as against 'completing the diagram'.
On the recent occasions that 222103 has been sent out in the morning it doesn't seem to have ever managed to make it through the day without conking out. Presumably just the minimum is done to get it out again out after a failure.
.

 

[Transilien]

Hitachi in the UK are definitely an offshoot of the Japanese Hitachi. Indeed I remember seeing plenty of Japanese gentlemen and ladies travelling on LNER from Darlington around the time the plant there was first coming into operation. However my understanding is that the 810s are very much a product of Hitachi Italy (in terms of design and development if not manufacture) which is basically just a rebadged AnsaldoBreda who were not renowned for quality or reliability...

Interesting, to me they just look like the other IETs with a different front end.

 

[Trainman40083]

Interesting, to me they just look like the other IETs with a different front end.

A very different train though. You take the equipment from a 26 metre units, squeeze it into a 24 metre space and have an uprated engine

 

[Dore & Totley]

Thought about doing a super off peak trip to London with the kids. Oh, the 19.02 has less carriages, assume 5 instead of 10. OK, if that's full get the 19.32, oh that's cancelled completely. In the car to Mum's then Thameslink it is then.

 

[Mugby]

How does the emergency timetable work in relation to the traincrew who would have worked the cancelled journeys?

Do they report for duty as normal and sit in the messroom as 'Not Required' or will all duties have been re-written to reflect the reduced timetable?

 

[Harpo]

How does the emergency timetable work in relation to the traincrew who would have worked the cancelled journeys?

Do they report for duty as normal and sit in the messroom as 'Not Required' or will all duties have been re-written to reflect the reduced timetable?

The timing is incredibly convenient. It’s the start of the school holidays and the peak for annual leave.

 

[800002]

Do they report for duty as normal and sit in the messroom as 'Not Required' or will all duties have been re-written to reflect the reduced timetable?

If the roster has been issued, staff turn up and are told what, if anything, it's expected of them. Likely sit spare if no work.
If its been rewritten, properly, by the planning unit than likely it's been resourced in the same way.
Again, if there is a lack of work on some crew Diagrams, they'll go into the roster as spare.

Resources will allocate accordingly.

Rest assured, no member of crew will be asked not to turn up to work. They'll all get paid, but some will have done less 'work' than others, depending on how their roster works (this is usual, also).

 

[baz962]

How does the emergency timetable work in relation to the traincrew who would have worked the cancelled journeys?

Do they report for duty as normal and sit in the messroom as 'Not Required' or will all duties have been re-written to reflect the reduced timetable?

Well we don't just do Sheffield work. We drive Nottingham and Corby too . On Saturday my job was Derby and back and then Corby and back , so even if the Sheffield service part was cancelled I would still have to do the Corby. Northern crew will also drive Nottinghams and Corbys and some do Crewe , Matlock etc . Plenty other work needs doing.

 

[Polarbear]

Maybe EMR should have hung onto some 180s for a bit longer?!

Don’t think they had much say in the matter at the time.

Had a) the 810 introduction gone more to plan and b) the 222’s not be struggling so much, EMR wouldn’t have expected to be in this position.