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Northern trains


Reply off Northern, usual shite.

am very sorry to learn of the experience you had travelling on the 18th February between Thornaby and Sunderland, please allow me to apologise for any stress and inconvenience this caused to you. Please be assured that we are committed to operating a punctual train service on all of our routes, continually reviewing and monitoring the cause of all delays to our trains, to ensure that appropriate measures are put in place to reduce their recurrence wherever this is possible.  

I have investigated the intended journey and can see the service was delayed due to a shortage of train crew. I would like to assure you that we operate a just in case approach to staff in relation to meeting the demands of the train plan we operate. In essence we overstaff our depots, to a degree, to create ''spare train crew''. These are then used either in advance by the resource planners to cover shifts or on the day by the Train Crew Supervisors, if there is short term notice, due to illness or late running. Regrettably on this occasion, although alternate crew was sourced it did cause a significant delay.  

I can certainly appreciate your disappointment at finding trains being cancelled, or delayed, and the cause being related to our staff. We certainly do not take the decision to cancel any of our services lightly and there are a large number of factors that are considered when reviewing whether it will be possible to keep a train running, or if it is better to cancel the service. It would appear a decision was made to cancel the train but then it was reinstated. The Twitter team will have passed on the information that was available to them at the time.  

With regards to the overcrowding of the train, as the late train arrived 53 minutes late into Thornaby, 11:29, and there was another train due at 11:37 it could well have been the case that a number of people waiting were intending to catch the later of the two. Obviously, I can't confirm this. Again, I reiterate my apologies for the over-crowding conditions you experienced when travelling and the frustration this may have caused. We do acknowledge that at times our services can get really busy leading to over-crowding conditions, and this can be uncomfortable for our customers. However, at present, all of our available rolling stock is out on the network to provide services for our customers network-wide and therefore, we are unable to put on any extra carriages or run more services as the capacity to do is limited as all resource is being used.

As you have been delayed by 15 minutes or more when travelling on our services, please submit your delay repay claim by following this link:
You must be logged on to see external links
where you can log in, submit a claim and track your payments.

Please note all claims need to be made within 28 days of the affected journey.

I am sincerely sorry for any inconvenience this disruption caused to you.
 
SAFCTEES said:
Reply off Northern, usual shite.

am very sorry to learn of the experience you had travelling on the 18th February between Thornaby and Sunderland, please allow me to apologise for any stress and inconvenience this caused to you. Please be assured that we are committed to operating a punctual train service on all of our routes, continually reviewing and monitoring the cause of all delays to our trains, to ensure that appropriate measures are put in place to reduce their recurrence wherever this is possible.  

I have investigated the intended journey and can see the service was delayed due to a shortage of train crew. I would like to assure you that we operate a just in case approach to staff in relation to meeting the demands of the train plan we operate. In essence we overstaff our depots, to a degree, to create ''spare train crew''. These are then used either in advance by the resource planners to cover shifts or on the day by the Train Crew Supervisors, if there is short term notice, due to illness or late running. Regrettably on this occasion, although alternate crew was sourced it did cause a significant delay.  

I can certainly appreciate your disappointment at finding trains being cancelled, or delayed, and the cause being related to our staff. We certainly do not take the decision to cancel any of our services lightly and there are a large number of factors that are considered when reviewing whether it will be possible to keep a train running, or if it is better to cancel the service. It would appear a decision was made to cancel the train but then it was reinstated. The Twitter team will have passed on the information that was available to them at the time.  

With regards to the overcrowding of the train, as the late train arrived 53 minutes late into Thornaby, 11:29, and there was another train due at 11:37 it could well have been the case that a number of people waiting were intending to catch the later of the two. Obviously, I can't confirm this. Again, I reiterate my apologies for the over-crowding conditions you experienced when travelling and the frustration this may have caused. We do acknowledge that at times our services can get really busy leading to over-crowding conditions, and this can be uncomfortable for our customers. However, at present, all of our available rolling stock is out on the network to provide services for our customers network-wide and therefore, we are unable to put on any extra carriages or run more services as the capacity to do is limited as all resource is being used.

As you have been delayed by 15 minutes or more when travelling on our services, please submit your delay repay claim by following this link:
You must be logged on to see external links
where you can log in, submit a claim and track your payments.

Please note all claims need to be made within 28 days of the affected journey.

I am sincerely sorry for any inconvenience this disruption caused to you.
Click to expand...
Where the fook do they send all the spare carriages on a weekend too? Thats what we need to ask.
Everyone sees 4 bastard carriages milling around at 3pm on a Tuesday
 
kyle's left foot said:
Where the fook do they send all the spare carriages on a weekend too? Thats what we need to ask.
Everyone sees 4 bastard carriages milling around at 3pm on a Tuesday
Click to expand...

Maintenance normally. The railway (at least my part of it) is still run pre-Covid with all the focus on commuter services and entirely ignoring the increasingly growing and as important leisure market.

Ask our DFT paymasters why....they won't answer
 
kyle's left foot said:
Yep I did as well, remember we were playing Liverpool on a Sunday 1245 KO and it was ridiculous with only 2/3 trains to get there on time and it was frankly dangerous.
They just say they dont have the 'rolling stock' to add extra carriages on, but surely they must be just being used somewhere else?
As others have said I oftne see 4 empty carriages trundling around during the week
Click to expand...
Yet for the Boro game they had the rolling stock for a football special and for extra carriages …. When the police ask they get them.
 
SAFCTEES said:
Reply off Northern, usual shite.

am very sorry to learn of the experience you had travelling on the 18th February between Thornaby and Sunderland, please allow me to apologise for any stress and inconvenience this caused to you. Please be assured that we are committed to operating a punctual train service on all of our routes, continually reviewing and monitoring the cause of all delays to our trains, to ensure that appropriate measures are put in place to reduce their recurrence wherever this is possible.  

I have investigated the intended journey and can see the service was delayed due to a shortage of train crew. I would like to assure you that we operate a just in case approach to staff in relation to meeting the demands of the train plan we operate. In essence we overstaff our depots, to a degree, to create ''spare train crew''. These are then used either in advance by the resource planners to cover shifts or on the day by the Train Crew Supervisors, if there is short term notice, due to illness or late running. Regrettably on this occasion, although alternate crew was sourced it did cause a significant delay.  

I can certainly appreciate your disappointment at finding trains being cancelled, or delayed, and the cause being related to our staff. We certainly do not take the decision to cancel any of our services lightly and there are a large number of factors that are considered when reviewing whether it will be possible to keep a train running, or if it is better to cancel the service. It would appear a decision was made to cancel the train but then it was reinstated. The Twitter team will have passed on the information that was available to them at the time.  

With regards to the overcrowding of the train, as the late train arrived 53 minutes late into Thornaby, 11:29, and there was another train due at 11:37 it could well have been the case that a number of people waiting were intending to catch the later of the two. Obviously, I can't confirm this. Again, I reiterate my apologies for the over-crowding conditions you experienced when travelling and the frustration this may have caused. We do acknowledge that at times our services can get really busy leading to over-crowding conditions, and this can be uncomfortable for our customers. However, at present, all of our available rolling stock is out on the network to provide services for our customers network-wide and therefore, we are unable to put on any extra carriages or run more services as the capacity to do is limited as all resource is being used.

As you have been delayed by 15 minutes or more when travelling on our services, please submit your delay repay claim by following this link:
You must be logged on to see external links
where you can log in, submit a claim and track your payments.

Please note all claims need to be made within 28 days of the affected journey.

I am sincerely sorry for any inconvenience this disruption caused to you.
Click to expand...

I got this response nearly a decade ago. Nowt changes.
 
kyle's left foot said:
2 hours from Stockton. :lol:
Click to expand...
I couldn’t justify that like😂

Megabus/National express sometimes have decent times. But obviously limited to travelling from Middlesbrough.

It’s just so frustrating that the service offered is absolutely shit.

I’ve managed to get another 2 complimentary tickets out of them from this weekend.

They must be losing a fortune with the conductor not being able to get round and check tickets because the trains are so busy
Had this response of Graeme Morris. He is one of the few mp’s who actually cares about this issue IMO

GM…..I have recently contacted Northern Rail and received the following response from Mr Matt Croasdale, Regional Stakeholder Manager on 17 February, he stated:

The good news is things are set to improve. This weekend all services are scheduled for 4 carriages. With the introduction of the May 2023 timetable change, we have requested that the 0918, 1118 and 1218 services are all strengthen to 4 carriages on an ongoing basis, along with the 1018 which is already in the schedule. In addition, with effect from 8th July (upon completion of the new platform at Hartlepool) we will be able to run a semi fast service at 1016 and 1216 from Middlesbrough to Newcastle (both 2 carriage services). This will significantly increase the capacity along the Durham Coast and should go a long way to alleviating the overcrowding issues you have been raising with us for some time and allowing passengers at Seaham and Horden to board services without concern.

I will write to you again once these plans are confirmed and share further detail around the increased capacity, and also our future plans for increasing the number of semi fast services along the Durham Coast.”
 
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SAFCTEES said:
Reply off Northern, usual shite.

am very sorry to learn of the experience you had travelling on the 18th February between Thornaby and Sunderland, please allow me to apologise for any stress and inconvenience this caused to you. Please be assured that we are committed to operating a punctual train service on all of our routes, continually reviewing and monitoring the cause of all delays to our trains, to ensure that appropriate measures are put in place to reduce their recurrence wherever this is possible.  

I have investigated the intended journey and can see the service was delayed due to a shortage of train crew. I would like to assure you that we operate a just in case approach to staff in relation to meeting the demands of the train plan we operate. In essence we overstaff our depots, to a degree, to create ''spare train crew''. These are then used either in advance by the resource planners to cover shifts or on the day by the Train Crew Supervisors, if there is short term notice, due to illness or late running. Regrettably on this occasion, although alternate crew was sourced it did cause a significant delay.  

I can certainly appreciate your disappointment at finding trains being cancelled, or delayed, and the cause being related to our staff. We certainly do not take the decision to cancel any of our services lightly and there are a large number of factors that are considered when reviewing whether it will be possible to keep a train running, or if it is better to cancel the service. It would appear a decision was made to cancel the train but then it was reinstated. The Twitter team will have passed on the information that was available to them at the time.  

With regards to the overcrowding of the train, as the late train arrived 53 minutes late into Thornaby, 11:29, and there was another train due at 11:37 it could well have been the case that a number of people waiting were intending to catch the later of the two. Obviously, I can't confirm this. Again, I reiterate my apologies for the over-crowding conditions you experienced when travelling and the frustration this may have caused. We do acknowledge that at times our services can get really busy leading to over-crowding conditions, and this can be uncomfortable for our customers. However, at present, all of our available rolling stock is out on the network to provide services for our customers network-wide and therefore, we are unable to put on any extra carriages or run more services as the capacity to do is limited as all resource is being used.

As you have been delayed by 15 minutes or more when travelling on our services, please submit your delay repay claim by following this link:
You must be logged on to see external links
where you can log in, submit a claim and track your payments.

Please note all claims need to be made within 28 days of the affected journey.

I am sincerely sorry for any inconvenience this disruption caused to you.
Click to expand...

This is a lie. It was nothing to do with a shortage of train crew. The delay on the 10:31 out of Boro was a problem with the brakes when the driver coupled up the two trains to make the usual four carriages on this service. Hence the reason when it did eventually turn up it was only two carriages (they had to leave the other behind).
0321safc said:
Yet for the Boro game they had the rolling stock for a football special and for extra carriages …. When the police ask they get them.
Click to expand...

They run less services on a normal Sunday so have extra units to use.
 
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