Chiltern Mainline: Nice & Fast!

[whole diary]

[Btline]

I'm struggling to see what the problem is in the morning. There are only 3 "Mainline" arrivals between 8 and 9am. Only one of these is a "super fast" non stop after Warwick Pway service. As far as I'm aware, this is similar to before, except the super fast train would have stopped at Banbury and Leamington. The Stratford service (the other high peak arrival) covers these.

So as Chiltern now have more stock (172s and 168s freed up from Mainline), what is the excuse for running less trains? I cannot see how mainline is causing massive gaps in arrivals around 8.30am. I still think they need to put the loops in at BCF, HWY and GEX. Surely 4 tracking after the M25 to South Ruslip would allow at least 2 trains to be overtaken.

II - I actually though there was plenty of slack in the 6.07pm. Despite crawling over Neasden, Northolt and Tysely jncts and coming to a halt at Ruslip for about 10 minutes (and the TSRs^▸ (Temporary Speed Restriction)) we still only arrived about 10 minutes late into Moor Street. The main problem was the woefully slow deceleration, crawling into stations at 10 mph. After Bham, there is plenty of slack, resulting in a less than 10 minute late arrival into KID. Perhaps we made most of the time up North of Bicester, with Aynho.

[IndustryInsider]

II - I actually though there was plenty of slack in the 6.07pm. Despite crawling over Neasden, Northolt and Tysely jncts and coming to a halt at Ruslip for about 10 minutes (and the TSRs^▸ (Temporary Speed Restriction)) we still only arrived about 10 minutes late into Moor Street. The main problem was the woefully slow deceleration, crawling into stations at 10 mph. After Bham, there is plenty of slack, resulting in a less than 10 minute late arrival into KID. Perhaps we made most of the time up North of Bicester, with Aynho.

I was talking about the 'Up' Warwick fast, not the 'Down' one!  The 'Down' equivelent actually has 3 minutes more to do the same trip, and that's without any final stop performance padding that the 06:55ex Moor Street might have into Marylebone, so yes, it's a less challenging run.

[ChrisB]

So as Chiltern now have more stock (172s and 168s freed up from Mainline), what is the excuse for running less trains?

I promised not to respond - but I can't help it. They aren't running fewer trains - they *are* running fewer trains in the high-peak hour.

[Btline]

I understand (confusion as trains can mean stock and services), but I fail to see why they are running fewer services in the high peak hour when these is a lack of "Mainline" services and enough stock.

From what people have been saying ("a void of services between X and Y"), anyone would think that there was a Mainline racing through every 5 minutes. I can't see any new problems that they didn't have before regarding slotting stoppers between expresses. Perhaps a skip stop pattern should be introduced. Or an extra BCF stop on a Mainline.

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

Posters going up around Witney of the Thames & Haddenham - the alternative Oxford Station for London - only 41 minutes to London. I can't see many people driving from Witney to Thames for london. However I was monitoring the use of the new 08.40 departure from Hanborough on Tuesday and one of the 18 people boarding said that she had changed from Thame to Hanborough now that this additional departure had become available as it was quicker and more convenient. The 1 hour earlier train was too early for her, the 08.01 stopper was too slow, having to change at Oxford, and the next train was too late for her twice/triple journeys each week to London. The 08.40 is just right. At least that is one up for the CL

[devon_metro]

I think the suggestion about bringing in the old TT now holds even more weight. Pax will get increasingly restless as they see no changes after another 7 days of overcrowding....they just don't have *months* to get this right! I wonder whether the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) is watching yet?.....

I agree with you, Chris, that's something that should be seriously considered.  Shades of December 2006 with the 'c2c' franchise when a certain Mark Hopwood was in command: http://www.c2c-online.co.uk/latest_updates/news/morning_and_evening_weekday_peak_schedules_to_return_to_previous_patterns_as_c2c_restores_old_timetable

Mind you, a much better morning today - still an unacceptable number of trains late, but a far higher percentage making charter.  Their new blue-ribbon 'Up' service, the 06:55 Moor Street to Marylebone, which runs non-stop from Warwick Parkway actually made up 3 minutes after Warwick to only arrive Marylebone 3 minutes late - just 1h 07m for the trip equating to an average speed of 82mph.

Has the 0655 actually arrived on time yet??? Every time i've looked it's been a couple of minutes late.

[ChrisB]

No, don't think so, but there really is zero slack in that train until MYB^▸ (London (Marylebone))'s three minutes in terminus time.

It can very easily lose 4 minutes....with no slack, it'll be a guaranteed 1 late.

Most Mainline services are very tight in the peaks. Workimg time thriugh HWY on these is now 22 mins, dowm from 28 previously.

I think I can answer BTLine again, but want to type it on a keyboard, rather than this iphone. I'm on the 1840 wx MYB

[IndustryInsider]

A much better evening this evening.  48 out of those 60 trains I linked to yesterday were within the 5 minute charter threshold.

[Btline]

I think I can answer BTLine again, but want to type it on a keyboard, rather than this iphone. I'm on the 1840 wx MYB^▸ (London (Marylebone))

Please do! I hope the delay is real life and not the fact that you're stuck onboard! I hope I haven't missed something obvious...

I think "Mainline" reliability is probably going to be ok - esp after the plug doors. And I assume the drivers will get used to the locos. Lets get some extra Suburban paths in.

[ChrisB]

but I fail to see why they are running fewer services in the high peak hour when these is a lack of "Mainline" services and enough stock.

Not sure what you mean by 'enough' stock. All trains are out utuilised in the new TT. So adding a service anywhere will require canx of a service somewhere else within that peak.

The reason for fewer heartland trains is that the old TT ran at a top speed *all* stock was able to run at - 75mph or below. Now, most of the route is optimised for faster running at 100mph - except that the 165 top speed hasn't changed and is still 75.

So you've now got services approaching the heartlands faster than before, therefore the heartland trains have to be less frequent to allow 100mph running of other services.

I can't see any new problems that they didn't have before regarding slotting stoppers between expresses. Perhaps a skip stop pattern should be introduced. Or an extra BCF stop on a Mainline.

See above for the new problem.
A stop in a Mainline train (which are already full anyway, so little point in stopping those - except for the 2 very fast flyers) would cost at least 5 minutes and probably 6, from the point the brakes were applied, to stopping to pick up or set down, to reaching full speed again. Kills the commercial aspect of having the fast trains, and especially those 90 minute flyers.

[ChrisB]

Further signal problems at Princes Risborough (which seemed to start last night) and Ruislips (yet again!)

Getting slightly ridululous now, and it's going to be weeks yet according to Chiltern....how long before a riot?

[paul7575]

While the residents of the Chilterns are focussed on these problems they'll sneak in and build HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) without them noticing...   

Paul

[ChrisB]

About to treplace cable at Saunderton any time now.....

Definitely more in this than you'd expect I think....

[IndustryInsider]

Getting slightly ridululous now, and it's going to be weeks yet according to Chiltern....how long before a riot?

Another good evening peak punctuality wise this evening though.

[ChrisB]

Indeed! Proof that the timings at least can work.

But that doesn't help the overcrowfing problems in the peak, and if I were management, I think I've seen enough to know that the smallest delay can cause many services to miss their punctuality target. I'm not sure its robust enough, and although Chiltern recognise that their punctuality will drop, I think it'll drop further than the 0.5% that they do.

My train home was on time for the first time in a fortnight.