The service recovery / training backlog bit we already knew about that's fine but not sure Dec 24 will be hit.
We have, and I seem to recall you were in favour of fewer trains (check), reduced capacity (check), and a nice neat timetable (possible check soon).
I think my worries are that we will simply get a reduced but unreliable service, in which case people will be routinely left behind at Leeds, Huddersfield, and Manchester Victoria.
Exactly, and there's going to be another year at least for the next round of excuses from TPE to be made. And all of this in the middle of the TRU works, it really is going to be chaos at times.
Since the RDW agreement was resumed, we've had a full & reliable service. Very few cancellations. Why do we need to lose that?
Who uses WebTIS now? I quite like TPE's app for buying a ticket at short notice - easier (I think) than Northern's (which is broadly the same as XC's) and LNER's. The train tracker's good as well. I'd imagine they'll move the whole online operation across, so the app will need changing as well.
GWR, SWR and Hull Trains. A shame to see this list dwindling with the loss of TPE.
The moquette seats are much more durable.
Catering is low priority, people remember the train not turning up far more than the catering being a poor selection.
I disagree. It should either be part of the Newcastle to Liverpool or Manchester Piccadilly / Manchester Airport services as it was before covid.
During the last week of national action with RDW banned the service feel to pieces with dozens of trains cancelled on some days so it's clear the current timetable can't be delivered without significant and hence costly RDW. The RDW agreement was for a year I believe so may not get renewed and the ongoing national action takes the service out.
If it's a real one someone will cut it down to burn keeping warm this winter.
No.
In the longer term I’d agree, but the shuttle is less resource-intensive than running the Liverpool-Newcastle all the way through to Edinburgh.
Last few times I’ve done Newcastle-Manchester I’ve seen the trolley in first class once, at most. Last time I didn’t see it all the way from York to Manchester Victoria on a 802. Double 185s routinely only have a trolley in one portion.
I didn't keep up to date with the decision making at the time when they decided to seperate Edinburgh-Newcastle from Newcastle-Liverpool. What was the main reasoning behind the seperation? I used to find TPE quite a useful alternative down the ECML. I suppose the days of TPE being 'useful' again are a long way off!
They are certainly around, they can be found doing things like assisting people on to EMR, XC or Northern services as often as TPE ones though - whilst they're primarily there to provide a presence for TPE in case of disruption and deal with their passenger assistance etc, they definitely help with the other TOCs as well. Usually 2 on at a time.
Essentially having a slow service on the two track railway between Northallerton and Edinburgh gets in the way. It is difficult to time TPE all the way through from York to Edinburgh, and the faster services.
That does actually make sense, it's just a shame it's always cancelled!
TPE said:
Plenty of threads discussing the 68s and Mark 5s but the driver training costs were 4 times higher than for their other stock (they claimed in the latest service improvement document) so they were poorly utilised with many sets sitting out of service with not enough crew trained on them.
Which is simply not true, as had been mentioned many times previously. There are more drivers trained on Class 68/Mk5A sets than were originally envisaged would be needed to run 12 intensive diagrams per day.