Thameslink Services/Timetable from May 20th 2018

[bramling]

So, for the duration of this monumental shambles, pilot drivers shouldn't be interworked on regular duties. The necessary drivers should be restricted to these pilot duties and be accommodated in suitable hotels within 10 minute waliking distance of Finsbury Park and London Bridge. Theye shouldn't be relying on an already broken system to get to the parts of the network where they're needed most.

I find it incredible that they ever thought it would be okay to use pilots on such a critical piece of infrastructure. The drivers should have been trained and ready in advance of go-live, and if not then the go-live shouldn't have happened when it did. If they had bothered to resource sufficient driver numbers (how many years to do this?) then there should have been no issue releasing people for the necessary training. *If* key infrastructure wasn't ready to allow people to train, e.g. the trains, the canal tunnels or London Bridge, then go-live should not have happened this May.

 

[al78]

This is, fortunately, a frequent thing now. Otherwise there would be precious few services at Redhill.

Oh dear, I can have some sympathy with the commuters in Redhill. It is a shame that the days of being able to get a fast train between Horsham and London which took around 50 minutes are now gone. The less frequent stops are still there, but there seems to now be a physical phenomena that prevents any train between London and Horsham taking less than an hour for the journey, no matter how infrequently it stops en-route (at least that is my experience over the last year or so).

 

[Mauve]

I've actually had a pretty decent service today and yesterday from St Neots on the Peterborough route. Yesterday was the first journey from St Neots in a while that I haven't had a delay repay claim to make. 0728 both days has arrived at King's Cross with minimal delays on both days. The Horsham service back yesterday was even on time by the time it got to Stevenage, although it did skip a few stations south of Croydon. This morning it looked like there was nearly a full peak service to London operating. Nothing going to Peterborough on the board though and the replacement buses were still parked up in the car park.

9J24 from Horsham to Peterborough departed 18 minutes late, then inconvenienced the people of Horley, Redhill, Merstham and Coulsdon South by skip stopping to make up 10 minutes, whereupon it arrived at Finsbury Park and waited for a driver for ... 10 minutes.

This was the train I got back today. It wasn't showing up on the journey planner when I got to London (and is still shown as a planned cancellation in RTT), but had appeared by about 10am. I was a bit sceptical about getting on it when I saw two people in the driver's cab, but given the lack of alternatives chose to get in. The train crawled through the tunnels to Finsbury Park, adding back all the time saved by skipping stops. I could see the dispatcher from my seat at Finsbury Park and she was looking increasingly nervous until the driver turned up. Of course, even after the driver turned up there was then a further delay whilst we sat at a red signal on the platform. Only a 20 minute delay though, which now feels like a successful journey. I can't say I felt the effect of the signal failure at Luton on the Peterborough line, but it would explain the absence of northbound trains in the early morning.

For the normally reserved and respectful people of St Albans, this sort of thing must be the equivalent of the Cuban Revolution. At this rate, we can only be a couple of weeks away from commuters reverting to canabilism and eating one another on the train while facing a lengthy delay waiting for platform 1 to become free at Hendon.

There were definitely a lot of unhappy St Albans passengers at the Thameslink platforms at St Pancras when I arrived this morning. One in particular was getting quite irate with a customer service agent on platform B about having to wait half an hour for a train. I was tempted to tell him what I thought about his attitude and how I'd love to be able to consider a 30 minute delay a massive problem to be getting angry about, but (probably wisely) decided against it.

 

[malc-c]

I was at a presentation this afternoon where we were informed a 3rd partly company were apparently recruiting for train dispatchers in the Hertfordshire area... My guess is that it's not only he public that have had enough of all these issues. I certainly wouldn't fancy being customer facing staff whilst this is going on !

 

[Agent_Squash]

I only ask because for several days Higham had no rail service whatsoever for hours at a time, its not hyperbole nor is it excessive four weeks we've had this new timetable and there are still issues, so people are naturally going to be rightfully concerned or even dare I say so angry that there has been distruption.

Your statement implied that trains were deliberately not stopping at Higham. There has been a replacement bus service (which is more than most others) but equally they really need to get their act together.

 

[tsr]

So, for the duration of this monumental shambles, pilot drivers shouldn't be interworked on regular duties. The necessary drivers should be restricted to these pilot duties and be accommodated in suitable hotels within 10 minute waliking distance of Finsbury Park and London Bridge. Theye shouldn't be relying on an already broken system to get to the parts of the network where they're needed most.

Trust me, anyone who can do the pilot duties will be very tightly monitored and in high demand.

However, the issue was that many trains got stuck either in or just outside the Core due to needing to terminate/start short or have other amendments made, so it was taking longer for each pilot to actually just get through London itself.

This happens regardless of whether the service is one destined for the MML or ECML, of course.

 

[Failed Unit]

Some of the Peterborough- Horsham trains are showing stops at WGc. Next one is 1854 Pet - Hor.

Wonder why and if it will actually stop.

 

[ComUtoR]

The necessary drivers should be restricted to these pilot duties and be accommodated in suitable hotels within 10 minute waliking distance of Finsbury Park and London Bridge.

Are we not allowed to go home to our families ? Can I have tomorrow off, as I was booked on my roster, to go collect my kids from school or must I ask first ask permission from the each passenger at London Bridge first?

 

[HH]

Are we not allowed to go home to our families ? Can I have tomorrow off, as I was booked on my roster, to go collect my kids from school or must I ask first ask permission from the each passenger at London Bridge first?

How dare you have time off sir. 24/7 work and be glad you have a job!

 

[NorthKent1989]

Your statement implied that trains were deliberately not stopping at Higham. There has been a replacement bus service (which is more than most others) but equally they really need to get their act together.

Well I did not imply that at all, it’s just the way you read it, however it would not have hurt SE’s HS1 to stop at least one train an hour to make up some shortfall Higham has had to suffer

 

[ComUtoR]

How dare you have time off sir. 24/7 work and be glad you have a job!

Apparently all those services I've been driving up and down north kent never existed and every one has been cancelled... must have been all the time off I've had.

 

[Silver Cobra]

Some of the Peterborough- Horsham trains are showing stops at WGc. Next one is 1854 Pet - Hor.

Wonder why and if it will actually stop.

I'm currently on that train now. The on-board PIS isn't listing Welwyn Garden City as part of the stopping pattern, but I imagine it will still stop there. I'll be alighting at Arlesey, so I won't be on it long enough to see if it does.

 

[The Box Photter]

Are we not allowed to go home to our families ? Can I have tomorrow off, as I was booked on my roster, to go collect my kids from school or must I ask first ask permission from the each passenger at London Bridge first?

Needs must. I'm sure ASLEF will be able to negotiate some handsome anti-social working payment.

 

[infobleep]

Pilot drivers got stuck due to the Luton disruption (which was much more than just a mere signal failure - the entire system around Luton quite literally ended up stuck showing red aspects, because the system couldn’t prove the integrity of the messages it was sending/receiving).

Said pilots are required for certain trains through the Core which have origins or destinations on both the TL and GN sides.

Therefore both routes were affected.

When pilot drivers get stuck, do they taxi them to their destination if needs be or being the core is their usually a train they can travel on?

 

[ChiefPlanner]

When pilot drivers get stuck, do they taxi them to their destination if needs be or being the core is their usually a train they can travel on?

On the basis in the high peak in Herts and Beds , it can take an hour + for simple trips like St Albans - Watford / Hemel - you are advised not to do that. Even the NR MOM's trying to get to it , would have got delayed in the usual grid locked traffic. Basically , one is stuffed till the points get clipped up and the overworked signallers caution trains through. (which is what happened)

 

[bramling]

I'm currently on that train now. The on-board PIS isn't listing Welwyn Garden City as part of the stopping pattern, but I imagine it will still stop there. I'll be alighting at Arlesey, so I won't be on it long enough to see if it does.

Some dithering at KX just now. Platform 9 advertised for a 2119 KX to Peterborough. Looking at the diagrams it was obvious there was no incoming service to make anything up, then 2x365 appear which were quite obviously to form 1R66 2154 KX to Letchworth. Watched them all pile on, then some peering at watches as departure time came and went, following which a driver appeared and promptly set the PIS up for 1R66 as booked. Not sure if the mythical Peterborough service was in lieu of something which should have come out of the core, but how it got as far as a platform being advertised is a bit of a mystery.

On a related note, is the KX departure board supposed to be showing core services, or has that idea been quietly dropped? How would anyone turning up at KX without access to some kind of online app know where to find the next train to their destination?

 

[Abpj17]

Fun and games for the last few nights has been the online train planners showing mythical stops at City Thameslink long after the station has closed. It gets added to the planners and then eventually cancelled for that stop.

 

[philjo]

I arrived at Potters Bar shortly after 16:30 to see that the 17:13 Cambridge stopper is showing as cancelled (16:51 from Kings Cross). I get on next WGC service and start looking at possibly getting a taxi from WGC to Welwyn North so I can get on to the next Baldock service.
By the time I get to WGC I see the Cambridge stopper now shows on the screens as on time and RTT confirms it had left Kings Cross on time. Not surprisingly the train was fairly empty when it arrived at WGC as presumably not many people in London knew it was running!

 

[Failed Unit]

I arrived at Potters Bar shortly after 16:30 to see that the 17:13 Cambridge stopper is showing as cancelled (16:51 from Kings Cross). I get on next WGC service and start looking at possibly getting a taxi from WGC to Welwyn North so I can get on to the next Baldock service.
By the time I get to WGC I see the Cambridge stopper now shows on the screens as on time and RTT confirms it had left Kings Cross on time. Not surprisingly the train was fairly empty when it arrived at WGC as presumably not many people in London knew it was running!

Sadly that is a common situation. I now take a screen shot of the journey planner just in case they reject the delay repay - if I decide to travel via the slow train and tube to Highbury and Islington instead. Others are probably staying at work / leaving earlier. The 0722 WGC - London very busy this morning probably because nothing was supposed to leave afterwards for the Cambridgeshire villages for 90 mins.

 

[gingerheid]

Has anyone actually been receiving their delay repay since the timetable change? I've been making... well... as many claims as you'd expect (I've had 2 return journeys where both legs were under 15m late, and one that was on time out / where an earlier delayed train actually got me back early). I've had one confirmation a claim was accepted, but not actually received anything at all

 

[DesireToFire]

I've had none accepted, from 20+ 1 hour delays. I had a few incomplete responses;
'We need to see a copy of your ticket before we are able to process your claim.
The Key Smartcard number was not provided.'

I know I provided the smart card number (my web browser is familiar enough with that page to autofill it) and it doesn't give you the option of attaching a photo when choosing the smart card option.

I've never had a problem claiming delay repay before, though I've submitted 6 or 7 times more claims in the last few weeks than I ever have.

Is there one thing they can get right?

 

[bcarmicle]

I submit claims same day as they occur, and mine up to the 11th have been approved and paid; it seems to be a fairly consistent 10 day lag between claim and approval. I've also been getting the confirmations within a few hours though, so probably worth chasing if you haven't heard anything.

 

[mugam4]

I submit claims same day as they occur, and mine up to the 11th have been approved and paid; it seems to be a fairly consistent 10 day lag between claim and approval. I've also been getting the confirmations within a few hours though, so probably worth chasing if you haven't heard anything.

Claims approved within a couple of days for me.

 

[Hadders]

All my claims since then shambles began have been accepted and paid.

There are quite a few of them as well.

 

[Robsignals]

...it would not have hurt SE’s HS1 to stop at least one train an hour to make up some shortfall Higham has had to suffer

May be eyewatering penalty charges for Up trains reaching HS1 late. SE can claim they no longer serve Higham anyway.

 

[jon0844]

The trains are back showing as 'via London St.Pancras' this morning. No space between the St. and Pancras, but it's a start!

 

[Failed Unit]

Direct train from WGC to Horsham this morning. The 0624 is stopping at 0726. Why? Who knows must be staff positioning as both normal trains either side are stopping. Nice direct journey if it happens.

As for delay repay. - some incorrectly rejected. Payment slow. Some just disappear. Very GTR

 

[Hitchincommute]

A rare outing for lesser spotted 0711 Horsham service from Hitchin this morning which appeared on the departure board sometime between 0630 and 0700. Additional stop at WGC for front 8 coaches only! Nice empty train for those of us aboard.

 

[mongoose]

A rare outing for lesser spotted 0711 Horsham service from Hitchin this morning which appeared on the departure board sometime between 0630 and 0700. Additional stop at WGC for front 8 coaches only! Nice empty train for those of us aboard.

I’m on this too from WGC. Only about 6 people got on and a few got off. 12 cars and lots of seats.

 

[Failed Unit]

A rare outing for lesser spotted 0711 Horsham service from Hitchin this morning which appeared on the departure board sometime between 0630 and 0700. Additional stop at WGC for front 8 coaches only! Nice empty train for those of us aboard.

Yes. Nice direct fast service. No delay repay today. Why they stopped it who knows but good from the selfish point of view.