That’s nice then. You wait in Moorfields for the 5:36 to West Kirby, and it doesn’t turn up. No announcement, just a big space where the train should be standing at the platform.
The ‘Information Board’ was totally cocked-up, changing every minute or so with what appeared to be a random selection of train destinations and times. There was an announcement that the the Chester/Ellesmere Port trains were in a mess, but that was all. My Brother and I were left wondering (like a few others, I suspect) whether we had somehow missed the 5:36 to West Kirby perhaps.
But no, it was indeed late, as I found out when it finally arrived in Moorfields at about ten to six. The ‘Information Board’ said that there was another one immediately behind it, but bearing in mind that the board had been changing like a fruit machine display, I decided to board the first train that was hopefully going my way – along with anyone also going to Chester as well, as the announcement told them to do.
Imagine the looks on my fellow passengers faces when the cattle truck- like train pulled into Conway Park and the guard announced that because the train was late it was now cancelled, and we were all to get off and stand on the platform to await the next one !
It is absolutely no wonder that people don’t believe in the Merseyrail PPM figures – I overheard a chap next to me saying that he believed they cancelled the train to avoid it being counted as late, and it is hard to argue with him. Why the bloody hell else would you piss people off like that – passengers who have paid for a journey that is already late, the delay has not been explained to them, and then you turf them off the train “because it’s late”?
Until I see a categoric explanation of how the PPM figures are calculated – I’ve searched the internet and can’t find an authoritative answer to this – I’m inclined to the popular belief that they are rigged. From a passengers perspective, it’s an almost unavoidable conclusion. And I’m not the only one who shares it.
UPDATE:
In an effort to get to the bottom of the question about the PPM figures, I have written to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) as follows:
Good evening,I am writing to ask if someone from your office can explain to me, in non-technical terms that a layman can understand, how the Public Performance Measure (PPM) figures for a rail operator are calculated.My specific interest is in an explanation of under what circumstances (if indeed there are any) a train does not count toward the operators PPM calculation, or if there is a circumstance(s) for which an operator can claim an exclusion for a particular train journey.I have tried to find the answer to this question myself, and can only find conflicting explanations.Your help with this request would be greatly appreciated.Best Regards
Trackback by MiseryRail — March 9, 2010 @ 10:43 pm
New blog post!: "This train is terminating because it's late …" http://bit.ly/dz0KTT
Comment by First Class — March 21, 2010 @ 12:19 am
The train terminates so that it can run back to form the service it should have been on:
For example:
The 0700 service from A to B is late by 30minutes.
This train should also be the 0800 train from place A. To avoid the 0800 also being delayed, the 0700 service is terminated on its way to place B and runs back empty to place A to start on time.
If this does not happen then the delays go round in circles. You have to cancel/short terminate trains in order to restore normal working.
This train causes multiple PPM failures:
1) For the late arrivals at each station it arrives more than 5 minutes late
2) For the cancelled service at each station the train does not call
However, in this instance, to avoid other diagrams this train should have been working also failing PPM, the decision was made to cancel one diagram to ensure it’s next working was on time.
Comment by First Class — March 21, 2010 @ 12:25 am
PPM Methodology
PPM combines figures for punctuality and reliability into a single performance measure.
PPM measures the performance of individual trains advertised as passenger services against their planned timetable as agreed between the Operator and Network Rail at 2200 the night before.
PPM is therefore the percentage of trains ‘on time’ compared to the total number of trains planned.
A train is defined as ‘on time’ if it arrives within five minutes (i.e. 4 minutes 59 seconds or less) of the planned destination arrival time for London and South East or regional services, or 10 minutes (i.e. 9 minutes 59 seconds or less) for long distance services.
Where a train fails to run its entire planned route calling at all timetables stations it will count as a PPM failure.
Delay Minute Methodology:
A delay minute is defined as a measure equating to one train being delayed for one minute when compared with the timetabled journey time between two points.
EFFECTIVELY, IT DOESN’T MATTER WHETHER THE TRAIN IS LATE OR CANCELLED, EITHER WAY IT STILL COUNTS AS A PPM FAILURE WITH A PENALTY.
IT IS EASIER AND QUICKER TO CANCEL TRAINS IN ORDER RUN THEM BACK TO RESTORE A NORMAL SERVICE- FAST. YOU CAN START SWAPPING UNITS ABOUT, BUT YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER STAFF WORKING HOUR LIMITS, 3 OR 6 CARRIAGE WORKINGS, TRAINS GOING BACK TO THE DEPOT FOR MAINTENANCE ETC… IT’S TOO MUCH TO WORK OUT DURING DISRUPTION WHEN A QUICK, EASY RESOLUTION IS TO CANCEL ONE DIAGRAM IN ORDER TO MAKE ITS NEXT ON TIME.