Northern Trains Ltd

[knutstransport]

RE: Northern Trains Ltd

(08/07/2020 06:43)iMarkeh Wrote:  The Vic-Chester Sprinter ECS movement is at a 6am. It can't divert because it has a path set via Earlestown. It's not easy to divert trains ECS or in service. It ran via Earlestown prior to the regular passenger services. I don't know if it is just replacing ECS or it's a contractual agreement (perhaps both). Either one, it's a welcome additional trip.

Prior to the recast there were 2 x ECS movements to Chester, conveying units for the Mid-Cheshire service. This consisted of one from Newton Heath which ran via Earlestown and a later one which came from Stockport via Northwich. The 07:16 Chester-Stockport was booked as 4 carriages which meant a total of 10 carriages needed to be moved to Chester (with the 08:02 Chester to Manchester the first train which was the return working of a passenger arrival from Manchester.) As some of the services were booked as Pacers it meant the longest ECS formation permitted was 8 carriages as a 10 carriage ECS movement which included a Pacer were not allowed.

The ECS from Newton Heath to Chester still runs, meaning the Victoria-Chester replaces the ECS from Stockport to Chester. That meant previously overrunning engineering works on the Earlestown line wouldn't disrupt the second Chester-Stockport, now it does. The ECS from Newton Heath to Chester can be diverted via Denton if there's engineering works meaning the line isn't due to be handed back until after when the ECS is supposed to run.

On a different note as I was checking the times of the movements on RTT I noticed Northern services in September are being deleted from the schedule.