Merseyrail

[SNL 824]

RE: Merseyrail

(13/07/2013 21:08)snowey Wrote:  

(13/07/2013 20:24)E208 WBG Wrote:  intresting working on Ormskirk Line today... seen one 6 car and rest was all 3 cars was thinking I wounder why there was 1 six car as no real need for it

This will prove my point to SNL 824 -

Liverpool were away to Preston in a friendly today so with the 9 day block on the WCML a lot of fans will be travelling to Preston on the Ormskirk line. Merseyrail put a 6 car on the diagram that does the 18.20 x Ormskirk as this was connecting out of the 17.39 from Preston which was seen as the train a lot of Liverpool fans would be returning home on.

Hope this explains everything.

Well that's a great start, but what will really prove the point is 6 car sets to meet the soccerbuses at sahdhills

[H101GEV (Administrator)]

RE: Merseyrail
This does sound promising. It really is about time 6 cars were introduced on match days for the sake of football fans and regular passengers.

As for there being "no real need" for today's Ormskirk pair, I don't agree with that. This line is very well used throughout the week including weekends and any additional capacity is welcome regardless of its underlying purpose.

[wirralbus]

RE: Merseyrail
Still all dependent on Merseyrail having enough units available for service to allow 6 car working

[snowey]

RE: Merseyrail

(14/07/2013 05:59)wirralbus Wrote:  Still all dependent on Merseyrail having enough units available for service to allow 6 car working

True, also got to remember a full days mileage (200 - 400 ish dependent on the diagram) will have to be added to each additional unit out. Got to weigh it up against one full train after the match against it running partly loaded during the rest of the day.

Maintenance is all mileage based.

I personally don't think 6 cars after the match will happen but I know that they are looking at it.

[507 mad]

RE: Merseyrail
I was on the Southport line yesterday as well. Got a glimpse of 508140+508126 leaving seaforth+litherland before 12:45 and as 507009 did, saw 508126 looking dreadful with roughly 2 coaches graffitied looking like a tangarine. 508120 I noticed graffitied as well. I was travelling from hightown at lunchtime onboard 508112+508143 looking shabby looking with some annoying girls onboard being rude to other passengers. On return from central at around 18:20 was 508111+507021 making a great pair running early which was a surprise. Presume that no units will be able to transfer lines with the loop line being shut as it has been like this in the past.

[wirralbus]

RE: Merseyrail
To be honest its only two days .

What will happen in those two days is the sets which have been deemed the most reliable will have been sent to do work on the Birkenhead Central - Ellesmere Port / Chester work as they will have no access to either Birkenhead North or Kirkdale for attention .

Im sure most external cleaning of units is done at Kirkdale .

[LVC]

RE: Merseyrail

(13/07/2013 23:06)507009 Wrote:  The Southport trains were really struggling to cope with the loads this afternoon despite being 6 cars. The sheer number of day-trippers that were boarding at Sefton Coast stations heading home was remarkable. I had 507007 and 507009 from Formby, Hunts Cross-bound, at around 18.35, only a couple of seats free (no bays) in the rearmost car and loads of people standing. Got even worse at Waterloo when another major load crammed on. A large proportion got off at Sandhills to connect with the Ormskirk/Kirkby trains.

Haven't seen a six car train quite so busy in a long time and this was after most of the Freshfield crowds had left. Great to see people making the most of the beautiful weather.

Also noticed this yesterday! It really is imperative that Merseytravel get this order for new stock done properly to meet future demand. Don't want to hear about ordering 3 and 4 car sets either, where is the sense in that? Just limits operational flexibility.

Regarding 6 cars on matchdays, on the Southport/ Hunts X line each additional unit only has to do one circuit, they've pretty much always got spare units sitting at Southport on weekends, so they could just form the 6 cars to be the first 2 Southports and first 2 Hunts X services from Sandhills after the match.

[wirralbus]

RE: Merseyrail
There needs to be at least 75 sets of 3 cars , to allow more service to be able to operate as six cars , plus any possible expansion beyond the current services.

[WidnesRuncornBus]

RE: Merseyrail
Had 508140 early on today, not a bad train really, certainly one of the better 508s in my book. Personally I would also like to see 6 car formations on match days, and on most peak and weekend Southport - Hunts X services. I would like to see 6 car units as standard when the fleet get renewed.

[wirralbus]

RE: Merseyrail
I think one of the problems with Football match service provision is that when the games are on a Saturday morning or afternoon normal service provision of a service every 15 minutes with an odd six car in maybe good enough .

Service though of an evening and on a Sunday need more careful looking at because of the 30 minute service on all lines and six car services would be helpful subject to availability .

Winter daytime Southport service on a Sunday needs to be enhanced to 15 minutes but this could be maintained off season with three coach services , except on the run up to Christmas when demand would suffice to allow six coach services.

Its a game of wait and see .