Timetable Planning – A Dark Art, Plus More

A very different subject for us this afternoon, presented by Dave Hepper, (Retired Operations Planning Manager) on “Timetable Planning, A Dark Art plus more”.

Dave started by explaining just what a complex procedure timetabling was. His work was primarily centred on the Great Eastern with trains from Liverpool Street to Colchester, Ipswich and Norwich. Pre-2012 the GE timetable was considered to be a shambles with, sometimes, the wrong length train working the wrong path at the wrong time. This was completely re-arranged in 2012 to cope for all the additional traffic required for the London Olympics. The new timetable was re-arranged for the whole of the Great Eastern and West Anglia.

We were totally amazed on all the different issues that needed to be considered prior to a train leaving the depot on a turn of duty. The planning officers had approximately twenty different areas of consideration before the train could run. Amongst these were the rolling stock diagrams, the drivers diagrams and driver rostering. Each of the categories had around eight or nine points to be looked at so that the train, if diesel, had sufficient fuel, where could it be re-fuelled, aspects of stabling between duties and at the end of the day, so that it was in the right place for the next day. We were all amazed at the detail involved.

Following the period after the Olympics, Dave moved on to  set up the timetabling etc. for the Elizabeth Line. One helpful aspect here was the introduction of services in different stages and at different times.

This well explained presentation gave us all a very different insight into our railway system..

Dave Elsdon

Branch Secretary