Daily TP Empty Stock Move

[Finfanero]

Good Evening,

Please could someone advise why the following goes to Leeds & Back before going to York ?

It does it everyday

Why don't it just go Doncaster>Leeds>York

Realtime Trains | 5E04 0334 Doncaster Carr Iep Depot to York | 09/10/2023

Real-time train running information for 5E04 0334 departure from Doncaster Carr Iep Depot to York on 09/10/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[yorkie]

At a guess, probably route knowledge retention.

 

[D6130]

There's also a similar TPE empty stock working once (sometimes twice) a day between Manchester Victoria - or sometimes Ardwick Depot - and return via Hebden Bridge for route knowledge and retention purposes.

 

[Watershed]

It's for route retention purposes, so that TPE's York 802 link drivers can still take 802s to Doncaster IEP depot for maintenance and back into service, even when the direct Doncaster-York line is shut overnight or on a weekend for engineering works.

The last time I looked into it, on Sunday-Friday nights the TPE ECS workings to & from Doncaster IEP are worked by the same night shift driver, so the Doncaster-Leeds route retention can be done this way without any additional cost in terms of driver hours. It just means the driver has a few hours less sleep in the messroom at the IEP depot!

There's also a similar TPE empty stock working once (sometimes twice) a day between Manchester Victoria - or sometimes Ardwick Depot - and return via Hebden Bridge for route knowledge and retention purposes.

If you're thinking of the 5P3x series, these aren't really ECS workings, but rather trains that run as required for route learning.

 

[800001]

As above but it’s also to get the sets off Doncaster Carr depot at that time, they can’t go to York straight away as would be sat in platforms to long, so it heads to Leeds first to fill in some time.

 

[Watershed]

As above but it’s also to get the sets off Doncaster Carr depot at that time, they can’t go to York straight away as would be sat in platforms to long, so it heads to Leeds first to fill in some time.

There's no inherent reason why the sets have to leave Doncaster IEP depot at that time - there's no restrictions on staying on depot as far as I'm aware, and indeed this particular ECS has been cancelled countless times due to TPE's driver shortages, resulting in sets staying on depot all day.

If it were purely about killing time you could also just stick the train in Holgate loop for a while, as is indeed the next working (5P13) of one of the sets forming the above ECS.

 

[800001]

There's no inherent reason why the sets have to leave Doncaster IEP depot at that time - there's no restrictions on staying on depot as far as I'm aware, and indeed this particular ECS has been cancelled countless times due to TPE's driver shortages, resulting in sets staying on depot all day.

If it were purely about killing time you could also just stick the train in Holgate loop for a while, as is indeed the next working (5P13) of one of the sets forming the above ECS.

just what I’ve been told by multiple Hitachi staff.

 

[43095john]

There's no inherent reason why the sets have to leave Doncaster IEP depot at that time - there's no restrictions on staying on depot as far as I'm aware, and indeed this particular ECS has been cancelled countless times due to TPE's driver shortages, resulting in sets staying on depot all day.

If it were purely about killing time you could also just stick the train in Holgate loop for a while, as is indeed the next working (5P13) of one of the sets forming the above ECS.

Holgate is 99% of the Midweek blocked by Engineering works closing 2 out of 4 lines between Colton Jn & York, also the works mean limited Platform availability at York rendering stabling there not possible.

Occasionally it will not go to Leeds and alternatively sit in Arksey Loop for a hour or two but that's dependent if that Loop is available.

Saturday nights 5M22 southbound ECS is usually booked York - Doncaster via Leeds due to Engineering works

 

[greyman42]

Could it be to pick up crew at Leeds?

 

[Watershed]

Could it be to pick up crew at Leeds?

Nope, TPE doesn't have a crew depot in Leeds and there's no other TOCs' staff who pass on the train. It's worked throughout by the same driver.