TfW punctuality

[LlanishenBull]

I use the Marches line regularly. And the Valleys (albeit mostly only from north Cardiff). The clue to why is in my name.

Very noticeable that trains back south from Hereford are rarely on time. More often than not we're talking minutes though, sometimes by the time we get to Cardiff we're back on time (or close to) thanks to all the padding in the timetable (some trains are scheduled to wait up to 10 minutes in Newport).

Major issues are, in my experience, no different than previously, but late running does some far more commonplace.

Two recent Tuesday night games in Hereford for example. Train back to Cardiff is scheduled for 2154. On both occasions it was 10 mins or so late. Meant less of a rush to the station after the game, but I still caught my last connection (rail replacement bus) home in Cardiff.

A few weeks earlier the train from Hereford was 30 mins late, that meant finding the Station Manager at Cardiff Central to get a taxi home.

Similar experiences on Saturdays too, though with more choice of trains of course.

 

[craigybagel]

If the driver could open the doors that would save 30 seconds at each stop. I'm amazed with the new stock it's still guard open.

Two things worth pointing out.

1: it wouldn't. Very occasionally there's a slight delay if the guard gets stuck in the wrong part of the train at the wrong time. This is pretty rare - and certainly not worth 30 seconds at every station.

2: whilst the 197s do have door controls on the drivers desk, the SDO system would require some expensive modifications to allow driver release at all stations. At the moment, guards have to override the system at "complex" stations where more than 1 platform is available for use, and there isn't an override switch on the drivers panel.

You would also need a completely new SDO system for the MKIVs as it's a manual system that requires the guard to be at the end of the platformed section of the train. Not compatible with driver operation.

 

[Snow1964]

There is new ORR punctuality data July-September table 4.2

TfW was in the middle at 60.3% punctual

Best was Greater Anglia at 87.2%
Worst was Grand Central at 43.0%
Worst (not open access) was Avanti 46.3%

https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/1kdfjw4u/performance_stats_release_jul-sep-2023.pdf

 

[Krokodil]

Additionally, the vulnerability of services using the Castlefield corridor to delays has serious knock on effects elsewhere.

Marches services (bar some early morning/late evening ECS moves) don't go through Castlefield. The crews are mostly separate too, late running Chat Moss services don't tend to have knock on delays to Cardiff trains.

The problem is that TfW as an institution doesn’t has much of an incentive to improve reliability.

That's not the issue at all. The management are accountable to the Welsh Government and the Senedd. In any case, no "accountability" would make the slightest bit of difference to whether a unit gets off Canton on time. Many of the delays are NR or FOC caused anyway.

If the driver could open the doors that would save 30 seconds at each stop. I'm amazed with the new stock it's still guard open.

Rubbish, on a quiet train it's possible for the guard to be giving two on the buzzer within 30 seconds of the wheels stopping. It certainly does not take 30 seconds to release the doors.

A common issue on the Marches appears to be ECS moves coming off of Canton late. I'm not sure if that's down to late presentation by Canton or just the signaller not having a path/platform available to let them out, Cardiff being quite congested. Many delays occur at Shrewsbury too.

 

[Dai Corner]

That's not the issue at all. The management are accountable to the Welsh Government and the Senedd. In any case, no "accountability" would make the slightest bit of difference to whether a unit gets off Canton on time. Many of the delays are NR or FOC caused anyway.

Well, there were financial penalties for underperformance in the privately owned franchise days which hit the bottom line and no doubt Directors' bonuses. Poor performance probably affected whether franchises were renewed too. What sanctions do the Welsh Government have if TfW cancel 80 services a day, use 40 year old commuter stock on their premier service or fail to operate a line at all for months on end?

If there were effective sanctions they might have made more effort to get the wheel lathe at Canton fixed and that at Holyhead in service before the leaf fall and wheel flat season, for example.

As it is, revenue shortfall has resulted in other public services being cut to find another £125m for the railways rather than hitting shareholders' dividends.

 

[Krokodil]

If there were effective sanctions they might have made more effort to get the wheel lathe at Canton fixed and that at Holyhead in service before the leaf fall and wheel flat season, for example.

Do you seriously believe that Keolis would have been in any different position now?

As it is, revenue shortfall has resulted in other public services being cut to find another £125m for the railways rather than hitting shareholders' dividends.

A revenue shortfall caused by a pandemic. The Westminster government might think it a good idea to slash services to save a few bob in the short term but I am glad that the WG is looking ahead.

And what shareholder dividends?

 

[Dai Corner]

Do you seriously believe that Keolis would have been in any different position now?

We'll never know, but they'd have an incentive to be able to deal with the wheel flats and not have 'more trains than usual needing repairs'

A revenue shortfall caused by a pandemic. The Westminster government might think it a good idea to slash services to save a few bob in the short term but I am glad that the WG is looking ahead.

This year's revenue shortfall.

And what shareholder dividends?

Exactly. TfW get given more money whereas Keolis shareholders would have had to suck up the losses.

 

[Krokodil]

This year's revenue shortfall.

The fallout from the pandemic is still with us. High inflation, delays to training, delays to fleet introductions, delays to construction work... Not to mention the Westminster government making a hash of industrial relations with the entities they control, resulting in an almost complete shut down of the Welsh infrastructure until the NR dispute was resolved, and disruption to connecting journeys of long-distance passengers when other TOCs were on strike.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Marches services (bar some early morning/late evening ECS moves) don't go through Castlefield. The crews are mostly separate too, late running Chat Moss services don't tend to have knock on delays to Cardiff trains.

I wasn't necessarily talking about crews, but Holyhead services from Cardiff and Manchester share line occupancy at several points.

 

[Krokodil]

I wasn't necessarily talking about crews, but Holyhead services from Cardiff and Manchester share line occupancy at several points.

It's got to be a very bad day for those to affect each other, they're half an hour apart. Besides the worst delays tend to happen between Cardiff and Chester.

 

[AlastairFraser]

It's got to be a very bad day for those to affect each other, they're half an hour apart. Besides the worst delays tend to happen between Cardiff and Chester.

I mean, I've seen it happen!
My overall point is that it may be a very minor impact on punctuality, but it all adds up.

 

[Krokodil]

I mean, I've seen it happen!
My overall point is that it may be a very minor impact on punctuality, but it all adds up.

It can happen, but it's a rare event and cannot account for why we see almost daily delays on the Marches. It certainly doesn't account for delays with northbound services.

 

[AlastairFraser]

It can happen, but it's a rare event and cannot account for why we see almost daily delays on the Marches. It certainly doesn't account for delays with northbound services.

Fair point