T&W Metro short workings to Regent Centre

[Kryten2340]

I regularly use this service as it's less crowed than the trains to/from Sunderland but I've been wondering instead of terminating at Platform 2 and go into the sidings why not just cross over using the points just before the depot and terminate at platform 1. Wouldn't this be quicker and simpler or is there more to it than that?

 

[cdonnigan]

I regularly use this service as it's less crowed than the trains to/from Sunderland but I've been wondering instead of terminating at Platform 2 and go into the sidings why not just cross over using the points just before the depot and terminate at platform 1. Wouldn't this be quicker and simpler or is there more to it than that?

just after regent centre there is a siding to the right and a set of points onto the inbound line trains normally cross onto the inbound line then into the siding and reverse direction back to either pelaw or back through regent centre and into the traction depot

 

[142094]

Some of the last few times I've seen the empty set go into the sidings west of the station, a train for South Hylton has been coming in straight away, so perhaps it is due to time pressure (gets it out of the way quicker).

 

[transmanche]

I regularly use this service as it's less crowed than the trains to/from Sunderland but I've been wondering instead of terminating at Platform 2 and go into the sidings why not just cross over using the points just before the depot and terminate at platform 1. Wouldn't this be quicker and simpler or is there more to it than that?

Two things spring to mind:

• Congestion. It's easier to manage the flow of passengers if you can keep those leaving the train apart from those waiting to joining the train. (Most trains that terminate at Regent Centre are during the rush hour, when the station is busy with passengers arriving on 'out' trains and passengers waiting to board 'in' trains.)
• Time. The time it would take the driver to get from one end to the other (navigating around all the alighting and boarding passengers) and prepare the train for departure, means the line would be occupied for too long.