GTR now showing downstream, Big changes on SN with ECR-MKC cut back to CLJ-WFJ (
2O49 1552 Watford Junction to Clapham Junction) along with other metro alterations (to free up & enable 377s to replace 455s). TL SEV-WGC in the peaks also showing (
9Y76 0552 Sevenoaks to Welwyn Garden City) I'd assume any train with a (Q) showing wont be running.
GN/TL outers look to be largely as per Dec 21, no weekday 12 cars as far as I can see. Just based on a rough countup I make the weekday 387 requirement to be as little as 26 units (on paper it’s slightly more as there appears to be a pair which run empty Peterborough Nene to Hornsey and another which do the opposite).
The Cambridge stopping service reverts to its normal pattern of everything going to Cambridge, with one lunchtime train continuing to reverse at Letchworth (which we presume is to accommodate a freight path).
Inners are 2tph off-peak 4tph peak on both routes, with a couple of Gordon Hill extras in the peak.
It’s quite sobering that off-peak on the outers there is 8tph into London overall (2tph from Peterborough route, 6tph from Cambridge route) compared to 6tph in the 1990s, yet on the inners there is 4tph (2tph from each route) compared to 6tph in the 1990s. Quite depressing really.
This is no doubt this sparse level of GN capacity is how GTR will be able to see off the 313 and 455 fleets. But how long before we get some severe overcrowding? Trouble ahead, methinks.
No doubt those will be popular with track bashers looking to tick of the crossover to the south of the station.
There’s also a trackbashing opportunity to run via Welwyn Garden City platform 1 on the 0456 Letchworth - King’s Cross if one doesn’t mind being up early! At one point this move was *very* rare, though it has cropped up on the same service over the last couple of years.