Durham Coast on Saturdays

[Poolie]

So, here's me going to Hartlepool for the match, as every home game, but today a coupled up pacer and sprinter turned up. Now every Saturday, the normal 2 car Pacer or Sprinter is pretty full, and at Hartlepool the crowds of hen/stag types get on for Newcastle. There were even RPI's at Hartlepool. So what I'm wondering is that there can be extra stock and staff for a 'special' occasion....Pools v York?, when on most Saturday's, the trains are rammed anyway.

 

[PHILIPE]

So, here's me going to Hartlepool for the match, as every home game, but today a coupled up pacer and sprinter turned up. Now every Saturday, the normal 2 car Pacer or Sprinter is pretty full, and at Hartlepool the crowds of hen/stag types get on for Newcastle. There were even RPI's at Hartlepool. So what I'm wondering is that there can be extra stock and staff for a 'special' occasion....Pools v York?, when on most Saturday's, the trains are rammed anyway.

It may well be that there are more units receiving Maintenance at the week end, but if there is a special event on, they can juggle the schedules.

 

[TBY-Paul]

It may well be that there are more units receiving Maintenance at the week end, but if there is a special event on, they can juggle the schedules.

They "can", but they don't..I'm reminded of when the Tall Ships were at Hartlepool, it was chaos.. The forth coming Teesside Airport Airshow is a similar situation.. the potential for extra business to and from the Airport on the day of the Airshow must be significant, but because the station has a problem with the bridge, no services will be calling at the Airport..

 

[DarloRich]

They "can", but they don't..I'm reminded of when the Tall Ships were at Hartlepool, it was chaos.. The forth coming Teesside Airport Airshow is a similar situation.. the potential for extra business to and from the Airport on the day of the Airshow must be significant, but because the station has a problem with the bridge, no services will be calling at the Airport..

i mist have traveled on something from a parallel universe as i am sure i had several journeys between Darlington & Sunderland on class 47/57 hauled trains. Yes i knew i did:

tall ships shuttles by DarloRich2009, on Flickr

tall ships shuttles by DarloRich2009, on Flickr


The only chaotic bit was trying to see the ships!

 

[TBY-Paul]

i mist have traveled on something from a parallel universe as i am sure i had several journeys between Darlington & Sunderland on class 47/57 hauled trains. Yes i knew i did:

tall ships shuttles by DarloRich2009, on Flickr

tall ships shuttles by DarloRich2009, on Flickr


The only chaotic bit was trying to see the ships!

My apologies, I'm surprised more people from Stockton, Billingham & Seaton Carew didn't make use of the shuttle instead of trying to squeeze on to the Class 142+153(?) service to/from Thornaby that I used. It's good to know the people left behind wouldn't have had to wait to long to get on the next shuttle service..

 

[Paul Duck]

If memory serves me right the reason more people from Stockton & Billingham didn't make use of the additional trains is because they ran non stop from Darlington to Hartlepool. Also Northern had to run buses from Billingham to collect passengers left behind to get them to Hartlepool.

 

[DarloRich]

If memory serves me right the reason more people from Stockton & Billingham didn't make use of the additional trains is because they ran non stop from Darlington to Hartlepool. Also Northern had to run buses from Billingham to collect passengers left behind to get them to Hartlepool.

I had completely forgotten that the trains didn't stop at intermediate stations. thanks. Must have been all that Teesside pollution rotting my brain

 

[TBY-Paul]

If memory serves me right the reason more people from Stockton & Billingham didn't make use of the additional trains is because they ran non stop from Darlington to Hartlepool. Also Northern had to run buses from Billingham to collect passengers left behind to get them to Hartlepool.

Your quite right, there were no extra services to the regular timetable apart from the non-stop shuttle from Darlington to Hartlepool (& on to Sunderland). There was no Darlington to Hartlepool stoppers added, No extra services from Nunthorpe/Saltburn. Some class 142 services had an extra 153(?) carriage added. I assume the extra carriage was added and wasn't something that normally runs on a Sunday.

At Thornaby you had the situation of people transferring from Eaglescliffe, Allens West , Dinsdale & Yarm on to an already well loaded class 142!!. Fourtunaly we travelled to Hartlepool after the main rush, But coming back around 5pm/6pm it was chaotic (and we left before the crowds), I dread to think how the crowds being held outside the station managed.

I believe after the weekend the organisers of The Tall Ships event, Hartlepool council and Northern rail had "discussions" about how to better deal with the events should ever the situation arise again. It was felt Northern Rail let down the event organisers at such a big event.

 

[Tetchytyke]

There are usually some spare units about on a Saturday, but availability is limited. The Tyne Valley services sometimes double up when there's a Newcastle United home game- but not always- and obviously Arriva found a spare unit knowing a big football game was on at Hartlepool. The availability wouldn't be there for an "ordinary" Saturday or Sunday.

 

[142094]

Some services last Sunday down the Coast were also doubled up, at least one 2x 142 set and a 142/156 working. Couldn't tell if one carriage was locked out of use though.