Yesterday's ECML farce at Hitchin

[yorkie]

See http://gnercommuter.blog.co.uk/ and http://www.theticketcollector.co.uk/wordpress/ ... not good!!

Also of note, the 16:50 GC service departed 18:13 and was overtaken by the 18:30 near Holme, then overtook it near Doncaster and the 18:30 then overtook the GC between Thirsk and Northallerton!

Some trains, including the 16:50, were delayed by up to 2 hours, but many were simply cancelled (even the 17:00 was cancelled).

It is not yet clear* if it was a problem with the pantograph or the infrastructure, but you can guess what my money's on!

* Well, not to us it isn't, but I suspect NR knows by now.

 

[Metroland]

They must be the most unreliable overhead wires in world on that route. Certainly doesn't happen in Japan and Switzerland every 5 mins.

Makes me laugh that people think there's going to be a sudden improvement in the service with much the same staff and equipment and a new livery on the side.

I suspect the government will kick First and National express off certain franchises soon and give it to Hornby to run..

 

[BOSCH]

See http://gnercommuter.blog.co.uk/ and http://www.theticketcollector.co.uk/wordpress/ ... not good!!

Also of note, the 16:50 GC service departed 18:13 and was overtaken by the 18:30 near Holme, then overtook it near Doncaster and the 18:30 then overtook the GC between Thirsk and Northallerton!

Some trains, including the 16:50, were delayed by up to 2 hours, but many were simply cancelled (even the 17:00 was cancelled).

It is not yet clear* if it was a problem with the pantograph or the infrastructure, but you can guess what my money's on!

* Well, not to us it isn't, but I suspect NR knows by now.

The 1830 actually passed me as I stood in PL4 at P/boro detraining pax,we then passed him at retford as he stood on the slow and he then passed us at thirsk !
We didnt go round the coast as NR couldnt keep the boxes open and there was also a possession on as well,so after Northallerton we stopped at Darlo and then terminated at NCLE,all passengers for Eaglescliffe/H/Pool/S/Land taxied home.
Wouldnt mind a P/boro stop to break the journey up but the "conspiracy theorists" would see it as a "raid"hock:

 

[djw1981]

What time do the Durham Coast boxes close?

 

[BOSCH]

What time do the Durham Coast boxes close?

2200hrs I think at the latest.

 

[yorkie]

How busy was it? and was Peterborough advertised on the screens?

Were you accepting NXEC tickets and vice-versa?

 

[BOSCH]

How busy was it? and was Peterborough advertised on the screens?

Were you accepting NXEC tickets and vice-versa?

Dunno how busy it was as I was sat in the front waiting to depart !

 

[1D53]

The blogs in the first post mentioned it was dead.

This mornings 0646 SUN - KGX was pretty full when it came in York and left even fuller as it arrived +9 at 0831 and NXEC's 0837 (ex EDB?) was CAPED.

 

[yorkie]

The blogs in the first post mentioned it was dead.

Ah, so it does - added half an hour after I posted here! That blog is quite good because there's a few people who post to it.

What a shame more people weren't on it, and as for using a megaphone, I suspect NXEC arranged for that because they do not like people to use GC. I've witnessed the 11:27 depart with no announcement at all at KGX and nothing on the screen before, so it doesn't surprise me. NXEC will no doubt put in a request for a re-evaluation of ORCATS revenue

I see a NXEC numpty has decided to post a provocative post on that blog. Time to put the troll right....

 

[1D53]

The 0646 SUN - KGX has zero announcements at York yesterday aside from one that it was 6 minutes late!

 

[Nym]

*imagines how celia would say that

We are sorry to announce that the 0646 service from London Kings Cross is delayed by 6 whole minutes! Grand Central would apologise for this delay, but we don't let them in our office