Accelerating Edinburgh - Birmingham via East Coast

[route:oxford]

On Sunday 3rd October, the East Coast Route from Edinburgh to Birmingham New Street is cut to just 4h16m. Just 9 minutes longer than the West Coast route.

If only it was this quick every day...


Sunday 3rd August

Calling points Arrives Departs
Edinburgh [EDB] 13:53
Berwick [BWK] 14:32 14:33
Newcastle [NCL] 15:19 15:23
Durham [DHM] 15:34 15:36
Darlington [DAR] 15:51 15:53
York [YRK] 16:20 16:24
Doncaster [DON] 16:48 16:51
Sheffield [SHF] 17:19 17:24
Derby [DBY] 17:53 17:54
Birmingham[BHM] 18:24 18:33


Sunday 6th October

Calling points Arrives Departs
Edinburgh [EDB] 14:08
Berwick [BWK] 14:46 14:47
Newcastle [NCL] 15:33 15:36
Durham [DHM] 15:47 15:49
Darlington [DAR] 16:04 16:06
York [YRK] 16:33 16:34
Doncaster [DON] 16:57 16:59
Sheffield [SHF] 17:21 17:24
Derby [DBY] 17:53 17:54
Birmingham[BHM] 18:24 18:33

 

[bb21]

Half the saving comes from reduced dwell times.

 

[Searle]

It looks good but I really can't see a 1 minute stop at York, that's pushing it slightly. Will like to see how it goes though.

 

[The Planner]

It will be late...

 

[martinsh]

Biggest change seems to be Doncaster - Sheffield 22mins down from 28mins ?

 

[yorkie]

Going via Donny instead of Leeds takes around 25-35 minutes off.

As for Donny - Sheffield, I've timed that at 18 minutes, so 22 mins still gives a bit of slack. Timings of 28 minutes are just ridiculous, and are probably done to deliberately slow trains down to fit the clockface timetable.

 

[route:oxford]

It will be late...

Is that guaranteed? It would be worth booking the service for the refund if I could know for sure.

Any particular reason why this service is so "quick" for a couple of weekends?

Just a timetable experiment?

 

[The Planner]

Like already mentioned, 1 minute dwells on a Voyager are not good....
I would have to take a proper look, but it does look stripped to the bone.

 

[Eagle]

The accelerated EDB–RDG schedule is running for three consecutive Sundays, from 29 September to 13 October.

Looking at the pathing information it does seem that a lot of the allowance minutes have been removed, particularly between Doncaster and Sheffield (down to just 2 minutes' allowance when it normally gets 8). And, as has been pointed out, dwell times have been tightened.

I can't work out what the cause of it is, although it's definitely a case of something causing it to leave Edinburgh late and needing to get back on time by Sheffield. The incoming service arrives at 13.13 though, almost whole hour before departure. I can't think of a reason for it.

 

[The Planner]

Is that guaranteed? It would be worth booking the service for the refund if I could know for sure.

It will be late, but I wouldn't expect it to hit 30 minutes late so you can blag a delay repay on it.

What are the headcodes for these as I cannot see them in TRUST.

 

[Eagle]

They're all 1V87s. (UIC is P33544.)

 

[Johnuk123]

It looks good but I really can't see a 1 minute stop at York, that's pushing it slightly. Will like to see how it goes though.

I think it's pushing it massively, I minute is ridiculous.

 

[The Planner]

They're all 1V87s. (UIC is P33544.)

Found them, should have worked out that Sunday is the 4th not the 3rd....

 

[route:oxford]

Found them, should have worked out that Sunday is the 4th not the 3rd....

Sorry, this coming Sunday is the 4th.

 

[IanXC]

Calling points Arrives Departs
Edinburgh [EDB] d13:53 +1
Berwick [BWK] a14:32 +1
d14:33 +1
Newcastle [NCL] a15:19 -3
d15:23 on time
Durham [DHM] a15:34 on time
d15:36 on time
Darlington [DAR] a15:51 on time
d15:53 on time
York [YRK] a16:20 -2
d16:24 on time
Doncaster [DON] a16:48 -1
d16:51 on time
Sheffield [SHF] a17:19 -6
d17:24 -1
Derby [DBY] a17:53 -2
d17:54 +2
Birmingham[BHM] a18:24 +3
d18:33 on time

[Calls ommitted]

Reading [RDG] a2007 -2

I've added the performance of todays run to the above, which makes interesting reading!

 

[SkinnyDave]

An Edinburgh XC driver's current core route is to Leeds

Will there be a crew change at Newcastle instead for these services?

 

[cjp]

Going via Donny instead of Leeds takes around 25-35 minutes off.

As for Donny - Sheffield, I've timed that at 18 minutes, so 22 mins still gives a bit of slack. Timings of 28 minutes are just ridiculous, and are probably done to deliberately slow trains down to fit the clockface timetable.

Does all this not perhaps all tie in with this discussion here about Virgin planing to better services to and from Scotland ?
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=84458

With XC seeing how they might respond to competition?

 

[Stats]

Is that guaranteed? It would be worth booking the service for the refund if I could know for sure.

Any particular reason why this service is so "quick" for a couple of weekends?

Just a timetable experiment?

The reason for the change in times is due to engineering work between York and Micklefield. As a result XC have swapped the pathing of the Aberdeen - Plymouth train with this Reading train.

The Aberdeen-Plymouth service takes the path of the Edinburgh - Reading service between Edinburgh - York enabling it to regain it's correct path from Leeds taking into account the diversion via Castleford. The Reading service more or less takes the path of the Plymouth service between Edinburgh and York.