MML disruption today (22/03)

[richieb1971]

Sitting at sharnbrook and no passenger traffic passed or moving in an hour.. freight all stopped too. Any news? Everything has been cancelled from St Pancras

 

[Nippy]

PHBT in the Wellingborough area

 

[DarloRich]

I believe a person has been hit by a train closing the line.

 

[Mag_seven]

Well bang goes an alternative route for those stuck at Euston.

 

[richieb1971]

Thank you. Some freight just moved so probably sorted now.

 

[Nippy]

Depends what train you are on. Some are diverting via the Up/Down Slow line passed the scene

 

[Nippy]

Just realised your probably line side aren't you? The Up/Down slow opened at around 10:30 from Wellingborough to Sharnbrook. 1C22 is approaching Wellingborough now.

 

[richieb1971]

I was line side. The Elstow/Mountsorrel was stuck at the north bound signal the whole duration I was there (1 hour), the southbound Tunstead/West Thurrock was stuck at Manton junction and the Bletchley/Peak Forest was stuck at Forders sidings. Not a single passenger train passed me. The wind got the better of me I didn't go dressed for the occasion so I am now at home.

Thanks for the information guys.

 

[Spartacus]

A big track circuit failure at Farringdon's buggered GTR up too.

 

[TheManOnThe172]

EMT website is suggesting that Derby<->London passengers travel via DONCASTER. I called them and asked whether they would honour tickets via Newark or Grantham.

The Customer Services agent initially insisted on Doncaster, but could offer no better logic than "that is where we have ticket acceptance arranged". She was very reluctant to even examine the Newark option "because there might be a problem with ticket acceptance with the operator of the train to Newark" - until I pointed out that this was an EMT service: not great product knowledge for someone based in Derby! She had to go away and ask a manager before eventually conceding that they would allow travel via Newark or Grantham - but I could not persuade her that it would be a good idea to add these options (with a note about the walk between stations in Newark) to the suggestions on the website.

Not EMT's fault that there is disruption, but so depressing to hit such pitiful Customer Services.

 

[jon0844]

Took longer than normal because it wasn't just someone jumping.

 

[DarloRich]

EMT website is suggesting that Derby<->London passengers travel via DONCASTER. I called them and asked whether they would honour tickets via Newark or Grantham.

The Customer Services agent initially insisted on Doncaster, but could offer no better logic than "that is where we have ticket acceptance arranged". She was very reluctant to even examine the Newark option "because there might be a problem with ticket acceptance with the operator of the train to Newark" - until I pointed out that this was an EMT service: not great product knowledge for someone based in Derby! She had to go away and ask a manager before eventually conceding that they would allow travel via Newark or Grantham - but I could not persuade her that it would be a good idea to add these options (with a note about the walk between stations in Newark) to the suggestions on the website.

Not EMT's fault that there is disruption, but so depressing to hit such pitiful Customer Services.

So you ring someone and then complain when they do the correct thing when they don't know the answer! There is no pleasing some people! Doncaster will have been suggested because MOST travelers lack the obsessive understanding of railway geography that posters here take as normal. Also Doncaster is a much bigger station with more staff and with better trains to carry all of the passengers. Little point telling people to use the one car train from Newark if 4 cars worth of people want to get on! Adding your routes will merely confuse the normal traveler. better to give clear, straight forward advice than the kind of convoluted nonsense loved here!

Further EMT will have arranged with LNER to accept tickets to Doncaster and briefed staff accordingly. I can imagine your response when challenged on the train to Newark or Grantham ( which may not stop at Doncaster!) about ticket validity!

Personally I think that the advice should be that travel via any practical route is acceptable in times of distribution but we don't live in a perfect world.

 

[TheManOnThe172]

So you ring someone and then complain when they do the correct thing when they don't know the answer!

I complain when a predictable situation (closure of MML south of Leicester) is badly handled.

I think most of us would expect each Police force to have a contingency plan for what do when a motorway is closed at a particular junction; why shouldn't we expect a TOC to have similar well-thought-out plans for closure of the various sections of their network?

 

[yorkie]

Personally I think that the advice should be that travel via any practical route is acceptable in times of distribution but we don't live in a perfect world.

Actually operators are required to allow reasonable alternatives.

https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/media/1057/acop015v3-pidd-2.pdf

TOCs should identify the most appropriate/regularly used alternative routes...

...During disruptive incidents passengers should not be discriminated against on the basis of operator and efforts should be made to deliver the same high standards to everyone. .

...ensure the best outcome for passengers.

I don't think it's reasonable to suggest passengers from Derby to London go all the way north to Doncaster; this was clearly a mistake.

They probably meant to say that acceptance was in place for travel via the ECML between Doncaster and London via all reasonable routes, which could involve intercepting the ECML at Doncaster, Retford, Newark, Grantham or Peterborough depending on individual circumstances.

 

[DarloRich]

Actually operators are required to allow reasonable alternatives.

Apologies - poorly phrased - I meant that it would help if that was communicated when alternative routes were announced and if it is i may have missed it! Also despite the rules it simply isnt a given such practical routes will be offered or honoured. I know from personal experience that this can be an issue. Luckily i am equipped to deal with such "challenging conversations". Not everyone is and nor should they be required to be so equipped just to get home!

 

[yorkie]

Apologies - poorly phrased - I meant that it would help if that was communicated when alternative routes were announced and if it is i may have missed it! Also despite the rules it simply isnt a given such practical routes will be offered or honoured. I know from personal experience that this can be an issue. Luckily i am equipped to deal with such "challenging conversations". Not everyone is and nor should they be required to be so equipped just to get home!

Oh yes, I agree!

 

[DarloRich]

why shouldn't we expect a TOC to have similar well-thought-out plans for closure of the various sections of their network?

they do! I have been stuck in some chaos on the motorways so i wouldn't be so sure the rest of the world has it any better!

I don't think it's reasonable to suggest passengers from Derby to London go all the way north to Doncaster; this was clearly a mistake.

They probably meant to say that acceptance was in place for travel via the ECML between Doncaster and London via all reasonable routes, which could involve intercepting the ECML at Doncaster, Retford, Newark, Grantham or Peterborough depending on individual circumstances.

I suspect that is right. That is the logical response. It might be sensible to travel to Sheffield and Chesterfield via Donny but there are other cross country options available for towns further south! ( Of course we don't know what the loads already on the trains are considering WCML was disrupted our of Euston at the same time - Also never discount the obvious desire just to get people moving and out of the way ASAP!)

 

[SirAlf]

Got to say the staff at Chesterfield were very good. Second time in just over 2 weeks this has happened, last time they advised going to Grantham, today there was a delayed Cross Country train to Birmingham which they advised me to take, now on a Virgin train to Euston.

Last time things worked out very well, today also looking good so far. There were tannoy announcements about how to claim Delay Repay, is it just me but personally I dont think its appropriate to claim when someone has been hit by a train, after all thats hardly the railways fault and I cant help thinking how it might hav affected the driver

 

[atraindriver]

<deleted>

 

[The_Train]

Lots of delays and cancellations at Leicester right now. Is part of the MML still closed or is the disruption now just occurring whilst EMT get trains and staff in the right places?

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Got to say the staff at Chesterfield were very good. Second time in just over 2 weeks this has happened, last time they advised going to Grantham, today there was a delayed Cross Country train to Birmingham which they advised me to take, now on a Virgin train to Euston.

Last time things worked out very well, today also looking good so far. There were tannoy announcements about how to claim Delay Repay, is it just me but personally I dont think its appropriate to claim when someone has been hit by a train, after all thats hardly the railways fault and I cant help thinking how it might hav affected the driver

Whilst it might strike you as perhaps inappropriate, the TOC itself certainly isn't losing out as they receive compensation from Network Rail, and Network Rail is ultimately responsible/liable for ensuring that no-one trespasses on the railway. That might necessitate platform-edge doors at all station, and we are obviously decades, at best, from that happening.

 

[sharpley]

Lots of delays and cancellations at Leicester right now. Is part of the MML still closed or is the disruption now just occurring whilst EMT get trains and staff in the right places?

I'm on a HST heading north between Bedford and Wellingborogh so lines now open. There was a half hourly service when I left STP @ 14:31, first stop Leicester

 

[SirAlf]

Didnt realise that, I'm becoming a regular train traveller and I don't yet understand a lot about the railway, such as the responsibilities of the TOC and Network Rail. But learning a lot from this forum. Still don't understand the routing guide, mind you

 

[jon0844]

Platform edge doors really wouldn't have helped here.

 

[The_Train]

I'm on a HST heading north between Bedford and Wellingborogh so lines now open. There was a half hourly service when I left STP @ 14:31, first stop Leicester

You seem to be running to time so hopefully that's a sign that things are getting back to normal. Keep your eyes right as you head out of Leicester as there are some decent locos in the depot - if that's your thing of course. If it isn't, keep your eyes right anyway and you'll see a lonely figure on platform 3

 

[gazzaa2]

One of those days today. A couple of fatalities on busy main lines, signalling problemscaround Milton Keynes causing havoc and the problems at Waterloo.

 

[westcoaster]

And

I'm on a HST heading north between Bedford and Wellingborogh so lines now open. There was a half hourly service when I left STP @ 14:31, first stop Leicester

This is what irk's me about EMT, if you live south of Leicester good luck getting home. It should be all stops to Leicester not first stop.

Line only cleared around 2, so a 4-5 hour closure.

 

[sharpley]

You seem to be running to time so hopefully that's a sign that things are getting back to normal. Keep your eyes right as you head out of Leicester as there are some decent locos in the depot - if that's your thing of course. If it isn't, keep your eyes right anyway and you'll see a lonely figure on platform 3

xx.31 and xx.05 both fast to Leicester only thing out of STP at the moment I think. I'm getting off at Leicester so can only view locos from a distance lol, not my thing though.

 

[DarloRich]

Lots of delays and cancellations at Leicester right now. Is part of the MML still closed or is the disruption now just occurring whilst EMT get trains and staff in the right places?

line has been open about 90 minutes. Trains and staff are displaced so disruption will continue.

 

[The_Train]

line has been open about 90 minutes. Trains and staff are displaced so disruption will continue.

Cheers for the info Rich