It really doesn't surprise me that this is happening.
The really frustrating thing is government is going to complain that "ridership is poor" nationwide, despite it being very high % of capacity for places like the Midlands and North. Cuts will be done nationally, not taking into account how these services are already overcrowded, despite not even being fully out of lockdown.
EMR has always been pretty bad for overcrowding. Generally the East Midlands is a black hole when it comes to public transport offerings, especially rail, one of the reasons I'm not so happy to be moving back!
Much of the problem is a shortage of drivers passed on 170s causing 15x to have to deputise on their diagrams which in turn causes 15x shortages. 170s also can't work in service in multi with 15x as the PA systems are mostly not compatible causing further restriction still. They have been trying to get 170s out where possible on to other diagrams but it involves checking out individual drivers and guards rostered on a given day for crew competency which can be challenging. Down to 5 working 153s, 2 of which are required for Barton on Humber, 156918 is in store at Barrow Hill (good riddance - it is not a good unit) and 156902 is at Wolverton for overhaul. A low speed derailment at Etches Park last week has taken 2 stabling roads out further squeezing capacity, they're awaiting parts with a lead time for repair. 158863 has been out of use since December when it derailed at Eastcroft, one vehicle of that is at Doncaster for repairs to significant damage.
It is the kind of thing that will be sorted over time but for now it is a problem.
If you remember Greater Anglia 18 months ago that was a fairly similar disaster. I personally have everything crossed that things will start coming together much sooner.
Can't the drivers use the PA systems? It just seems a bit of a ridiculous thing to be causing problems for the service.
Talking of short formed EMR services, the Crewe route seems to have lost the luxury of 3 carriage 170s since the route extension and timetable changes. Now seems to be 2 carriage 158s or 156s again. Any reason for this?
To be fair, last time I used the route it was almost always a single 153.
To be fair, it doesn't take Covid to make overcrowding on trains annoying.
True
The whole farce lies firmly at the feet of Grayling and the DfT. Cancelling MML electrification then imposing PRM restrictions on stock without having sufficient stock to cover the shortfall. Wether through delayed cascades or delayed ordering of new trains. This is a classic case of the result of civil servants running the railway and not railway experienced specialists. The simple solution would have been to have retained the HSTs until their replacement was ordered, constructed and in operational service. Instead non-prm compliant HSTs were replaced with not-so-non-prm compliant HSTs which actually didn't work and were in a poorer condition. Had the knitting been strung up as planned the 365s could at least have been deployed until the 810s arrived. Instead we are left with the mess of a motley mix of rolling stock that is short formed while other trains are sidelined because they haven't been able to train the staff, COVID has merely exasperated the situation, not caused it
I agree.
One would hope that GBR will help avoid the government being able to deflect blame, but I'm sure they will. It's still going to take them ages to come up with any kind of strategy in terms of infrastructure, when they very likely could act immediately and just do a rolling electrification program, starting with routes that had their projects cancelled.
Don't get me wrong, I'm angry that the MML electrification was postponed then cancelled, and baffled by the PRM related madness that went on with the MML HSTs, but I really struggle to see how electrification would have been the solution here. Apart from the fact that the electrification almost certainly wouldn't be complete - so you'd only be able to run a full electric service to say, Leicester, replacing the HSTs and Meridians with 365s would be pathing (and more no doubt) non-starters. Presumably you'd have then cascaded 222s onto the regional services to provide them with PRM compliant stock - which would still require training for most staff! EMR intercity (& connect) has been fine, bar some teething troubles with the 360s and the 180s notoriously patchy reliability.
Apart from Covid, the "root cause" of EMR Regional's stock issues is the late introduction of the 196s at WMR, delaying the cascade of the 170s.
More generally, there is a shortage of DMUs. It would have likely been easier to source cascaded units had projects in other areas of the country not also been cancelled. The problems with wanting carbon neutrality by 2040, yet not having an electrified network to cope with those goals are going to come when the aging diesel stock issue is piling up, yet the DafT want to avoid ordering any new DMUs, considering they would be scrapped before the end of their useful life.
Something needs to change quickly, that involves electrification more generally, so we don't end up with loads of DMUs going on the scrapheap after 10 years, or end up with many DMUs hitting 50/60 and succuming to terrible reliablity and passenger experience.
Two of the five trains required for the Crewe - Newark service were cancelled today. Not looking good for my important trip to Derby on Saturday ...
Not looking good for my important trip from MCR - Notts on Wednesday!
