91+Mk4s instead of SuperExpress

[Failed Unit]

Personally I would prefer a new fleet of 390s to IC225s. However they are considerably more expensive.

I wouldn't the mk3 & 4 sets are a league above the pendo in terms of passenger comfort!

As for the ECML in general, not really much need for tilt, 140mph running could be achieved in many places without it such as Peterborough - Grantham, Doncaster - Darlington when signalling technology allows. A lot of the speed restrictions on the Southern end of the route are for tunnels rather / infrastructure (Newark flat crossing) that would not be amended by tilt. North of Darlington maybe, but if I was going to spend mega $ I would probably try and straighten some of the bad curves, bypass Morpeth altogether for express trains.

Other points made on this post - reliability? The 91's don't do bad as the modern railways annual study highlights. Yes if it fails the train is stuffed, however it can be replaced and the coaches are back in service. If a coach gets a problem that requires it to removed from service then the train runs short formed. It is that old debate about what is better units or hauled stock and the old answer both have the pro's and con's.

I would like to point out that just like the WCML the biggest cause of delays on the ECML is not the trains, it is network rail and how busy the line is. On a recent journey we were held at Edinburgh due to the BTP dealing with some morons. This meant we left at 1240 and needed to follow the Scotrail local service as a result the 10 minute delay was now 20 with no chance of catchup. Another journey we left Kings Cross 6 minutes late because a moron with an off-peak ticket decided to get off the train once it had started moving by using the emergency door release. Once we got to York we had lost our platform so we were 19 minutes late on leaving. It is this kind of incident that hammers the ECML were a 5 minute delay dumps you behind a stopper or loses a platform that just can't be recovered, thankfully set failures on the route are rare.

 

[route:oxford]

Another journey we left Kings Cross 6 minutes late because a moron with an off-peak ticket decided to get off the train once it had started moving by using the emergency door release. Once we got to York we had lost our platform so we were 19 minutes late on leaving. It is this kind of incident that hammers the ECML were a 5 minute delay dumps you behind a stopper or loses a platform that just can't be recovered, thankfully set failures on the route are rare.

What's the fine for using the emergency door release compared with paying the worst chargeable fare? (I'm guessing that the worst would be a peak-single to York).

I do recall being on the (then) 17.28 Aberdeen service from Glasgow Queen Street when a passenger, a tourist who had a severe phobia of tunnels, pulled the emergency chord. She was screaming, crying and hyperventilating for the full 30 minutes that we were stuck in the Queen Street tunnel before it slowly reversed back into the station. She was taken away in an ambulance so not sure if she was ever fined. Blocking one tunnel for 30 minutes in the peak caused a bit of chaos.

 

[Failed Unit]

What's the fine for using the emergency door release compared with paying the worst chargeable fare? (I'm guessing that the worst would be a peak-single to York).

I have no idea, but I hope that the person was fined and didn't just get away with it. The front 3 coaches were clear of the platform at the time so it would have blocked a number of platforms into KX causing delay to incoming trains. I am sure East Coast would have also got fines from network rail for running late, at the very least had to pay delay repay for passengers that missed connections on route arriving at thier ultimate destination more than 30 minutes late.

Considering a single to Edinburgh is £108 I hope the fine was more than that. As this was the 1500 after all the disruption they had caused (I think it was only dispatch staff that had collared the person, but I don't know if the BTP were called) I wonder how it went down with the Moron when they found out they would have to hang around KX until 1900 or pay up anyway!

The gaurd annonced the ticket restrictions at 1455, I was in the same coach it wasn't until the train started moving did the person decide to pack up thier stuff and leave - to which point someone said it doesn't matter that you are sitting in my seat, I have another one, that is when the moron said no that is OK my ticket isn't valid. :roll:

 

[Pumbaa]

London Midland do operate some services on the WCML South Fasts between Euston and before the junction towards Northampton (where I presume they move over and join the Slows to Northampton), not seen any on the Trent Valley Fasts.

Looking at the VT departures at the time of typing, there is a big gap between the 1643 EUS-BHM and the 1657 EUS-GLC, the others seem to be 3, 4 or 7 minutes apart.

xx46 Trent Valley goes fast as far as MK going Down, except 1746 and 1846 where it goes on the slows and puts in additional calls at Hemel, Berko and LB. The return Up service goes on the fasts from Ledburn junction outside LB, so spends only 50% of the time on fasts.

The fast LB/Northampton service also goes on fasts to/from Ledburn Jct.

 

[brompton rail]

I have no idea, but I hope that the person was fined and didn't just get away with it. The front 3 coaches were clear of the platform at the time so it would have blocked a number of platforms into KX causing delay to incoming trains. I am sure East Coast would have also got fines from network rail for running late, at the very least had to pay delay repay for passengers that missed connections on route arriving at thier ultimate destination more than 30 minutes late.

Considering a single to Edinburgh is £108 I hope the fine was more than that. As this was the 1500 after all the disruption they had caused (I think it was only dispatch staff that had collared the person, but I don't know if the BTP were called) I wonder how it went down with the Moron when they found out they would have to hang around KX until 1900 or pay up anyway!

The gaurd annonced the ticket restrictions at 1455, I was in the same coach it wasn't until the train started moving did the person decide to pack up thier stuff and leave - to which point someone said it doesn't matter that you are sitting in my seat, I have another one, that is when the moron said no that is OK my ticket isn't valid. :roll:

It is an offence to stop the train for a non-valid reason, or as I saw in Sheffield some time back - throw your bag out of a departing HST window and attempt to follow it onto the platform. British Transport Police would be involved and the matter of any fine or other punishment would be a matter for the courts and in no way related to Penalty Fares.