Cross TOC co-operation - well done

[Trackbedjolly]

Considering the level of service at Doncaster is (and always has being) very poor. 5? Per day, infrequent with massive gaps. I suspect most people travel via Newark. It is normally much quicker for a start.

Totally agree, which is why I was using Newark but 'officially' you can't expect a train to be held for you in either direction there.
Having said that I did often change at Donnie southbound; one time I even travelled as far as Grantham and changed at Sleaford and Lincoln as it was a 'permitted' route-don't know if that is allowed now?

 

[leshuttle]

Same ToC co-operation would be nice sometimes.. like the times I've spent waiting an hour at Redhill for the Southern 1tph late evening shuttle back to Tonbridge after missing it by 3 minutes on a late-running Southern from Horsham-Victoria. At Tonbridge it terminates and there's a 40 minute turnaround so plenty time to hold a connection on the previous journey even though it's not the busiest off-peak.

 

[pt_mad]

Most of the passenger charters say that if there's another train to that destination within a reasonable time, which is often written as 75 minutes or even two hours for some tocs, then it's deemed that no alternative will be provided and a hold is very unlikely unless it's a critical connection such as last train of the night or boat train etc.
That's how the DFT have set the rules and the tocs then have to adhere only to those rules.
Sometimes stations can hold services for a minute at their own discretion. Only because one minute over time is non accountable on TOPs. Two minutes at a push. Although if this leads to a knock on delay or the train loses its path the train operator will want answers.

Delay repay applies of course. So many passengers will in effect end up travelling end to end for free if delayed by an hour.

 

[Class 170101]

I complained to the station staff and they said the official connection for northbound passengers from Lincoln area is at Doncaster not Newark.

Sorry but if the ticket from Lincoln to Doncaster and beyond is valid via Newark NG then its valid to make a connection there understanding that the connectional allowance is maintained at Newark NG.

 

[bunnahabhain]

EMT are very bad at not holding connections, indeed Virgin staff don't even bother asking any more, as they know the answer will be no!

I've lost count the amount of times I've been held awaiting at a late running VTEC service at Grantham and Peterborough on the Skegness and Spalding services. 1836 Peterborough to Spalding is a regular for being held!

 

[Deafdoggie]

My problem is at Crewe, they won't hold the Derby train at all

 

[bunnahabhain]

My problem is at Crewe, they won't hold the Derby train at all

No, because it'll delay the down LNW on the single line, a down XC at Kidsgrove, and an up VT/XC approaching Stoke.

 

[Deafdoggie]

No, because it'll delay the down LNW on the single line, a down XC at Kidsgrove, and an up VT/XC approaching Stoke.

Not at 21:00 at night with the last train of the day

 

[Ianno87]

Not at 21:00 at night with the last train of the day

Do any of the signal boxes on the route close for the night? That could be the reason.

 

[43055]

Do any of the signal boxes on the route close for the night? That could be the reason.

The signal boxes between Stoke and Derby do at about 22:00 that's why he last EMT services are 20:45ish in each direction. This is the same reason Sunday services don't start until the afternoon.

 

[Deafdoggie]

I thought they still did the old 6-2 & 2-10 shifts. But no 6-2 on Sundays. Which still gives enough leeway for a few minutes of delay.

It also allows enough leeway for the previous one (there is a 2 hour gap at that time of night) to run a bit late too.

LNWR have their own fares to Derby now (via Tamworth) such is the demand on the Crewe-Stoke section for travel to/from Derby, so I’m sure there could be a case to extend opening, but I guess it just has to wait for resignalling & box closures. But how long after that before EMT still do anything?

 

[43055]

I thought they still did the old 6-2 & 2-10 shifts. But no 6-2 on Sundays. Which still gives enough leeway for a few minutes of delay.

It also allows enough leeway for the previous one (there is a 2 hour gap at that time of night) to run a bit late too.

LNWR have their own fares to Derby now (via Tamworth) such is the demand on the Crewe-Stoke section for travel to/from Derby, so I’m sure there could be a case to extend opening, but I guess it just has to wait for resignalling & box closures. But how long after that before EMT still do anything?

The last train from Crewe passes the last signal box at 2155 and then comes another service at Derby 9 minutes after arriving. May be Sundays they open till 2230 which means they could possibility ho,d the last train by a couple of minutes.