Would It Be Better To Run Some Suburban Trains With Two Drivers?
Reading an article about South Western Railway in the September 2017 Edition of Modern Railways, I read this statement from Andy Mellors of the company.
SWR does not have any intend to reduce staff numbers and sees a strong bernefit in having more than one person on a train, even if some specific duties change.
The plan is to have a second person onboard every train. We know that our customers appreciate that and from time to time regular customers as well as infrequent travellers need that reassurance as well. We plan to have a second person on-board our trains, and we are not committed to any particular method of operation through our bid.
Between Waterloo and Chessington South stations, trains currently take the following times using the current Class 455 trains.
- Waterloo to Chessington South – 36 minutes
- Turning train at Chessington South – 15 minutes
- Chessington South to Waterloo 38 minutes
For an efficient train service, it is essential that the trains can execute the route as fast as possible.
A modern train like a Class 720 train, will decrease journey times because of the following.
- 100 mph capability
- Fast acceleration and efficient regenerative braking.
- Efficient loading and unloading of passengers.
- Level access for wheelchair users, buggy pushers and those dragging large cases.
- Driver aids, so that time keeping and other measures are improved.
The trains will reduce the journey times, but how do you reduce the fifteen minutes to turn the train at Chessington South?
If the trains working the branch are ten-car units, a lot of the time at Chessington South will be spent walking from one end of the train to the other.
Supposing both members of the crew were qualified to drive the train and they shared duties as a team.
- Each crew member would drive one way, whilst the other looked after passengers, doors and safety.
- As SWR have said all suburban trains will have a toilet, there may be further efficiencies.
- The turnback time could probably be reduced by several minutes.
I believe that with the new trains and a well-thought out method of working, a complete return trip could be made within an hour.
With the current method of working, two trains per hour (tph) is possible and it needs three trains, due to the ninety minute return trip.
But with two crew sharing duties, four tph could be possible and it would need only four trains.
It should be noted that to speed turnround on the Underground, drivers walk back and then step up on the next train.
Conclusion
Obviously, it’s not this easy, but I believe management and unions can work together to find a working method, that is acceptable to all stakeholders.
Specialist Trains Lead The Charge Against Leaf Fall on The Piccadilly Line
The title of this post is the same as the title of this press release on the Transport for London web site.
Last year, the Piccadilly Line suffered badly from leaves on the line as this article on the BBC, which is entitled Piccadilly Line delays: Wet leaves cause train shortage reported. This was the opening paragraph.
The Piccadilly Tube Line has been hit with major delays after half its trains were taken out of service as wet leaves on the track damaged their wheels.
Transport for London’s press release, talks about using RATs.
The two Rail Adhesion Trains (RATs) are part of a package of measures being introduced this Autumn to tackle wheel flats and prevent disruption.
A robust action plan to tackle leaf fall on the Piccadilly line is well underway for the Autumn months, TfL confirmed today.
It follows the publication of an independent report, commissioned by TfL, into leaf fall issues on the Piccadilly line that have led to delays and disruption on the line over the past two years.
Two 1973-stock trains have been converted into specialist engineering trains which will travel on the Piccadilly line treating rails to reduce the risk of poor adhesion. The adhesive material they dispense helps the train wheels grip the tracks during braking. When trains brake on slippery tracks it can cause the wheels to lock and subsequently wear down, an issue known as wheel flats.
Other measures TfL is taking to ensure that services on the Piccadilly line run as smoothly as possible this Autumn include:
- Aggressive vegetation clearance.
- Obtaining better weather prediction data.
- Better signage and information for drivers.
- Developing an Autumn leaf-fall timetable.
- Recruiting more maintenance staff and purchasing more spare wheels.
It’s certainly a comprehensive package of measures.
The Class 769 Trains Are Progressing
The August 30th Edition of Rail Magazine gives a few details about the creation and testing of the Class 769 trains at Brush Traction in Loughborough.
- A test rig will be built to test the combination of MAN diesel engine and ABB alternator.
- The first train will be fitted with a power unit in the next eight weeks.
- After static tests it will move to the nearby Great Central Railway. for dynamic testing.
- The first train will be joined by a second train to test compatibility and multiple working.
- After returning to Brush for approval, they will move to Allerton Depot, where they will be based.
- It is planned that all eight trains for Northern will be in the North West by April 2018.
I find it intriguing that the testing is done on the local heritage railway.
There are two parts of the Great Central Railway separated by the Loughborough Gap.
- The Northern part is the Great Central Railway (Nottingham), which runs from the Midland Main Line at Loughborough to the South of Nottingham.
- The Southern part is the Great Central Railway, which runs between Loughborough Central and Leicester North stations.
It is not said, whether the testing is North or South of Loughborough.
The two heritage railways are trying to bridge the gap at present and I can’t help feeling that once it is bridged, there will be winners all round.
The Anonymous Widower 