Greater Anglia makes further changes to its weekday timetable (from 10th January 2022)

[Nicholas Lewis]

Judging by dk1's comments, this is a cost cutting exercise, no doubt driven by DFT/Treasury, rather than any problems with driver availability. I've not encountered a single crew related cancellation on West Anglia since Covid started.

Also worth flagging up that this is the worst timetable since summer 2020. In January 2021, the 1628, 1837 and 1907 departures to Cambridge still ran. Stratford to Bishop's Stortford ran hourly with peak extras. There are far more people out and about now compared with January and February (or even April) last year so I'd expect more trains not fewer.

There has to be an element of cost cutting here but also before Xmas an expectation that staff absences would increase and operators asked to have a contingency for it. The timing before Xmas was lousy as train planners would have been sorting out Xmas timetables especially where big engineering works were taking place and its taken a number of weeks to implement. In between this I can actually to see little of evidence, before TTs were reduced, of any operator suffering significant level of cancellations. Of course we now find ourselves with reduced TTs just as BoJo is about to celebrate we've beaten back Omicron and as a result no extensions of regs required and WFH guidance pulled next. However, DofT, with its puppeteer HMT, now liking the reduced costs will they sanction service restoration. My take is we will see little improvement until April and more likely not till the May TT change.

 

[Bikeman78]

There has to be an element of cost cutting here but also before Xmas an expectation that staff absences would increase and operators asked to have a contingency for it. The timing before Xmas was lousy as train planners would have been sorting out Xmas timetables especially where big engineering works were taking place and its taken a number of weeks to implement. In between this I can actually to see little of evidence, before TTs were reduced, of any operator suffering significant level of cancellations. Of course we now find ourselves with reduced TTs just as BoJo is about to celebrate we've beaten back Omicron and as a result no extensions of regs required and WFH guidance pulled next. However, DofT, with its puppeteer HMT, now liking the reduced costs will they sanction service restoration. My take is we will see little improvement until April and more likely not till the May TT change.

You may well be right. At the very least they need to put the 1628 LST-CBG back in to plug the 45 minute gap. With Hertford trains going back to LST from the 24th, that will leave only a half hourly service between Stratford and Tottenham Hale. I don't think that is sustainable. It's one of the busiest routes on West Anglia.

 

[306024]

If the DfT would allow, the sensible middle ground in all of this constant alteration would have been to run a Saturday service six days per week. Should any additional peak trains be needed, or if the times do not suit school flows, these can be added assuming there are sufficient crew. And looking further ahead, now Sundays are becoming ever more popular you could look to extend that to the busy hours when the GEML has four tracks available, providing that doesn’t cause insoluble rostering problems.

The same core timetable pattern 7 days per week, there’s a novel idea.

 

[Class 170101]

You may well be right. At the very least they need to put the 1628 LST-CBG back in to plug the 45 minute gap. With Hertford trains going back to LST from the 24th, that will leave only a half hourly service between Stratford and Tottenham Hale. I don't think that is sustainable. It's one of the busiest routes on West Anglia.

You can't have Hertfords operating to Liverpool Street via Hackney Downs and also going to Stratfrord its a choice of one or the other you can't have both on the same train. Too many complaints on ****ter for the diversion to Stratford.

Given the 16:28 is a limited stop service, in my opinion, it won't be back for a long time. 2S, 2O and Hertford services via Seven Sisters more likely to return first as demand is stronger closer to London than those commuting from further away.

If the DfT would allow, the sensible middle ground in all of this constant alteration would have been to run a Saturday service six days per week. Should any additional peak trains be needed, or if the times do not suit school flows, these can be added assuming there are sufficient crew. And looking further ahead, now Sundays are becoming ever more popular you could look to extend that to the busy hours when the GEML has four tracks available, providing that doesn’t cause insoluble rostering problems.

The same core timetable pattern 7 days per week, there’s a novel idea.

Yes that would be a novel idea but I think Grant Shapps (Michael Green) is too wedded to the cost savings at any cost.

As for the Sunday service good luck with that one, just look at the Rules of the Route Section 7 for 2022 and 2023 (its on the NR website) and see how much disruption of the GEML NR has planned for the next two years.

 

[Bikeman78]

You can't have Hertfords operating to Liverpool Street via Hackney Downs and also going to Stratfrord its a choice of one or the other you can't have both on the same train. Too many complaints on ****ter for the diversion to Stratford.

Given the 16:28 is a limited stop service, in my opinion, it won't be back for a long time. 2S, 2O and Hertford services via Seven Sisters more likely to return first as demand is stronger closer to London than those commuting from further away.

Which is why I have suggested that some of the Stratford to Bishop's Stortford trains need to come back. Like I said, it's strange that there is now a worse service than during a nationwide lockdown. If passengers are venting on Twitter when they are supposed to be working at home, it's only going to get worse in a couple of weeks.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

WFH scrapped from next week so GA need to commence a progressive reinstatement of the Dec 21 TT over the next few weeks.

 

[dk1]

WFH scrapped from next week so GA need to commence a progressive reinstatement of the Dec 21 TT over the next few weeks.

Happy days indeed but I see the more relentless of commuters started hounding the Twitter feed within minutes of the announcement.

 

[Bikeman78]

WFH scrapped from next week so GA need to commence a progressive reinstatement of the Dec 21 TT over the next few weeks.

Indeed. Tottenham Hale was wedged before work from home was reinstated. The current timetable will be a PR disaster. Hopefully they haven't binned too many 317/379 yet.

 

[86246]

WFH scrapped from next week so GA need to commence a progressive reinstatement of the Dec 21 TT over the next few weeks.

The work from home guidance actually finishes today although it won't be possible for the railways to change their timetables with such short notice. I can't see anyone currently working from home changing their plans for the remainder of the week anyway.

Who knows what sort of timetable there will be next week but the planners have certainly been busy over the past few weeks.

 

[dk1]

Norwich peak services will need to shed the Chelmsford calls as soon as possible. Loadings in excess of 600 have been commonplace this week with the 06:04 ex-Nrw being a particular problem.

 

[Alfie1014]

Not surprising when a 10/720 or 12/321 can seat over 1000 and there are only 2 or 3 of them an hour at the moment. The announcement today has sadly put the industry in the firing line again WFH should have been relaxed from Monday not tonight to give TOCs a hope in trying to accommodate increased demand. But typical of this Govt make an announcement to look good without any real concern for the consequences.

 

[Adrian1980uk]

Not surprising when a 10/720 or 12/321 can seat over 1000 and there are only 2 or 3 of them an hour at the moment. The announcement today has sadly put the industry in the firing line again WFH should have been relaxed from Monday not tonight to give TOCs a hope in trying to accommodate increased demand. But typical of this Govt make an announcement to look good without any real concern for the consequences.

Although I agree, I can't see a big change happening before Monday anyway, most people currently wfh will continue to the weekend

 

[JonathanH]

Although I agree, I can't see a big change happening before Monday anyway, most people currently wfh will continue to the weekend

Most people will continue working from home for as long as they can. Some people may start going back next week.

 

[306024]

The work from home guidance actually finishes today although it won't be possible for the railways to change their timetables with such short notice. I can't see anyone currently working from home changing their plans for the remainder of the week anyway.

Who knows what sort of timetable there will be next week but the planners have certainly been busy over the past few weeks.

RTT currently showing a normal SX service apart from the random Norwich cancellations that existed previously. Even one N90 schedule each way. That could just be because NR haven’t published the full alterations yet though.

In theory it should be possible to bin next weeks alterations, as the WTT service is always there in the background, but it is never quite as simple as that and still requires a lot of data management in a very short space of time, and still needs to incorporate any planned engineering work, however minor the schedule alterations are.

 

[Peregrine 4903]

RTT currently showing a normal SX service apart from the random Norwich cancellations that existed previously. Even one N90 schedule each way. That could just be because NR haven’t published the full alterations yet though.

In theory it should be possible to bin next weeks alterations, as the WTT service is always there in the background, but it is never quite as simple as that and still requires a lot of data management in a very short space of time, and still needs to incorporate any planned engineering work, however minor the schedule alterations are.

I wouldn't hold my breath until Friday as any reduction plan would be published on Thursday.

 

[306024]

I wouldn't hold my breath until Friday as any reduction plan would be published on Thursday.

I never hold my breath So published Thursday and unpublished Friday perhaps.

 

[dk1]

All traincrew diagrams/mods have been posted already so it’s going to be an interesting week.

 

[Watershed]

It's now too late to change anything about next week. At the earliest it will be the week after next for any (further) change to come into effect.

The amount of work involved in changing these things on the hoof cannot be overstated. Work on engineering work timetables will be being dropped to make these reductions happen, so I would expect the Advance ticket booking horizon to shrink again, only a month or two after it reached 8 weeks in advance again for most TOCs.

 

[Adrian1980uk]

Have the trains been substantially busier these last couple of days

 

[mtmikethom]

certainly seem busier than two weeks ago, my opinion is that a Saturday service would have been best with 10/12 cars if possible with a extra peak services on the main line, one thing I noticed is 1/2 hourly London-Chelmsford-Colchester in evening peak then 3 between 1930/1938 ex Liverpool St . They have been busy going out of London but not overloaded in the evening, most compints seem to be in the morning towards London

 

[dk1]

Have the trains been substantially busier these last couple of days

Many have yes. Some Norwich services where full from Colchester rather than Chelmsford. I really didn’t think so many would go back before next week.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Many have yes. Some Norwich services where full from Colchester rather than Chelmsford. I really didn’t think so many would go back before next week.

Given there not changing anything more on the GEML next week will likely be even more cosy. At least GA have shown themselves to be a bit more adept at reacting to demand unlike some other operators.

 

[dk1]

Given there not changing anything more on the GEML next week will likely be even more cosy. At least GA have shown themselves to be a bit more adept at reacting to demand unlike some other operators.

Not sure yet as to whether any additional services will be added.

 

[Alfie1014]

The only changes on the GEML that seem to be happening are the introduction of a morning peak Southminster to London service and the reintroduction of Colchester to Walton on the Naze trains, though as the base timetable is a Sunday they are in different paths mostly xx:28 from Colchester and xx:31 from Walton, (pretty much 30 minutes round the clock from normal weekday paths at xx:56 and xx:00).

 

[Spet0789]

4tph down to 2tph Stansteds will be because of covid driver related reductions. The remaining pair call at all of Tottenham Hale, Harlow Town, Bishops Stortford and Stansted Mountfichet (1tph) rather than being spread amongst 4tph.

Also note that the 1H services which are the faster Cambridges calling only at Tottenham, Harlow, Bishops Stortford, Audley End, Whittlesford and Cambridge and thence to Kings Lynn as appropriate are all wihdrawn so the remaining 2Hs will look slower.

In terms of timings as I have pointed out elsewhere other operators slots have to be respected or may be flexed or rejected by NR. Planners are busy right now and keeping train plans simple is both operationally, practically and mentally better for all, including the planners.

I still don’t get why the trains are now so slow. Lower frequencies I understand but not lower frequencies and slower journey times.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

I still don’t get why the trains are now so slow. Lower frequencies I understand but not lower frequencies and slower journey times.

Guess Sunday schedules on GE are setup for two track working west from Shenfield with pathing time for weaves etc.

 

[Railperf]

Checking the times from this week on West Anglia. As last week except the Hertford Easts going to Liverpool Street rather than Stratford.
Makes sense really as they were being pathed to Stratford too closely to the Meridian Water Shuttle - as closely as 1 min in cases.
GEML seems to be as last week except a few extra peak time trains. .

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Checking the times from this week on West Anglia. As last week except the Hertford Easts going to Liverpool Street rather than Stratford.
Makes sense really as they were being pathed to Stratford too closely to the Meridian Water Shuttle - as closely as 1 min in cases.
GEML seems to be as last week except a few extra peak time trains. .

Also means Hackney Downs is now accessible from Tottenham Hale and north of it without mandating a really long double back via Liverpool Street

 

[Alfie1014]

Not sure yet as to whether any additional services will be added.

There may or may not be a 06:55 Clacton to Liverpool Street (08:24) this week, a passenger asked on Twitter this morning if it was running as they got on the 06:38 from Clacton. RTT shows no such service running this morning, GA Twitter feed confirmed that it was new and should be running. RTT shows no service planned for tomorrow, yet National Rail Enquires shows it running, well it shows it twice! So who knows, did it run this morning, anyone know if it’s now in the plan?

 

[mtmikethom]

GA website, journey check section shows the 0655 as additional service up to and including Friday