December 2022 Timetable Changes

[ayubdaud]

Is it for operational purposes at Piccadilly? The xx:25 Cross Country departure seems to depart to allow the next xx:29 arrival into the same platform & thus runs earlier throughout.

I think from memory one of the aims of MRTF was to have CrossCountry to utilise one platform (if XC remained at 1tph). During covid it was a nightmare platforming-wise having XC overlapping across two platforms with double Voyagers.

I don't know the answer, but it does appear to allow the Cardiff services to depart at xx.30 instead of a mixture of xx.31 and xx.32 departure times, which in practice mean little but make the service look a little more regular I guess.

Reverting back to xx.30 was to add brake testing allowance at Slade Lane as TfW regularly lost time departing Piccadilly which led to late running towards Stockport/Cheadle Hulme which would impact other conflicting services.

 

[jfollows]

Its only a couple of trains a day that don't stop at Gatwick. Not 2-4 an hour

I had a look through the latest WE working timetable and, Monday-Friday, I can see no passenger train passing through Gatwick Airport without stopping in either direction (I'm happy to be shown otherwise!).

Reverting back to xx.30 was to add brake testing allowance at Slade Lane as TfW regularly lost time departing Piccadilly which led to late running towards Stockport/Cheadle Hulme which would impact other conflicting services.

Agreed, it may only have been a minute but I don't think I ever arrived on time into Wilmslow on these services.

EDIT Also, as a more general practice, it's good to see timetables having allowance for running brake tests in the sectional running times, however it's done, because I got the feeling that they didn't use to do so very well.

 

[dk1]

I think from memory one of the aims of MRTF was to have CrossCountry to utilise one platform (if XC remained at 1tph). During covid it was a nightmare platforming-wise having XC overlapping across two platforms with double Voyagers.

Reverting back to xx.30 was to add brake testing allowance at Slade Lane as TfW regularly lost time departing Piccadilly which led to late running towards Stockport/Cheadle Hulme which would impact other conflicting services.

Thanks. That sounds sensible on both counts.

 

[The Planner]

Agreed, it may only have been a minute but I don't think I ever arrived on time into Wilmslow on these services.

EDIT Also, as a more general practice, it's good to see timetables having allowance for running brake tests in the sectional running times, however it's done, because I got the feeling that they didn't use to do so very well.

It is only the Western region that has done it consistently for a number of years, most others haven't.

 

[infobleep]

0009 in the timetable.
The 0033 doesn't always stop at Woking, either - see w/c 16 Jan when it goes via the New Line.

So excluding the train after 1 am, what was the train that did stop at Surbtiom but now doesn't?

I had a look through the latest WE working timetable and, Monday-Friday, I can see no passenger train passing through Gatwick Airport without stopping in either direction (I'm happy to be shown otherwise!).

There used to be some peak trains that called at Horley and skipped Gatwick Airport. The one I use to get 18:18 could easily have stopped at Gatwick Airport as it was following an all-stations stopping service towards Haywards Heath.

When the train in front was running behind, due to lateness or it was canceled, the train could get into Haywards Heath 6 minutes earlier.

I guess it could be called the non-stop slow.

Now though they have sensibly added in Gatwick Airport with no loss in time.

 

[mangyiscute]

Is it for operational purposes at Piccadilly? The xx:25 Cross Country departure seems to depart to allow the next xx:29 arrival into the same platform & thus runs earlier throughout.

From what I can see it still leaves Birmingham New Street just one minute earlier and runs at the same time thereafter. I still don't see why it couldn't sit at Stafford for a bit to enable this connection (even if it wasn't an official 5 mins, make it possible - although since they go down the same line I expect it would have to be about 5 mins minimum anyway)

 

[ThisIsSurbiton]

So excluding the train after 1 am, what was the train that did stop at Surbtiom but now doesn't?

Pe-COVID, there was a 0030 departure from Waterloo. A relatively recent addition, it was all stations to Surbiton for a few years then extended to Woking

 

[dk1]

From what I can see it still leaves Birmingham New Street just one minute earlier and runs at the same time thereafter. I still don't see why it couldn't sit at Stafford for a bit to enable this connection (even if it wasn't an official 5 mins, make it possible - although since they go down the same line I expect it would have to be about 5 mins minimum anyway)

Maybe something that could be altered in May should enough passengers or staff suggest it & the schedules allow.

 

[cle]

Its only a couple of trains a day that don't stop at Gatwick. Not 2-4 an hour

The 2-4tph was referring to the GatEx frequencies being absorbed into broader Southern and evened out.

 

[The Planner]

From what I can see it still leaves Birmingham New Street just one minute earlier and runs at the same time thereafter. I still don't see why it couldn't sit at Stafford for a bit to enable this connection (even if it wasn't an official 5 mins, make it possible - although since they go down the same line I expect it would have to be about 5 mins minimum anyway)

To make the connection, the XC would have to leave Stafford at xx.27, 3 minutes after the Avanti and follow it to Wolves and probably overtake it again. You then have to get the Avanti in before the Rugeley International and the Wolves Walsall and the Liverpool New St as they are all on minimum headway from Soho South. Its doable I think, but tight.