why are there no late night trains on SWT network

[Deerfold]

That's much later than my last GN train to New Southgate.

Where from?

Last train from King's Cross is 0135.

 

[BuryBlue]

Where from?

Last train from King's Cross is 0135.

Slightly OT but did GN ever have a late(r) night service, perhaps under FCC?

Doesn't make much difference to me because I'm restricted by Abellio's abysmal service but I'm just interested.

I know at the moment the last Cambridge service is 00:35. And I think Peterborough gets a 1am service.

 

[Hadders]

The last service from Kings Cross to Stevenage used to be 0136. It was moved forward a minute a year or so ago. FCC/WAGN never ran anything later.

I think there used to be a 0141 to Welwyn Garden City but its stops were absorbed into the 0135.

The 0135 calls at New Southgate.

 

[Envy123]

Where from?

Last train from King's Cross is 0135.

On a recent outing, the last train was around 23:30 from Moorgate. I checked the departure boards at Kings Cross and Finsbury Park and there was no other service, so I just stayed on the train.

Looking back at it, it was rather strange at the time. Maybe it was just an off day?

 

[tsr]

I hadn't considered the possibility of a Vic diverting via Palace to make the staff stop at Norwood Jn instead, I suppose when that happens there is a third pair of units out and presumably at least one extra driver and guard. As you say, the diagrams are tight with little turnround time at Three Bridges and Vic.

Are the side entrances to all the intermediate shacks actually locked after the last train then? I had always thought that the booking offices were closed and the side entrances left open while the station was unstaffed.

Sometimes you need an extra train and crew (in fact, you usually have at least three or four drivers and likewise conductors on duty on the mainline overnight, depending on the times you consider "overnight" and whether it's a weekend or not), but on other occasions the timings just about work and you don't need to. When you do need that extra support, often the crew diagrams are absolutely hideous, even for Southern's BML depots who are used to some fairly awful turns, and so it would appear to be avoided in case there are problems with rostering people to do it! You're more likely to need more resources when there are further engineering works affecting timings elsewhere too - for example, single line working at Coulsdon North, or some sort of trundle down the Battersea Reversible.