SOUTHEND 5
Train Service
A piece of good news for SEN for a change.
Abellio Greater Anglia have been awarded the 9 year rail franchise commencing in October 2016 and in their press release it states that there will be "earlier first and later late(sic) service between Liverpool Street and Southend Airport". It will be interesting to see if the times of these additional trains improve the situation substantially.
Abellio Greater Anglia have been awarded the 9 year rail franchise commencing in October 2016 and in their press release it states that there will be "earlier first and later late(sic) service between Liverpool Street and Southend Airport". It will be interesting to see if the times of these additional trains improve the situation substantially.
Last edited by Expressflight; 10th Aug 2016 at 08:27. Reason: don't know my Os from my Albow.
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They will follow the franchise agreement to the letter as they won't run any trains they don't have to but the franchise agreement specifies the following for Monday to Friday:
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...tion-to-tender
First and last services depart London. First (no later than 5:45) Last (no earlier than 00:45).
I can't find the times for Southend to London so either it hasn't changed or I have missed it but there seems to be some attachments that are either missing or labelled incorrectly
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...tion-to-tender
First and last services depart London. First (no later than 5:45) Last (no earlier than 00:45).
I can't find the times for Southend to London so either it hasn't changed or I have missed it but there seems to be some attachments that are either missing or labelled incorrectly
The first train currently departs Liverpool Street at 05:35 so that already meets that requirement. Obviously they plan to have a first departure earlier than that under the new franchise so the actual tender requirement doesn't seem relevant to their decision.
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I know with the Thameslink franchise that the minimum overnight requirements were met but they were badly drafted so there is a gap in the overnight service due to the poor wording of the agreement.
I have mentioned this here before but the wording of the tender is critical to the service that the franchise holder will provide. No doubt as with Luton, Southend Airport would have put its case to why trains should run earlier and later. What influence this had with the tender specification is anyone's guess but with a 9 year agreement now in place if it doesn't meet the airports requirements it will be a long wait before it can be corrected.
We don't know what the last train times requirement are from Southend yet until someone here does a bit more digging are but it would be better for the airport if they are written into the franchise agreement rather than relying on a commercial decision as to what times earlier and later trains actually run.
I would have liked to have seen 4am for a London departure and a 1am for an airport departure.
I have mentioned this here before but the wording of the tender is critical to the service that the franchise holder will provide. No doubt as with Luton, Southend Airport would have put its case to why trains should run earlier and later. What influence this had with the tender specification is anyone's guess but with a 9 year agreement now in place if it doesn't meet the airports requirements it will be a long wait before it can be corrected.
We don't know what the last train times requirement are from Southend yet until someone here does a bit more digging are but it would be better for the airport if they are written into the franchise agreement rather than relying on a commercial decision as to what times earlier and later trains actually run.
I would have liked to have seen 4am for a London departure and a 1am for an airport departure.
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Abellio Greater Anglia
Oh dear!
There will be a lot of very disgruntled commuters after arguably the worst ever operator of East Anglian rail services has been rewarded with a further 9 years to inflict misery on its long suffering customers.
True, eventually there will be new rolling stock but as to earlier and later trains I do not expect to see anything other than a minute or two adjustments to the timetable. As LTNman said, they only have to abide by the minimum franchise conditions.
As for the effect on SEN, expect nothing and we will not be disappointed.
Southender
There will be a lot of very disgruntled commuters after arguably the worst ever operator of East Anglian rail services has been rewarded with a further 9 years to inflict misery on its long suffering customers.
True, eventually there will be new rolling stock but as to earlier and later trains I do not expect to see anything other than a minute or two adjustments to the timetable. As LTNman said, they only have to abide by the minimum franchise conditions.
As for the effect on SEN, expect nothing and we will not be disappointed.
Southender
In view of the fact that Abellio this morning listed the earlier and later trains SEN as one of their 'benefit' bullet points I shall be rather surprised if it amounts to just "a minute or two", but we'll have to wait and see.
I suppose it's expecting too much that SEN might actually issue a statement welcoming this announcement, as STN already have in relation to their Abellio services.
I suppose it's expecting too much that SEN might actually issue a statement welcoming this announcement, as STN already have in relation to their Abellio services.
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A piece of good news for SEN for a change.
Abellio Greater Anglia have been awarded the 9 year rail franchise commencing in October 2016 and in their press release it states that there will be "earlier first and later late(sic) service between Liverpool Street and Southend Airport". It will be interesting to see if the times of these additional trains improve the situation substantially.
Abellio Greater Anglia have been awarded the 9 year rail franchise commencing in October 2016 and in their press release it states that there will be "earlier first and later late(sic) service between Liverpool Street and Southend Airport". It will be interesting to see if the times of these additional trains improve the situation substantially.
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...rolling stock servicing the SEN to L'pool line are dreadful and quite dated looking compared to the likes of LHR and STN trains. Also, it stops at too many stations. They need to address these issues or passengers with luggage will struggle.
LHR and STN are huge traffic providers and warrant specific airport services and rolling stock as part of a (supposedly) strategic transport policy. Southend Airport does not and never will. It is no more important (probably less so) in terms of design of service and rolling stock in the rail franchise that say Stratford with it's multi-modal interchanges and shopping centre. No rail company (or the Government) is ever going to make bespoke provision for the relatively small numbers using SEN compared to the vast majority of the customers who are commuters. You need to cram them in, keep your 'passengers in excess' score down and make best use of the limited infrastructure. Look at Stansted Express - that's been diluted over the years to a semi-fast service with generic design trains with extra luggage racks, as indeed is 50% of the Gatwick Express service now (through London/Brighton trains, stopping at LGW using, again, generic design Electrostar trains with extra luggage racks).
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Planes and Trains
When Crossrail opens Shenfield to Liverpool St in May next year I expect there will be significant timetable changes to the Southend Vic to Liverpool Street Line. I expect the last Crossrail westbound service will depart Shenfield around 2345, and hope that Abelio will run a later westbound train to connect with this. That would mean the last westbound train at the airport approx. 30 mins later than now. Makes sense to me, hope it does to the train operator. Not huge but it would help a little.
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Lanc at SEN today (and later this month)
Lancaster bomber plane makes landing in Southend airport due to adverse weather (From Southend Standard)
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Lancaster bomber plane makes landing in Southend airport due to adverse weather (From Southend Standard)
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