LNR Short formations

[BucksBones]

I have the pleasure of travelling on the 1730 LNR Euston - Milton Keynes today. It's formed of 4 crush loaded carriages and has left people behind. I've noticed this train has been short formed a lot recently but it's far from alone; the LNR passenger Facebook groups have been full of posts about short formations recently.

I just wondered what the reason for the short formed services is; just 350/1 refurbs or is there something else going on?

I have to say that I wonder if the short formations have been managed as well as they could be - 4 carriages on the south WCML in the evening peak??

 

[NewSt]

I have the pleasure of travelling on the 1730 LNR Euston - Milton Keynes today. It's formed of 4 crush loaded carriages and has left people behind. I've noticed this train has been short formed a lot recently but it's far from alone; the LNR passenger Facebook groups have been full of posts about short formations recently.

I just wondered what the reason for the short formed services is; just 350/1 refurbs or is there something else going on?

I have to say that I wonder if the short formations have been managed as well as they could be - 4 carriages on the south WCML in the evening peak??

I travel on WMR daily and can count on the fingers of one hand how many times my train has been the right length in the past few weeks.

I think that it's primarily due to the May timetable change stretching resources to the maximum and therefore LNR having no spare units when units are inevitably taken out of service for maintenance, meaning that they try to cover all services with at least 4 carriages and have to take half of the carriages from an 8 carriage train to put on a diagram which doesn't have a set available due to maintenance and/or refurbishment (in the case of the Class 350/1s).

The only services you can really count on being 8 carriages are those which split at Birmingham (the services which leave Euston with one portion to Rugeley and one to Crewe), the others you'd have more chance of getting a short formed train than a train with the right number of carriages at the moment.

 

[Tetchytyke]

In London Midland days the 1730 was always the one to be short-formed if they were short.

It makes sense, with a 1723, 1734 and 1741 also heading out of London as alternatives. Unless you're going to Apsley or Cheddington, the 1734- a 12-car- makes all the same calls. The issue is people pile on the short-form rather than wait 4 whole minutes.

 

[Bletchleyite]

In London Midland days the 1730 was always the one to be short-formed if they were short.

It makes sense, with a 1723, 1734 and 1741 also heading out of London as alternatives. Unless you're going to Apsley or Cheddington, the 1734- a 12-car- makes all the same calls. The issue is people pile on the short-form rather than wait 4 whole minutes.

It's almost surprising (other than knowing their incompetence) that they don't drop some other stops from it (or put them "set down only" so they don't show on the PIS) to avoid that issue.

 

[BucksBones]

It's almost surprising (other than knowing their incompetence) that they don't drop some other stops from it (or put them "set down only" so they don't show on the PIS) to avoid that issue.

Ha ha, now you're talking: "Welcome on board this 1730 London Northwestern Railway service to Cheddington, calling at.... Apsley." I think a 153 would suit!

You're right though, it wouldn't take much for the guard to advise passengers that there's another train for Watford and Tring 4 minutes behind.

In London Midland days the 1730 was always the one to be short-formed if they were short.

It makes sense, with a 1723, 1734 and 1741 also heading out of London as alternatives. Unless you're going to Apsley or Cheddington, the 1734- a 12-car- makes all the same calls. The issue is people pile on the short-form rather than wait 4 whole minutes.

Yes there is that, there were an awful lot of people who got off at Watford and Tring. 1730 probably a poor example then but the short-forming problem is clearly acute at the moment.

How many 350/1s are out of service? I've only seen one refurbished one so far.

 

[AndyCK]

Out of curiosity has anyone tried and successfully claimed refunds for short formed severely overcrowded services?

From https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/consumer-rights-act-travel-amendments

If you feel the service you’ve received falls way below the standard you’d expect, you might be entitled to claim a full or partial refund in the following circumstances:

• A severely overcrowded train because too few carriages are available

There are caveats if the short forming was outside of the control of the TOC (detailed in the Which? link) but you could argue they don't cover regular maintenance (only defects) or refurbishment. You'd also need to prove it was short formed - I don't know how that could be attempted to be done other than observation/first hand experience that services used to have more carriages until recently.

 

[BucksBones]

Out of curiosity has anyone tried and successfully claimed refunds for short formed severely overcrowded services?

From https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/consumer-rights-act-travel-amendments



There are caveats if the short forming was outside of the control of the TOC (detailed in the Which? link) but you could argue they don't cover regular maintenance (only defects) or refurbishment. You'd also need to prove it was short formed - I don't know how that could be attempted to be done other than observation/first hand experience that services used to have more carriages until recently.

That'd be easy enough, the train lengths are shown on LNR timetables.