WTT 70 & Hainault to Woodford Shuttle

A Loughton / Arnos Grove / White City style station would have been optimal but even a Hainault or Leytonstone style of station would have been better than what we have - at a minimum it needs the bay platform extending to the tracks at the north of the station. Yes, easy to say... but not so easy to do.

The lack of traffic on that video is striking!

Yes, you mean the Plume of Feathers, a 19th cent pub in Church Hill nearly opposite the 1923-54 bus garage. But it's not in the u-tube clip. The one at the beginning with mock half-timbering is the Crown( r.i. p) The Feathers is still there. It's an Ember Inn specialising in 2 for 1 meals. Not sure it's seen a bass, sax or clarinet lately, but of course, Loughton -is- the HQ of the National Jazz Archive.
The bus garage (which has a blue plaque) is in process of conversion into a Lidl shop

It has two things going for it, namely a crew depot at one end, and also that the three intermediate stations can (presumably) be left unmanned. In that sense it may drop to a one-train service, but apart from that it isn’t a major pain to operate. Of course when going to a 40-minute service it becomes more necessary to publish timings and the like, which takes us back to other posts.

Would it be possible to run a 30-minute service using one train with quick reversals at each end, and going straight off the platform at Woodford? Without looking at the timings this seems just slightly too tight to me, which is unfortunate as that would have been a neat solution.

In the current circumstances I suspect the process would be something like:
1. schedulers determine whether it would be practical
2. If so, the union reps get a phone call asking them if they will do it
3. Union reps say "yes, but only during the current special timetable"
4. LU says "During the current special timetable is all we're asking, thank you. I'll send you an email, I'd appreciate it if you put it in writing"
5. Union says "Of course, having it in writing suits us too."
6. Emails are exchanged
7. Timetable implemented

It pays both sides to extend as much good will as possible during a genuine crisis as this will improve the working relationship going forwards and it can be used as a bargaining point whenever negotiations about normal things resume.

It is now about a month since the last messages about the shuttle service and whilst the lockdown means that most of us are not travelling the trains are still running - albeit only for key workers.

Has the train length situation changed on the Hainault - Woodford shuttle? Are they still 8 cars or now 4 cars?

Also, in this period of special and ad-hoc services which change frequently depending on availability of railway staff who are in good health, have there been any changes to this shuttle service, such as through trains - either beyond Hainault or Woodford?

Is there a newer timetable than WTT70?

Today I saw several Grange Hill via Woodford trains and Woodford trains. I even saw at Ealing Broadway the Grange Hill train as No.1 (due to depart 'now') and the Woodford as No.2 - due to depart in 16 minutes.

What I did not investigate is whether the Woodford trains actually end their journeys at Woodford or then become the shuttle train to Hainault.

There's traction problems at Newbury Park, a bunch of Hainault via Newbury Parks are being diverted through Woodford to Grange Hill, tipping out, reversing on the wash road and going back round to Woodford.

Not a clue, I just drive 'em.  I don't know how long its been going on, I was rest day Sunday, I booked on at 16:41 yesterday and it had obviously been going on for a while.  I book on 15:55 today, if its still ongoing I'll let you know.

Thanks - in another web browser tab I have an online 'live departure' window open for Hainault station and it is showing the same four trains going to Hainaut via Newbury Park as expected to depart from all three platforms, with nothing for the service to Woodford.

For the other three intermediate stations no departs are shown in the Woodford direction with one Hainault and three Grange Hill trains shown - given the time of day (19:45) I suppose its normal to see several trains on their way 'home' to Hainault depot.

For Woodford there are several eastbound trains to Epping and Grange Hill via Woodford - plus (ahem) two trains shown as going to Liverpool Street... both of which were at locations east of Liverpool Street! At least the westbound destinations make sense - Ealing Broadway and West Ruislip.

During the day I also noted some trains to White City passing through here - and platform 1 being used by trains in passenger service.