EMT future of Norwich depot

[First class]

Been reading a few posts on this forum about plans to split Liverpool-Norwich into Liverpool-Nottingham (TPE), along with proposals to run the Nottingham-Norwich service to Cambridge instead etc.

I **think** there's a small EMT traincrew depot at Norwich still, so what do forum members think will likely happen to it in the next few years?

1) Nothing, it stays as EMT, still working Nottingham-Norwich;
2) Transfers into Greater Anglia
3) Transfers into CrossCountry and works other routes (like a potential Norwich-Birmingham service etc)
4) Depot is closed

With the TPE/EMT/AGA franchises all due for renewal fairly soon, (or Direct Awards etc), there is surely likely to be some remapping of services.

I can't see EMT wanting to keep an isolated depot with a handful of staff there if Liverpool-Nottingham goes to TPE, especially if they will already have a surplus at Nottingham.

Thanks

 

[edwin_m]

I don't think splitting the Liverpool-Norwich service makes any difference. No crews work through Nottingham so the eastern leg would be worked by Nottingham or Norwich crews just as it is now.

However, EMT work the other half of the route by running empty stock to and from Liverpool, rather than having local crews and stock overnighting as happens at Norwich. It is possible that future management would decide to do the same for Norwich too, perhaps if re-signalling between Peterborough and Ely leads to the whole route to Norwich being open longer hours.

 

[dk1]

I don't think splitting the Liverpool-Norwich service makes any difference. No crews work through Nottingham so the eastern leg would be worked by Nottingham or Norwich crews just as it is now.

However, EMT work the other half of the route by running empty stock to and from Liverpool, rather than having local crews and stock overnighting as happens at Norwich. It is possible that future management would decide to do the same for Norwich too, perhaps if re-signalling between Peterborough and Ely leads to the whole route to Norwich being open longer hours.

Peterborough to Norwich is 24hrs. Plenty of freight runs through the night on the Pbo-Ely section.

 

[edwin_m]

Peterborough to Norwich is 24hrs. Plenty of freight runs through the night on the Pbo-Ely section.

Thanks for that - should have realised! And with Ely-Norwich recently re-signalled there isn't really an issue with signal box opening hours there either.

Thinking about this a bit more the reason for EMT doing it this way is possibly engineering access. There are enough routes to Liverpool that the ECS will be able to get through one way or another, whereas if Peterborough-Ely is closed the diversion would be at least via Hitchin and possibly into north London, and for Ely-Norwich it would be via Ipswich. That's a lot of extra mileage that the crews wouldn't otherwise need route knowledge for.

So Peterborough-Ely re-signalling is unlikely to affect the future of train crews at Norwich.

 

[tocguard]

Why would it close or transfer? It would remain as an East Midlands franchise depot as long as there is a service to Nottingham. That's like saying they should close Boston depot aswell because it can be worked by Nottingham crews.

The Norwich guys do sign and work Nottingham - Mansfield - Worksop aswell!

And who says there's a surplus of crew at Nottingham?

 

[bigbear]

aparently there used to be a small depot at liverpool lime street, until it was closed then they ran ecs, so its quite possible they can do the same at norwich. personally i wouldnt like to see it, but ya never know..

 

[tocguard]

aparently there used to be a small depot at liverpool lime street, until it was closed then they ran ecs, so its quite possible they can do the same at norwich. personally i wouldnt like to see it, but ya never know..

Not in this franchise at least. News to me anyway.

 

[bigbear]

no not in this franchise, this was a few years ago!...but if they can run ecs to lime street then its totally possible to run ecs to norwich....like i said i wouldnt like to see it happen...

 

[tocguard]

no not in this franchise, this was a few years ago!...but if they can run ecs to lime street then its totally possible to run ecs to norwich....like i said i wouldnt like to see it happen...

I think it's more to do with the fact that we continue to have a train crew depot there because of Crown Point and having units there. At the Liverpool end all the units come back to Nottingham so it makes more sense to run empty up and back via diversionary routes for route knowledge retention. It is convenient to have available crews at Norwich because the units are already there. If it was the case like Liverpool where no trains are left overnight then yes it may make sense to just send them out to Norwich from Nottingham ecs but as it is with units stabled there, it makes far more business sense to have crews based there too.