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Broken down train at Aigburth. More busses will be out today

(05/04/2013 07:16)jtd508110 Wrote: [ -> ]Broken down train at Aigburth. More busses will be out today

Failed train now on the move to Kirkdale. 1st train to HX will be the 08.13 x Southport and the 1st one from HX will be at 09.21.

HTH

i

(04/04/2013 19:02)507009 Wrote: [ -> ]Three of the six Southport PM peak pairs were short-formed tonight. The 16.51 Hunts Cross - Southport was one of them which is an extremely poor decision in my book. This service is remarkably busy at the best of times and the 17.13 Central - Southport runs just behind it for a reason. With this latter also caped this evening I'm just glad I was only observing the trains rather than riding them! All short-formed trains left with painfully crowded standing loads and you can see Merseyrail taking a bit of a pounding for it on Twitter.

While I can understand why some (not necessarily three) of the pairs may have to be short-formed, it is difficult to forgive when fourteen 508s continue to fester in Eastleigh sidings having actively been refused for further use by Merseyrail.

i'm not surprised when ormskirk line was 6 car all day not just odd one or two neither it fully 6 car not surprised ppl was pissed about it when aintree wasn't packed one bit when i went passed yesterday

(05/04/2013 09:34)Harryn9000 Wrote: [ -> ]i

(04/04/2013 19:02)507009 Wrote: [ -> ]Three of the six Southport PM peak pairs were short-formed tonight. The 16.51 Hunts Cross - Southport was one of them which is an extremely poor decision in my book. This service is remarkably busy at the best of times and the 17.13 Central - Southport runs just behind it for a reason. With this latter also caped this evening I'm just glad I was only observing the trains rather than riding them! All short-formed trains left with painfully crowded standing loads and you can see Merseyrail taking a bit of a pounding for it on Twitter.

While I can understand why some (not necessarily three) of the pairs may have to be short-formed, it is difficult to forgive when fourteen 508s continue to fester in Eastleigh sidings having actively been refused for further use by Merseyrail.

i'm not surprised when ormskirk line was 6 car all day not just odd one or two neither it fully 6 car not surprised ppl was pissed about it when aintree wasn't packed one bit when i went passed yesterday

I've been told that numbers of people travelling to Aintree yesterday were up over 10% on last year.

They were certainly packed once the racegoers headed home. The evening loads started slowly for the first hour or so as you would expect but soon picked up. It is fair to say the 7/8 minute 6 car service is an absolute must on all three days and has been for a very long time.

Especially for the return legs. Loads were down on last year for ladies day, but up on the Thursday. The operation was very good at moving a large number of people (most of whom were drunk)

As usual for Grand National day, seven of the ten Southport line workings were 6 cars today although one of the 3 cars was oddly timed to meet some of the crowds. Aintree loads were as always extremely high with completely full crush-loaded Aintree and Ormskirk trains at Sandhills beyond 19.30. Trains were generally running well and I wouldn't be surprised if overall crowds were at least close to record breaking this year.

A missed opportunity though in that 507002 and 508111 were not coupled together for the occasion. Noted 508111 on the Southport line on Thursday and 507002 was on there today alongside 507033.

Travelled to Ellesmere Port on tuesday and noticed on the way back a new AWS has been installed on the down EP line with a dozen of rectangular black box also scattered about on the down EP line with a new signal frame so is EP2 getting replaced or is ellesmere port 4 signal box shutting down? Hooton signal box's interior was being stripped of everything out of it with the new cables in place but the signal plates in thet area are still HN and not CR for Chester PSB.

Does anyone have any idea when the next two Merseyrail trains will be named? I was thinking possibly 10th July for The Beatles name with it being "Beatles Day". 30th June is also the anniversary of William Roscoe's death, so this has potential too.

Porterbrook are updating the 455 units down south with new AC traction motors and regenerative braking by 2016. I wonder if something similar will be done with the 507/8's?