Northern (Arriva Rail North)

[knutstransport]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)

(08/01/2018 15:45)Sprinterdriver Wrote:  The big sticking point is that Northern will not guarantee a second person on every train, so there is the chance services will run with just a Driver on.

SD.

My understanding is the franchise agreement requires them to plan to have a second member of staff on board but under certain circumstances if the second member of staff is unavailable they aren't required to cancel the service. The specific circumstances are not included in the public version of the franchise agreement. I believe in the eventual agreement between ASLEF and Southern it was agreed industrial action won't be used as a reason for running a service without a second member of staff.

I also thought, based on their own press releases, the furthest the RMT are willing to go is driver opens the doors and guard closes and dispatches and unless Northern agree to the guard closing and dispatching (which would require DfT to sign off a change to the franchise agreement) they refuse to meet to discuss further.

[Brickmill]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)
I don't know if anyone has been monitoring the Strike day timetables, but I just wondered if the evening peak trains through Guide Bridge and Hyde to Marple (and beyond?) had changed since the last Strike days.
The HVL trains are unchanged, being at 1623 and 1705 (ie. "just" the 1649 - the busiest of the lot!) being dropped. On a previous occasion when I caught the 1705, it had been downgraded to a single unit for the Strike(!), so was not surprisingly, full. On that occasion, I counted exactly 50 people getting off at RDN. Tonight, even if a full size train (Pacers) was rammed, but only about 30 alighted at RDN, suggesting far more travelling further out. TBH, I half expected even more than 50 getting off at RDN as not only have Stagecoach put their fares up, but the Undercroft bus stop outside the Station is closed until Easter to "improve" Fairfield Street (including putting a cycle lane in, apparently!) Thus, if he train looks like getting full/cancelled or delayed, the usual option of legging it down the Escalators isn't there.

[knutstransport]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)
The strike timetables seem to change every time there is a strike. What times Rose Hill Marple trains operate will likely affect how busy trains to New Mills via Marple are.

[Sprinterdriver]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)

(08/01/2018 17:24)knut
stransport Wrote:  My understanding is the franchise agreement requires them to plan to have a second member of staff on board but under certain circumstances if the second member of staff is unavailable they aren't required to cancel the service. The specific circumstances are not included in the public version of the franchise agreement. I believe in the eventual agreement between ASLEF and Southern it was agreed industrial action won't be used as a reason for running a service without a second member of staff.

I also thought, based on their own press releases, the furthest the RMT are willing to go is driver opens the doors and guard closes and dispatches and unless Northern agree to the guard closing and dispatching (which would require DfT to sign off a change to the franchise agreement) they refuse to meet to discuss further.

Which basically means trains will run with just a Driver on.

The RMT asked for a Scotrail type scenario where the Driver opens and the Guard closes, thus meaning there has to be a Guard for the train to run and they have to be safety trained.



SD.

[Metroline1511]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)
On the thread about the delayed electrification via Bolton I kept getting a warped message about my post being too long. So, I shall make my point here.

I now reckon that I shall ride electric trains to Blackpool North via Bolton for the first time on the same day. I would wait until the tram line via Blackpool North has opened.

[St Helens Rider]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)

(13/01/2018 21:33)Metroline1511 Wrote:  On the thread about the delayed electrification via Bolton I kept getting a warped message about my post being too long. So, I shall make my point here.

I now reckon that I shall ride electric trains to Blackpool North via Bolton for the first time on the same day. I would wait until the tram line via Blackpool North has opened.

That's it the line through Bolton is ready by then! If it comes on stream in December, it will be precisely 2 years later than was originally planned.

[Metroline1511]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)

(13/01/2018 22:42)St Helens Rider Wrote:  That's it the line through Bolton is ready by then! If it comes on stream in December, it will be precisely 2 years later than was originally planned.

Blackpool North could indeed leapfrog Bolton for electric trains at this rate! My current idea is to wait for both these and also trams to Blackpool North before any such ride. That is, unless I feel like seeing the new Bolton Interchange before then.

[knutstransport]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)

(13/01/2018 21:33)Metroline1511 Wrote:  On the thread about the delayed electrification via Bolton I kept getting a warped message about my post being too long. So, I shall make my point here.

I now reckon that I shall ride electric trains to Blackpool North via Bolton for the first time on the same day. I would wait until the tram line via Blackpool North has opened.

It seems to be because I gave the original thread a post subject 3 characters below the minimum and when you add a reply the default post subject for your reply adds "RE: " i.e. 4 characters, so deleting "RE: " from the post subject (the box above the message box) fixes the problem.

[knutstransport]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)

(13/01/2018 23:58)Metroline1511 Wrote:  Blackpool North could indeed leapfrog Bolton for electric trains at this rate! My current idea is to wait for both these and also trams to Blackpool North before any such ride. That is, unless I feel like seeing the new Bolton Interchange before then.

Liverpool South Parkway to Blackpool North is still on schedule to be an hourly electric service at the May timetable change but the way things are looking they'll be no usable overheads between Bolton and Preston by the May timetable change.

[mikestone]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)
I wondered if they might get away with running the new Windermere/Barrow semi.s and the Vic-Preston shuttle via Bolton and everything else via Wigan, but the Vic-Preston working looks highly optimistic with emu.s with only 5 minute turn rounds each end.