Train firm forced to cut services (BBC News)

[RF News]

Technical problems force rail firm Grand Central Trains to cut services from the north-east of England to London.

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[martin adamson]

Teir stock has been giving them problems from day one. Rather ironic considering Wrex and Shrop have begun with few problems. Are these just the most dodgy HST sets ever? I suppose this is the huge problem with open access. If NX have a broken down HST, no doubt there would be a spare set in the depot.

[hairyhandedfool]

Originally Posted by David A Hicks

...... If NX have a broken down HST, no doubt there would be a spare set in the depot.

And there it is.... GC had no spares, no contingency, no hope of pulling it off. HT had a spare train till they (literally) dropped it, but even now they have sourced another unit and allowed down time on a set for maintenance. GC gambled on not needing a spare and rushed trains into service as and when they could. A one way road to disaster.

[John_142]

Not a very cleaver idear then i dont think they will last mutch Longer as must be costing them an absolute fortune in repairs but prehaps they should have looked into having some sort of spre loco no mater what class it is as long as it pulls the train.

Or prehaps they should think about making the Leasing compnany an offer they cant refuse for Northerns 156's .

[martin adamson]

Though at least they went with the idea of what the customer wants as far as stock is concerned. I bet it would have been possible to run the exact same service with say a joint 2+3 car 170s on the services, with some spare sets for breakdowns (well in my example if one 170 broke down you would still be able to operate the other, though packing pax onboard!). You've got to give it to GC for operating a service with great onboard service using popular trains where it isn't the case, just shove'm on and get'm there attitude like some TOCs.