Back to the old ways

[whole diary]

[IanL]

Well after almost a year of 90% punctuality and not worrying about checking if the train is on time/running before leaving the house or office I think it is back to the bad old ways.

In the past 3 weeks I have managed a total of 3 trains on time (less than 5min late at end of my journey) between Oxford and Charlbury, this is from a total of over 25 train journeys. I also have had two cancellations (delayed my by 75min this evening.

At the moment the 0835 train from Charlbury is reliably  5min or more late.

Leaves have been an issue, but also train breakdowns and signal failures.

[johoare]

I totally agree.. my commute has got steadily worse too over the last months (Maidenhead to Paddington) and shows no sign of improving.. in fact I think it's still on the downward spiral.. Not sure what's up tho..

[IndustryInsider]

Not sure what's up tho..

I think mostly due to the fact it's November, and so far it's been mostly a mild, wet and windy November.  I bet it's very slippy out there tonight for example.

[willc]

At the moment the 0835 train from Charlbury is reliably  5min or more late.

Almost invariably caused by appalling timekeeping by the 06.48 from London to Malvern, which, although it is already allowed 74 minutes PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-OXF^» (Oxford - next trains) (and this as a 'fast' service!) then runs non-stop Oxford-Kingham, still contrived today to be 15 minutes late through the single line from Wolvercot. Net result, 10-plus delay to the Cathedrals Express and cancellation of the 09.29 from Moreton-in-Marsh, because too little time was left for it to run empty from Wolvercot to Moreton, shunt and depart on time. Same happened one day last week and has been a close-run thing several more times.

As I use the 09.29, I take a keen interest in the 06.48 and its timekeeping is poor at the moment. Has rarely been less than five minutes late on to the Cotswold Line from Oxford for some weeks now and 10 down is more like it. There have been a couple of days when the ecs from Oxford for the 09.29 must have been absolutely thrashed in order to make an on-time departure from Moreton. It may be something to do with leaves, or delays to the halts train into Oxford but as one of those trains that can cause a lot of damage to others (which was why it lost its Hanborough and Charlbury stops), maybe the 06.48 needs a bit of special attention

[Ollie]

At the moment the 0835 train from Charlbury is reliably  5min or more late.

Almost invariably caused by appalling timekeeping by the 06.48 from London to Malvern, which, although it is already allowed 74 minutes PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-OXF^» (Oxford - next trains) (and this as a 'fast' service!)

Not really a fast service...

06:48 LONDON PADDINGTN to OXFORD.
First Class and Standard
LONDON PADDINGTN       06:48
SLOUGH.   07:04   07:04
READING.   07:19   07:22
TILEHURST   07:27   07:27
PANGBOURNE   07:31   07:31
GORING & STRTLEY   07:36   07:36
CHOLSEY   07:41   07:41
DIDCOT PARKWAY   07:49   07:50
OXFORD.   08:02

[inspector_blakey]

It might run under a class 1 headcode (1W12 for anyone who cares) but it's all stations between Reading and Didcot - I don't think anyone would call it a fast service, semi-fast at very best. And therein lies the problem at the moment I suspect - when adhesion's bad, that little cluster of station calls takes its toll on that train's punctuality.

As if to illustrate the fact - the 0648 left PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) on time, 2 late by Reading then gradually accumulated more delay minutes between there and Didcot, consistent with poor adhesion and all the station calls. Presented itself 6 down at Oxford, then lost another minute to station work and left 7 down. Next report shows it 17 late at Moreton (no report shown for Kingham) - some kind of pathing issue at Wolvercote Junc or was it just slipping like the proverbial north of Oxford?

Appeared to claw back a few minutes to Evesham but then things fell apart with it arriving at WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains) 44 down and being terminated short at WOF, where it departed 2 minutes late in the path of the return working and kept reasonable time all the way back to Paddington. Probably the sensible decision to make operationally under the circumstances but I wouldn't have been best pleased were I travelling to Malvern.

So a relatively modest delay as far as Oxford, then it all comes tumbling down in a big way when the single line section gets involved. A risk of being a bit controversial, I think that at least some of the blame must go to BR^▸ (British Rail(ways))...

But it could be worse. SEPTA announced with a straight face the other morning when there was a slight rain shower that all the Philadelphia-area regional rail services were likely to be delayed up to 30 minutes due to "slippery rail" as they call it here. Amazingly it was actually true, a bit of rain and the whole system went entirely to pot. I don't remember rain causing delays back in Blighty before except when it was absolutely tipping down and causing floods.

[johoare]

Not sure what's up tho..

I think mostly due to the fact it's November, and so far it's been mostly a mild, wet and windy November.  I bet it's very slippy out there tonight for example.

But it's been going on for months...

[willc]

It might run under a class 1 headcode

And duly appears in timetable 16, London-Oxford fast services, hence my description, borrowing FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s description.

a relatively modest delay as far as Oxford

But can't actually afford it, because of the the Cathedrals Express coming the other way, and the ecs to Moreton that follows it on to the single line. What may look like a "relatively modest delay" soon spirals and spreads to other trains because of the way the timetable is structured in terms of where trains meet. And this is not the only example, the 17.22 from London also able to wreck things for several hours with a "relatively modest delay".

Maybe I'm just lucky but even in the middle of all this wet and windy stuff, I haven't been on a train that has had any apparent traction problems.

[IanL]

I have been on a turbo that stopped while waiting at wolvercote junction for access to the single line, it struggled to get moving again. several HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) with
adhesion differences between front and rear causing shoving backwards and forwards.

Last nights problems were caused by a signal failure causing a delay in the 1551 from Paddington, this results at Oxford in a steadily increasing delay, so instead of 1647, it was 1654 when I arrived and slowly increased to 1705, then 1709. Then as seems to be standard operating procedure it gets cancelled at about 1715 and we all get piled onto another hst to replace the 1731 from platform 2. This is then delayed (it was 1746 last night).

[thetrout]

I too have also noticed the poor time keeping on Services between Portsmouth - Cardiff and Bristol - Weymouth...!

Every day this week I have caught a train (about 8 different trains) they've been more than 15 minutes late! It's a little frustrating for me, because if I'm going to Bath after work, I take a bus from White Horse Business Park in Trowbridge, into the Town Centre then get a train because it is much quicker. That is something I am normally quite happy to pay for a train ticket and do. But it's getting a little tedious that I stand in the cold on a platform for an extra 20 minutes (like yesterday to Bath for example) to board a train that was overcrowded. That then by the time it arrived was 35 - 40 minutes late!! Considering that the particular 265 bus I caught yesterday runs practically empty, is warm, doesn't cost me anything and would have been just as, if not quicker!!

I had a rant about the Frome trains... They are getting to the point now where the return in the evening is at least 15, but mostly 30 minutes late.

I don't like to rant or complain, but for me, lately train travel has become a rather unpleasant pleasure which is having a major impact, as I can't get to places that I need to without leaving ridicously early and losing time at work, or arriving too late for my meeting/appointment! Like when I missed an appointment with my doctor because the train to Frome was 45 minutes late a couple of weeks ago. I had been waiting for that appointment for 6 weeks, I had the letter in the post today from them with my new appointment. I won't been seen now till the new year

[IndustryInsider]

I think mostly due to the fact it's November, and so far it's been mostly a mild, wet and windy November.  I bet it's very slippy out there tonight for example.

But it's been going on for months...

Although I quoted you, Jo - I was particularly referring to the last 3 weeks post from IanL that started the thread off.  Other issues that have been prevalent over the last few months is the spate of cable thefts and the Turbo refurbishment which means it's far harder to 'step up' sets to cover late running.  NR^» (Network Rail - home page)'s equipment also seems to have been suffering a little more than usual, so I guess of you put those issues together it might explain a drop in performance.

As I use the 09.29, I take a keen interest in the 06.48 and its timekeeping is poor at the moment. Has rarely been less than five minutes late on to the Cotswold Line from Oxford for some weeks now and 10 down is more like it. There have been a couple of days when the ecs from Oxford for the 09.29 must have been absolutely thrashed in order to make an on-time departure from Moreton. It may be something to do with leaves, or delays to the halts train into Oxford but as one of those trains that can cause a lot of damage to others (which was why it lost its Hanborough and Charlbury stops), maybe the 06.48 needs a bit of special attention

From my observations, it's mostly down to waiting the halts train to clear the single line (that's not to say it's never the 06:48 Paddington's direct fault).  That train is timed very tightly and due to clear the single line at 08:07 - by which time the 08:04 to Malvern should be arriving at Wolvercote Junction.  With so many stops in known poor rail adhesion areas (Hanborough is notorious) it is commonly losing a few minutes and seems to clear Wolvercote 5-10 minutes late.  A number of Turbo drivers have recently signed the Oxford to Great Malvern route and are understandably cautious on this new route during the leaf fall season until they get a bit more confident.  As you say, everything is then so tight with the two additional morning movements now that is hits the service after for some time.

[inspector_blakey]

What may look like a "relatively modest delay" soon spirals and spreads to other trains because of the way the timetable is structured in terms of where trains meet.

 

If you actually read what I wrote, you would have noted that that was my point - only 6 late at Oxford but as soon as the single line section gets involved the job goes to b*gg*ry.

[bigdaz]

In my ignorance, are the 6.48 Pad to Malvern and 9.29 Moreton to Pad turbos or HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train)?

If they are the former, could the empty set not go to Hinksey Yard, allow the 6.48 to pass and then couple at OXF^» (Oxford - next trains) and run locked OOU^▸ (out of use) to Moreton, thus relieving the need to take up two paths?

This, of course, is irrelevant if HSTs are involved.

[inspector_blakey]

I don't know for certain but I'd make an educated guess that the 0648 is a Turbo, given its calling pattern between Reading and Didcot. Same applies to the 0929 Moreton - Pad, it's a stopping train with a class 2 headcode (2P42), so almost certainly a Turbo.

What you propose is interesting - haven't thought the logistics through in my head for too long but it sounds sensible. However I'm sure that those who know the Cotswold line set-up a little better than I do may be able to explain why it's not applied.

Edited to add...

Incidentally, the 0929 left Moreton right time this morning, 1 late at Oxford, 3 early on the blocks at Paddington. The 0648 also behaved itself, no more than 3 late at any point on the journey, only 2 late into Malvern.

[coachflyer]

...allow the 6.48 to pass and then couple at OXF^» (Oxford - next trains) and run locked OOU^▸ (out of use) to Moreton, thus relieving the need to take up two paths?

Only problem is the stock for the empties comes down as a stopper from pad arriving at 0844.