Odd timetabling goings on on the Bentham line.

[yorksrob]

Since before the pandemic, there has been an evening train from Lancaster to Skipton that has left Lancaster at around 21:31, getting into Skipton at 22:44. This generally hasn't changed much for some time, covid excepted.

Yet on the latest timetable, whilst the saturday train remains the same, weekday services have been retimed to get into Skipton at 22:46.

What is more interesting is that the services have identical timings right up until Gargrave, where the journey then takes longer on weekdays.

I've been on this train on various occasions over the years and not much happens with it at Skipton, other than it going into platform 2, disgorging all its passengers then going off into the sidings.

Can anyone shed any light as to why it suddenly takes two minutes longer to get from Gargrave to Skipton on weekdays only ? A look at RTT on another weekday doesn't show anything else much happening to the west of Skipton, other than the last train from Ribblehead coming in about twenty minutes earlier.

I'm genuinely intrigued !

 

[janb]

The difference I notice is that on a weekday it crosses over to terminate on platform 3 (2S64 from Bradford subsequently terminates in 2), whereas on the Saturday it terminates in platform 2 (2S64 booked to use platform 3, although last Saturday ended up using 1). Perhaps 2 minutes allowed for that?

 

[yorksrob]

It seems bizarre as the Bradfords usually terminate in 3 or 4.

I wonder why they swapped the Lancaster and the Bradford arrivals around since they both presumably go into the sidings anyway.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Is the 2131 (SuX) evening train from Lancaster to Skipton the one that arrives into Skipton such that it doesn't quite provide a valid connection for the final train of the evening onwards to Leeds?

 

[yorksrob]

Is the 2131 (SuX) evening train from Lancaster to Skipton the one that arrives into Skipton such that it doesn't quite provide a valid connection for the final train of the evening onwards to Leeds?

Yes, it misses it by a minute. Also going into platform 3 will make connections tight as the Leeds usually goes from platform 1.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Yes, it misses it by a minute. Also going into platform 3 will make connections tight as the Leeds usually goes from platform 1.

Thanks for clarifying. So, why is that? Operational convenience outweighing passenger convenience? Seems a little strange.

 

[andytj01]

Now that the first Bentham line train in the morning from May continues to Lancaster rather than than terminating at Carnforth, has the service become more popular?

 

[yorksrob]

Thanks for clarifying. So, why is that? Operational convenience outweighing passenger convenience? Seems a little strange.

Well that's what I'd like to know.

I just wish that when people were tinkering around with timings, particularly in the late evenings, they would have some consideration for connections.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Assuming it wasn’t deliberate (would seem odd) it’s probably simple incompetence. The quality of timetable planning is on a generally downward trajectory.

 

[yorksrob]

I can now report that the connection for the 21:31 Leeds to Lancaster (changing at Skipton) appears to have been restored from the December timetable change.

This is excellent news !

 

[30907]

I can now report that the connection for the 21:31 Leeds to Lancaster (changing at Skipton) appears to have been restored from the December timetable change.

Other way round

 

[yorksrob]

Other way round

Oh yes, - my brain's not really woken up at 6:30 !

(I'm not sure it ever does really )