Predictions for how new timetable will cope on May 20th and 21st

[geoffk]

An odd thing about my Chat Moss TPE train to Liverpool on Tuesday.
Running 20 late it got stuck behind the Crewe-Liverpool stopper at Rainhill.
I wondered if they would be clever and loop the Crewe at Huyton to let us past.
But in fact they looped the TPE on the slow, while the Crewe made its stops on the fast.
Saves a platform alteration I suppose, and the crossovers are quite fast.

I am also surprised how little use is made of Oxford Road P3 to loop/reverse trains.
It normally sees just the up Llandudno each hour.
Maybe it is getting more use this week!

Also more use of the little-used platform 1, despite the lack of a lift. This happened twice during my visits while platform 2 was occupied by a Crewe - Liverpool waiting for a guard. The non-stop Glasgow/Edinburgh is using platform 1, as you would expect. Is there a plan for a lift or is it a difficult engineering challenge? All four through platforms need to be in regular use. Also, both platforms 13 and 14 at Piccadilly are signalled to accept two trains at a time but this never happens.

 

[Mark62]

I travel frequently on the Newcastle to carlisle line and everything as been its usual arriva self with pacers running all the way to save more money.
There was an interesting run on June 30 I'd just come off the Southampton train which was inexplicably late.tje 15.55 to Hexham should have gone bit was late
I checked the rail app and it was rescheduled to run non stop to Hexham leaving at 16.12.it was a 156 I obviously logged the journey
The driver had a lot of fun tearing through Prudhoe at 60 with his horn blowing away.er were looking at a 25 minute run to Hexham maybe less.the main problem appeared totbe crossing over at Hexham onto platform 1.
There wasn't anything in front but we got slowed at Corbridge. This line doesn't have any MAS so I knew the driver had got an expected red as hit braked hard
We arrived at 16.40. A very good run considering the slack
A had a chat to the driver and told him well done on the good run I asked him about the red He told me it happens all the time even though the line is clear
A rare non stop fast tun from Newcastle to Hexham

 

[faltskog36abba]

I travel frequently on the Newcastle to carlisle line and everything as been its usual arriva self with pacers running all the way to save more money.
There was an interesting run on June 30 I'd just come off the Southampton train which was inexplicably late.tje 15.55 to Hexham should have gone bit was late
I checked the rail app and it was rescheduled to run non stop to Hexham leaving at 16.12.it was a 156 I obviously logged the journey
The driver had a lot of fun tearing through Prudhoe at 60 with his horn blowing away.er were looking at a 25 minute run to Hexham maybe less.the main problem appeared totbe crossing over at Hexham onto platf
There wasn't anything in front but we got slowed at Corbridge. This line doesn't have any MAS so I knew the driver had got an expected red as hit braked hard
We arrived at 16.40. A very good run considering the slack
A had a chat to the driver and told him well done on the good run I asked him about the red He told me it happens all the time even though the line is clear
A rare non stop fast tun from Newcastle to Hexham

I boarded a Southport bound train from Manchester over ten years ago and it was running late as were a few trains on that line. To keep to the timetable the 142 I was travelling on went express from Wigan to Southport, I enjoyed going over jointed track and the driver hitting the horn at all the level crossings on the route. My fathers partner was trembling with fear and wanted to get a taxi back, She had never been on a 142 at speed before-She was terrified.