(20/06/2020 08:31)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]Overall Northern are operating a very low proportion of services compared to other operators. On some routes it's currently just 25% of peak time services that are operating. Many routes are getting a full Sunday service so that helps improve Northern's average figure.
There's various scenarios they should prepare for - one being that the 2m rule changes, another being that their services will need to carry a significant number of school pupils from Sep and that they'll be social distancing measures still in place (even if it's not everyone everyday.)
Another difficulty is how return to office will work - the government guidance suggests some working from home should remain but also recognises that everyone working from home every day has negative implications. In somewhere like Wilmslow where you have a few major employers each employing hundreds (the ICO, Royal London, Waters Corp) that will probably mean the number of commuters travelling each day will be fairly consistent. In other towns where you might have no very big companies but a significant number of smaller businesses that might mean they'll be almost normal loadings on certain days of the week. Smaller businesses may also find it more difficult to introduce flexible working for those who have to travel by train e.g. if business hours are 08:30-5 then they won't want their one receptionist working 10-7.
It does sound like units that have been stood down due to low use may well need to be readied for service in the coming weeks .
Northern will have been unit very recently been able to balance mileage on units so no one unit will have had excessive use , that time will be coming to an end with any possible relaxation of what can be opened and even the potential social distancing of 1 metre coming in .
Northern timetables from July have been uploaded to the Northern site - it seems in most cases they are exactly the same as now or have just one or two extra services added in - the most significant difference is they are calling them temporary timetables instead of key worker timetables! They've been loaded in to NRE as the timetables they'll be running until early September.
Class 142s back into use on Monday mostly on diagrams worked by Piccadilly crew.
The 13 Class 142's returning monday/Very soon are 142004, 142018, 142023, 142058, 142065, 142068, 142070, 142071, 142078, 142087, 142090, 142094 and 142095.
I saw another list elsewhere saying 142011, 142013, 142035, 142036, 142041, 142043, 142045 142051, 142055 and 142061 could return also although i do question that list as i have 142051 as at Newport awaiting Scrap and 142055 as Preserved (Foxfield?)
(27/06/2020 15:39)T42 PVM Wrote: [ -> ]The 13 Class 142's returning monday/Very soon are 142004, 142018, 142023, 142058, 142065, 142068, 142070, 142071, 142078, 142087, 142090, 142094 and 142095.
I saw another list elsewhere saying 142011, 142013, 142035, 142036, 142041, 142043, 142045 142051, 142055 and 142061 could return also although i do question that list as i have 142051 as at Newport awaiting Scrap and 142055 as Preserved (Foxfield?)
051 is indeed awaiting its fate at Newport. 055 should still be in store at Gascoigne Wood unless its left via road.
From what's been reported elsewhere it won't be a case of all the Pacers returning tomorrow and the ones that do return will be used on services between Manchester and Marple (both lines) and one diagram which includes Kirkby-Victoria and Victoria-Blackburn services. I've also seen it claimed that more Pacers will return as the Alderley Edge-Southport service gets reintroduced in due course.
(28/06/2020 09:35)knutstransport Wrote: [ -> ]From what's been reported elsewhere it won't be a case of all the Pacers returning tomorrow and the ones that do return will be used on services between Manchester and Marple (both lines) and one diagram which includes Kirkby-Victoria and Victoria-Blackburn services. I've also seen it claimed that more Pacers will return as the Alderley Edge-Southport service gets reintroduced in due course.
Will these be attached to compliant units as they had before the lockdown.
156496 has lost its Scotrail colours for the new Northern livery.
(08/07/2020 06:43)iMarkeh Wrote: [ -> ]The Vic-Chester Sprinter ECS movement is at a 6am. It can't divert because it has a path set via Earlestown. It's not easy to divert trains ECS or in service. It ran via Earlestown prior to the regular passenger services. I don't know if it is just replacing ECS or it's a contractual agreement (perhaps both). Either one, it's a welcome additional trip.
Prior to the recast there were 2 x ECS movements to Chester, conveying units for the Mid-Cheshire service. This consisted of one from Newton Heath which ran via Earlestown and a later one which came from Stockport via Northwich. The 07:16 Chester-Stockport was booked as 4 carriages which meant a total of 10 carriages needed to be moved to Chester (with the 08:02 Chester to Manchester the first train which was the return working of a passenger arrival from Manchester.) As some of the services were booked as Pacers it meant the longest ECS formation permitted was 8 carriages as a 10 carriage ECS movement which included a Pacer were not allowed.
The ECS from Newton Heath to Chester still runs, meaning the Victoria-Chester replaces the ECS from Stockport to Chester. That meant previously overrunning engineering works on the Earlestown line wouldn't disrupt the second Chester-Stockport, now it does. The ECS from Newton Heath to Chester can be diverted via Denton if there's engineering works meaning the line isn't due to be handed back until after when the ECS is supposed to run.
On a different note as I was checking the times of the movements on RTT I noticed Northern services in September are being deleted from the schedule.
From 20th July additional trains will run from Blackpool South and Ormskirk to Preston, Blackpool North-MIA and Bridlington-Hull. I'd have thought the ECS workings between Blackpool and Preston for the Leeds service would have become passenger trains, but this appears not to be the case.
PDFs on website, but not in RTT yet.