Change in Evening Braintree Trains

[snowandno]

Hello there, I am new to this forum so bare with me if I dont make any sense.

Recently my weekly trains home from Chelmsford station to Braintree have stopped being direct after 10pm, making a connection between Witham instead. This change happened around june-july 2024.

I was just wondering if anyone knew why they decided to make this change, and why specifically after 10pm, when every other train in the day is direct. The connection time at witham is rather tight, and there is only one train to braintree from witham every hour, when no other train seems to use the platform 4 after 10pm, so why not have more frequent trains at witham to make connections less tense?

Does anyone know if this timetable change is permanent? This is the first time ive seen this change.Any information is much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[30907]

Hello there, I am new to this forum so bare with me if I dont make any sense.

Recently my weekly trains home from Chelmsford station to Braintree have stopped being direct after 10pm, making a connection between Witham instead. This change happened around june-july 2024.

I was just wondering if anyone knew why they decided to make this change, and why specifically after 10pm, when every other train in the day is direct. The connection time at witham is rather tight, and there is only one train to braintree from witham every hour, when no other train seems to use the platform 4 after 10pm, so why not have more frequent trains at witham to make connections less tense?

Does anyone know if this timetable change is permanent? This is the first time ive seen this change.Any information is much appreciated.

Thanks

The change appears in the June timetable so is likely to be permanent. It affects one train, at 2224 from Witham.

At a guess, it was done to allow the return train from Braintree also to run earlier and connect into the last Up train to London. Possibly someone suggested it?

Have you experienced the connection not being held for a slight delay to the 2136 from London?

 

[snowandno]

The change appears in the June timetable so is likely to be permanent. It affects one train, at 2224 from Witham.

At a guess, it was done to allow the return train from Braintree also to run earlier and connect into the last Up train to London. Possibly someone suggested it?

Have you experienced the connection not being held for a slight delay to the 2136 from London?

Hi there, thanks for the response and info.

So far there was only one instance where the connection at Witham to Braintree wasn't held for a 12 minute delay, which train staff said wasn't usual.

I wasn't 100% sure if the train at Witham to Braintree was supposed to be a connecting line or not. Does this mean it is supposed to be held if the train from London 21:36 is ever a few mins late?

Thank you

 

[Sleepy]

It's certainly a valid connection from the 2136, so would expect it to be held for reasonable amount of time.

 

[jonb]

I've noticed this too and it does bring the question, as to whether the Braintree services should operate as a shuttle service outside of the AM/PM Peak going forward, to self-contain the branch? I had reason to travel from Kelvedon to Braintree yesterday (13/11), boarding the 06:43 and changing at Witham should have seen an arrival at 07:19 (07:02 ex Witham). Unfortunately, owing to overrunning engineering works in the Harold Wood area and a points issue at Tottenham South Junction (impacting 6L14 towards Chelmsford), 1F00 was terminated short at Witham at 07:17. This formed the return working (1F15) starting from Witham, with the next service on the branch at 07:46 (2F06). There was no alternative transport provided, but I've seen plenty of other occasions where services are (probably rightly from a performance perspective), terminated short/start back from Witham - so I don't envy the poor passengers on the branch!

 

[greaterangrier]

There's been winners and losers in the most recent timetable change. This recent change restored Braintree trains to roughly what they were pre-COVID (over COVID the timings were adapted).

In June 2024, at the expense of changing at Witham, Braintree regained a 45 minute service, as opposed to hourly.

Since 2010 the timetable has been centred around trains leaving Witham approximately every 15 minutes (you'll notice stopping trains almost always cross here). The maximum frequency towards Braintree is c. 45 minutes. However, these can't be through trains as every other train calls at Kelvedon and Marks Tey which a Braintree service can't do. Hence, it becomes a shuttle with connecting mainline trains.

This is an intended connection. From June, some have been broken/made tighter. The base timetable was not built with Beaulieu Park in mind. The June 2024 timetable is Beaulieu Park-ready. Stopping there costs 2 minutes in connection time.

Adding 1 minute to each leg of the Braintree branch's run time, and timetabling for 5 minute turnarounds causes 3 minutes "loss" per return. Therefore, the original optimal timings cannot be met. A timetabling choice has been made to favour minimising service lateness. I assume timetable analysis software does not hold connections - there is no incentive, it is probably complex to program. Therefore, when planners optimise for minimising lateness, missing the connection is "planned in" (the mainline train is less late than it otherwise would be, the shuttle is on time, with no-one on it)

Though, on the day you are at the mercy of Romford ROC who are great at maintaining connections.

 

[jonb]

Another observation is the (painfully) slow approach control into platform 4 at Witham, it's not unusual for the following 1Pxx to gain cautionary aspects by Hatfield Peverel following the 1Fxx whilst it undertakes this move. It'll be interesting to see developments in years to come, as I suspect those travelling from Braintree/Cressing in particular may utilise Beaulieu Park along the A131. With a drop in patronage that could further make case for an off-peak shuttle perhaps.

 

[30907]

In June 2024, at the expense of changing at Witham, Braintree regained a 45 minute service, as opposed to hourly.

Not according to the published timetable, which has an hourly through service (unless you are just referring to the late evening changes).

 

[snowandno]

Not according to the published timetable, which has an hourly through service (unless you are just referring to the late evening changes).

I just wonder why they don't have shuttles to braintree from witham every 20-30 mins on platform 4 after 10pm, as I only ever see trains going to braintree and nowhere else from platform 4 after this time. It would ease pressure of passengers and train conductors to reach connections on time everyday.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Nov 2024 ==

Another observation is the (painfully) slow approach control into platform 4 at Witham, it's not unusual for the following 1Pxx to gain cautionary aspects by Hatfield Peverel following the 1Fxx whilst it undertakes this move. It'll be interesting to see developments in years to come, as I suspect those travelling from Braintree/Cressing in particular may utilise Beaulieu Park along the A131. With a drop in patronage that could further make case for an off-peak shuttle perhaps.

I am wondering if the new station will allow braintree to be direct once again on off peak or make 2 changes instead like colchester and colchester town have at the moment?

 

[30907]

I just wonder why they don't have shuttles to braintree from witham every 20-30 mins on platform 4 after 10pm, as I only ever see trains going to braintree and nowhere else from platform 4 after this time. It would ease pressure of passengers and train conductors to reach connections on time everyday.

Every 45min is the best you could manage with one train.

 

[Wandering Pom]

And it's not possible to have more than one train because the whole line is single track - there aren't any passing loops.

 

[snowandno]

And it's not possible to have more than one train because the whole line is single track - there aren't any passing loops.

Ah OK fair enough

 

[snowandno]

It's certainly a valid connection from the 2136, so would expect it to be held for reasonable amount of time.

Update on this: there have been two instances this week where the 22:10 at Chelmsford to Colbester Town was delayed over connection time at Witham. One instance it was delayed 10 minutes over the connection time of 4 minutes to change at Witham for Braintree. This connection wasn't held. Today, the delay for the connecting train was only 4 minutes - this was held. I think it honestly varies on how fast the chelmsford train can arrive at witham, anything over 10 minutes seems to be out of the question. Thought I'd post to help anyone else out who might get these off peak trains.

 

[30907]

Thought I'd post to help anyone else out who might get these off peak trains.

That's useful info - arguably the 14min delay could have been accommodated, and the branch train still be back at Witham to connect for London, but accommodating a passenger with reduced mobility would potentially push the delay beyond that.

I hope the Delay Repay is worth it