Common causes of lateness on FCC?

[Optimo]

Morning,

absolutely not a rant. I'm trying to understand a bit more as to why trains I get in the mornings are more often than not delayed by several minutes. Just so I can accept it a bit more, and not get annoyed unduly.

I live in Harringay and get trains on the First Capital Connect Great Northern Route into Moorgate in the morning. I catch trains between 06:14 and 07:41

And it feels like 75% of every train I get on weekday mornings is 2-4mins late. It's not much I admit, but is so common now that when a train actually arrives and departs at the scheduled time, it is a genuine surprise.

What sort of stuff could happen further up the line on such a semi-constant basis? (Usually seems to be around Alexandra Palace, but not limited to there). There's never any announcements as to 'sorry for the late running of this service'.

Is this just a general degradation in punctuality that happens on other services? Or more likely related to FCC's current staff problems? Even the first train in the morning is often behind schedule after a couple of stops. Or just there are more passengers getting on which takes more time I guess?

See pic for a very common sight:

Genuinely wondering, as I don't enjoy winding myself up on station platforms!

 

[westcoaster]

Can't comment for the GN side but over on the TL side its often due to loading and unloading, sometimes it takes 30 plus seconds extra, I also find delays tend to be at manned stations where you are dispatched by station staff, this is due to the dispatch box put near the flow point, where staff can see straglers and runners , adding afew more seconds.
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Also forgot to add something I learned is that, the automated cis will only announce delays over 8 mins, so if your service is 5 mins late you just get the , this service is delayed, but if the delay is more than 8 minutes, it will say this service is delayed by xx minutes.

 

[Aictos]

In a nutshell, it's the peak when you're travelling so seeing as the train will be picking up more and more people as it heads into London, it's bound to pick up delays waiting for the passengers to get on. It might only be a few seconds at each station late departing but they all add up so when the train arrives at Harringay is now 3 to 4 minutes late.

Another reason is the so called do gooders who hold the doors open past the departure time so someone else can get on which like above might only take seconds but it soon adds up when it's done at nearly every station then these idiots have the cheek to accuse FCC of late running trains.

In a simple view when you heard the door alarm going, don't think about holding the doors or boarding as next time you might want to get to your destination on time and I don't think you would be to chuffed if you were late because of some idiot holding the doors.

Can't comment for the GN side but over on the TL side its often due to loading and unloading, sometimes it takes 30 plus seconds extra, I also find delays tend to be at manned stations where you are dispatched by station staff, this is due to the dispatch box put near the flow point, where staff can see straglers and runners , adding afew more seconds.

It's the same on the GN, my view is trains go on time and don't tend to hold trains unless of course some OAP or mother with a pushchair is boarding then I wait for them to get on or off then close the doors.

 

[Optimo]

Thanks people, I guess that does make sense, all the little delays adding up.

Seems more prevalent than in years gone by, but maybe I imagine it because I keep checking my iPhone for National Rail Times and can see the info as it happens.

[Can understand station staff waiting for a few individuals to board at individual stations, though the delay that is fairly often enforced at Finsbury Park so people from the Kings X bound train can run across the platform onto the Moorgate train seem to positively encourage runners and further delay. ]

Thanks all

 

[mackenzie_blu]

Thanks people, I guess that does make sense, all the little delays adding up.

Seems more prevalent than in years gone by, but maybe I imagine it because I keep checking my iPhone for National Rail Times and can see the info as it happens.

[Can understand station staff waiting for a few individuals to board at individual stations, though the delay that is fairly often enforced at Finsbury Park so people from the Kings X bound train can run across the platform onto the Moorgate train seem to positively encourage runners and further delay. ]

Thanks all

Just point out that the actual stuff that inputs data into your iphone app isn't 100% correct. It told myself and other staff train sitting in my platform left 2mins ago or says it left late when actually according to the station it was on time.