Marshlink disruption this week?

[FlippyFF]

Can anyone tell me please what's causing the disruption to Southern's Marshlink service this week please?

I've been forced to commute using it this week and despite leaving Ashford on time each morning at 07:22, the arrivals at my destination have varied between 4m late to 16m late. Coming back, the 18:11 arrival at Ashford was 12m late on Mon, 14m on Tue, 27m yesterday and 9m late today but Southern seem strangely silent on subject.

Looking at RecentTrainTimes I can see quite a few eastbound services terminated and reversed at Rye whilst at the other end, services skipping stations between Eastbourne <> Hastings (not that either seems to have helped them much)


Thanks in advance,

Simon

 

[Bikeman78]

Can anyone tell me please what's causing the disruption to Southern's Marshlink service this week please?

I've been forced to commute using it this week and despite leaving Ashford on time each morning at 07:22, the arrivals at my destination have varied between 4m late to 16m late. Coming back, the 18:11 arrival at Ashford was 12m late on Mon, 14m on Tue, 27m yesterday and 9m late today but Southern seem strangely silent on subject.

Looking at RecentTrainTimes I can see quite a few eastbound services terminated and reversed at Rye whilst at the other end, services skipping stations between Eastbourne <> Hastings (not that either seems to have helped them much)


Thanks in advance,

Simon

At a guess, slipping on leafy or drizzly rails. The schedule seems heroic at the best of times. I've no idea why they would terminate an Ashford bound train at Rye. It would make more sense to terminate westbound trains at Hastings and focus the DMUs on the Ashford to Hastings line. There are other trains between Hastings and Eastbourne.

 

[Class 466]

At a guess, slipping on leafy or drizzly rails. The schedule seems heroic at the best of times. I've no idea why they would terminate an Ashford bound train at Rye. It would make more sense to terminate westbound trains at Hastings and focus the DMUs on the Ashford to Hastings line. There are other trains between Hastings and Eastbourne.

Traincrew are based at Eastbourne rather than Hastings so you'd end up with no service at all pretty quickly.

 

[Bikeman78]

Traincrew are based at Eastbourne rather than Hastings so you'd end up with no service at all pretty quickly.

Well that explains it. Also why do the 170s stop almost everywhere? Wouldn't it be better for the slower DMUs to run fast Eastbourne (or Hampden Park) to Bexhill and have the two EMU services stop? Six minutes turn round time was never going to end well.

 

[yorksrob]

There are a lot of trees between Rye and Hastings and very few between Rye and Ashford.

 

[High Dyke]

I was caught in the weather related disruption on that route yesterday. The train I was on (delayed 11:49 ex-Eastbourne) terminated at Rye, but the following service did a skip-stop on the Coast way between Eastbourne and Bexhill to recover time. It was delayed at Ore awaiting the single line to Rye. So, I arrived in Ashford about an hour later than planned.

 

[30907]

Well that explains it. Also why do the 170s stop almost everywhere? Wouldn't it be better for the slower DMUs to run fast Eastbourne (or Hampden Park) to Bexhill and have the two EMU services stop?

It provides a half-hourly local service and a fast Brighton-Hastings.
The previous pattern of an Ashford-Hastings- (fast) Brighton didn't work because of the disparity in loadings Marshlink<>Coastway.

 

[FlippyFF]

This morning's train, unit 171808, actually got an announcement from the crew apologising for the late running apparently caused by one of the three engines not working.

On Wednesday evening, 2D46 the 15:49 from Eastbourne to Ashford was terminated at Rye at 17:09* due to late running (it had been 22/23mins late throughout). It should have restarted from Rye at 17:49 on 2D47 but couldn't due to 2D50, the 16:52 from Eastbourne to Ashford. also running late and only entering the single line section beyond Ore at 17:49. 2D50 eventually left Rye at 18:12.
* Shown by RecentTrainTimes as 'Traincrew rostering problems'

And no to the station skipping at the west end thanks, that's where I've been going to all week!

I would like to express my genuine thanks though to the train crews who, even when arriving late at Ashford in mornings, have turned the train around quickly so as to leave at the booked time.


Simon

 

[yorksrob]

Get the thumpers out '

 

[FlippyFF]

It provides a half-hourly local service and a fast Brighton-Hastings.
The previous pattern of an Ashford-Hastings- (fast) Brighton didn't work because of the disparity in loadings Marshlink<>Coastway.

I don't think the DMUs to the Brighton bit any more do they? If I've got the wrong end of the stick apologies in advance!

Simon

 

[zwk500]

I don't think the DMUs to the Brighton bit any more do they? If I've got the wrong end of the stick apologies in advance!

Simon

The Marshlinks don't, but the 1tph Brighton-Hastings run fast Eastbourne-Bexhill, and the London Vic-Ore is only 1tph (slow), so the Eastbourne-Ashford 1tph runs slow in the opposite half of the hour to provide Pevensey and Normans bay with 2tph to Hastings and Eastbourne.

 

[30907]

I don't think the DMUs to the Brighton bit any more do they? If I've got the wrong end of the stick apologies in advance!

No, they don't, one reason being that they were too short for the passenger loadings at the Brighton end.