Todays Cross Country direct train Plymouth to Glasgow

[Georgetown]

Iv'e just checked the above train and I see that it is only going as far as Edinburgh tonight. The same thing happened a couple of nights ago. It usually arrives at Glasgow at 22.13. I'm worried that this might happen more often. Has anyone any information regarding this? Thanks.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Iv'e just checked the above train and I see that it is only going as far as Edinburgh tonight. The same thing happened a couple of nights ago. It usually arrives at Glasgow at 22.13. I'm worried that this might happen more often. Has anyone any information regarding this? Thanks.

If you're talking about the daily 1227 XC departure from Plymouth, think it was yesterday (Thursday 30NOV2023) that it most recently didn't run beyond Edinburgh, ostensibly due to "an issue with the train crew". Is it particularly problematic if this particular train, having arrived into Edinburgh, doesn't always continue on to Glasgow, provided of course that there is (no quibble) ticket acceptance on Scotrail?

 

[dk1]

Iv'e just checked the above train and I see that it is only going as far as Edinburgh tonight. The same thing happened a couple of nights ago. It usually arrives at Glasgow at 22.13. I'm worried that this might happen more often. Has anyone any information regarding this? Thanks.

With the working to rule from today until the 9th I would say that has to be expected.

 

[jagardner1984]

I think that unit returns to Craigentinny - so it chops a couple of hours off the diagram to send it direct from EDB - its pretty crap though for passengers - even assuming GLQ will do, they finish a nine hour journey with a 30 minute wait in waverley, followed by a train to GLQ, followed by lugging suitcases through the drunks at close to 2245, then trying to get an onward service to the Southside and beyond as service is winding down.

Lightly loaded, certainly, but those passengers shouldn't be an irrelevance to the railway either.

How does delay repay work in such scenarios ?

 

[ainsworth74]

How does delay repay work in such scenarios ?

You send a claim to CrossCountry stating how late you reached your destination station. Same as with any other delay really.

 

[superalbs]

I think that unit returns to Craigentinny - so it chops a couple of hours off the diagram to send it direct from EDB - its pretty crap though for passengers - even assuming GLQ will do, they finish a nine hour journey with a 30 minute wait in waverley, followed by a train to GLQ, followed by lugging suitcases through the drunks at close to 2245, then trying to get an onward service to the Southside and beyond as service is winding down.

Lightly loaded, certainly, but those passengers shouldn't be an irrelevance to the railway either.

How does delay repay work in such scenarios ?

You would calculate the scheduled time of arrival against the actual time of arrival.

 

[jagardner1984]

You send a claim to CrossCountry stating how late you reached your destination station. Same as with any other delay really.

THanks for the clarity - one of those scenarios where the operator probably is more willing to accept due to low passenger count, but the 30 min delay doesnt really fully capture the inconvenience to those passengers of a significantly inferior travel experience of either a 95 minute meander down the shotts line (which passengers tonight would have missed due to late running, or a faster service which takes you to the wrong station and involves a walk through town. Clearly they deem it unavoidable, but also kind of .... rubbish.

 

[JonathanH]

I think that unit returns to Craigentinny - so it chops a couple of hours off the diagram to send it direct from EDB - its pretty crap though for passengers - even assuming GLQ will do, they finish a nine hour journey with a 30 minute wait in waverley, followed by a train to GLQ, followed by lugging suitcases through the drunks at close to 2245, then trying to get an onward service to the Southside and beyond as service is winding down.

Or they just change in Birmingham and get there somewhat quicker?

It would be a fairly reasonable assumption that the number of passengers making a ten-hour journey from Plymouth to Glasgow on a train that terminates in Edinburgh is nil.

 

[najaB]

…or a faster service which takes you to the wrong station and involves a walk through town.

Glasgow Queen Street to Central takes ten minutes, assuming that you're not in a hurry. It's not that great an of an inconvenience.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Or they just change in Birmingham and get there somewhat quicker?

It would be a fairly reasonable assumption that the number of passengers making a ten-hour journey from Plymouth to Glasgow on a train that terminates in Edinburgh is nil.

Yes, but mot everyone on that train joins it south of Birmingham. Changing there isn't an option if you joined it at Burton on Trent, Derby or points north.

And unless the erarly termination is announced before Birmingham, any passewngers from south therefof woukld not know to change there.

(They may be few, but there will be some who prefer the longer route either because it's cheaper or precisely to avoid changing at Birmingham) .

 

[jagardner1984]

I think, as discussed in various places previously, there are many people for whom a direct service is appealing. And certainly, having seen that train leave Waverley in the past, whilst it is certainly not full, it is certainly not empty either.

Obviously there are solutions to get to destinations and obviously the passenger can spend more of their own time seeking delay repay, but I find it interesting when the process I’ve described of an elderly person getting across Glasgow with luggage at 11pm at night because for whatever reason the cancellation has been announced late or they haven’t sought an alternative route, perhaps because moving said luggage across stations onto another train, is repeatedly dismissed as being irrelevant. It may not be the worst experience passengers will face today, but I think some other industries are far more customer centric in seeking to deliver what the customer has originally paid them to deliver.

I am not (quite) classed as elderly yet, but I’ve certainly taken intentionally longer journeys to avoid a change of trains. An older family member used to use Cross Country from the North East to visit her grandchildren, despite the hours of slower journey, specifically because she found a single change at Reading less stressful and unpleasant than two London termini and the tube.

 

[najaB]

I find it interesting when the process I’ve described of an elderly person getting across Glasgow with luggage at 11pm at night because for whatever reason the cancellation has been announced late or they haven’t sought an alternative route, perhaps because moving said luggage across stations onto another train, is repeatedly dismissed as being irrelevant.

Is it ideal? No. But when there are limits on resources then there's no way to avoid losers.

As noted above, if getting to Central Vs Queen Street by train is that important, then they could get the 2124 ScotRail service via Shotts.

 

[yorkie]

Iv'e just checked the above train and I see that it is only going as far as Edinburgh tonight. The same thing happened a couple of nights ago. It usually arrives at Glasgow at 22.13. I'm worried that this might happen more often. Has anyone any information regarding this? Thanks.

Are you making a journey? If so, where is your final destination?

Also where are you travelling from and would your arrival time be time critical , because depending on what your exact journey is, there wre likely to be very good alternatives.

 

[Peter0124]

This is why I think faster trains via Shotts should also run at night.

 

[Class 170101]

Don't forget this train runs via and calls at Motherwell what are the alternatives for this station especially if you are travelling from Sheffield / Leeds or the Northeast.

 

[najaB]

Don't forget this train runs via and calls at Motherwell what are the alternatives for this station especially if you are travelling from Sheffield / Leeds or the Northeast.

Go to Central on the 2124 and then onwards to Motherwell on the 2306 (or 2327 if you miss that). Inconvenient? Sure. Will you get where you need to be? Yup.

 

[WAB]

This is why I think faster trains via Shotts should also run at night.

On the basis that another train might be cancelled?

 

[superalbs]

This is why I think faster trains via Shotts should also run at night.

You think Edinburgh to Glasgow fast trains during the night hours should run via Shotts in case someone from Plymouth wants to go to East Kilbribe and their train is part-cancelled?

 

[yorkie]

This is why I think faster trains via Shotts should also run at night.

Feel free to post your proposals in Speculative Discussion.

Don't forget this train runs via and calls at Motherwell what are the alternatives for this station especially if you are travelling from Sheffield / Leeds or the Northeast.

From Leeds, if you knew in advance you'd go via Preston. If you didn't know then you may need to go via Glasgow; you'd probably get the full amount back in Delay Repay.

From Sheffield, it's much cheaper and also quicker not to take XC.

 

[Dryce]

Glasgow Queen Street to Central takes ten minutes, assuming that you're not in a hurry. It's not that great an of an inconvenience.

That's optimistic for those with luggage / not sure of directions / pedestrian traffic light sequences.

Realistically I'd allow 20 minutes under these circumstances.

 

[najaB]

That's optimistic for those with luggage / not sure of directions / pedestrian traffic light sequences.

Realistically I'd allow 20 minutes under these circumstances.

If you have a lot of luggage, maybe. But it's 8 minutes door to door based on Google Maps which, in my experience, is quite generous.

 

[Dryce]

in my experience, is quite generous.

Google doesn't handle crossing delays well on these sorts of route. It can be done on 8 minutes and that is how I used to time it in my (much) younger days commuting across the city using both stations knowing to vary route depending on crossing traffic light sequences and being willing to take other opportunities - and somewhat faster on my feet. These days unencumbered I would allow 12 but then now I would wait for the crossings.

For anybody with moderate luggage, uncertainty, and being unfamiliar - then 20 is realistic and fair.

 

[najaB]

It can be done on 8 minutes and that is how I used to time it in my (much) younger days commuting across the city using both stations knowing to vary route depending on crossing traffic light sequences and being willing to take other opportunities - and somewhat faster on my feet.

I was basing it on Google's estimate purely because it's set up for the 'typical' person. I normally do it in about six minutes. Most recently I was at Queen Street with 20-ish minutes to wait and no coins in my pockets. Cue going to Central and back to take advantage of the facilities, making it back with time to spare.

 

[route101]

The service can be busy with people heading to Motherwell which now has a somewhat irregular service to Edinburgh.

 

[sheff1]

Is it ideal? No. But when there are limits on resources then there's no way to avoid losers.

As noted above, if getting to Central Vs Queen Street by train is that important, then they could get the 2124 ScotRail service via Shotts.

Not if that was missed due to late running, as was apparently the case on the day in question.

 

[Deafdoggie]

Are there many elderly people with luggage travelling from the North East to Glasgow at that time of night? If there are, I suspect most of them would be happy with the money they got back from Delay Repay.
But I suspect the forums Aunty Doris who always travels Newcastle to Glasgow late at night with 3 suitcases larger than her whilst in her wheelchair has a time critical journey.

 

[skyetraveller]

Glasgow Queen Street to Central takes ten minutes, assuming that you're not in a hurry. It's not that great an of an inconvenience.

I really hope you never suffer an injury that requires you to spend the rest of your life needing a crutch to assist you with walking. If you ever do, you will realise just how glib that statement sounds! My partner is 74, is in the situation described above and has family down south who she wishes to visit regularly. I try to avoid cross-Glasgow changes where possible when booking her travel as she has to use a taxi and I can assure you that arriving (late at night after a long journey) at the wrong station would be a MAJOR inconvenience. We book passenger assistance but would there be anyone at Queen Street at short notice to help her off the train and take her to Central? No I don't think so. And that's after being turfed off at Waverley and having to make her own way to the next Glasgow train. Sorry to rant but sometimes folk have to experience reduced mobility to know what counts as an inconvenience.

 

[najaB]

I really hope you never suffer an injury that requires you to spend the rest of your life needing a crutch to assist you with walking. If you ever do, you will realise just how glib that statement sounds!

There's always going to be special cases. But the railway can't make decisions based on the special cases, if it tried to then system would be unaffordable and would grind to halt. They have no choice but to make decisions based on the average customer and then deal with the special cases as and when they occur.

We book passenger assistance but would there be anyone at Queen Street at short notice to help her off the train and take her to Central?

In this particular case, there's a free bus provided between the stations from 8am to 8pm and I believe that Scotrail will arrange transfers between the stations for people of limited mobility outside those times (and even if they don't, the taxi fare is about £5 which the passenger would be entitled to claim back from CrossCountry).

 

[Peter0124]

If only there was an underground travelator linking the two stations, or simply just one big through Glasgow terminus

 

[BlueLeanie]

If you have a lot of luggage, maybe. But it's 8 minutes door to door based on Google Maps which, in my experience, is quite generous.

Just as a comparison.

To walk from the end of Platform 1 of Glasgow Central to the Gordon Street Entrance is 430 metres.
To walk from the Gordon Street Entrance of Glasgow Central to the Dundas Street Entrance of Glasgow Queen Street is 485 metres

It's not a vast distance between the two stations. 4m30s at a steady pace.