A unit without a yellow nameplate has replaced 507023 in the 're-livery spot' at Birkenhead North. 507028, meanwhile, seems to be shunting around the depot regularly without doing much in the way of service.
Also spotted 508108 on the West Kirby line yesterday - first time I've seen it in use for a fair few weeks.
(01/04/2014 13:18)507009 Wrote: [ -> ]A unit without a yellow nameplate has replaced 507023 in the 're-livery spot' at Birkenhead North. 507028, meanwhile, seems to be shunting around the depot regularly without doing much in the way of service.
Also spotted 508108 on the West Kirby line yesterday - first time I've seen it in use for a fair few weeks.
507028 has just come off overhaul so probably on test, by the way 508141 is now on overhaul
The inevitable short-formings on the Southport line were certainly not helped by Merseyrail's frankly bat-sh*t crazy decision to run the 16.51 Hunts Cross - Southport as a 3 car yesterday afternoon. This service is always extremely busy and is usually a packed out 6 car. With no 17.13 Central - Southport service following it either, you can probably imagine just how bad it was. 507002 operated the service alone and conditions were dangerous on board, they really were. A considerable number of people were left unable to board as it was completely full, including at Sandhills where there were some justifiably annoyed faces. The lack of 17.13 (which is forgiveable with the Aintree services running) meant the following service, the 17.06 Hunts Cross - Southport was itself crush-loaded, this time as the booked 6 car.
Now, three of the six Southport pairs were short-formed, but why on Earth would you run the busiest one of the lot as a 3 car? Absolutely crazy decision-making. I'm not being too controversial here I hope, but the first 6 car casualty should have been the West Kirby PM 6 car. Though well-used, this is nowhere near as busy as the Northern Line pairs and you've also got the 16.37 'extra' Liverpool Central - Ellesmere Port train which I've never seen anything like full. I can understand the need to run some services short of carriages during the Aintree Races, but of the scheduled 9 cars to Southport in the 17.10 - 17.20 period at Moorfields, only three operated yesterday. On the busiest limb of the network in the height of rush-hour, this is really poor.
A warning then that the 16:51 Hunts Cross-Southport is again a 3 car today. As you said, short forms were inevitable but they should have given more consideration as to which services...
What it is clearly showing is that there is not enough units for special 0ccasions.
All booked six cars should be operated though wherever possible. Think they have to get special dispensation for offically short forming some services at Grand National time .
Pre-privatised railway time there was a lot more units available and short forming would have been a rarity
Already been a failed train on the Ormskirk line this morning. Will this result in services being cut back if the unit in question can't be brought back into service later on today.
Hope the network gets through today ok. Went yesterday. All Merseyrail Staff did an excellent job at Aintree well organised and the flip flops for the ladies was a great idea..
(05/04/2014 07:46)jtd508110 Wrote: [ -> ]Already been a failed train on the Ormskirk line this morning. Will this result in services being cut back if the unit in question can't be brought back into service later on today.
I do know that on the Friday there was a spare six car at Kirkdale , not sure whether they have a spare six car today though.
If a six car needs to be formed up and there isnt a replacement readily available it will have to come down to splitting down a six car down off the Southport line , due to the large amount of passengers travelling a three car to aintree would be untenable .
(05/04/2014 10:11)WAITING FOR THE 437 Wrote: [ -> ]Hope the network gets through today ok. Went yesterday. All Merseyrail Staff did an excellent job at Aintree well organised and the flip flops for the ladies was a great idea..
Im also led to believe that Crabbes have been giving out flip flops as well , seem to be popular footwear.
The usual Grand National service today, with the six car Ormskirk and Aintree services and seven of the ten Southport workings also six car. Nothing was spare at Kirkdale - the five unused units were all at Birkenhead North depot in the morning.