SDO............why the discrepancies

[whole diary]

[Btline]

The thing is, if they stop HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) with the rear power car on the platform for some stations, how to people get their bikes if they loaded them onto the front power car at an earlier station, where the rear car was not on the platform (and no, there has not been a full length platform to swap!)?

e.g.

Loading bike at Evesham- not full length but pretty long so front car platfromed.

Getting off at Charlbury- shorter, so rear car platformed.

They need to be consistent. Make a decision, either all front or all back cars platformed.

For people on the Golden Valley Line, the reversal at Gloucester does not help!

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Hear Hear Hear HEar Hear Hear Hear

I am glad that I am not the only one who is concerned......

[willc]

They need to be consistent. Make a decision, either all front or all back cars platformed

My understanding is that once new stop markers are out and all train crew have been briefed, it will always be standard class coaches on short platforms, thus including coach A with its bike storage area, unless there is a very good operational reason why it can't be - eg signal positions, I think Saltash was mentioned in this connection earlier in the thread. Stick a great big bike symbol on coach A and I think most people will take the hint.

[Chris from Nailsea]

At the moment, they are still putting out new stop markers for drivers at stations and briefing staff, so unless the train is one of a handful covered by the 'trial' of what they always used to do, eg the two Abergavenny/Hereford to London morning peak trains and, I think, some Nailsea trains, the chances are that an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) will still stop first class on if heading towards London.

Thanks, willc!

The 0944 Nailsea to Bristol Temple Meads on Thursday morning did stop with the leading first class well beyond the platform at Nailsea - but it had run in quite slowly, as there were two chaps in conspicuity coats apparently placing two or three new stop markers on the trackside?  I'll have another look later this morning and try to work out what that's all about!

C. 

[Btline]

But I assume there will still be problems like I suggested above, caused by signal limitations, track layout etc.

What happens if someone gets off, and their bike is in the power car/guards van, which is off the platform?

[grahame]

But I assume there will still be problems like I suggested above, caused by signal limitations, track layout etc.

What happens if someone gets off, and their bike is in the power car/guards van, which is off the platform?

I think that's what happened on the early morning Paddington to Swansea that I was on the other week, which reverses in Temple Meads and calls at Abbey Wood ... stopped with the front in the platform, discussion between customer and train crew, train pulls forward and makes a second stop.

[Btline]

But I assume there will still be problems like I suggested above, caused by signal limitations, track layout etc.

What happens if someone gets off, and their bike is in the power car/guards van, which is off the platform?

I think that's what happened on the early morning Paddington to Swansea that I was on the other week, which reverses in Temple Meads and calls at Abbey Wood ... stopped with the front in the platform, discussion between customer and train crew, train pulls forward and makes a second stop.

I knew there must be at least one example of this having to happen.

This is not good! Affected stations need to have platform extensions as a priority. FGWs^▸ (First Great Western) franchise is on the line- and it does not give good publicity (of the introduction of HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) to short platforms).

The only other thing they could do, is rip out a toilet and put in a "temporary" bike space, for people to store cycles for the final/first stretch of their journey after/before they switch it from/to a power car.

But ripping out yet another toilet will not go down well!

[willc]

Quote from: grahame on Today at 02:58:46 PM
Quote from: Btline on Today at 02:47:34 PM
But I assume there will still be problems like I suggested above, caused by signal limitations, track layout etc.

What happens if someone gets off, and their bike is in the power car/guards van, which is off the platform?

I think that's what happened on the early morning Paddington to Swansea that I was on the other week, which reverses in Temple Meads and calls at Abbey Wood ... stopped with the front in the platform, discussion between customer and train crew, train pulls forward and makes a second stop.

I think the Saltashes really are exceptional cases - there aren't enough about to cause serious problems and train crews will, I'm sure, be wise to them and warn people well in advance. In future it will be standard class on the platform at almost every station, irrespective of whether the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) is in correct or reverse formation, so I can't see there being great difficulties, given that cyclists will be advised to use the TGS and the adjacent power car stowage area at all times.

The stop-start-stop scenario Grahame mentions was seen on the Cotswold Line in the past with reverse rake HSTs, as there were no stop markers beyond the platform ends in the Worcester direction, so the TGS (then the only bike stowage area) would be off the far end. The guards would get passengers off, before using buzzer signals to tell the driver to crawl forward, then when to stop with the back end of the train on the platform so the cyclists could get their bikes off.

[Chris from Nailsea]

The stop-start-stop scenario Grahame mentions was seen on the Cotswold Line in the past with reverse rake HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train), as there were no stop markers beyond the platform ends in the Worcester direction, so the TGS (then the only bike stowage area) would be off the far end. The guards would get passengers off, before using buzzer signals to tell the driver to crawl forward, then when to stop with the back end of the train on the platform so the cyclists could get their bikes off.

I also saw that 'forward a bit ... forward a bit ... STOP!' on the west-bound HSTs at Nailsea a couple of times, in the early days of SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) ... 

[Btline]

Yes, but I expect that even with all the slack in the timetable, this delays services!

Oh well- it should be over soon.

[John R]

I hope so. I've noticed that the 0811 from Nailsea has reverted to having First class platformed this week.

[Chris from Nailsea]

I've noticed that the 0811 from Nailsea has reverted to having First class platformed this week.

Ah, thanks, John!  That will perhaps explain this, then:

The 0944 Nailsea to Bristol Temple Meads on Thursday morning did stop with the leading first class well beyond the platform at Nailsea - but it had run in quite slowly, as there were two chaps in conspicuity coats apparently placing two or three new stop markers on the trackside?

 

[Chris from Nailsea]

However ... the 0944 from Nailsea to Bristol this morning (delayed 15 mins due to 'adverse weather conditions between Teignmouth and Dawlish', apparently!) also stopped with the leading first class carriages well beyond the platform. The two 'new?' stop markers that I noted, by the way, are in the right place for such positioning: one for 2+7 and the other for 2+8.

I must say, it does seem a bit inconsistent, still? 

[Ollie]

So far I haven't seen any new briefings about changes to what was originally announced, I would assume any service that is not doing what was previously briefed is on a trial basis.

Either that or us staff at Paddington don't get to find out.

[Btline]

What are the "2+7" markers for?

I thought FGW^▸ (First Great Western) decided to run 8 coaches only, or were they put in before the decision was made?

[Mookiemoo]

This morning - the 0632 WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains) to PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) was stopping first class platformed - the TM^‡(resolve) was not one I recognised -was like trying to sit and work on platform 1 of paddington !