Timetable Planning for GBR

[Masbroughlad]

How will timetables be planned under GBR?

Similarly to now? Or will train services not be dictated by geographical 'Franchise/TOC' boundaries?

Will there be a central planning department?

Will train journeys cross over many, what are now, TOC boundaries?

Will longer distance, inter-regional services return? Where passengers may not have to change?

 

[The Planner]

How will timetables be planned under GBR?

Similarly to now? Or will train services not be dictated by geographical 'Franchise/TOC' boundaries?

Will there be a central planning department?

Will train journeys cross over many, what are now, TOC boundaries?

Will longer distance, inter-regional services return? Where passengers may not have to change?

I doubt anyone has given a huge amount of thought to it yet. I can't see it being anything less than regional teams as it is now. Its centralised now, so there could be another element of 2010 where vast amounts of knowledge was lost as TOC planners either walk away or retire or it stays as it is with nationalised operators planning as they do now with NR as the central function.

How trains run over boundaries doesnt make a difference, they do that now. As for longer distance regional services, that will be down to how GBR strategically sees fit, don't expect Cross Country bingo desitnations though.

 

[Bald Rick]

How will timetables be planned under GBR?

Similarly to now? Or will train services not be dictated by geographical 'Franchise/TOC' boundaries?

Will there be a central planning department?

Will train journeys cross over many, what are now, TOC boundaries?

Will longer distance, inter-regional services return? Where passengers may not have to change?

Do you mean Timetable planning, or Service Specification planning?

very different answers…

 

[james_the_xv]

Do you mean Timetable planning, or Service Specification planning?

very different answers…

Depends how much of the Sale of Access Rights power sits with the reformed GBR/NR as well. Too early to tell.

 

[JonathanH]

When, if ever, was service specification not 'nationalised'? It seems that the DfT has effectively been in control for some time, and the process of planning capacity sat with Network Rail in the Route Utilisation Strategy era. Before that the Strategic Rail Authority, and before that the initial franchise bids at privatisation. Was service specification effectively privatised during that initial period?

 

[Bald Rick]

Depends how much of the Sale of Access Rights power sits with the reformed GBR/NR as well. Too early to tell.

What would be the point of Access Rights in a GBR world ? (aside from Freight and other open access).

 

[james_the_xv]

What would be the point of Access Rights in a GBR world ? (aside from Freight and other open access).

This is part of the unknown.. How nationalised is GBR? Are there still Passenger Service Contracts floating about? How much sway do they have? How much input do OA and FOC's have into ESGs/Major timetable changes? We won't know until the govt/dft decide what they want to do, but you still would need to have some form of Sale of Access Rights process for OA and freight, even if a lot of the current SoAR process is internalised.

 

[WAB]

I doubt anyone has given a huge amount of thought to it yet. I can't see it being anything less than regional teams as it is now. Its centralised now, so there could be another element of 2010 where vast amounts of knowledge was lost as TOC planners either walk away or retire or it stays as it is with nationalised operators planning as they do now with NR as the central function.

How trains run over boundaries doesnt make a difference, they do that now. As for longer distance regional services, that will be down to how GBR strategically sees fit, don't expect Cross Country bingo desitnations though.

If anyone who knows train planning gets near the decision-making, they'll likely put the kibosh on centralising it. As you say, the creation of MK was quite destructive to the discipline, and I don't think the skills base could take another hit or yet more responsibilities heading to MK.

 

[The Planner]

How much input do OA and FOC's have into ESGs/Major timetable changes?

Quite a bit.

 

[Masbroughlad]

Will a new national timetable be planned? If so, will existing OA operators be at risk of losing their slots and services as part of the GBR services? ie will OA fit in around the new structure?

For example, could GBR decide to run an hourly London to Hull service, in the interest of the public railway?

Beginning to wonder whether the structure of passenger services will actually change much. TOCs essentially just becoming public 'regions'. I doubt there will be a total recasting of services?

 

[The Planner]

Will a new national timetable be planned? If so, will existing OA operators be at risk of losing their slots and services as part of the GBR services? ie will OA fit in around the new structure?

Very much doubt it, its not national now and I don't see how it could be.

For example, could GBR decide to run an hourly London to Hull service, in the interest of the public railway?

If its decided that is a good use of capacity and satisfies a demand, yes.

Beginning to wonder whether the structure of passenger services will actually change much. TOCs essentially just becoming public 'regions'. I doubt there will be a total recasting of services?

Probably not.

 

[JonathanH]

Beginning to wonder whether the structure of passenger services will actually change much. TOCs essentially just becoming public 'regions'. I doubt there will be a total recasting of services?

I don't understand why anyone would imagine substantial change to services, at least not in the short term, or a total recast of services. Such changes involve traincrew learning new routes or new traction and break established links.

 

[AF91]

Personally I think it'll be run in a fairly similar way to now with a central planning team to double check everything from individual routes works together but with smaller teams doing the day to day planning for individual routes. Speaking as a planner myself, you end up having to learn huge amounts of rules for each location you're planning through so it makes sense to have planners that are experts in their particular areas.

 

[coppercapped]

When, if ever, was service specification not 'nationalised'? It seems that the DfT has effectively been in control for some time, and the process of planning capacity sat with Network Rail in the Route Utilisation Strategy era. Before that the Strategic Rail Authority, and before that the initial franchise bids at privatisation. Was service specification effectively privatised during that initial period?

During the first iteration of the privatised railway (between the 1993 Railways Act and the accession of the Labour government in 1997) franchised operators were required, through the Office for Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF) to operate services 'broadly similar' to those operated by BR in its last days.

So, essentially, nationalised...!