5Zxx Knottingley - Goole ECS services

[InkyScrolls]

Northern appear to be running an approximately hourly ECS service between Knottingley and Goole next week - is this for route learning? And if so, is the implication that the line is to recieve more frequent services?

Realtime Trains | Departures from Knottingley all day on 20/01/2023

Train information at Knottingley all day on 20/01/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[30907]

Route learning (or traction learning?) seems likely given the implied length of shift.

An alternative explanation is that due to Covid new starters have not learnt the route as it was low priority and need to catch up. Without inside information, the unit or loco that shows up on Monday might give a clue.

I rather doubt regular additional trains are planned.

 

[YorksLad12]

Northern appear to be running an approximately hourly ECS service between Knottingley and Goole next week - is this for route learning? And if so, is the implication that the line is to recieve more frequent services?

Realtime Trains | Departures from Knottingley all day on 20/01/2023

Train information at Knottingley all day on 20/01/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Probably, and probably not - though I am a supporter of running some services to test the market, there's no money coming from East Riding of Yorkshire to support it. I didn't even realise the peak services had resumed!

 

[skyhigh]

And if so, is the implication that the line is to recieve more frequent services?

No, it's just a sign that route learning on that line has a backlog, and that given there's only 1 trip that can be done per shift due to the timetable it means that reducing the backlog would take months without additional runs.

 

[Iskra]

The line was closed for a while wasn’t it (flood damage or landslip perhaps from memory)? So there’s probably just a training backlog as suggested by @skyhigh