Massive train timetabling amendments

[untakenname]

Anyone checked the timetabling amendments that are coming in next month?
Usually there's some minor changes but this time they seem to have gone all out, none of the trains I commute in and out of London on are running at the same times anymore, in the evening they've cancelled my service completely and it now starts at another station!

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/...

Decent site here which does a side by side comparison before and after

https://live-departures.info/rail/timetable-compar...

[Truckosaurus]

The 2 trains I usually get home are changing, the earlier one now takes an extra minute to do the journey and the later one departs a minute later but takes the original time for the journey.

That's a whole minute of my valuable time wasted Luckier than most I think.

[Europa1]

Thanks for the heads up OP.

The route I use (Cambridge-Kings Cross), the morning London-bound rush hour 'semi-fast' trains leave 5 minutes earlier (should catch a fair few out, as they have been quarter past and quarter to the hour for umpteen years). Oh, but they arrive at Kings Cross at the same time as the current timetable - progress, eh?

[Lurking Lawyer]

There was a big to-do about this recently in the local FB group where I live, after it was pointed out that the main commuter service around 07.30 was being withdrawn, leaving services at 07.12 and 08.12, as well as the withdrawal of one of the main evening commuter services.

I no longer commute by train, so it doesn't really affect me, but I'd have been somewhat hacked off if I was still doing so - especially as there's absolutely nothing at the station to draw attention to the fact that pretty major changes are being made at the new timetable changeover on 20th May......

[untakenname]

First day back with the new changes and quiet a few people at the station this morning were swearing at the info screens, one route has had the number of services in peak time halved.
Going to be interesting this evening to see if the new timetable copes.

[hurstg01]

My train to work in the morning is at the same time, but my return train, normally at 5.19pm, has been changed. It's taken an awful lot of moving things around, hassle, childcare changes, pick up changes, blah de blah to cope with the new time


New time is 5.20

[Riley Blue]

O/H's morning train has been rescheduled from 6:54 to 7:02 and the 6:58 to 6:54. Complicated ain't it?

[CharlieH89]

Here is the crazy thing.
People know there is a timetable change yet because for the past few years there hasn’t been major changes they don’t bother to look at the new timetable until they turn up on the day of the change.

Why would you do such a thing if it means getting to work on time? It takes 2 minutes to check National Rail.

Madness.

[essayer]

National Rail didn’t have all the timetables yesterday

[CharlieH89]

essayer said:

National Rail didn’t have all the timetables yesterday

National Rail was playing up last night. Unsure if a site like that would be affected by the numbers of visitors in one hit but my station has had their times for the past few weeks now with the times available online.

[FourWheelDrift]

Old but relevant - http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/souther...

[AlexC1981]

DELETED: Comment made by a member who's account has been deleted.

I'd love to travel on a slamdoor train again! I haven't seen one since I was a kid, so over 20 years. I remember them being quite exciting compared to the electric doored and ultra slow district line trains.

I must have been young as I remember not being tall enough to reach the knobs dangling from the ceiling.

[V8 Fettler]

AlexC1981 said:

DELETED: Comment made by a member who's account has been deleted.

[b]I'd love to travel on a slamdoor train again! [/b[ I haven't seen one since I was a kid, so over 20 years. I remember them being quite exciting compared to the electric doored and ultra slow district line trains.

I must have been young as I remember not being tall enough to reach the knobs dangling from the ceiling.

Door open for an early exit, hit the platform running. Or just hit the platform.

[blueg33]

Great, I now have to get up 10 mins earlier, 4.30am rather than 4.40am. When you are getting up that early every minute is precious

[hairyben]

CharlieH89 said:

Here is the crazy thing.
People know there is a timetable change yet because for the past few years there hasn’t been major changes they don’t bother to look at the new timetable until they turn up on the day of the change.

Why would you do such a thing if it means getting to work on time? It takes 2 minutes to check National Rail.

Madness.

Consider what average intelligence is for a moment.

Then bear in mind 50% of people fall below that threshold.


We went into town on Thursday evening last using said conveyance, there seemed to be continual announcements urging people to check the upcoming timetable changes. Then again I listen, observe and learn.

[Riley Blue]

Not to mention the all the leaflets that have been handed out across the country to passengers. Perhaps people can't absorb information unless it appears on a little coloured screen in their hand.

FWIW, I check live departures every morning on line and text O/H with changes as she's walking to the station. This morning: one train cancelled, two late by up to 20 minutes, one on time. No matter which timetable is operating, train punctuality in the UK is very poor.

[JimbobVFR]

Riley Blue said:

No matter which timetable is operating, train punctuality in the UK is very poor.

Yep, meanwhile in Japan a train leaving 25 seconds early is a national scandal with the train company issuing a public apology.

[Europa1]

GTR has been much making much of the new, direct Cambridge - Brighton service. It is one train per hour. Listening to the travel news this morning: 7:54: cancelled; 8:54: cancelled. Both for operational reasons.

They have been planning this for months: how can trains be in the wrong place or train crew not be available?!

[blueg33]

Train arrived on the platform on time this morning. But they wouldn't open the doors because 1 crew member had not turned up! We had to stand on the platform for 10 minutes until the chap turned up.

This delayed 2 other trains behind we were then held at a signal because a train we should have been in front of was now in front of us. As a result I missed my next connection for a service that only runs once an hour!

The train that wouldn't open its doors, had a driver and a train manager on board, why does it even need another crew member to push a button to open the doors?

[rs1952]

Riley Blue said:

No matter which timetable is operating, train punctuality in the UK is very poor.

Quotation from a GWR employee on a TV documentary a couple of years or so ago:

"before I joined the railway I was astounded at how they manage to run so many trains late.

Now I work for the railway I am astounded at how they manage to run so many trains on time"

There are many things behind the scenes that go on, that the general public know little about and care even less. Examples include:

• Passengers farting bout joining and alighting trains increasing station dwell times. On a commuter route you don't need many 30-second overstays to make a train 5 minutes late.

• Late trains buggering up conflicting movements at junctions

• Late arrivals at a terminus resulting in late departure for the next train that particular set is rostered to

And that's before we get on to the inevitable balls-ups such as broken rails, failed points or signals, staff error, over-running engineering works etc. Or indeed, as in this case, trying to introduce a massively-amended new timetable whilst ballsing up the staff training and stock positioning work in the background, resulting in having no suitably-trained driver being available to run that particular train, or having a driver available in, say, Bedford, when the train he's supposed to be driving is currently in East Grinstead...

One matter that is being spoken about in railway circles is the reduction, for operational convenience and nothing else, in East Midlands trains stopping at Bedford and Luton in the peak, and passengers needing to take a replacement bus from Wellingborough to Bedford that takes 4 times longer as the train. To add injury to insult, many of the affected "passengers" were drivers travelling to work at Bedford, and many of them have thrown the job in to go to work for East Midlands Trains instead...

If you think you could do any better there are plenty of vacancies...