EMR Norwich - Liverpool - Class 170 problems

[Grumpy Git]

I caught the slightly delayed the 1R76 17:44 from Sheffield to Liverpool (South Parkway) on Saturday afternoon.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C55153/2024-04-13/detailed#allox_id=2

I didn't take much notice when I boarded, as I wasn't expecting to catch it having only just arrived 1F52 service from Derby, (a crazy situation where the terminating train from London arrives 1 minute after the Liverpool train should depart - but that's for another thread). However, there was no working PIS on this train and I was surprised when, upon departing Manchester Piccadilly, the guard announced that the next stop at Manchester Oxford Rd, would be that last one before Liverpool Lime St, (as I wanted Liverpool South parkway)!

Initially I thought that this might have something to do with the Pullman (looking very smart and topped and tailed by two equally splendid class 67's) being in platform 3 at Liverpool South Parkway, but it was actually because of the 5 car 170 and there being no ability to selectively control the doors on the short platforms.

Who allows stuff like this to happen? Don't get me wrong, I was glad of the hour earlier train (even though I lost 30 minutes of that getting back from Lime St to Cressington), but its a poor show and I could never see this happening on a service in the south east.

 

[dk1]

Was it anything to do with strengthening for The Grand National? Services out of Liverpool are heaving well into the evening with revellers.

 

[LowLevel]

I caught the slightly delayed the 1R76 17:44 from Sheffield to Liverpool (South Parkway) on Saturday afternoon.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C55153/2024-04-13/detailed#allox_id=2

I didn't take much notice when I boarded, as I wasn't expecting to catch it having only just arrived 1F52 service from Derby, (a crazy situation where the terminating train from London arrives 1 minute after the Liverpool train should depart - but that's for another thread). However, there was no working PIS on this train and I was surprised when, upon departing Manchester Piccadilly, the guard announced that the next stop at Manchester Oxford Rd, would be that last one before Liverpool Lime St, (as I wanted Liverpool South parkway)!

Initially I thought that this might have something to do with the Pullman (looking very smart and topped and tailed by two equally splendid class 67's) being in platform 3 at Liverpool South Parkway, but it was actually because of the 5 car 170 and there being no ability to selectively control the doors on the short platforms.

Who allows stuff like this to happen? Don't get me wrong, I was glad of the hour earlier train (even though I lost 30 minutes of that getting back from Lime St to Cressington), but its a poor show and I could never see this happening on a service in the south east.

It was actually due to the train being booked for a 6 car 158, due to a shortage of 158s a 5 car 170 subbed instead on which you can selectively release the doors unlike the 158s, but the schedule was written for the planned traction.

Trying to do local door operation on a class 158 on a Saturday evening is akin to herding cats, especially if you get units where the PA just doesn't work.

 

[Bevan Price]

I think it was to avoid overloading on Grand National Day. Pairs of 3 car 170s have been working into Liverpool (usually midweek) for a few months, and all called at the booked stops, including South Parkway. For example, today (link will expire in a week)

Realtime Trains | 1L09 0951 Liverpool Lime Street to Norwich | 15/04/2024

Real-time train running information for 1L09 0951 departure from Liverpool Lime Street to Norwich on 15/04/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Class15]

I caught the slightly delayed the 1R76 17:44 from Sheffield to Liverpool (South Parkway) on Saturday afternoon.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C55153/2024-04-13/detailed#allox_id=2

I didn't take much notice when I boarded, as I wasn't expecting to catch it having only just arrived 1F52 service from Derby, (a crazy situation where the terminating train from London arrives 1 minute after the Liverpool train should depart - but that's for another thread). However, there was no working PIS on this train and I was surprised when, upon departing Manchester Piccadilly, the guard announced that the next stop at Manchester Oxford Rd, would be that last one before Liverpool Lime St, (as I wanted Liverpool South parkway)!

Initially I thought that this might have something to do with the Pullman (looking very smart and topped and tailed by two equally splendid class 67's) being in platform 3 at Liverpool South Parkway, but it was actually because of the 5 car 170 and there being no ability to selectively control the doors on the short platforms.

Who allows stuff like this to happen? Don't get me wrong, I was glad of the hour earlier train (even though I lost 30 minutes of that getting back from Lime St to Cressington), but its a poor show and I could never see this happening on a service in the south east.

You say this never happens in the South-East, but only very recently was there a thread about why Overground trains were skipping stations galore even though there is often no train soon behind them.

 

[childwallblues]

Trains to Liverpool at that time are every 30 minutes so if you booked a ticket from your start point to Liverpool South Parkway you would likely have been told that your connecting train at Sheffield was the TPE service at 1809, not the EMR service at 1744.