Fast Durham Coast Services - What Impact?

[70014IronDuke]

I'm intrigued as to the impact of the (relatively) new Newcastle - Sunlan - Pools - Middlesboro 'fasts'. True, they can't really be termed as fast - 76 minutes for 47 odd miles is not exactly electrifying speed - but I assume it's the best it's ever been?

Anyway, would be interested in any comments as to their success or otherwise from those with first-hand experience.

 

[darloscott]

Importantly they’re not just fasts but much needed extra capacity. From December they will also call at Stockton in both directions. The Durham Coast has badly needed extra services for years… in my limited experience these ones do genuinely seem quicker which should help to attract more people to rail!

 

[harz99]

Houchen's Expresses are a misnomer as the track infrastructure doesn't allow for any maximum speed running, and they are somewhat unreliable as they seem to be the first services to be cut when stock and crew shortages occur, iirc the overall reduction in journey time achieved by omitting some stations from Middlesbrough to Newcastle is only around 6 or 7 minutes, which will be less still if and when Stockton is added.

To me skipping the stops at Stockton, Billingham, Seaton Carew, Horden, and Seaham for the sake of a very few minutes, is a wasted opportunity to both provide a better more frequent overall service and stimulate more use of rail...however political expediency for Mr Houchen got in the way of that.

 

[3RDGEN]

I'm intrigued as to the impact of the (relatively) new Newcastle - Sunlan - Pools - Middlesboro 'fasts'. True, they can't really be termed as fast - 76 minutes for 47 odd miles is not exactly electrifying speed - but I assume it's the best it's ever been?

Anyway, would be interested in any comments as to their success or otherwise from those with first-hand experience.

The service goes hourly from the December timetable and runs onto Carlisle with slightly faster journey time, 69 minutes southbound 71 minutes northbound look to the quickest. As you say not Express but it does give the increased capacity has mentioned above, a longtime coming too.

 

[harz99]

The service goes hourly from the December timetable and runs onto Carlisle with slightly faster journey time, 69 minutes southbound 71 minutes northbound look to the quickest. As you say not Express but it does give the increased capacity has mentioned above, a longtime coming too.

Achieved at the expense of the stopping services finishing at Newcastle instead of continuing across to MetroCentre and beyond, all bar one morning peak journey through to Carlisle.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Houchen's Expresses are a misnomer as the track infrastructure doesn't allow for any maximum speed running, and they are somewhat unreliable as they seem to be the first services to be cut when stock and crew shortages occur, iirc the overall reduction in journey time achieved by omitting some stations from Middlesbrough to Newcastle is only around 6 or 7 minutes, which will be less still if and when Stockton is added.

To me skipping the stops at Stockton, Billingham, Seaton Carew, Horden, and Seaham for the sake of a very few minutes, is a wasted opportunity to both provide a better more frequent overall service and stimulate more use of rail...however political expediency for Mr Houchen got in the way of that.

Yes, I suspect it was a knife-edge decision by the planners. Who knows, if the hourly 'fast' is successful in attracting new punters, maybe they'll go for 3 TPH, two all stations and one fast, if they can get the stock in the future.