FlippyFF
Member
Due to Stagecoach not being able to run a bus service to timetable I missed the 09:13 to St Pancras this morning so I had to catch the 09:43....
The 09:43 is a little odd as it's formed of the rear six coaches of the ECS 08:46 5J16 STP to AFK and the 08:51 1J21 MAR to STP. 5J16 arrives at Ashford as a 12 car on AC, switches to DC* and then splits with the front 6 cars (country end) going into the yard and the 6 cars left behind (London end) going back on AC to then wait for 1J21 to join them from the country end.
This morning 5J16 left STP 11 minutes late and got later still, by now due at AFK at 09:41 two minutes after 1J21 was due. Someone then got confused and 1J21 approached platform 6 but was held outside which then blocked the route.
The also late 2R14/15 CHX to DVP & CBW got diverted from platform 5 into platform 2 with less than a minutes notice. 1J21 finally entered platform 6 with the ECS 5J16 being sent into platform 5. The six car 395 on platform 6 was detrained and the complete 12 car 395 on platform 5 returned in-service to STP as 1J21.
I just told my boss the bus made me late.
*Why does it have to go on to DC to split, couldn't it do the AC/DC change after the split? Which also leads me to ask why the AC doesn't continue into the yard?
T.I.A
Simon
The 09:43 is a little odd as it's formed of the rear six coaches of the ECS 08:46 5J16 STP to AFK and the 08:51 1J21 MAR to STP. 5J16 arrives at Ashford as a 12 car on AC, switches to DC* and then splits with the front 6 cars (country end) going into the yard and the 6 cars left behind (London end) going back on AC to then wait for 1J21 to join them from the country end.
This morning 5J16 left STP 11 minutes late and got later still, by now due at AFK at 09:41 two minutes after 1J21 was due. Someone then got confused and 1J21 approached platform 6 but was held outside which then blocked the route.
The also late 2R14/15 CHX to DVP & CBW got diverted from platform 5 into platform 2 with less than a minutes notice. 1J21 finally entered platform 6 with the ECS 5J16 being sent into platform 5. The six car 395 on platform 6 was detrained and the complete 12 car 395 on platform 5 returned in-service to STP as 1J21.
I just told my boss the bus made me late.
*Why does it have to go on to DC to split, couldn't it do the AC/DC change after the split? Which also leads me to ask why the AC doesn't continue into the yard?
T.I.A
Simon