Where a solution to one problem causes another on the same line

[northwichcat]

Like the title says which lines have had a solution to one problem implemented and caused another on the same line in the process? (Not any cases where an increased service by one operator has had an effect on the service by another.)

One example on my local Manchester-Chester via Altrincham line. Pre-December 08 the morning departures from Manchester were:
06:35
07:39
08:20 (to Greenbank only - semi-fast)
09:24

Now obvious problems were the 08:20 being to Greenbank only and semi-fast left a big gap in service on some sections of the line. However, the 07:39 service was well timed to meet the school/college demand and having one service 40 minutes after another on the Altrincham-Northwich section (the busiest part of the line) worked well.

The December 08 timetable introduced then had the following departure times:
06:17
07:17
08:17
09:17

That solved 'big gap in service on some sections of the line' problem and the re-timing of the first service allows a slightly earlier start. However, the 07:17 Manchester-Chester is less well timed for the school/college demand and the longer gap between services on the Altrincham-Northwich section has seen a new problem emerge. The old 07:39 Manchester-Chester had a loading of up to around 180 on a service booked for a class 150 train - obviously busy but not unreasonable for a peak time service. The new 07:17 Manchester-Chester is also booked for a 150 and has a loading of up to around 260. And Northern are not unknown to put 142s on booked 150 services including the 07:17 Manchester-Chester, which in this case means a lot of people being unable to board and being made to wait an hour for the next train.

 

[Bedpan]

I suppose the same sort of thing has happened in my neck of the woods. A few years ago, before Corby reopened, there used to be only two trains an hour from St Pancras to Leicester and whilst there was no regular stopping pattern, most stopped at Luton or Bedford (but seldom both). Those that stopped at Luton were generally quite fast with few stops - some were non stop from Luton and did the journey in 50 minutes according to my old 1994 timetable. And if there wasn't a train from Luton for a while, I could invariably go to Bedford and pick one up there.

Now the number of trains from St Pancras to Leicester has doubled to four an hour off peak, but none of these stop at Luton, and there is only one an hour from Luton Airport Parkway, which stops at Bedford and all stations thereafter, and takes over an hour. There's no alternative but to wait an hour and watch three fasts go by if you just miss a train, as even if you get the Corby service as far as Kettering there's nothing that stops there for you to connect with - the only other train which is not non-stop only calls at that great metropolis and commercial centre of the East Midlands, namely Market Harborough.

 

[Eagle]

Tisbury and Gillingham lost out in 2009 when Waterloo to Exeter went hourly. Before then they had 3tp2h to London all day, but after the recast it was only 1tph (with a few extra retained in the peaks for commuters).

 

[Cherry_Picker]

I'm surprised this thread isn't littered with examples. If there is one thing I have learned about railways during my career it's that you simply cannot please all of the people all of the time.
Almost any change you make will see winners and losers and you are left between choosing one group of people over another (usually happens when one option does or potentially can make a lot more money) or juggling things in a vain attempt to keep everybody happy.

 

[Goatboy]

Every Sunday, Hereford only got a handful of trains to Birmingham New Street. But there was a decent mid-late afternoon connection from the Malvern line stations to Cheltenham to connect with Cross Country.

Now, Hereford gets a much improved service to Birmingham New Street. But there is no longer a connection to the Worcester to Cheltenham train - meaning you must leave much earlier and wait for almost 90 minutes at Worcester.

 

[mrcheek]

How about a slightly different type of improvement....

FGW have in recent years dramatically improved their punctuality, with far less delays in and out of Weston-super-Mare.
As a result, the loop line is no longer considered a bottleneck.

So they have shelved long overdue plans to redouble it!