• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Oh dear on the ECML

Status
Not open for further replies.

elementalpat

Member
Joined
7 Nov 2011
Messages
81
Well, good luck to the people who have to travel down/up here later on.

Some major electrical issues on the line earlier and now a broken down train at Huntingdon to boot!
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

stut

Established Member
Joined
25 Jun 2008
Messages
1,899
Ah, I wondered why there was a 225 sat on the Down Fast at Biggleswade earlier...
 

Schnellzug

Established Member
Joined
22 Aug 2011
Messages
2,926
Location
Evercreech Junction
yes, this is why i sincerely hope that NR have learned the lessons for these new electrification schemes, or we may ask for the third rail back.
 

Max

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
8 Jun 2005
Messages
5,455
Location
Cardiff
I think I've managed to get off very lightly. On the 1640 KGX-PBO service, where I'm changing onto East Coast. All okay so far although I did see the stricken 225 being dragged southbound under 67 power.
 

fraser158

Member
Joined
7 Feb 2011
Messages
156
Location
Inverness
Earlier on the East Coast JourneyCheck page there was mention of a 1335 Retford - Inverness, but this has now been terminated at Edinburgh.

*Edit*
But NRE lists the Chieftain is still running about 70 mins late at Edinburgh. Why isn't this mentioned on the EC JourneyCheck page?
 
Last edited:

tsr

Established Member
Joined
15 Nov 2011
Messages
7,400
Location
Between the parallel lines
Hopefully, I will be able to talk to some folks I know to get a first-hand account of the true levels of disruption to FCC services in the evening peak. If there are any interesting alterations to report, besides what's posted here, I'll tell you. I did notice one or two EC services stopped at Huntingdon when they were most certainly not scheduled to earlier, which was interesting enough.

I have seen that there have been a good few cancellations earlier through the area on EC, and some delays of at least 30 minutes and often more on FCC and other TOCs. EC have had delays up to around 180 minutes, too!
 

GB

Established Member
Joined
16 Nov 2008
Messages
6,457
Location
Somewhere
yes, this is why i sincerely hope that NR have learned the lessons for these new electrification schemes, or we may ask for the third rail back.

You do realise this is the second time recently that you have insinuated its an NR fault when it isnt?

This has nothing to do with the OLE but rather a loss of signalling caused by someone outside the industry cutting a cable.
 

ushawk

Established Member
Joined
5 Nov 2010
Messages
1,965
Location
Eastbourne
This has nothing to do with the OLE but rather a loss of signalling caused by someone outside the industry cutting a cable.

Thought the power outage to signals was caused by a few blown fuses, which could happen anywhere to any business.
 

D365

Veteran Member
Joined
29 Jun 2012
Messages
11,397
Yep, saw the broken 225 parked on the down fast at about 3.35 as I was cycling home from school. There's often been trains parked at Huntingdon for one reason or another.

No denying that there have been quite a number of infrastructure issues on the ECML.
 

Aictos

Established Member
Joined
28 Apr 2009
Messages
10,403
I think I've managed to get off very lightly. On the 1640 KGX-PBO service, where I'm changing onto East Coast. All okay so far although I did see the stricken 225 being dragged southbound under 67 power.

I think you will find it wasn't a Class 67 which rescued it but rather a Class 66 - I saw it twice (once running northbound light engine and the second time dragging the train towards Huntingdon).

I know this is usual but I'm positive I know what I saw!
 

Max

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
8 Jun 2005
Messages
5,455
Location
Cardiff
I think you will find it wasn't a Class 67 which rescued it but rather a Class 66 - I saw it twice (once running northbound light engine and the second time dragging the train towards Huntingdon).

I know this is usual but I'm positive I know what I saw!

I have to admit that I saw it at fairly high speed and, seeing the EWS livery, I simply assumed it was a 67! Quite an unusual working for a 66 I would imagine.
 

LNW-GW Joint

Veteran Member
Joined
22 Feb 2011
Messages
19,555
Location
Mold, Clwyd
This has nothing to do with the OLE but rather a loss of signalling caused by someone outside the industry cutting a cable.

So your core business is flat on its back and you are playing the blame game?
Who's job is it to keep the lights on so trains can run?

Thought the power outage to signals was caused by a few blown fuses, which could happen anywhere to any business.

Just another day at the office then...


Not deliberately trying to be awkward, but sometimes the ostrich mentality gets my goat.
Just add up the delay minutes.
 

Crossforth

Established Member
Joined
20 Aug 2009
Messages
1,337
Location
Lancashire
That explains why there was an EC 225 set sat at Neville Hill all afternoon then.
 
Last edited:

the sniper

Established Member
Joined
4 Sep 2007
Messages
3,500
So your core business is flat on its back and you are playing the blame game?
Who's job is it to keep the lights on so trains can run?

I blame the BTP. Why they don't have Bobbies stood along the ECML at 1 mile intervals so that they can keep the line clear, prevent cable cutting and find cuts when they happen, I just don't know. Things really have gone backwards in the last two centuries...
 
Joined
21 Oct 2010
Messages
1,040
Location
Leeds
The signaling issues today were quite bad but it was the failure of 1D13 1205 KX-LDS which caused the biggest problems, it took some time to rescue it and get it out of the way.
 

Aictos

Established Member
Joined
28 Apr 2009
Messages
10,403
I have to admit that I saw it at fairly high speed and, seeing the EWS livery, I simply assumed it was a 67! Quite an unusual working for a 66 I would imagine.

That's what I thought, just goes to prove that East Coast don't have to be restricted to using the 67s to rescue failures as 66s can be used - although the 66s don't have ETS.

I blame the BTP. Why they don't have Bobbies stood along the ECML at 1 mile intervals so that they can prevent cable cutting and find cuts when they happen, I just don't know. Things really have gone backwards in the last two centuries...

I'm going to take this as a windup as surely not even the poster is that idiotic to suggest a massive waste of limited resources by deploying staff in such a way!

Why not overhaul the scrap industry and regulate it, therefore making it harder for scrap thieves to nick signalling cabling and try to sell it onto crooked scrap dealers.

The signaling issues today were quite bad but it was the failure of 1D13 1205 KX-LDS which caused the biggest problems, it took some time to rescue it and get it out of the way.

What exactly was the problem which caused it to be declared a failure?
 

the sniper

Established Member
Joined
4 Sep 2007
Messages
3,500
I'm going to take this as a windup as surely not even the poster is that idiotic to suggest a massive waste of limited resources by deploying staff in such a way!

Good. ;)

Though considering how ludicrous some posts are on Rail UK sometimes, I can appreciate it's hard to spot who's joking and who is being deadly serious.
 

sidmouth

Member
Joined
11 Aug 2010
Messages
197
Location
Peterborough
Just reading through the EC forums (one held late this afternoon), and came across this
http://www.talk.eastcoast.co.uk/
(post 724)
" Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:48 pm
Re: 3hr delays today due to breakdown at Huntingdon
Thank you for the comment -

The issue with the set failure today was related to power on the locomotive which prevented any traction power being gained over 5MPH. All efforts where made by our Control and the driver to get the set working under its own power which involved the driver changing ends and attempting to drive back from the southend.

Unfortunately this proved fruitless and altenrtaive contingent arrangements had to be deployed with a rescue locomotive being taken from a freight train at Biggleswade to go and assist (as this was considered to be a quicker option than to wait for the rescue loco from Kings Cross) at the same time a rescue loco was run from Doncaster to assist from the North end. This action ensured that all eventuality was covered in rescue arrangements.

The additonal time is then taken to attach the rescue locomotive and wait for the air to build up throughout the train so that the brakes can be released and the added complication was that a set of points had to be secured as it was a wrong directional movement to Huntingdon to finally move the set clear.

So in essence the response was effective and the correct fault finding proceedures where applied to try and avoid the need for a rescue locomotive, unfortunately due to the location and the fact that Network Rail staff had just finished responding to a major signalling failure at Grantham earlier made recovery slightly more difficult that it would normally have been.

Kind Regards

Danny Williams
Operations Director
"
 

PaxVobiscum

Established Member
Joined
4 Feb 2012
Messages
2,395
Location
Glasgow
"The issue with the set failure today was related to power on the locomotive which prevented any traction power being gained over 5MPH. All efforts where made by our Control and the driver to get the set working under its own power which involved the driver changing ends and attempting to drive back from the southend."

Not sure I'd want to be on or anywhere near a train being driven from the wrong end (or even the back cab of the loco). :)
 

stut

Established Member
Joined
25 Jun 2008
Messages
1,899
Not sure I'd be too happy being driven to Southend if I was trying to get to Yorkshire...
 
Joined
30 Dec 2008
Messages
127
Location
London
Yes but the set's have cabs at both ends, and my meaning is that the driver changed ends and into the DVT's cab and attempted to take power from there, suggesting that there may have been a problem with the cab controls or safety systems in the 91's north facing cab.
 

Aictos

Established Member
Joined
28 Apr 2009
Messages
10,403
Ah, I knew they had used the 66 from the Plasmor sidings at Biggleswade - granted I wasn't aware about the Doncaster 67 though.
 

Schnellzug

Established Member
Joined
22 Aug 2011
Messages
2,926
Location
Evercreech Junction
You do realise this is the second time recently that you have insinuated its an NR fault when it isnt?

This has nothing to do with the OLE but rather a loss of signalling caused by someone outside the industry cutting a cable.

yeah, but it's all very well having super high tech centralised control of everything if everything can be stopped for hours on end by one thing going wrong. That's the problem with centralisation of everything, one thing going wrong can stop everything, and everyone has to wait hours while Rapid Response Squads scramble in a van from 150 miles away.* And it's exactly the same whether it's signalling or power supply. It's really not a great step forward.



* before anyone takes me literally and says "actually, they came from Peterborough, which is only 76 miles", I'm being Rhetorical
 

dviner

Member
Joined
7 Oct 2010
Messages
246
yeah, but it's all very well having super high tech centralised control of everything if everything can be stopped for hours on end by one thing going wrong. That's the problem with centralisation of everything, one thing going wrong can stop everything, and everyone has to wait hours while Rapid Response Squads scramble in a van from 150 miles away.* And it's exactly the same whether it's signalling or power supply. It's really not a great step forward.

You may not think that it's a great step forward, but it's the step forward being taken.

The national railway network is not a quaint little heritage line, it's a great big industrial monster that needs to evolve to survive.

If you were building the railway network from scratch today would you build it with loads of little signal boxes operated by men pulling levers and communicating with bells?
 

mailman

Member
Joined
11 Feb 2011
Messages
127
So is this the folly of going electric instead of sticking to diesel? (of course assuming there were very real reasons for moving away from diesel in the first place?).

Mailman
 
Joined
28 Feb 2009
Messages
202
Earlier on the East Coast JourneyCheck page there was mention of a 1335 Retford - Inverness, but this has now been terminated at Edinburgh.

*Edit*
But NRE lists the Chieftain is still running about 70 mins late at Edinburgh. Why isn't this mentioned on the EC JourneyCheck page?

At first, a Southbound HST was turned around at Retford with a view to running to Inverness. However, because of the length of the disruption, this train was terminated at Edinburgh to provide stock for a Southbound service, and it was the 'original' Highland Chieftain, which was 'only' around an hour late leaving England, that ran through to Inverness.
 

ChiefPlanner

Established Member
Joined
6 Sep 2011
Messages
7,768
Location
Herts
So is this the folly of going electric instead of sticking to diesel? (of course assuming there were very real reasons for moving away from diesel in the first place?).

Mailman

The incident was to do with (a) cable problems in the Grantham area (b) a 91 which developed a fault after standing for a while , so it could not move above 5mph.

On the grounds that the down fast was blocked in the peak at Radlett last Friday with a HST which had "loss of air" - am not sure why there is a vendetta in your views about electric traction.

Are you suggesting a return to A4 Pacifics ?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
So is this the folly of going electric instead of sticking to diesel? (of course assuming there were very real reasons for moving away from diesel in the first place?).

Mailman

The incident was to do with (a) cable problems in the Grantham area (b) a 91 which developed a fault after standing for a while , so it could not move above 5mph.

On the grounds that the down fast was blocked in the peak at Radlett last Friday with a HST which had "loss of air" - am not sure why there is a vendetta in your views about electric traction.

Are you suggesting a return to A4 Pacifics ?
 

davido39

Member
Joined
13 Jan 2012
Messages
130
Not sure I'd be too happy being driven to Southend if I was trying to get to Yorkshire...

Or even Northend for that matter, I am sure there are no tracks leading to this particular football ground! :roll::lol:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top