Thameslink Services/Timetable from May 20th 2018

[OwenB]

One service per hour from Hatfield to King's Cross today and they can't even run that. 14.57 cancelled, 15.57 ran, 16.57 cancelled, 17.57 running, 18.57 cancelled. That's an absolutely disgusting service.

 

[Bikeman78]

Really?

Peak looks the same for Moorgate and off peak is down to 3tph so the same.

Into Kings Cross from WGC we have a reduced timetable both peak and off peak compared to May.

As for the weekends - pathetic sums up the current timetable.

Other parts may have improvements compared to the previous timetable but great northern doesn’t. Notice they are quick to mention other issue causing problems with punctuality but don’t mention they still do lots of skip stopping.

I really hate the way this company continues to release inaccurate information like this. The service on great northern was much better in terms of frequency and timekeeping pre-may. Yes things are better but still well below where they were and should be.

Absolutely. When the 317s were running I spent many days travelling on them and following their movements. By and large, things ran to plan. The Welwyn and Hertford trains normally ran like clockwork. The current lopsided service is clearly worse than the previous 20 minute off peak frequency.

 

[OwenB]

Question about the PPM stats here: http://trains.im/ppm/ET. The 5.55 HAT-KGX was cancelled this morning (boo), but the GN Outers are showing as zero cancelled. This service originates in Royston - is this classed as a GN Inner? I thought GN Inners were largely Moorgate services, but I'm guessing there are some exceptions to this. Thanks.

 

[Failed Unit]

Question about the PPM stats here: http://trains.im/ppm/ET. The 5.55 HAT-KGX was cancelled this morning (boo), but the GN Outers are showing as zero cancelled. This service originates in Royston - is this classed as a GN Inner? I thought GN Inners were largely Moorgate services, but I'm guessing there are some exceptions to this. Thanks.

Could be a reporting error as they have some cancellations shown on the outers now. My understanding is the inners are anything that would go to Moorgate and the Outers Kings Cross (including the ones starting / terminating at WGC).

I have often had concerns about the reporting on such pages. In particular with respect to skip stopping when cancellations are shown as 0. But Fred26 pointed out on another post that the correct data can be shown the following day, so skip stopping gets included eventually.

 

[OwenB]

Could be a reporting error as they have some cancellations shown on the outers now. My understanding is the inners are anything that would go to Moorgate and the Outers Kings Cross (including the ones starting / terminating at WGC).

I have often had concerns about the reporting on such pages. In particular with respect to skip stopping when cancellations are shown as 0. But Fred26 pointed out on another post that the correct data can be shown the following day, so skip stopping gets included eventually.

Thanks, that was my understanding too. I just wondered whether services that started from closer in than Cambridge, etc. might have been classed as an Inner.

 

[urpert]

when families (the majority with screaming babies and boisterous kids ) chose to spend the day at the seaside.

How very dare they take their children to the seaside, eh.

 

[ijmad]

Why are the night trains still taking the Crystal Palace diversionary route? Would be far more useful (well, to me, anyway) if they went via London Bridge.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Have realised my own perfect antidote to Thameslink - I have give up working and brought a brand new car.

 

[OwenB]

GN Inners 40% (41 of 102)
GN Outers 76% (54 of 71)

Not so good so far today on GN...

 

[jamesthegill]

GN Inners 40% (41 of 102)
GN Outers 76% (54 of 71)

Not so good so far today on GN...

Track defect at Cuffley apparently, bit of a dip on the running line.

 

[fusionblue]

Have realised my own perfect antidote to Thameslink - I have give up working and brought a brand new car.

Congrats. What car did you get to relieve you of your Thameslinkitis?

 

[jon0844]

Track defect at Cuffley apparently, bit of a dip on the running line.

Power out at Cuffley station this morning too.

 

[Railwaysceptic]

Have realised my own perfect antidote to Thameslink - I have give up working and brought a brand new car.

I hope your retirement is as enjoyable and as fulfilling as mine is. I too bought a new car when I retired, although not primarily to avoid Thameslink! (I do sometimes go to Finsbury Park or St. Pancras to observe the state of play)

 

[ESONEULB]

http://www.itv.com/news/2018-07-17/...nderestimated-rail-cancellations-by-ten-fold/

Sorry if I've repeated this but it is interesting

KRO

 

[ScotGG]

It appears they cancelled all services on Saturday on the Woolwich and Dartford route even though the revised timetable showed one an hour (down from initial two an hour).

http://www.fromthemurkydepths.co.uk...means-no-weekend-trains-and-no-warning-given/

That meant some busy stations like Greenwich lost two of six trains per hour they previously had.

 

[Surreytraveller]

Why are the night trains still taking the Crystal Palace diversionary route? Would be far more useful (well, to me, anyway) if they went via London Bridge.

London Bridge Station is shut at night. They go via Crystal Palace to maintain driver route knowledge, otherwise London Bridge might shut at short notice one day and Thameslink might be totally shut down because drivers don't know the diversionary route.

 

[387star]

London Bridge Station is shut at night. They go via Crystal Palace to maintain driver route knowledge, otherwise London Bridge might shut at short notice one day and Thameslink might be totally shut down because drivers don't know the diversionary route.

Via Streatham normally

 

[387star]

I went to Rainham ... didn't see much of interest
Stopped by at Rochester on the way back which is quite a gem

 

[Surreytraveller]

Via Streatham normally

Depends

 

[Surreytraveller]

I went to Rainham ... didn't see much of interest
Stopped by at Rochester on the way back which is quite a gem

Gravesend is surprisingly interesting too. If I had time I would have got the ferry to Tilbury Fort when I went there

 

[Downthelane]

Not a good early peak for GN thus far. More cancellations to follow.

 

[OwenB]

GN have gone into headless chicken mode. Can't wait to try and get home.

 

[philjo]

Overhead problems between Cambridge and Royston. There were several 12 coach 387s and a couple of 700s stranded at Cambridge just before 5pm so presumably several drivers were also there when they would have been scheduled to be in London.
I got on a coach which went direct to Royston.station entrance crammed with hundreds of people wanting to get to Cambridge. They then announced the 2x365 in platform 2 was for Cambridge only which reduced the crowding as most people piled in. They then announced the 700 in platform 1was a Kings Cross stopper - turned out to be one officially running 45 minutes late.

 

[Failed Unit]

http://www.itv.com/news/2018-07-17/...nderestimated-rail-cancellations-by-ten-fold/

Sorry if I've repeated this but it is interesting

KRO

Glad to see it, no surprises but it is good the press are now investigating their manipulation of the PPM.

Interesting tonight they are quick to finger network rail rather than the standard “operational issues”. (Someone asked if it was one of their trains that damaged the overhead)

But to me it is how such issues are dealt with as wires down / trespass/ failed units will happen. It is how quickly they can get plan b going. Which normally is not very (and was true in the old timetable as well)

 

[jon0844]

Glad to see it, no surprises but it is good the press are now investigating their manipulation of the PPM.

Interesting tonight they are quick to finger network rail rather than the standard “operational issues”. (Someone asked if it was one of their trains that damaged the overhead)

But to me it is how such issues are dealt with as wires down / trespass/ failed units will happen. It is how quickly they can get plan b going. Which normally is not very (and was true in the old timetable as well)

Some plastic wrapped around the wires wasn't it?

 

[cav1975]

I went to Rainham ... didn't see much of interest

I live in Rainham and must agree, although the occasional class 700 is quite a change from the 375/395/465 menu and is the highlight of the day.

 

[Failed Unit]

Some plastic wrapped around the wires wasn't it?

Not heard to be honest- but if it was that will definitely be something that we will see again and again. The joys of wires. (Not that I have anything against wires, many bits of infrastructure have their problems with foreign bodies be they wind, rain, snow or plastic)

 

[tsr]

Some plastic wrapped around the wires wasn't it?

So, apparently, the plastic was nothing to do with the bulk of the issues, as it turns out!

A number of trains had pantograph ADD (Automatic Dropping Device) activations. Subsequently some pantographs were then found to have damage. Two wires within the OHLE were found to be too close together, and temporary repairs involving loosening the overhead line jumpers were compounded by a couple of problems.

There will be further temporary repairs commencing shortly. The bulk of the issue should be dealt with by the morning.

The following are amended or cancelled - everything else (on whatever flavour of timetable we're on) is apparently planned to run...

2C70 2351 Kings Cross - Cambridge + 1C76 0032 Kings Cross - Cambridge will be terminated at Royston
GA will run in full tonight

Then into tomorrow (Tues. 24th)...
2K51 0444 Cambridge - Stansted Airport is cancelled
2H01 0448 Cambridge - Liverpool Street is cancelled
9S01 0454 Cambridge - Kings Cross will start from Royston
*** 9S12 0807 Brighton - Cambridge starts at Finsbury Park ***

 

[talldave]

Gravesend is surprisingly interesting too. If I had time I would have got the ferry to Tilbury Fort when I went there

That's probably one of the better things to do in Gravesend - leave!!

 

[jon0844]

So, apparently, the plastic was nothing to do with the bulk of the issues, as it turns out!

A number of trains had pantograph ADD (Automatic Dropping Device) activations. Subsequently some pantographs were then found to have damage. Two wires within the OHLE were found to be too close together, and temporary repairs involving loosening the overhead line jumpers were compounded by a couple of problems.

There will be further temporary repairs commencing shortly. The bulk of the issue should be dealt with by the morning.

The following are amended or cancelled - everything else (on whatever flavour of timetable we're on) is apparently planned to run...

2C70 2351 Kings Cross - Cambridge + 1C76 0032 Kings Cross - Cambridge will be terminated at Royston
GA will run in full tonight

Then into tomorrow (Tues. 24th)...
2K51 0444 Cambridge - Stansted Airport is cancelled
2H01 0448 Cambridge - Liverpool Street is cancelled
9S01 0454 Cambridge - Kings Cross will start from Royston

2C41 and 2C43 damaged.