Tyne & Wear Metro services not calling at Millfield

[12CSVT]

I have noticed something unusual about services on the Sunderland - South Hylton branch of the Metro system. One train per hour (xx13 departure from South Hylton) doesn't call at Millfield. As the Metro runs to a 12 minute frequency (off peak) throughout the system there doesn't seem to be any logic to one train per hour not calling at Millfield. Anybody on the forum know why ?

 

[142094]

I sure do. The reason is that if it did stop at Millfield, it would miss its pathing at Sunderland, and the only way to get around this is to miss Millfield altogether. Don't quote me on this, but I think this is one of the first times where a station has been intentionally skipped in the actual timetable (although stations such as Haymarket have been skipped due to the renovations).

See here for more info: http://www.nexusdiscussion.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=86

 

[12CSVT]

Thanks for the info, bet they would never skip a station serving one of the more affluent areas.

 

[142094]

Probably not, although I don't know if Millfield is one of the more well used stations on the South Hylton bit, which could be a factor.

As far as I can make out it is to keep the departures from South Hylton and other stations at the same times (clock-face), but would make a lot more sense just to depart from South Hylton a couple of minutes earlier once an hour.

 

[ChathillMan]

Wonder why they don't just timetable the train to leave 5 mins earlier, but hey this is NEXUS/DB we are talking about...

 

[142094]

AFAIK it was in place before DB got the concession, and I don't think they have the power to change the timetable. However I do agree with you that it is stupid, the Metro has always been a turn up and go service so no idea why they deemed it necessary to change it just to preserve a clockface timetable.