TransPennine Express short forms & cancellations

[HC1998]

Just travelled from Newcastle to Manchester for business earlier in the week and it was a genuinely horrific experience.

My train from Newcastle (journey here: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C26345/2025-12-03) was cancelled 10 mins before it was due, citing “train swap” as the reason.

Then, when I get to York I’m waiting on the announced platform for my TP connection to Piccadilly (journey here: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C27245/2025-12-03#allox_id=1 ) when suddenly realtime trains shows a short notice platform chance so I have to sprint down York station, get there and the train is half its usual length and I could only barely get on because of crowding.

Is this a regular thing with TP? It clearly can’t be sustainable if so.

 

[1D53]

I wouldn't say it's more regular an issue for TPE than any other operator.

Your train from Newcastle was cancelled because the unit was delayed getting into Newcastle due to an OHLE outage in Manchester. Not really a TPE fault.

Your second train had to be split to form 2U64 as the booked unit for that service failed. The 185s are generally pretty reliable considering their age and intensive use.

 

[GuyGibsonVC]

You may just have been unlucky. I think TPE have been generally decent over the past 18 months and certainly an improvement on the chaos beforehand. Mind, I can only say this for Newcastle - Edinburgh, and Newcastle to Manchester. Couldn’t comment on other routes.

Their First Class offering is good, too.

 

[HC1998]

I wouldn't say it's more regular an issue for TPE than any other operator.

Your train from Newcastle was cancelled because the unit was delayed getting into Newcastle due to an OHLE outage in Manchester. Not really a TPE fault.

Your second train had to be split to form 2U64 as the booked unit for that service failed. The 185s are generally pretty reliable considering their age and intensive use.

Okay that’s interesting to know. How did you know this? I was totally in the dark!

 

[1D53]

You can work the split out from Realtimetrains+ by checking the allocations

 

[KHCT]

You may just have been unlucky. I think TPE have been generally decent over the past 18 months and certainly an improvement on the chaos beforehand. Mind, I can only say this for Newcastle - Edinburgh, and Newcastle to Manchester. Couldn’t comment on other routes.

Their First Class offering is good, too.

First Class offering is good if you're on the core route. TPE doesn't think people on routes beyond Leeds, York etc deserve it.

 

[Angmering1974]

The past week has been a bit rough in the TPE area. There's very little resilience/large impact with so few carriages and with hourly services.

Leisure travel is way up this time of year too (xmas markets, christmas parties etc) - but no extra capacity to compensate I believe (I might be not be aware though).

As long as you stick to the 5-car hourly Newcastle/Liverpool service it's pretty decent on that route. It seems to often gets priority ahead of other services if delayed etc.

EDIT:

Maybe not as decent as I thought. I'm probably too accustomed to delays and issues on TPE these days

https://www.ontimetrains.co.uk/journeys/NCL/MCV/17:03/19:19/TP;dayOfWeekRange=Weekdays;dateRange=12W

https://www.ontimetrains.co.uk/journeys/MCV/NCL/17:00/19:22/TP;dayOfWeekRange=Weekdays;dateRange=12W

Pretty abysmal to be honest

 

[dodecahedron67]

Your second train had to be split to form 2U64 as the booked unit for that service failed.

I was the guard for 1P78 from York and I can categorically say that this isn’t the case, the train was run as a 3 car from Redcar with the rear unit OOU and split at York because of a fault with the rear unit that then went straight onto the depot.

2U64 formed off 1P77 splitting.

Unrelated to that short form, but 185s have really been struggling with wheel flats this autumn to the point where there are multiple units out of service waiting for repairs. That’s the big problem at the moment

 

[Carlisle]

TPE have been generally decent over the past 18 months and certainly an improvement on the chaos beforehand.

Certainly not amazing performance on their WCML Anglo Scottish route where cancellations mainly for train faults still appear higher than neighbouring TOCs with considerably older fleets .

 

[1D53]

I was the guard for 1P78 from York and I can categorically say that this isn’t the case, the train was run as a 3 car from Redcar with the rear unit OOU and split at York because of a fault with the rear unit that then went straight onto the depot.

2U64 formed off 1P77 splitting.

Unrelated to that short form, but 185s have really been struggling with wheel flats this autumn to the point where there are multiple units out of service waiting for repairs. That’s the big problem at the moment

Thanks for that, apologies! I must have misinterpreted the moves on RTT.