• ORR Cockup

    From Graeme Wall@3:633/10 to All on Wednesday, January 21, 2026 20:56:18
    Decision on Manchester-London 'ghost train' was uninformed, regulator
    admits. They didn't realise the train would be fully crewed on its wat
    south!

    <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2ydq20drlo>
    --
    Graeme Wall
    This account not read.


    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Tweed@3:633/10 to All on Thursday, January 22, 2026 08:27:49
    Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> wrote:
    Decision on Manchester-London 'ghost train' was uninformed, regulator admits. They didn't realise the train would be fully crewed on its wat south!

    <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2ydq20drlo>

    Despite their welcome admission of error, which is unusual these days, it
    does make me wonder about the quality of their other decisions. And despite
    the mea culpa, it took a few days of considerable negative publicity for
    the change of heart (if I remember correctly).


    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Theo@3:633/10 to All on Thursday, January 22, 2026 11:04:53
    Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
    Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> wrote:
    Decision on Manchester-London 'ghost train' was uninformed, regulator admits. They didn't realise the train would be fully crewed on its wat south!

    <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2ydq20drlo>

    Despite their welcome admission of error, which is unusual these days, it does make me wonder about the quality of their other decisions. And despite the mea culpa, it took a few days of considerable negative publicity for
    the change of heart (if I remember correctly).

    The story broke on the Saturday (AIUI) and the decision was reversed by
    Monday afternoon. That sounds about as fast as an agency that operates M-F
    9-5 could respond.

    Theo

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Tweed@3:633/10 to All on Thursday, January 22, 2026 12:17:40
    Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:
    Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
    Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> wrote:
    Decision on Manchester-London 'ghost train' was uninformed, regulator
    admits. They didn't realise the train would be fully crewed on its wat
    south!

    <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2ydq20drlo>

    Despite their welcome admission of error, which is unusual these days, it
    does make me wonder about the quality of their other decisions. And despite >> the mea culpa, it took a few days of considerable negative publicity for
    the change of heart (if I remember correctly).

    The story broke on the Saturday (AIUI) and the decision was reversed by Monday afternoon. That sounds about as fast as an agency that operates M-F 9-5 could respond.

    Theo


    Yes, you are correct, so a mea culpa from me too!


    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Recliner@3:633/10 to All on Thursday, January 22, 2026 12:20:58
    Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
    Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:
    Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
    Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> wrote:
    Decision on Manchester-London 'ghost train' was uninformed, regulator >>>> admits. They didn't realise the train would be fully crewed on its wat >>>> south!

    <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2ydq20drlo>

    Despite their welcome admission of error, which is unusual these days, it >>> does make me wonder about the quality of their other decisions. And despite >>> the mea culpa, it took a few days of considerable negative publicity for >>> the change of heart (if I remember correctly).

    The story broke on the Saturday (AIUI) and the decision was reversed by
    Monday afternoon. That sounds about as fast as an agency that operates M-F >> 9-5 could respond.

    Theo


    Yes, you are correct, so a mea culpa from me too!

    Under the GBR proposals, the role of the ORR will be greatly reduced, so
    these sorts of decisions will be taken within GBR.


    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Coffee@3:633/10 to All on Thursday, January 22, 2026 12:34:15
    On 22/01/2026 08:27, Tweed wrote:
    Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> wrote:
    Decision on Manchester-London 'ghost train' was uninformed, regulator
    admits. They didn't realise the train would be fully crewed on its wat
    south!

    <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2ydq20drlo>

    Despite their welcome admission of error, which is unusual these days, it does make me wonder about the quality of their other decisions. And despite the mea culpa, it took a few days of considerable negative publicity for
    the change of heart (if I remember correctly).

    Nothing in the article gives much of a clue into exactly what went wrong
    and why they didn't have full information to hand to make the correct decision.

    However a more inquiring mind should wonder what happens to the other
    services in the diagram if they cut out just one service.

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Recliner@3:633/10 to All on Thursday, January 22, 2026 12:38:06
    Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> wrote:
    On 22/01/2026 08:27, Tweed wrote:
    Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> wrote:
    Decision on Manchester-London 'ghost train' was uninformed, regulator
    admits. They didn't realise the train would be fully crewed on its wat
    south!

    <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2ydq20drlo>

    Despite their welcome admission of error, which is unusual these days, it
    does make me wonder about the quality of their other decisions. And despite >> the mea culpa, it took a few days of considerable negative publicity for
    the change of heart (if I remember correctly).

    Nothing in the article gives much of a clue into exactly what went wrong
    and why they didn't have full information to hand to make the correct decision.

    However a more inquiring mind should wonder what happens to the other services in the diagram if they cut out just one service.


    As we know, they weren?t changing the diagram, just forcing one leg to be
    ECS rather than carrying passengers. So it had no effect on the rest of the diagram.


    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Graeme Wall@3:633/10 to All on Thursday, January 22, 2026 12:43:55
    On 22/01/2026 12:34, Coffee wrote:
    On 22/01/2026 08:27, Tweed wrote:
    Graeme Wall <rail@greywall.demon.co.uk> wrote:
    Decision on Manchester-London 'ghost train' was uninformed, regulator
    admits. They didn't realise the train would be fully crewed on its wat
    south!

    <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2ydq20drlo>

    Despite their welcome admission of error, which is unusual these days, it
    does make me wonder about the quality of their other decisions. And
    despite
    the mea culpa, it took a few days of considerable negative publicity for
    the change of heart (if I remember correctly).

    Nothing in the article gives much of a clue into exactly what went wrong
    and why they didn't have full information to hand to make the correct decision.

    However a more inquiring mind should wonder what happens to the other services in the diagram if they cut out just one service.

    The whole point was that the unit was being moved south to form a
    northbound service. It was timetabled as a service train because it was
    making the move anyway. ORR didn't bother to check where the cabin crew
    were joining for the rest of the diagram.
    --
    Graeme Wall
    This account not read.



    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.2
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)