Overcrowding on Grimsby-Lincoln

[D6975]

On Sat 29 June, I spent the morning at Barnetby before catching the first train of the day down the Brigg line. The Lincoln/Newark service that was due shortly before my train was the usual 153 and was already completely wedged on arrival. The guard opened the doors but announced that he couldn’t take on any more passengers. He made a note of where they all wanted to go before he departed. 11 or 12 wanting to board were left behind. Is this the norm over there on a Sat? Some of the passengers moaned that it wasn’t the first time they had been left behind.

2 hours is a long time to wait for the next one…..

 

[David Barrett]

That particular service should, on Saturdays, be diagrammed for a 2x153 formation but is not always the case so there will be passengers left behind under the circumstances. The Hatfield situation hasn't helped either as some passengers seem to be attempting to travel via Newark in order to avoid the bus journey in lieu of Trans Pennine services to Doncaster. What you observed will have come as no surprise to EMT. users hereabout though.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

That particular service should, on Saturdays, be diagrammed for a 2x153 formation but is not always the case so there will be passengers left behind under the circumstances.

Are there are current operational stock problem that can cause the 2 x 153 formation not to appear on this particular service ?

 

[David Barrett]

Are there are current operational stock problem that can cause the 2 x 153 formation not to appear on this particular service ?

Nothing special other than EMT seem to be short of rolling stock in general but of 2 car formations in particular for their local services and have been right from day one which left me with the impression that, at the end of the then current round of franchise renewal, EMT. were lumbered with the crumbs under the table. A few 156 units came from Northern a few years back to allow more 158s to be used on the Norwich to Liverpool service which was suffering from severe overcrowding I understand, largely as a result of the DfT acting on poor information from the previous franchise holder with regard to rolling stock needs and the 170s going to XC. Over the last decade or so any attempts by either Central Trains or EMT. to overcome rolling stock shortages have been a game of "Robbing Peter to pay Paul" with the effect that overcrowding has not been releived overall but just moved around a bit. There has been some heated debate on this topic in the "State of Travel in Lincolnshire" thread.

 

[Harlesden]

Bearing in mind the huge increase in passengers numbers that has occured since London Overground took over the Silverlink Metro services and increased the frequencies, is it possible that a well advertised half hourly service with a single 153 might attract more passengers - who either previously used the bus or didn't bother at all - and turn the Newark-Grimsby Town run into a profitable service.
Alternatively, run extra Newark-Barnetby services timed to connect into TPE services at Barnetby with the short running EMT service timed to arrive Barnetby 10 minutes before the TPE service is due.

 

[David Barrett]

Just an afterthought here: might this topic not be incorporated into the "State of Rail Travel in Lincolnshire" thread? It certianly seems relevant and includes input and observation from someone away from the area who has picked up on a problem that EMT. users in the Lincoln area regularly encounter.