DOO ECS moves in passenger service

[me123]

I've noticed in the past that, in the US, it seems to be more common to run what are clearly stock positioning moves in the counter-peak direction - often running non-stop and missing quite big stations on its way. An example can be seen on MBTA's Franklin Line in the Boston area, where the first morning outbound service at 3am calls at very few stations with a calling pattern not replicated elsewhere. I doubt that the service is well used in itself, and it's probably the return working that is its raison d'être.

It doesn't seem to be quite as common in the UK - a stock positioning move at 03:30am would almost certainly be an ECS, surely!

 

[Starmill]

It certainly isn't unheard of

 

[LAX54]

I was always told one of the reasons is to keep the 'passenger mileage' down, running ECS does not count towards it, so it can run cars back to a location where it can form another passenger service, one assumes over a few days / weeks the miles could add up, but it allows the TOC to actually run extra / more trains, possibly in another direction, than if the train was kept in 'passenger service', of course there is always the other reasons of it could run without a guard, and can be diverted off its booked route, subject to driver knowledge, and still get to its destination by another route.

 

[Class 170101]

It certainly isn't unheard of

This train is an Airport service but is often diverted via other routes. If it stopped en-route then buses may have to be provided.

 

[me123]

It certainly isn't unheard of

I'd argue a service that takes you to a major international airport at 5am is actually very handy, which is probably why it runs in passenger service! (In fact, thanks for highlighting it, I may well be using it in the future!).

 

[craigybagel]

It certainly isn't unheard of

This train is an Airport service but is often diverted via other routes. If it stopped en-route then buses may have to be provided.

I'd argue a service that takes you to a major international airport at 5am is actually very handy, which is probably why it runs in passenger service! (In fact, thanks for highlighting it, I may well be using it in the future!).

I did wonder if that particular service would come up. On the rare occasions I've worked it it's always had a few passengers on - not very many admittedly, but there's usually a few on going to the airport.