Trains missing stations to make up time?

[Madge Wildfire]

The missing out of Bristol Parkway from Cardiff - Bristol services a few years back was the major reason I gave up my season ticket and commuted by car.

There used to be a morning HST from Temple Meads to Swansea that reversed at Parkway, and left around 0715 if my memory is functioning, arrived in Cardiff just before 0800.

The number of times I would stand on the platform and see the train take the Sth-West curve at Filton in the distance, followed after a few minutes by "the 0715 to Swansea has been cancelled" announcement was getting more frequent as the years went on.

A late evening Cardiff - Portsmouth service also used to reverse at Parkway, but at least if it missed out the Parkway stop, they had the decency to stop at Patchway and leave us to walk the rest. Nice on a warm summer evening, but not good in gales and heavy rain.

 

[TUC]

TWhat are the expectations on TOCs to assist passengers in such circumstances? Clearly there will be passengers (such as older passengers-or younger passengers for that matter) who do not need any general assistance when travelling on a regular journey but would potentally not be able to sort out for themselves what to do if they found themselves at an unfamiliar station and having to sort out a different familiar routes to get home.

 

[Madge Wildfire]

TWhat are the expectations on TOCs to assist passengers in such circumstances? Clearly there will be passengers (such as older passengers-or younger passengers for that matter) who do not need any general assistance when travelling on a regular journey but would potentally not be able to sort out for themselves what to do if they found themselves at an unfamiliar station and having to sort out a different familiar routes to get home.

In the cases that I quoted, the option in the first example would be to wait for the next service, which was in just under an hour I think.

In the second one, I think that passengers were given the option over the PA to continue to Temple Meads and catch the next train back to Parkway, or leave the train at Patchway so in some respects it was my choice to walk.

But the immediate inconvenience always seemed to be for the passengers to bear and not the service provider.

 

[Greenback]

It must soemtimes be a difficult choice of what action to take. Inevitably there will inconvenience to soem people whatever happens, so it must fotne be a case of taking the option that inconveniences the fewest people.

 

[Mark_re]

Passengers were provided with a taxi from Westbury to Dilton Marsh when this happened a few days ago. And the departure boards at Temple Meads and Bath Spa said just the stations the train would be calling at.

 

[Prodigy]

On the other side of the fence platform staff can request for fast trains to make additional stops at stations it not due to stop at. Not sure if on-train crew can do this or not?

Well my dad has once said that the TPE service to Liverpool Lime Street (which does stop at Stalybridge) stopped at Mossley station even though it's a fast service. This was due to two Northern trains being cancelled, and it was during the snow I believe, so yeah if circumstances mean it has to happen, then I guess it happens.

 

[OxtedL]

A while back, the entire Southern network north of Croydon was down the toilet. As they tried to recover, they were running 377s fast through all stations (and stopping 171s instead hock. Only time I've ever seen a 377 run straight through Oxted. Was an odd sight... (I'm not normally out and and about at the ungodly hours they do this at the beginning/end of service)

 

[HST Power]

Such circumstances can be unavoidable when we have adverse weather conditions, like last year for instance in the chaos of the heavy snowfall.

 

[OuterDistant]

Was it an empty Pacer at Stockport or was it a service from somewhere else you were crammed on to?

[...]

Can't quite remember, but the driver shouted out "next stop Manchester Piccadilly", so I assumed that he'd had an order from Control.

 

[krus_aragon]

As already mentioned, on the Valley Lines they tend to miss out stops / finish services early in the case of a serious delay.

The station skipping that I'm familiar with on the Valleys includes running non-stop Cardiff Central - Penarth (Dingle Road passengers are told to double back at Penarth) or to Barry Island (passengers told to wait for next service). When a new platform and pointwork are added at Barry Town, then trains could double-back there instead. I've also been behind a delayed service that went non-stop between Pontypridd and Queen St.

As well as the single track sections at the extremities of the network, the current layouts at Central and Queen St are problematic. At the moment, the first train to arrive at Queen St has to be the first to leave Central: if you lose your slot you have to make it up afterwards. The additional platforms due to be constructed will give four platforms at each station for the through Valleys services, letting a late service pass another at either station. Hopefully there'll be a bit less skipping stops!

 

[gogogoadam]

I wish I hadn't posted on this subject now as this happened to me this morning.

The 10.23 from BRI to Taunton ran straight to WSM as it was 15 minutes late so I had to wait for the 11.09 which called additionally at Bedminster. I could have walked it but it was raining too hard.

There was a mini revolt on the train where 2 passengers refused to get off, they were persuaded with the threat of police attendance!

I understand the train was late but it was an inconvenience. We were told to write to customer services, but we all know nothing will actually be done about it.

Adam

 

[HST Power]

Can you claim compensation if the train misses your stop and you end up miles away, thus having to take a lengthy journey back home? And if such thing did occur, would you be expected to buy a new ticket for the return journey?

 

[northwichcat]

Can't quite remember, but the driver shouted out "next stop Manchester Piccadilly", so I assumed that he'd had an order from Control.

Sometimes on board annoucements are made on Northern services not scheduled to call at Heaton Chapel and Levenshulme prior to departure from Stockport to ensure that no-one for Heaton Chapel or Levenshulme has boarded.

 

[WelshBluebird]

The station skipping that I'm familiar with on the Valleys includes running non-stop Cardiff Central - Penarth (Dingle Road passengers are told to double back at Penarth) or to Barry Island (passengers told to wait for next service). When a new platform and pointwork are added at Barry Town, then trains could double-back there instead. I've also been behind a delayed service that went non-stop between Pontypridd and Queen St.

As well as the single track sections at the extremities of the network, the current layouts at Central and Queen St are problematic. At the moment, the first train to arrive at Queen St has to be the first to leave Central: if you lose your slot you have to make it up afterwards. The additional platforms due to be constructed will give four platforms at each station for the through Valleys services, letting a late service pass another at either station. Hopefully there'll be a bit less skipping stops!

Never been down Penarth way, so obviously haven't noticed much down there. But as you go up the valleys past Pontypridd they certainly do seem to like missing out stops or finishing short. I can understand why, but itdoesn't make it any less annoying from a passenger point of view.

Where are the new platforms going to be out of curiosity? I would assume the Queen Street one would just be the disused one already there, but unless I am blind, I can't see anywhere at Central where an exta platform could be put.