FCC from Peterborough

[mlb54]

Having used these trains for some time now, I am intrigued to know why in the am peak the fast trains stop at Stevenage and not Hitchin, whereas on return in the pm peak the reverse applies. Is there a particular reason for this?

 

[HST Power]

Seems to be a bit of confusion here but I will explain as best as I can.

Stevenage is massive. It's like a city. It's actually too big for the amount of people living it in, but that's another story. Basically, Stevenage is a key stop on the FCC route because loads of people live in the area due to the vast array of shops, businesses and industrial companies that operate there.
You can also change trains at Stevenage for East Coast services to the North of England and Yorkshire.

Nearly all the fast trains coming from (and going to) London/Cambridge/Peterborough stop at Stevenage in the morning to grab all the commuters and shuttle them up to London.

In the evening, some services to Cambridge do the Cambridge via Stevenage route from Kings Cross. There are two variations of this route, the first being the stopper that goes to Potters Bar, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City (it calls everywhere) the second being the faster which runs non-stop to Stevenage and then starts doing the Cambridge route from there. This is the semi-fast.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I do believe that if a train stops at Hitchin it will almost certainly have called (or call at) Stevenage.

 

[mlb54]

It's the 12 coach trains that FCC run from PBO in the am that don't stop at Hitchin but do at Stevenage, and in the pm don't stop at Stevenage but do at Hitchin, just seems odd to me.

 

[philjo]

I think it is because Stevenage has 12-coach platforms on the fast line so in the morning the fast 12-coach FCC services from Peterborough can call at Stevenage whilst remaining on the fast line - there are other services from Cambridge running on the slow line that arrive in Stevenage around the same time.

In the evening I think the timetable is such that the xx:10 and xx:40 fast services from KX to Peterborough cannot call at Stevenage due to other services behind them (e.g. the xx:14 and xx:44 fast Cambridge/Kings Lynn trains). They therefore call at Hitchin (first stop after Kings cross) instead which also has 12-coach platforms as the platforms there are on the slow line. Next stop after hitchin for these services is then St Neots (next station that has 12-coach platfroms) but I think they are routed along the slow line north of Hitchin in the evenings.
They also provide a connection into the Cambridge stoppers which arrive at Hitchin about 4 minutes after the Peterborough train has left (it overtakes it in the stevenage area).

the xx:53 and xx:23 Royston services mainly have Stevenage as their first stop in the evenings (& these omit Hitchin as the next stop after Stevenage is Letchworth) ) so there is still a fast service back to Stevenage in the evening & the Royston trains are emptier to it gives more capacity overall.

 

[mlb54]

It all makes sense now, thanks for that

 

[philjo]

In the evening, some services to Cambridge do the Cambridge via Stevenage route from Kings Cross. There are two variations of this route, the first being the stopper that goes to Potters Bar, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City (it calls everywhere) the second being the faster which runs non-stop to Stevenage and then starts doing the Cambridge route from there. This is the semi-fast.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I do believe that if a train stops at Hitchin it will almost certainly have called (or call at) Stevenage.

The Cambridge stoppers in the evening peak do not call at Potters Bar. first stop after Finsbury Park is either Hatfield or WGC. some of them also omit Baldock & Ashwell - the Royston train is immediately behind it after Letchworth. Potters Bar is only served by the trains that terminate at WGC in the evening peak.
The semi fast trains only go to Royston in the evening peak - calling at Stevenage, Letchworth & stations to Royston. one of these trains calls at Welwyn north then hitchin instead of Stevenage (due to an East coast train immediately behind it preventing a call on the fast line at Stevenage)
A lot of the FCC peak services only call at one of hitchin & Steveanage - not both otherwise they would be very overcrowded.
in the morning we have fast train from royston calling at stations to hitchin, welywn North then Kings cross.

 

[Aictos]

I think it is because Stevenage has 12-coach platforms on the fast line so in the morning the fast 12-coach FCC services from Peterborough can call at Stevenage whilst remaining on the fast line - there are other services from Cambridge running on the slow line that arrive in Stevenage around the same time.

In the evening I think the timetable is such that the xx:10 and xx:40 fast services from KX to Peterborough cannot call at Stevenage due to other services behind them (e.g. the xx:14 and xx:44 fast Cambridge/Kings Lynn trains). They therefore call at Hitchin (first stop after Kings cross) instead which also has 12-coach platforms as the platforms there are on the slow line. Next stop after hitchin for these services is then St Neots (next station that has 12-coach platfroms) but I think they are routed along the slow line north of Hitchin in the evenings.
They also provide a connection into the Cambridge stoppers which arrive at Hitchin about 4 minutes after the Peterborough train has left (it overtakes it in the stevenage area).

the xx:53 and xx:23 Royston services mainly have Stevenage as their first stop in the evenings (& these omit Hitchin as the next stop after Stevenage is Letchworth) ) so there is still a fast service back to Stevenage in the evening & the Royston trains are emptier to it gives more capacity overall.

Yep that's pretty much it - it's all down to pathing although I must point out that the 12 car trains can use any of the the four platforms at Stevenage as they are all 12 car capable.

 

[jopsuk]

A little off topic, but some of the Cambridge evening peak services now split at Letchworth or Royston, with the front half then going fast to Cambridge and the rear half slow to Cambridge.

 

[Fred26]

Stevenage is massive. It's like a city. It's actually too big for the amount of people living it in, but that's another story.

I love the idea that Stevenage is like a city! There's about 1.5 million extra journeys from Stevenage than from Hitchin per year (c4m Vs. c2.5m), but like a city it is not.

 

[HST Power]

The Cambridge stoppers in the evening peak do not call at Potters Bar. first stop after Finsbury Park is either Hatfield or WGC. some of them also omit Baldock & Ashwell - the Royston train is immediately behind it after Letchworth. Potters Bar is only served by the trains that terminate at WGC in the evening peak.

I really should know better. That was (honestly) a typo, I didn't mean to put Potters Bar. And I should know because I use the station every month!

I love the idea that Stevenage is like a city!

It is!

It's so big they want to expand it. There's a big debate going on in Parliament over which towns should take the crunch of the 'new' Stevenage. But lets face it, the place is a dump!

 

[Bedpan]

The timetable (at least off peak) works very well if you are going from say Welwyn or Knebworth to Cambridge or Peterborough. Two trains an hour, roughly at half hour intervals, one to each, with a fast train to the other immediately behind it so if you are going to say Peterborough and you catch the train that is going to Cambridge, you change at Stevenage or Hitchin and the Peterborough train is directly behind it. Same applies inthe reverse direction too.

 

[HST Power]

The timetable (at least off peak) works very well if you are going from say Welwyn or Knebworth to Cambridge or Peterborough. Two trains an hour, roughly at half hour intervals, one to each, with a fast train to the other immediately behind it so if you are going to say Peterborough and you catch the train that is going to Cambridge, you change at Stevenage or Hitchin and the Peterborough train is directly behind it. Same applies inthe reverse direction too.

Can't say how much I agree with this statement.

I used to get to Potters Bar at 1545. I would be stuck waiting for the 1621 to Cambridge, until I realized I could take the 1551 service to Peterborough, change at Hitchin and jump on the 1621 to Cambridge which had come direct from London. By the time I reach Letchworth, the Potters Bar service to Cambridge hasn't even made its first stop!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

A little off topic, but some of the Cambridge evening peak services now split at Letchworth or Royston, with the front half then going fast to Cambridge and the rear half slow to Cambridge.

Good use of limited path capacity

 

[NIMBUS]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I do believe that if a train stops at Hitchin it will almost certainly have called (or call at) Stevenage.

Nope. The 17:10 Peterborough is Hitchin, St. Neots and Huntingdon only - but, in general, you're correct.

 

[stut]

Have to hand it to FCC - for all their faults, the peak timetabling on the GN route has been very cleverly done to distribute a huge load over limited resources. The "seats for you" exercise tuned it rather well.

The main failing is for those who need to get from north of Hitchin to points between Stevenage and Finsbury Park in the peak - a minority of passengers, of course.

 

[HST Power]

I heard that in the old days, the Cambridge/Peterborough trains would be formed as one service. When they got to Hitchin, they would split. The leading coaches would go to Peterborough and then a train would come from the railyard to pick up the Cambridge coaches. Nice idea.

 

[jopsuk]

Ah, I had it wrong. There's several 8-car services that divide at either Letchworth or Royston with the front four only going forward, the rear four don't go forward. The 1814 out of Kings Cross is 12 car, fast to Royston with the front 8 then fast to Cambridge and the rear 4 all stops to Cambridge.

Doesn't seem to be any portion-working on the Peterborough services.

 

[philjo]

I think the only reason they have the dividing trains is so that the services can call at Meldreth, Shrepreth & Foxton - the platforms there can only take 4 coaches. The unit going into the sidings at Letchworth then runs back empty to Kings Cross.

In the mornings the trains that call there are the 317s which I think now run as 8 coaches from Cambridge but with one unit locked out of use until Royston. They used to couple up at Royston but were often delayed especially in bad weather.