Most unreliable service ex London.

[ValleyLines142]

I'm aware there isn't enough 9 cars on GWR, which Is why I'm advocating either building some additional carriages to bring some 5s up to 9, or take some of LNERs 9s in exchange for a few 5s in a "levelling up" exercise. I hear on another thread LNER are looking at dropping Glasgow and Stirling trains, so maybe they have a little excess capacity that could be shared ? I also am fully aware that none of the above will ever happen for a multitude of reasons, I am just pointing out what should happen in a fairer world.

Indeed. 5 cars were never going to work, even off peak the 5 cars are still well loaded.

 

[irish_rail]

Indeed. 5 cars were never going to work, even off peak the 5 cars are still well loaded.

The frustrating thing is we said this at the time, when the IEP project was being specified. Do not order short trains. It seems the mistakes from XC operation princess where not learned and we will pay the price for next 25 years.

 

[nw1]

I don’t think that allowing 2 sets to be coupled, cleaned and turned around in 20 mins at quite a busy time, that are frequently late into Pad in the first place was the best idea and I was hoping it would have been changed in the last timetable change. It was cancelled Tuesday after both units coupled mechanically but not electronically, they then failed to uncouple resulting in them having to be manually uncoupled after which it was decided best for both units to be returned to North Pole for investigations, even when there aren't issues coupling, the trains that form it are frequently late into Pad

Coupling of services (though usually non-IC services) has happened since time immemorial but a 20-min turnaround on an IC service seems a bit crazy. In former times around 35-60 mins turnaround was more typical for IC services.

That said, the whole concept of coupling IC services is a bit novel though. Formerly all IC services were either standard hauled services, fixed-formation sets (HSTs or DVT-based) or long single EMUs (Pendolino).

 

[BJames]

Doesn't look like it happens now but one of the London - Nottingham services only had a 10 min turn around at St Pancras at one point, so can't imagine that one was on time most of the time. Think it was either the 1305 or 1335.

Interesting - in the timetable I think this is theoretically still happening (the 1305, formed off the 1255 arrival from Nottingham). Last few days has seen this as a set swap, with the 1209 Sheffield arrival forming the 1305 rather than heading off to Cricklewood at 1310, and the 1255 Nottingham taking the 1209's place to the sidings). I wonder if that is indeed the plan going forward, but if so it is definitely a new thing.

I used this service a lot and it was made particularly difficult because this service ran from Platform 4a so a delay of just a couple of minutes on the inbound working caused inevitable delays back out, although it did tend to keep this to a few minutes throughout a lot of the time.

Realtime Trains | 1B40 1112 Nottingham to St Pancras International | 30/01/2024

Real-time train running information for 1B40 1112 departure from Nottingham to St Pancras International on 30/01/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 1D41 1305 St Pancras International to Nottingham | 30/01/2024

Real-time train running information for 1D41 1305 departure from St Pancras International to Nottingham on 30/01/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

(Shows platform 4 on inbound 1255 and outbound 1305)

 

[Triumph]

1B40

11.12 Nottingham

12:54

4F

1D41

13:05

DFL

Nottingham

180

DY182

This was the working, and the reason it was diagramed with a short turn round was due it being a 180 which needed to be balanced later in the day for finishing in the correct place.

The platforms are wrong on RTT!
1D41 is now formed off 1C35 which arrives/departs Platform 2 and 1B40 now forms 5B40 to Cricklewood Depot (Platform 4).

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

The frustrating thing is we said this at the time, when the IEP project was being specified. Do not order short trains. It seems the mistakes from XC operation princess where not learned and we will pay the price for next 25 years.

Well, you never know. 390s got extended eight years into their life. Maybe we’ll get lucky again.

 

[irish_rail]

Well, you never know. 390s got extended eight years into their life. Maybe we’ll get lucky again.

Unfortunately cities like Birmingham Manchester and Glasgow are viewed as more important than cities such as Bristol, Cardiff and Plymouth, I really don't think politicians will ever see the south west or Wales as a priority.

 

[317362]

Yesterday and today, 1C89 has been formed 1x9 instead of 2x5 and has been fairly punctual as a result..credit if something has been changed from this user

Back to 2x5s (but on time today).