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Author Topic: 0740 Reading to Oxford - timekeeping since 15/12 change  (Read 18140 times)
stuving
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« Reply #30 on: January 19, 2020, 20:46:36 »

No thanks. You'd have to demolish my house! (But I do get the sentiment)

On a more serious note, I do wonder whether there are enough passing loops available for freight to be "staged" through key pinch points.

Tinkering with the timetable can always help but the only way of really fixing things is to provide capacity at key junctions like Didcot East to benefit all rail users, both freight and passenger.

Loops sound like the answer, but it's worth thinking about how they actually work. The train mentioned earlier (4O23) has waits of about 15 minutes at Oxford North and Oxford Road (Reading), so if it's up to 10 minutes late it can recover into its path there. It will be out of its path until then, and if it's more than 15 minutes late it will still be out of its path until later on the route. Note that the running time between those pauses is 34 minutes - if you doubled the number of those pauses it would be a big increase in the journey time (already seven hours).

But whenever the train gets going again from a stop, whether in a loop or on the running line, it gets in the way while it gets up to speed. So, while running out of its path, it's worth keeping it going and not forcing it to stop at signals. "Punishing it for being naughty" with a signal stop just delays other passenger trains, and passenger trains stopped to let it pass can reaccelerate quicker. Of course that's all so only "up to a certain point". But note, since these trains will be diesel hauled for the foreseeable future, the fuel burn for every stop and start is worth avoiding.

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nickswift99
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« Reply #31 on: January 19, 2020, 21:08:51 »

So the loops have to be in places where congestion is less likely which reduces the impact on other services as the train accelerates or they have to be long enough that the train can get up to speed and have a set of points that supports the maximum speed of a freight train.

Of course it's all about speed and acceleration differentials. Back when Class 101 trains were running local passenger services it was probably a fairly even match. They are arguably not too bad when the 165/166 services are running with relatively slow acceleration and a 90mph top speed. But they definitely don't mix well from a performance perspective with 110mph electrics.
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grahame
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« Reply #32 on: January 19, 2020, 21:14:48 »

No thanks. You'd have to demolish my house! (But I do get the sentiment)

On a more serious note, I do wonder whether there are enough passing loops available for freight to be "staged" through key pinch points.

Tinkering with the timetable can always help but the only way of really fixing things is to provide capacity at key junctions like Didcot East to benefit all rail users, both freight and passenger.

I do wonder about routing away from Didcot East ... from Southampton via Salisbury, Westbury (with a 4th platform relayed), Melksham (two long running loops) and Swindon.  Concerns at the junction at Wooton Bassett and capacity on then to West of Didcot.  Have all the paths that used to be there for coal trains been taken by super fasts?

How different are 75 m.p.h. freights v 90 m.p.h. regional trains calling at most stations?  Could a Southampton to Swindon every hour follow (or be followed) by a Freightliner? Could the pair carry on to Oxford and avoid the need for people from the west having to change at Didcot?

Of course it's all about speed and acceleration differentials. Back when Class 101 trains were running local passenger services it was probably a fairly even match. They are arguably not too bad when the 165/166 services are running with relatively slow acceleration and a 90mph top speed. But they definitely don't mix well from a performance perspective with 110mph electrics.

Posted while I was typing ... rather in the same direction I was thinking
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ray951
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« Reply #33 on: January 22, 2020, 16:19:56 »

This might end up being a rant because I think GWR (Great Western Railway) were trolling the passengers waiting for the 0807 today.

But first an update on the punctuality - on Monday it was 5L and yesterday it was 11L, although it did manage to arrive RT into Didcot (for only the 2nd time).

But today was an absolute farce, I arrived at the station to find that the 0807 had been cancelled due to a fault on a train, which I assumed was the train forming the 0807,okay these things sometimes happen.

At 0813 a 166 crawled slowly through P5, where I was stood, and a quick look at RTT» (Real Time Trains - website) showed that this was in fact the 0807, it appeared to have a single passenger on board. So I asked GWRHelp what was going on and they said it was a fault on another train and there was no fault on the 0740 from Reading. In fact the 0740 ran non-stop from Reading to Oxford and arrived early into Oxford.

Everybody then had to squeeze onto the 0834 Didcot to Banbury which was only 2 carriages, this service then arrived in Oxford 6 late because of the additional stop at Appleford and elongated stops at Appleford and Radley as everybody squeezed on board. Not sure what happened to the passengers for Culham I assume they were sent in taxis or in a coach.

So why was the 0807 canceled from Didcot when it was:
a) Only 6 minutes late, which is a normal occurrence
b) It made the 0834 very overcrowded and 6 minutes late.
c) Annoy even more the regular 0807 passengers..
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didcotdean
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« Reply #34 on: January 22, 2020, 16:50:16 »

From realtimetrains it seems that the 06:04 Banbury-Reading that forms the 07:40 Reading-Oxford for whatever reason took 20 minutes to get from Oxford North Junction to Oxford Station, did the booked stops at Radley, Culham and Appleford but after Didcot ran non-stop to Reading but was still 15 minutes late on arrival.

The 07:40 left Reading 13 minutes late but by missing out all scheduled calls arrived in Oxford on time. Not much good for all at those stops.

Missing out intermediate stops on the Thames Valley as a time recovery measure seems far more common than it used to be anecdotally.

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IndustryInsider
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« Reply #35 on: January 22, 2020, 17:13:56 »

From realtimetrains it seems that the 06:04 Banbury-Reading that forms the 07:40 Reading-Oxford for whatever reason took 20 minutes to get from Oxford North Junction to Oxford Station

Delayed due to the coupling issues with the 06:32 off of Oxford.
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Marlburian
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« Reply #36 on: January 22, 2020, 19:23:27 »

... Missing out intermediate stops on the Thames Valley as a time recovery measure seems far more common than it used to be anecdotally.

I can't recall this ever happening to a train that I've used either way from Tilehurst (and I must have made hundreds of journeys) until yesterday. See my account here.

I hope that it doesn't become a regular occurrence!

Marlburian
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didcotdean
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« Reply #37 on: January 22, 2020, 19:27:24 »

It has happened to me twice in a couple of months, in both cases between Reading and Didcot (though actually of benefit to me). Not a huge number but I too can't remember it before, although I have been on the wrong end of stoppers being terminated short at Reading.
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lordgoata
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« Reply #38 on: January 22, 2020, 20:02:34 »

... Missing out intermediate stops on the Thames Valley as a time recovery measure seems far more common than it used to be anecdotally.

I can't recall this ever happening to a train that I've used either way from Tilehurst (and I must have made hundreds of journeys) until yesterday. See my account here.

I hope that it doesn't become a regular occurrence!


That used to happen all the time, any delays and the Didcot/Oxford stoppers would dump you at Reading and run (pretty much empty), non-stop to Didcot. Several years ago it was very frequent, but has been vastly improved in recent years - can't remember the last time they did that, thank fully.

I'm sure you'll find some old posts about it, I know I complained enough times when it used to happen!
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ray951
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« Reply #39 on: January 31, 2020, 14:27:17 »

Another update on this service.
Unfortunately this last week has probably been the worst week so far, although it has at least meant that for those eligible, delay-repay has come into play. Although that isn't much of a consolation.

So this week the service has been 7L, 17L, 9L, 19L and 2L.

And for the last 4 weeks this service has arrived Right Time (RT)  - 0% and RT - 5 minutes has been 29%, so 71% of services have been over 5 minutes late.

Still no acknowledgment from GWR (Great Western Railway) at Didcot Parkway or Oxford of the issues with this service and when they are likely to be resolved.






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mjones
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« Reply #40 on: February 07, 2020, 08:21:05 »

10 late from Didcot this morning...
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mjones
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« Reply #41 on: February 07, 2020, 08:27:48 »

And the 0820 to Paddington 5 late.
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ray951
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« Reply #42 on: February 07, 2020, 09:10:34 »

10 late from Didcot this morning...
Looks like this was caused by 1P15 0742 OXf to Pad being late which made 4O23 late which then delayed the IP16 Worcester - Pad (0753 from OXF» (Oxford - next trains)).
Although on Thursday the 1P16 was also late and the 0740 got across Didcot East Junc before that service which is why it was only 1L into Oxford, today that didn't happen so 11L into Oxford.

Timekeeping for this week has been as follows:
M - Cancelled, T - 6L, W - 9L, Th - 1L, and F - 11L.

So still no improvement and now running at 10% cancellation rate for the last 4 weeks.


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ray951
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« Reply #43 on: February 14, 2020, 15:05:22 »

Another weekly update and no improvement although no cancellations this week.

Time keeping this week M - 6L, T - 3L, W - 9L, Th -8L, F - 10L.

Last 4 week averages RT 0% , RT - 5L 24% which is a drop from 29% last week.

Last RT was 20th December 2019.

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ray951
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« Reply #44 on: February 24, 2020, 16:43:43 »

Another weekly update and we have good news and bad news.
Amazingly the train arrived RT into Oxford on Friday, only the 2nd time since the timtable change. Again it is on a Friday during the school holidays so it and services would have been lightly loaded; so I can only assume that this train would run on time every day if only there were no passengers. Smiley

The bad news is that the service was cancelled twice this week, so the record this week is  M - 7L, T - Can, W- Can, Th - 5L and F - RT.

So in last 4 weeks this service has been RT - 5%, RT to 5 min - 24% and Cancelled - 14%
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