Looking at RTT, I see these trains are not shown as cancelled. They are not shown at all. If trains can just be removed from the timetable, is this a ploy to avoid a penalty payment, or do these not apply any more with the end of franchising? 12 trains all day Manchester to Birmingham on a Saturday two weeks before Christmas, and that includes one at 05.11!
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Cross Country Service Reductions and Alterations, 28-11-2021 onwards
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They've been summarily removed from the timetable, something known as "P-coding".
It's a disgusting practice if you ask me - it purely serves to massage punctuality statistics and is very unhelpful to passengers as they will be left wondering why their booked train has disappeared. A true "railwayism" if there ever was one.
I'm sure they will also seek to deny delay compensation to anyone who is affected, on the basis that "that's the timetable that was in place at 10pm the night before".
Falcon1200
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I have to agree - Despite having been responsible for requesting and agreeing Emergency Timetables with TOCs during my career ! The 'logic' is that if TT alterations can be agreed by 2200 for the next day, trains can be altered and removed from the TT and the altered TT becomes the booked service, hence the removed trains do not appear on departure screens at all, instead of appearing and being shown cancelled. The process has been used for what could be termed genuine reasons, eg an ongoing line blockage, but also in other situations such as day-to-day traincrew shortages. IMHO the very least that should be done is to amend the process so that the Emergency TT cannot be agreed for the next day but the day after, therefore giving a whole day for the alterations to be properly publicised and, hopefully, passengers made aware.
But this was yesterday (Saturday).
Oh sorry, I read it as Sunday! Sounds like I need to give Specsavers a call
Yes, very disappointing behaviour.
I doubt that XC is the only perpetrator of this practice. The sad thing is neither the DfT nor Treasury will probably care very much. Saturday travel is nearly all “only” for leisure.Oh sorry, I read it as Sunday! Sounds like I need to give Specsavers a call
Yes, very disappointing behaviour.
Goldfish62
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Indeed I very much doubt they're currently the only ones. SWT was an enthusiastic user of such practices in the past and no doubt SWR as continued it.
I'm told by a colleague in Lancashire that the Clitheroe line has only a train every three hours today, whereas the Sunday service should be hourly. This seems to be the "new normal". The principle of delay repay or not under these circumstances should be established via Transport Focus, the only quasi statutory* body which can deal with such matters.
* an "independent watchdog" sponsored by DfT!
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