TPE - A rant regarding a poor experience on 27/09

[Donny Dave]

This morning, various signalling problems have affected the route to Hull and Scunthorpe via Kirk Sandall, with the line closed. I did intend to get the 0741 TPE service to Meadowhall for the final day of my course.

However, once again, even though the problem is East of Doncaster, they are terminating at Sheffield and heading back to Manchester and Liverpool from there. This is a major cut to capacity between Doncaster and Sheffield, with the Northern services rammed as a result. When will the controllers and managers at TPE realise that the world doesn't end at Sheffield?

Credit where credit is due however. Northern are doing their best to keep services running, with the Sheffield to Scarborough, and Doncaster to hull stoppers diverting via Selby.

 

[800001]

This morning, various signalling problems have affected the route to Hull and Scunthorpe via Kirk Sandall, with the line closed. I did intend to get the 0741 TPE service to Meadowhall for the final day of my course.

However, once again, even though the problem is East of Doncaster, they are terminating at Sheffield and heading back to Manchester and Liverpool from there. This is a major cut to capacity between Doncaster and Sheffield, with the Northern services rammed as a result. When will the controllers and managers at TPE realise that the world doesn't end at Sheffield?

Credit where credit is due however. Northern are doing their best to keep services running, with the Sheffield to Scarborough, and Doncaster to hull stoppers diverting via Selby.

There will be an agreed contingency policy between Network Rail and TPE.
That plan will most likely say spin the TPe at Sheffield where there is more capacity to do so.

terminating at Sheffield will not be the controllers and managers at TPE decision alone, it will me industry agreed.

Not ideal but as you say there is still services via Northern between Sheffield and Doncaster

 

[Topological]

In such instances would the arrival from Manchester form the next train towards Manchester? Alternatively does the unit which has just terminated need to sit in Sheffield for an hour?

 

[Donny Dave]

The inbound at Sheffield does form the next service back to Manchester, but it is something like a 1 minute turnaround, usually leaving a few minutes late, and delaying the Hope Valley stoppers.

Turning around at Doncaster instead, gives TPE 7 or 8 minutes (arriving xx35, returning xx42 or xx43), and does take the pressure of Northern.

 

[800001]

The inbound at Sheffield does form the next service back to Manchester, but it is something like a 1 minute turnaround, usually leaving a few minutes late, and delaying the Hope Valley stoppers.

Turning around at Doncaster instead, gives TPE 7 or 8 minutes (arriving xx35, returning xx42 or xx43), and does take the pressure of Northern.

By turning around at Doncaster, what other services does that delay, baring in my only 2 platforms for each direction, of which the TPE Would occupy, just looking on RTT shows northern and LNER would both be impacted by that decision, where the impact of delaying LNER could spread a long way.

Again looking at rtt for today shows the TPE actually following the northern service across from Sheffield.

Does anyone know the agreed Contingency plans for when Doncaster to Cleethorpes is not accessible?

 

[Donny Dave]

By turning around at Doncaster, what other services does that delay, baring in my only 2 platforms for each direction, of which the TPE Would occupy, just looking on RTT shows northern and LNER would both be impacted by that decision, where the impact of delaying LNER could spread a long way.

Doncaster is pretty quiet around the time of the TPE services, as they both have a conflicting move across 1 of the station throats.

The stopper to Sheffield arrives in P4 from Adwick at xx33, clearing it at xx35 for the xx43 LNER to Leeds. The only other train booked to arrive in either P4 or P8 around that time is the stopper from Sheffield to Adwick.

The alternative option if there us a GC or HT service due around the time of the inbound TPE from Sheffield is P3b, as again there is nothing scheduled to use P3a at that time.

 

[johnnychips]

This morning, the train from Sheffield to Cleethorpes at 0711, which could have turned at Doncaster to form a 0741, was also cancelled.