How trains are allocated.

[tkboomer2]

’m aware that train companies pencil in a certain type of train e.g. 142, 150 to run a certain journey. On my local line this means things like:
06:53 Chester to Manchester: Class 142
06:09 Blackpool North to Chester: Class 150
13:24 Manchester to Chester: Class 142 attached to empty 150. Trains then separated at Chester. 150 then runs 15:01 Chester to Manchester, 142 then runs 15:45 Chester to Manchester service.

But does that mean that a 142 chosen at random runs the 6:53 Chester to Manchester service? When passenger numbers were counted at the end of last year this service was found to have up to 168 passengers on it, so it makes a big difference if the 142 is the former Arriva Trains Northern type, with around 100 seats, or the former First North Western type with around 120 seats.

There’s also an issue with if a train breaks down then the replacement may be a different type or if the trains have been swapped round earlier because of a broken down train which has later been brought back in to service.

This has happened for both the 06:09 Blackpool to Chester service and the 15:01 Chester to Manchester service. Although scheduled to both be run by 150s, 142s and 156s have been used on both services. Obviously using a 156 is an upgrade as it’s a newer train with more seats. However, a 142 is a downgrade for many reasons.

As well as hoping that no-one is making the complete 3 hour journey on the 6:09 Blackpool to Chester service if it’s a 142. It can cause huge problems south of Manchester if a 142 is used. This was found to be the most crowded train on the Manchester to Chester line, which can be up to 180 passengers on a 2 carriage 150, which could obviously mean if a 100 seater 142 is used instead that not everyone will fit on the train. If someone wanting Chester were not to fit on the train then they would have to wait 114 minutes for the next train. Can you imagine phoning your employer saying that you’ll be more than 100 minutes late for work?

Phew, I wrote a lot more than I intended. I was really just meaning to ask the question whether trains are allocated to journeys based on just the type of train rather than the number of seats on the train? (Which is the impression I get) Obviously the above examples are probably similar to some other lines.