Village News & Notices

(1st February 2007)

Chiltern Trains Leave Children in the Cold

Chiltern trains, without any advertisement, consultation, or concern for the welfare of Young Students saw fit to withdraw the 16:05 service that stopped at Hagley Station, forcing the students to stand and wait on the cold platform. Students from Hagley Catholic and Haybridge High Scools now have to wait for the next train, the 16:21. As school finishes at 15:30, it can be a rush to catch the earlier 15:41 train. Local parents do not consider it acceptable to the young students and are organising protests to Chiltern Trains.

A letter of complaint was sent to Chiltern Trains who responded:

"Thank you for your letter of the 25 January 2007 regarding the timings of trains at Hagley station and noting in particular that the withdrawal of the Hagley and Blakedown calls from the 15.09 Dorridge to Kidderminster (16.05 from Hagley).

While I note your concern, I regret to inform you that it is not possible to arrange for the calls to be re-instated.

As part of the timetable changes implemented from December 2006, all trains from Birmingham Snow Hill to Stourbridge were allocated an additional minute in running time in an effort to improve the punctuality. As a result, the departure of the train in question from Stourbridge towards Kidderminster was changed from 16.01 to 16.02, and, if the calls had been retained, the arrival into Kidderminster would have moved from 16.13 to 16.14.

The train planning rules, as directed by Network Rail, state that all trains at Kidderminster must have a "turn-round allowance" of 12 minutes before their next working. In the case of this train, its next working is the 16.23 from Kidderminster to Stratford-upon-Avon. Prior to December Network Rail had agreed a specific dispensation from this rule to allow the train to turn round in 10 minutes, but a further reduction to 9 minutes is not physically possible.

Re-timing the 16.23 back from Kidderminster to come back later (say at 16.26, which is the normal hourly "pattern" time) has been examined, but there is a peak additional train 16.07 from Worcester Foregate Street to Shirley which departs from Kidderminster at 16.30 as well as the "regular" 16.17 from Worcester Shrub Hill to Dorridge departing Kidderminster at 16.36. The signalling on this stretch of line will not permit trains to run at less than 7 minute headways without delay, thus it is not possible to retime the back working such that the calls that you request can be re-instated.

I hope that I have explained the situation in an adequate manner, but please let me know if you need further clarification on any of these points.

Yours sincerely,

Customer Relations
Central Trains Limited
PO Box 4323
Birmingham
B2 4JB

16.23 from Kidderminster to Stratford-upon-Avon
16.07 from Worcester Foregate Street from Kidderminster 16:30 to Shirley
16.17 from Worcester Shrub Hill Kidderminster 16.36 to Dorridge"

A response to this is being prepared.

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