(29/09/2013 19:03)507009 Wrote: [ -> ]It was 30 minute 3 cars, hence the point that capacity is reduced by 75% in the space of a week. I do agree with 507022 that Merseyrail aren't doing anything to concern Merseytravel, but the passengers shouldn't be subjected to overcrowding like that when the clear majority of the fleet was not in use today.
The winter Sunday service has been inadequate for years, but it really stands out on warm days like this. To me there's no doubt the 30 minute Sunday service should always be 6 cars, if a year-round 15 minute service isn't introduced on Sundays. The forecast was good all week for the weekend, but even if they did start out today with 3 cars, they should have been doubled up when the high loads became apparent. There were more than enough units stabled on the Northern Line to achieve this with minimum fuss.
Sounds like a clear case if you have a user agreement that doesnt dictate six car working on Winter Sunday's it doesnt happen .
Which comes to the four Sundays on the run up to Christmas , are they three cars then or does some sense prevail and six cars are used .
The whole network sees 6 cars on the pre-Christmas December Sundays, but even these usually fall short on the Southport line and should be operated as if they were summer Sundays. Loads are very high indeed.
I've seen on several occasions in the past Merseyrail double up services on 30 minute Sundays when the weather is good. This was one such occasion but no doubling occurred.
The general rule seems to be that 6 cars happen if it's pre-planned, but seldom at short notice. Hence that's why Christmas Sundays are 6 cars, but days like today aren't.
I have to be brutally honest, Merseyrail let themselves down today. Minimal staff assisting customers with busses. No staff manning busses at Moorfields, Hamilton Sq, Conway Park or Birkenhead Park.. Just some station staff at James St and narky RPI's outside St Georges hall. It took me 2 hours 15 mins to get from anfield stadium to West Kirby to visit a relative this evening! Appalling! And the station notice boards I saw did not have updated timetables for engineering work.
The managers of MR and Arriva did dire plannning for this weekend. Pulsars packed out on the Saturday and no staff on the Sunday!
(28/09/2013 17:06)snowey Wrote: [ -> ] (28/09/2013 15:34)motormayhem Wrote: [ -> ]Loooks like stageviach are helping out with the rails as stagecoach are using there tridents on it.
I was told yesterday that Arriva have sub-contracted some of this weekends work as they didn't have enough drivers as they won both the Wirral and Northern line work.
Have Merseyrail stopped using Tierney bros for rail reps as havent seen them out for years? Last time i rode with Tierneys was when 507002 ran away from kirkdale and derailed in 2009.
(30/09/2013 06:41)MX12CFE Wrote: [ -> ] (28/09/2013 17:06)snowey Wrote: [ -> ] (28/09/2013 15:34)motormayhem Wrote: [ -> ]Loooks like stageviach are helping out with the rails as stagecoach are using there tridents on it.
I was told yesterday that Arriva have sub-contracted some of this weekends work as they didn't have enough drivers as they won both the Wirral and Northern line work.
Have Merseyrail stopped using Tierney bros for rail reps as havent seen them out for years? Last time i rode with Tierneys was when 507002 ran away from kirkdale and derailed in 2009.
Tierney's were only ever used for emergency call-outs. Fleet to small for pre-planned work. I know for a fact they haven't been used this year....are they still going??
For emergency work it seems that Happy Al's seem to be the go to company for buses after they have exhausted all the available vehicles and drivers at Arriva.
Over the years they have been in and out of favour.
notice the Daysaver tickets no longer have SGL printed on them. Also the option to purchase them is back on the Popular Destinations page on the TVMs after a couple of months of having to type in Northwirral on the unresponsive touch screens thus making for needlessly long transaction times.
Noticed over the past two weeks in various locations on the southport line that most of the track looks and sounds like it's been grinded by the rail grinder possibly?
507020 looks dreadful!! seen it on thursday working with 508124 making a superb pair.
I noticed some strange noises on 507009 today on West Kirby line. Either track related or icky traction motors. 507020 was on West Kirbys today too and I concur that it looks shocking!