No Kings Lynn service 7th July

[Sleepy]

According to Eastern Daily Press (as attached) https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/24435814.trains-not-calling-kings-lynn-due-staff-shortage/ due to no station staff there were no trains this morning due to lack of station staff - is this correct reason ??

 

[Hadders]

I passed though Kings Cross about an hour ago and saw the Kings Lynn services showing as cancelled on the departure board, said because of station staff.

Thameslink branded train I saw at Stevenage was declassified in both compartments, presumably due to over crowding due to cancellation of the Kings Lynn trains.

 

[Sleepy]

Either the station is locked up with no night access or platform staff perform a dispatch function then ?

 

[Magdalia]

Until about 1000 there were no through trains anyway because of engineering work somewhere in the Hitchin/Stevenage area.

Since then trains have been running as far north as Downham Market though with a few cancellations presumably trains booked for Kings Lynn drivers.

According to Real Time Trains Kings Lynn reopened at about 1400.

 

[gm671]

Either the station is locked up with no night access or platform staff perform a dispatch function then ?

Dispatcher on duty this morning was taken to hospital. Ticket office remained staffed but there was no one available to dispatch trains until a replacement was found and travelled to Kings Lynn.

 

[dk1]

Some blamed poor old GA when they have absolutely nothing to do with Lynn anymore and never did run that station. Amazing that people still get confused after all these years.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Some blamed poor old GA when they have absolutely nothing to do with Lynn anymore and never did run that station. Amazing that people still get confused after all these years.

Station managed by, and all trains operated by Great Northern (GTR)? And now, no longer any trains into/out of Kings Lynn station operated by Greater Anglia?

 

[dk1]

Station managed by, and all trains operated by Great Northern (GTR)? And now, no longer any trains into/out of Kings Lynn station operated by Greater Anglia?

Exactly what I said yet still it confuses some.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Jul 2024 ==

We get the blame I think because ‘Anglia’ is in the title. Our network is leaps & bounds above in reliability & performance.

 

[Horizon22]

Dispatcher on duty this morning was taken to hospital. Ticket office remained staffed but there was no one available to dispatch trains until a replacement was found and travelled to Kings Lynn.

A single point of failure essentially. I’m surprised this happens as surely the dispatcher would need a break at some point although perhaps that comes “naturally” between trains.

And yes I am aware this has happened to single-staffed signal boxes before but that’s normally after Plan A, B & C have failed.

 

[bramling]

A single point of failure essentially. I’m surprised this happens as surely the dispatcher would need a break at some point although perhaps that comes “naturally” between trains.

And yes I am aware this has happened to single-staffed signal boxes before but that’s normally after Plan A, B & C have failed.

Quite unfortunate, but just one of those things.

One presumes that trains had to terminate at Downham in order for staff to be able to assist with emptying out? Watlington is very much unstaffed.

 

[The exile]

A single point of failure essentially. I’m surprised this happens as surely the dispatcher would need a break at some point although perhaps that comes “naturally” between trains.

And yes I am aware this has happened to single-staffed signal boxes before but that’s normally after Plan A, B & C have failed.

Wonder how the cost (both direct “on the day” and indirect from people who got put off choosing rail next time) compares with having ticket office staff who could also despatch?

 

[Magdalia]

A single point of failure essentially. I’m surprised this happens as surely the dispatcher would need a break at some point although perhaps that comes “naturally” between trains.

This would not be an issue, it is only an hourly service except for the weekday peaks.

One presumes that trains had to terminate at Downham in order for staff to be able to assist with emptying out? Watlington is very much unstaffed.

It is a long while since I used Downham Market (not since the bar was closed) but my recollection is it is self dispatch. Trains can reverse there without needing to shunt so no requirement to empty out apart from on train announcements.

Station managed by, and all trains operated by Great Northern (GTR)? And now, no longer any trains into/out of Kings Lynn station operated by Greater Anglia?

Ely and Cambridge are Greater Anglia stations. The nearest Great Northern station to Kings Lynn that also does platform dispatch I think is Royston, which is more than 50 miles away.

Wonder how the cost (both direct “on the day” and indirect from people who got put off choosing rail next time) compares with having ticket office staff who could also despatch?

Until quite recently policy was to eliminate ticket offices.

 

[bramling]

This would not be an issue, it is only an hourly service except for the weekday peaks.

It is a long while since I used Downham Market (not since the bar was closed) but my recollection is it is self dispatch. Trains can reverse there without needing to shunt so no requirement to empty out apart from on train announcements.

I was making the assumption that the trains were simply running empty between Downham and Kings Lynn. Was this not the case?

From an operational point of view it would be more disruptive to actually reverse the trains short, rather than run them empty, due to the presence of crew reliefs at Kings Lynn. So a bit curious if this was the option chosen.

 

[Magdalia]

I was making the assumption that the trains were simply running empty between Downham and Kings Lynn. Was this not the case?

From looking at Real Time Trains, it is not possible to tell. But, unless there was a booked crew change at Kings Lynn, there would be no need to go there. Most trains go in and out of Kings Lynn with the same driver apart from those at end of early/start of late shifts.

 

[Class800]

A single point of failure essentially. I’m surprised this happens as surely the dispatcher would need a break at some point although perhaps that comes “naturally” between trains.

And yes I am aware this has happened to single-staffed signal boxes before but that’s normally after Plan A, B & C have failed.

Also why not train the driver to do it as a back up plan if needed? Some other places can find another way.

 

[skyhigh]

Also why not train the driver to do it as a back up plan if needed? Some other places can find another way.

The drivers do self dispatch already at appropriate stations, the rolling stock is fitted with bodyside cameras. For whatever reason Kings Lynn has apparently been assessed and decided to be unsuitable for this method of work and requires a dispatcher on the platform. For obvious reasons, the driver can't be on the platform as the train is leaving.

 

[Hadders]

Stevenage has signs on the platform that can be uncovered saying that due to staff shortage the platform is unmanned and that drivers should dispatch in accordance with the Rule Book (it does quite exactly which rule though I can’t recall off the top of my head).

The signs were out up when the DOO Class 365s were new (so 25+ years ago). I’m not sure what the position is with these signs these days with 387/700s.

I’ve got a photo somewhere.

 

[MikeWM]

Stevenage has signs on the platform that can be uncovered saying that due to staff shortage the platform is unmanned and that drivers should dispatch in accordance with the Rule Book (it does quite exactly which rule though I can’t recall off the top of my head).

The signs were out up when the DOO Class 365s were new (so 25+ years ago). I’m not sure what the position is with these signs these days with 387/700s.

Indeed, this happened at Cambridge North this morning with the 8-car 387 I was alighting from, so it seems the 387s at least follow the same procedure.

99.9% of the time there are dispatch staff on the platform at CMB but today no-one was in evidence and the signs were uncovered, the driver clearly managed to dispatch themselves.

I've no idea why the same couldn't be done at Kings Lynn in extremis, it isn't as if there's a big curve or similar.

 

[ainsworth74]

Dispatcher on duty this morning was taken to hospital.

Hopefully the dispatcher is on the mend, as frustrating it is for passengers and staff that the station had to be closed the more worrying thing is the wellbeing of the person involved!

 

[30907]

I've no idea why the same couldn't be done at Kings Lynn in extremis, it isn't as if there's a big curve or similar.

See the spin-off discussion: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/how-difficult-is-it-to-self-dispatch.270499/#post-6846454
Evencthough the curve isn’t severe, it looks as if P1 would be impossible for an 8-car and P2 difficult if the platform was at all busy.

 

[MikeWM]

See the spin-off discussion: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/how-difficult-is-it-to-self-dispatch.270499/#post-6846454
Evencthough the curve isn’t severe, it looks as if P1 would be impossible for an 8-car and P2 difficult if the platform was at all busy.

Thanks - yes, looking at it on google maps, there's a bit more of a curve than I recall from memory. As you say, not severe, but probably enough to stop the driver looking back the full length of the train.