London Northwestern Railway

[V89MOA]

350404 now in use, currently on 2H58 (09:48 WVH to RGL). Should do 1Y22 next.

[Tony]

There's an 'unadvertised passenger' service on the Trent Valley line tomorrow from Crewe to Rugby details in the link

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:S83151/2023-05-28/detailed

This will be the first ever 12 car service calling at these stations 

[mikestone]

Seems a bit pointless as they are likely to become 730/1 once they enter traffic - presumably/hopefully  they will have full SDO to enable ten rather than five car working.

[Tony]

Seems a bit pointless as they are likely to become 730/1 once they enter traffic - presumably/hopefully  they will have full SDO to enable ten rather than five car working.

The 730s have GPS auto SDO. 10 car 730s are about the same length as 12 car 350, so it might be for if they need to substitute 

[stellasteve]

This evening I have been looking at options to travel to/from the Coventry City game which is in Shrewsbury tomorrow. As it's a strike day for LNWR, I checked the journey planners for trains back from Birmingham New St (as TFW seem to be terminating there after 5pm). The last train is the 1950 to Northampton - conveniently calling at Hampton-in-Arden, Berkswell, Tile Hill, Canley, Long Buckby and Northampton only - with no Coventry or Birmingham Int'l where I would usually get off. At first glance I thought this was a mistake but even the LNWR twitter team have told me this service is only stopping at the listed stations - how strange!

[Straightlines]

This evening I have been looking at options to travel to/from the Coventry City game which is in Shrewsbury tomorrow. As it's a strike day for LNWR, I checked the journey planners for trains back from Birmingham New St (as TFW seem to be terminating there after 5pm). The last train is the 1950 to Northampton - conveniently calling at Hampton-in-Arden, Berkswell, Tile Hill, Canley, Long Buckby and Northampton only - with no Coventry or Birmingham Int'l where I would usually get off. At first glance I thought this was a mistake but even the LNWR twitter team have told me this service is only stopping at the listed stations - how strange!

Presumably due to the strike there is nobody to dispatch at this time at Birmingham International or Coventry due to the strike! And they can't self dispatch.

[2206]

Presumably due to the strike there is nobody to dispatch at this time at Birmingham International or Coventry due to the strike! And they can't self dispatch.

Would probably be best to get the X1 if you need International and Coventry.

[ellspurs]

This evening I have been looking at options to travel to/from the Coventry City game which is in Shrewsbury tomorrow. As it's a strike day for LNWR, I checked the journey planners for trains back from Birmingham New St (as TFW seem to be terminating there after 5pm). The last train is the 1950 to Northampton - conveniently calling at Hampton-in-Arden, Berkswell, Tile Hill, Canley, Long Buckby and Northampton only - with no Coventry or Birmingham Int'l where I would usually get off. At first glance I thought this was a mistake but even the LNWR twitter team have told me this service is only stopping at the listed stations - how strange!

Probably to try and not get the train overwhelmed.

As 2206 mentioned, probably best to just get the x1.

[mikestone]

Or lack of train despatch staff.

[mikestone]

Complete shambles yesterday afternoon - not a single Crewe-Euston after 12.13!
;
Worth noting that only some were showing cancelled or altered at the time

[Tony]

First class 730s entered service today

[mikestone]

Rather belatedly I have spotted that the 05.33 Birmingham-Liverpool is booked off platform 4C, which sees much more use from December with the reversion to four-car working on the Liverpool route. It appears from RTT to be formed off the previous nights 23.16 arrival from Wolverhampton.
;
Some mornings RTT has the platform changed, but on at least two mornings, including today, it hasn't yet the 11.33 ex Liverpool has been eight cars with no obvious opportunity for a swap or attachment - on one occasion the 05.33 was overtime at Wolverhampton, but not I would have thought enough to do an attachment, and it wasn't this morning.

[mikestone]

Meant to mention before but fifteen car test trains with the three 730/1-2 delivered have been running out of Oxley via Cannock, presumably because they are  too long to reverse at Wolverhampton.

[Dom]

Rather belatedly I have spotted that the 05.33 Birmingham-Liverpool is booked off platform 4C, which sees much more use from December with the reversion to four-car working on the Liverpool route. It appears from RTT to be formed off the previous nights 23.16 arrival from Wolverhampton.
;
Some mornings RTT has the platform changed, but on at least two mornings, including today, it hasn't yet the 11.33 ex Liverpool has been eight cars with no obvious opportunity for a swap or attachment - on one occasion the 05.33 was overtime at Wolverhampton, but not I would have thought enough to do an attachment, and it wasn't this morning.

The 05:33 Liverpool attaches at Lime Street to form an 8 car for its back working, 07:33 Liverpool-New Street.

From December, all Monday-Friday Liverpool services are formed of 4 carriages, however there is a service uplift in the peaks with services running every 30 minutes. These services will run express from Crewe to Runcorn and vice versa, bar one service in each direction which will call additionally at Hartford due to the high footfall. This paves the way for further uplifts back to a similar sort of timetable seen pre covid.

Additionally, on Saturdays, the Liverpool services will run half hourly all day with a mixture of 4 and 8 car units.

[mikestone]

Thanks - It looks like the first two from Lime St were four, giving the opportunity to work a set into Lime Street couple to the 07.33.