IETs into passenger service from 16 Oct 2017 and subsequent performance issues

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

It does indeed make planning for such events easier.

All Paddington to Castle Cary specials today (bar the last one) have been 9 or 10-car trains with the resulting boost in capacity over when HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) or Turbos used to provide the service.  No sign of the xx:15 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-CDF^» (Cardiff - next trains) services being culled as in some previous years to provide these extras or Turbos on Cotswold Line services.

Have any alterations or cancellations to regular services been required due to Glastonbury this year, other than some shortforms?

[bradbrka]

Still over 20 half length IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) though, 5 car instead of 9 car or 10 car.

Advocates of the IETs will no doubt state that this is in fact a great advantage of DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) operation and that otherwise we would have had no train.

Is that 20 half length IET trains or 20 half length services?


A train on the Oxford services can complete 10 services during a day, so the 20 half length formation changes could be 2 trains short formed.

[Adelante_CCT]

Have any alterations or cancellations to regular services been required due to Glastonbury this year, other than some shortforms?

11:15 to Cardiff has not run with the return working starting from Bristol Parkway at 14:33

09:56 from Cardiff starts from Swindon at 11:00

[IndustryInsider]

Ah yes, I see the 11:15’s path is taken by a Castle Cary extra.

[rogerpatenall]

I don't know the numbers, but there appears to be a significant increase in the service from Waterloo to Castle Cary this year.

[Adelante_CCT]

I don't know the numbers, but there appears to be a significant increase in the service from Waterloo to Castle Cary this year.

Hourly service from Waterloo between 07:50 and 13:50

[IndustryInsider]

A mixture of 6 and 7 cars by the looks of it, though most were delayed arriving.  Still, probably the best effort yet for Glastonbury by the rail industry and First Group in particular.

[bobm]

All of those look to be either 9 or 10 cars now, with the exception of the 21:15 which currently hasn't got anything allocated as of yet.

21:15 was also boosted to a 9-car.  JourneyCheck utterly useless in listing trains that are full length as short, and not listing those that are shortformed!

Must be something about the 21:15 ex-Pad.  No train formation information on the screens at Reading tonight either.  It is 7 minutes late though.

[grahame]

I heard the rumour from a group of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) office staff enjoying a day out at the West Somerset Railway gala.
The shortage of rolling stock was given as the main reason, not only have IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) failed to achieve the hoped for level of reliability, older stock is also in short supply.

Ok, well I suppose we’ll find out if there’s any substance to it over the coming weeks.  I would certainly favour postponement over trying to deliver something that’s undeliverable, though a postponement would be a big disappointment.

There was a public comment from Barry Milsom, performance director at GWR, to the TransWits Stakeholder meeting that the December 2019 timetable changes may be phased in.  In context of initially just a single peak extra train Chippenham none-stop to Paddington (draft timetable has, as I recall, three).  Time for questions ran out .. before this was fully explored.

It could be a plan to change timetable but have certain "new" services not running until a later date?

Big talk of 30% increase in services across the GWR network.  Frankly a bit hard to take personally, being based at a "white line" station which suffers a 6% decrease on an already poor service, giving a 150 minute gap at shoulder peak time on a 25 minute journey!   


My full Stakeholder meeting notes at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=21826 - it's in "Transport Scholars" as the notes are not written up for general publication - any member who would like to be added to that board, please let me know by personal message.  (If the link works for you, you are already there!)

[IndustryInsider]

Worth noting that it has long been the plan to introduce the off-peak Bristol TM^‡(resolve) to London via Parkway services at some point after December.

[broadgage]

About 20 half length IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) again today, after a similar number yesterday.
We certainly seem to have moved on from "all trains that need to be will be full length" and towards  "short forms are part of the downgrade to DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) operation"

Optimists will no doubt state that short formations are of little concern at this time of year as many commuters are on holiday. In a couple of months, this will change to saying that half length trains are of less importance as there are then  fewer leisure travellers.

It is not even that hot today, what will happen tomorrow when higher temperatures are expected ?

There does seem to be growing acceptance that the planned timetable change in December is not happening. I doubt that a complete cancellation/postponement will be announced, too embarrassing by far!
"staged introduction" sounds much better even if the vast majority of the changes are in some future stages.

All looking very Voyager like.
 

[martyjon]

About 20 half length IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) again today, after a similar number yesterday.
We certainly seem to have moved on from "all trains that need to be will be full length" and towards  "short forms are part of the downgrade to DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) operation"

Optimists will no doubt state that short formations are of little concern at this time of year as many commuters are on holiday. In a couple of months, this will change to saying that half length trains are of less importance as there are then  fewer leisure travellers.

It is not even that hot today, what will happen tomorrow when higher temperatures are expected ?

There does seem to be growing acceptance that the planned timetable change in December is not happening. I doubt that a complete cancellation/postponement will be announced, too embarrassing by far!
"staged introduction" sounds much better even if the vast majority of the changes are in some future stages.

All looking very Voyager like.

Looked at Journeycheck at 5.30 this am and all that was shown was a Plymouth - Gunnislake and return cancelled - shortage of train crew.

[phile]

About 20 half length IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) again today, after a similar number yesterday.
We certainly seem to have moved on from "all trains that need to be will be full length" and towards  "short forms are part of the downgrade to DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) operation"

Optimists will no doubt state that short formations are of little concern at this time of year as many commuters are on holiday. In a couple of months, this will change to saying that half length trains are of less importance as there are then  fewer leisure travellers.

It is not even that hot today, what will happen tomorrow when higher temperatures are expected ?

There does seem to be growing acceptance that the planned timetable change in December is not happening. I doubt that a complete cancellation/postponement will be announced, too embarrassing by far!
"staged introduction" sounds much better even if the vast majority of the changes are in some future stages.

All looking very Voyager like.

Looked at Journeycheck at 5.30 this am and all that was shown was a Plymouth - Gunnislake and return cancelled - shortage of train crew.

Look again.   I make it 19

[broadgage]

Looked at Journeycheck at 5.30 this am and all that was shown was a Plymouth - Gunnislake and return cancelled - shortage of train crew.

Yes, but a little latter, 21 half length IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) were shown. At present 17 are shown, the reduction of 3 being half length services that have now arrived and are therefore not shown.
Journey check is not that reliable but should give some idea of the actual position.

[bobm]

There has been some shuffling about.

The 12:03 London Paddington to Penzance is back up to 10 coaches after combining two five car arrivals from Bedwyn and Bristol Temple Meads
The 12:33 to Taunton is now 9 cars with the 5 cars originally earmarked for that service now going to Oxford.