Buxton Line

[tonysk14]

Due to a landslip caused by very heavy rain, the Buxton Line is closed between Hazel Grove and Buxton until at least Wenesday morning.

 

[lincolnshire]

Wondered why it was rail replacement today.

or

Is it a new automatic ballast cleaning system then?

 

[kevconnor]

Are Hope Valley Services also diverted?

 

[yorksrob]

Shame they can't do a divert via Peak Forest.

 

[dggar]

Shame they can't do a divert via Peak Forest.

Wouldn't be a lot of help for passengers from Whaley Bridge or Disley

 

[yorksrob]

Wouldn't be a lot of help for passengers from Whaley Bridge or Disley

True, but better to help who you can.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Anything to Buxton is starting / terminating from Hazel Grove with rail replacement running from Hazel Grove to Buxton.

There's a 156 trapped at Buxton (along with probably one or two others), so I very much doubt that Single Line Working could be used as far as New Mills Newtown and then work back to Buxton.

 

[185143]

Visited Middlewood today.

 

[30907]

There's a 156 trapped at Buxton (along with probably one or two others), so I very much doubt that Single Line Working could be used as far as New Mills Newtown and then work back to Buxton.

Sorry, don't follow your train of thought
Surely, having the units means that a shuttle could be introduced?

 

[Kingsbury Jn.]

Sorry, don't follow your train of thought
Surely, having the units means that a shuttle could be introduced?

Are there any refuelling facilities on that section? Otherwise it could be a short term service.

 

[Signal Head]

Are there any refuelling facilities on that section? Otherwise it could be a short term service.

Not since the depot at Buxton shut years ago, I suspect. Anyway the layout and signalling at Buxton doesn't make for easy access to the Peak Forest line from the station, it needs a reversal in the sidings, by the time you've faffed about with that, it's probably quicker to use a bus.

 

[miami]

Shame they can't do a divert via Peak Forest.

For those of us without knowlege of the area, why can't they? Is the track from Tunstead to Buxton nolonger there?

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H32962/2016/06/12/advanced

Shows that the trains to Tunstead are still running

 

[Signal Head]

From Northern's website:

"Due to a landslip between Disley and Hazel Grove all lines are blocked.
Impact:
Train services running through these stations have been cancelled. Disruption is expected until the end of the day on 19/06/16.
Customer Advice:
Due to a landslip services between Hazel Grove and Buxton, in both directions, are suspended - Network Rail staff are on site it is estimated that five to six tonnes of debris are currently blocking the line an estimate for repair is not currently available.
Rail replacement road transport is in operation between Stockport & Buxton."


So it's going to be shut for a week. What is interesting is that this mentions tons of debris blocking the track, which suggests a slip onto the track from above, whereas the photos from Middlewood clearly show the track undermined by a slip out from under the formation.

I wonder if this is just miscommunication (the same information was put out early in the incident, maybe before the full facts were known), or is there another blockage, of a different type, elsewhere?

 

[Kite159]

Doesn't look good, especially around that area with poor road access

 

[Loop & Link]

Are there any refuelling facilities on that section? Otherwise it could be a short term service.

There aren't, any units that are trapped will require moving probably on a 'one journey only' basis to get them back to Newton Heath/Longsight for fuel.

 

[palmersears]

When I arrived at Hazel Grove this morning I found the 06:44 TPE, which usually passes straight through, made, what appears from RTT, to be a scheduled stop. This is repeated for the next two xx:44 services as well.

Nice to see a bit of collaboration between Northern and TPE to help try and lessen the impact, particularly given a large number of folk will probably bail on the RRB at Hazel Grove instead of continuing to Stockport.

 

[yorksrob]

For those of us without knowlege of the area, why can't they? Is the track from Tunstead to Buxton nolonger there?

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H32962/2016/06/12/advanced

Shows that the trains to Tunstead are still running

The route through peak forest to Buxton is there to my knowledge. If they can't operate over there I would assume it to be something to do with lack of route knowledge, or possibly deficient signalling at Buxton. Someone with more knowledge than me will probably be along to say.

 

[3141]

I've travelled last year from Buxton to Chinley via Peak Forest on a railtour. As an earlier post says, you have to reverse in the sidings at Buxton. Then there's a lot of single track, which may mean that the service frequency that can be provided would be less than normal. You'd probably need extra staff to supervise the reversing, and Northern drivers may not have the appropriate route knowledge. This might be worth sorting out if the blockage was going to last months, but for a week then replacement buses are the obvious answer.

 

[Dr Hoo]

There was an extra freight move from Heck to Dowlow the other week that ran via Peak Forest and the Buxton run-round. It had to wait at Earles Sidings loop (near Hope) for three and a half hours for its path forward.

That illustrates how little spare/diversionary capacity there is that way even before you start thinking about route knowledge.

 

[Greybeard33]

According to the Sectional Appendix, no DMUs are currently route cleared for the Peak Forest freight line. Also TPWS is not provided.

 

[A0]

Surprised they haven't also put road transport from Buxton - Macclesfield as well. That would at least give passengers for Stockport and Manchester a slightly better journey.

 

[Greybeard33]

Surprised they haven't also put road transport from Buxton - Macclesfield as well. That would at least give passengers for Stockport and Manchester a slightly better journey.

What, a RRB over the Cat and Fiddle a better journey? Are you serious?

 

[DarloRich]

What, a RRB over the Cat and Fiddle a better journey? Are you serious?

can we? that WILL be fun coming down round those bends in a big double decker. It will like the Italian job

BTW was there not once a railway radio transmitter next to the cat and fiddle?

 

[A0]

What, a RRB over the Cat and Fiddle a better journey? Are you serious?

No reason why not - in fact didn't Virgin use to run a link bus from Buxton - Macclesfield providing through tickets to London? Saved travelling via Manchester to get to London. I assume that used the Cat & Fiddle - and it's not the middle of winter....

 

[Philip C]

can we? that WILL be fun coming down round those bends in a big double decker. It will like the Italian job

There is an hourly bus between Macclesfield and Buxton. Why does it have to be a double-decker anyway?

 

[brompton rail]

No reason why not - in fact didn't Virgin use to run a link bus from Buxton - Macclesfield providing through tickets to London? Saved travelling via Manchester to get to London. I assume that used the Cat & Fiddle - and it's not the middle of winter....

There is an hourly bus service Buxton to Macclesfield- all that is needed is agreement between Virgin West Coast and High Peak Buses, tho' that could take longer than a week to arrange!

 

[DarloRich]

There is an hourly bus between Macclesfield and Buxton. Why does it have to be a double-decker anyway?

because double deckers are more fun! you can sit at the front of the top desk and pretend to drive!

 

[Bletchleyite]

What, a RRB over the Cat and Fiddle a better journey? Are you serious?

There's a service bus if people want to do that, isn't there? Though I don't believe it's frequent these days. Edit: it's actually hourly, so not too bad.

It is a very enjoyable ride in summer, though. I did it a couple of times in the days of the Virgin-Stagecoach RailLinks.

 

[Haydn1971]

When I arrived at Hazel Grove this morning I found the 06:44 TPE, which usually passes straight through, made, what appears from RTT, to be a scheduled stop. This is repeated for the next two xx:44 services as well.

The EMT service to Liverpool that followed also stopped at Hazel Grove - we were a tad confused at Stockport looking different !

 

[edwin_m]

When I arrived at Hazel Grove this morning I found the 06:44 TPE, which usually passes straight through, made, what appears from RTT, to be a scheduled stop. This is repeated for the next two xx:44 services as well.

Nice to see a bit of collaboration between Northern and TPE to help try and lessen the impact, particularly given a large number of folk will probably bail on the RRB at Hazel Grove instead of continuing to Stockport.

I may be being thick here but what reason is there to stop the TPE and EMT trains additionally, if the trains that are supposed to be going to Buxton are terminating at Hazel Grove, which therefore has a normal service towards Manchester?