I noticed something rather odd in the daily updates to the timetable database this morning: A number of schedules for the Liverpool / Preston services in the next timetable period (13 December 2015 to 14 May 2016) had been deleted and re-inserted.
Naturally I investigated, looking for the difference between the old and new versions, and I was surprised to see that the trains have been promoted from class 2 to class 1. So, for example, 2N76 09:28 Liverpool Lime Street High Level to Preston has been deleted, and replaced by 1N82 09:28 Liverpool Lime Street High Level to Preston.
The timings remain exactly the same, and the rolling stock is still indicated as "DMU Class 150, 153, 155 or 156".
I wonder what the significance of this change is, if any? Perhaps the signalmen will give these priority over the stopping services.
