Why do all Llandudno to Manchester trains delay

[sansyy]

Hello I am once again at Chester station and have noticed that the Llandudno to Manchester Airport service has once again delayed permanently with no reason behind it. Every time I get this train (at least once a week) it delays here the most over 10 mins or even more. What could be the reason?

 

[Russel]

I've found it's not limited to the Llandudno - Manchester trains, most North Wales coast services seem to suffer from delays from my experience.

Maybe the timetable is just too tight to work in reality?

 

[30907]

Do you mean the ex Holyhead train at 1452 which was delayed about 5min (all Llandudno trains today are near enough right time)? As you were on the spot, was it caused by passengers boarding/alighting?

 

[Russel]

Do you mean the ex Holyhead train at 1452 which was delayed about 5min (all Llandudno trains today are near enough right time)? As you were on the spot, was it caused by passengers boarding/alighting?

Even if things are running okay today, punctuality on the North Wales Coast is an issue.

 

[Taunton]

As you were on the spot, was it caused by passengers boarding/alighting?

Isn't that what's ... meant to happen at a station?

 

[sansyy]

Usually from what I’ve noticed they couple together 2 units at Chester and for some reason this coupling causes major delays and issues for people using the line.

 

[CaramellDansen]

Usually from what I’ve noticed they couple together 2 units at Chester and for some reason this coupling causes major delays and issues for people using the line.

I'm confused. Haven't you just answered your own question?

 

[30907]

Isn't that what's ... meant to happen at a station?

Should have said "large numbers of...." - it being the boat connection.

Usually from what I’ve noticed they couple together 2 units at Chester and for some reason this coupling causes major delays and issues for people using the line.

It clearly isn't allowed for in the timetable

 

[Taunton]

Usually from what I’ve noticed they couple together 2 units at Chester and for some reason this coupling causes major delays and issues for people using the line.

One really does despair about how the ability to attach and detach trains has gone, in a couple of generations, from quick and reliable to takes for ever and significantly unreliable, despite wizzy-wonder couplings that doubtless cost many times what their predecessors did. Apart from bizarre and unnecessary incompatibility between different stock in the same operation, it seems no longer possibly to join up on even a slight curve. I'm sure there would be general disbelief about how the old Southern Region used to divide and attach on the majority of their services, in all divisions, each every hour, done in just a minute or two before both sections departed separately.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

One really does despair about how the ability to attach and detach trains has gone, in a couple of generations, from quick and reliable to takes for ever and significantly unreliable, despite wizzy-wonder couplings that doubtless cost many times what their predecessors did. Apart from bizarre and unnecessary incompatibility between different stock in the same operation, it seems no longer possibly to join up on even a slight curve. I'm sure there would be general disbelief about how the old Southern Region used to divide and attach on the majority of their services, in all divisions, each every hour, done in just a minute or two before both sections departed separately.

And we are about to commence joining/separating new class 805s at Chester (and other places).
By and large Voyagers behaved very well when attaching/dividing, and so do TfW's 150s/158s.
175s didn't do much of that, mostly operating as single units.

 

[Efini92]

And we are about to commence joining/separating new class 805s at Chester (and other places).
By and large Voyagers behaved very well when attaching/dividing, and so do TfW's 150s/158s.
175s didn't do much of that, mostly operating as single units.

From what I hear, it’s going to be chaos.

 

[The exile]

One really does despair about how the ability to attach and detach trains has gone, in a couple of generations, from quick and reliable to takes for ever and significantly unreliable, despite wizzy-wonder couplings that doubtless cost many times what their predecessors did.

But apparently only in the UK.

 

[signed]

That loss of will to be efficient in attaching and detaching trains is coming everywhere now The night train down from Paris to the Pyrenees takes 20min in Toulouse to detach a few carriages and attach a loco to them. The only efficient split is on TGV where split/attachement in somewhere like Rennes takes 1min flat

 

[Llandudno]

There are often delays on the north Wales coast caused by too many passengers.

Chester Races, sunshine, caravan park customers with pushchairs, cool bags, suitcases, giant Sports Direct Holdalls packed with pop, lager, crisps, pies, sandwiches, plus walking sticks, zimmer frames, bicycles, wheelchairs etc… All trying to shoehorn themselves on board a 2/3 car train at Abergele, Rhyl and Prestatyn

Dwell times can easily be 5 minutes at these stations, at least the doorways are wider on the 197s!

 

[RT4038]

But apparently only in the UK.

Not so sure about that - been on a couple of DB ICE's recently where their electronic systems wouldn't talk to each other on coupling up - an hours delay.........

 

[Russel]

There are often delays on the north Wales coast caused by too many passengers.

Chester Races, sunshine, caravan park customers with pushchairs, cool bags, suitcases, giant Sports Direct Holdalls packed with pop, lager, crisps, pies, sandwiches, plus walking sticks, zimmer frames, bicycles, wheelchairs etc… All trying to shoehorn themselves on board a 2/3 car train at Abergele, Rhyl and Prestatyn

Dwell times can easily be 5 minutes at these stations, at least the doorways are wider on the 197s!

TFW Should be allowing for this in the timetable though, it's not as if it's uncommon.

I know we're only talking about a average 10 minute delay most of the time, but could be the difference between making a connecting or not at Chester / Crewe / Manchester...

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Looking at today's services between Llandudno Junction and Manchester Piccadilly, the 1042 departure from Llandudno (1052 from Llandudno Junction) seems to have left more or less on time, but was maybe 9 or 10 minutes down by the time it was passing through Manchester at around 1300 Otherwise, not too bad?

So, in recent weeks, which particular Llandudno Junction to Manchester Piccadilly service might it be fair to assert has had the worst punctuality, and more importantly, why? The 1306 TfW departure from Holyhead perhaps? (Which is scheduled to call at Llandudno Junction 1358)? See also the search (linked below).

Search - Recent Train Times

 

[Russel]

Looking at today's services between Llandudno Junction and Manchester Piccadilly, the 1042 departure from Llandudno (1052 from Llandudno Junction) seems to have left more or less on time, but was maybe 9 or 10 minutes down by the time it was passing through Manchester at around 1300 Otherwise, not too bad?

You say 9 to 10 minutes down isn't too bad... As I said in my previous post, it could quite easily be the difference between making a connection or not.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

You say 9 to 10 minutes down isn't too bad...

With respect, the "not too bad" remark related to all the various other services between Llandudno Junction and Manchester Piccadilly so far today, not the one that was delayed. And in any event, there must be any number of other journeys with worse timekeeping. And a delay of less than 15 minutes won't normally entitle you to Delay Repay.

 

[GardenRail]

One really does despair about how the ability to attach and detach trains has gone, in a couple of generations, from quick and reliable to takes for ever and significantly unreliable, despite wizzy-wonder couplings that doubtless cost many times what their predecessors did. Apart from bizarre and unnecessary incompatibility between different stock in the same operation, it seems no longer possibly to join up on even a slight curve. I'm sure there would be general disbelief about how the old Southern Region used to divide and attach on the majority of their services, in all divisions, each every hour, done in just a minute or two before both sections departed separately.

Yep. Always amazes me how quickly it is done at Ohlsdorf when I get the train from Hamburg Airport. The doors remain open on the unit already in the platform, the train to couple comes straight on behind, in one go, without stopping, edging, stopping and coupling. The whole thing mustn't take longer than 2 minutes.

Meanwhile at Sheffield, when Transpennine start faffing around.... It takes that long, that we cannot justify holding the Hope Valley Stopper for the TPE. Last time, the Hope Valley Stopper had got to Grindleford before the TPE coupling up, TRTS.

Anyway. Back to North Wales.

 

[childwallblues]

Most TfW services to/from the Coast change crews at Chester.

 

[Benjwri]

Not so sure about that - been on a couple of DB ICE's recently where their electronic systems wouldn't talk to each other on coupling up - an hours delay.........

To be fair in DB it’s normally that the coupling train is ridiculously late for other reasons, and they end up not coupling, or the smaller delay from coupling goes unnoticed.

 

[sprinterguy]

With respect, the "not too bad" remark related to all the various other services between Llandudno Junction and Manchester Piccadilly so far today, not the one that was delayed.

Yeah, a quick peruse of Real Time Trains shows that most of the hourly departures towards Manchester Airport departed Chester on time on any given day. There isn't an endemic issue with their timekeeping.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Yeah, a quick peruse of Real Time Trains shows that most of the hourly departures towards Manchester Airport departed Chester on time on any given day. There isn't an endemic issue with their timekeeping.

Was starting to wonder whether the OP had been particularly unlucky with one or more of their recent journeys from Chester to Manchester Airport, but the thread title does, perhaps, seem somewhat hyperbolic.

Now, if they'd been talking about, say, Kearsley or Bolton stations, they'd almost certainly have had a valid point.