Entire 800/801/802 fleet stood down for safety checks

[43096]

The DFT will have to get moving now to come up with a longer term solution while these trains are out of service for remedial work. The obvious answer is to bring back a few stored HST’s, but the non-compliance issue will probably prevent that happening? I wonder what the DFT will come up with?

Given the scale of the problem, dispensations for non-compliant stock would very likely be granted.

 

[hwl]

1 x 9car 801 has been found with the issue, where as 11 of the 800/1s have the fault

LNER introduced most of the the bi-modes first before the electric only units hence this might be an indication of higher mileage units being more likely to be affected.

 

[Ceat0908]

Scotrails Hitachi class 385s are being checked today as well. Nothing found so far but if there is you might see HSTs stepping in.

do a lot of Waverley/Tweedbank drivers actually sign HST’s to do the North Berwicks/ Dunbars? I presume the Waverley drivers HST signing is based on the link They drive so could cause More headaches? Getting off course here though Lol...

 

[david1212]

So what is happening on the ground tonight, say you rolled up at Paddington booked on 1803 with no prior knowledge of the disruption ? As your stranded will GWR provide overnight accommodation as per NCC ? Get you to Bristol & provide a taxi ? Or tell you make your own arrangements & send them bill ?

If someone was planning a long distance journey such as that and hadn't checked anything at all prior to travelling they are completely irresponsible. That goes for any day.

Is it? I don't think it's reasonable for Joe Public to obsessively check journeys, especially if you've already got a ticket/reservation in your possession.

OK it would not happen today but pre-March 2020 passengers could have a flight into Heathrow or Gatwick or perhaps arrive on Eurostar then a booked rail ticket at 18xx from Paddington or Kings Cross to home lets say 150 miles.

First when might they learn of this? When they arrive at Heathrow, Gatwick or St Pancras or not until Paddington or Kings Cross? Regardless any ' do not travel ' notice is irrelevant. One way or another the requirement is either to get to the destination station or accommodation in London.

 

[Anonymous10]

Given the scale of the problem, dispensations for non-compliant stock would very likely be granted.

i could see them giving dispensation if a % of units are prm compliant and advertised as such on apps and stations ie every few hours for less used stations every hour for more used if possible that is

 

[Peter Sarf]

It occurs to me that if LNER are getting most of their fleet back for use so quickly then it follows that more of GWRs fleet are failing. Could the welding required be quite time consuming ?. If so then it is going to be a long time before GWR has anything like a reasonable fleet provision. That could make the provision of less immediately available stock or less suitable stock more likely.

 

[Annetts key]

442,s or perhaps Strategic reserve anyone? (tongue still firmly in cheek)

Thunderbird 2?

 

[Ianno87]

i could see them giving dispensation if a % of units are prm compliant and advertised as such on apps and stations ie every few hours for less used stations every hour for more used if possible that is

I recall that's been done before, with a warning on journey planners that "this train has less accessibility" (possibly the Pacers that survived beyond 31/12/19)

 

[800001]

It happens. I booked on for work before 5am. At that time there's no customer service station staff on duty so as I was making my way in from the car park a man approached and asked if I could help - at 0441 he received an email from the Trainline just about half an hour before the departure of his connecting train when he was already at the station saying that it was cancelled. I was early so had a look at what I could for him before booking on and advised him on alternate arrangements only to find that LNER were cancelling all of their trains in drips and drabs.

In the end I managed to get him sorted as as it happens he was travelling on my train anyway but if this was known about already it was poorly handled for those on early morning trains - the advice being issued by the auto emails was to travel on trains that a few minutes later were also being cancelled.

The issue only became know about at roughly 4am, it takes time to gain a full picture of what is actually happening, also

Are they hiring in the 90 from LS?

No that is railway dreams, nothing being hired at all.

 

[Sleepy]

I see Cross Country are doing their bit to help - additional 2030 Bristol - Plymouth (HST) 1Z94

 

[55002]

The issue only became know about at roughly 4am, it takes time to gain a full picture of what is actually happening, also

No that is railway dreams, nothing being hired at all.

Thanks

 

[Townsend Hook]

Full LNER service tomorrow, with exception of 12 cancellations.

Presumably a fair few will be 5-car vice 9/10, but then that’s still far better than no service at all.

 

[Watershed]

rightly or wrongly, I believe as GWR gave a 'code black' do not travel instruction on their website, their obligations are absolved.

You can stop incurring additional obligations by putting people off buying tickets, or potentially even refusing to sell any at all. But you can't simply absolve existing obligations by putting a notice on your website/station telling punters to get lost.

Because the conditions of carriage say onward travel 'where reasonably possible'

If you can arrange your own alternative transport (e.g. a taxi), it would probably have been reasonably possible for the TOC to do so. And therefore if they refused to help you out, they would be liable for the reasonable and mitigated cost of such alternatives.

 

[Anonymous10]

I see Cross Country are doing their bit to help - additional 2030 Bristol - Plymouth (HST) 1Z94

good to see that

I recall that's been done before, with a warning on journey planners that "this train has less accessibility" (possibly the Pacers that survived beyond 31/12/19)

thought as much that way people are pre warned and accesible services are still provided even if less often

 

[55002]

Presumably a fair few will be 5-car vice 9/10, but then that’s still far better than no service at all.

They been using the 9 car 801s

 

[Ianno87]

Presumably a fair few will be 5-car vice 9/10, but then that’s still far better than no service at all.

Not sure how that would work with compulsory reservations. You're booked train is running, but you don't have your seat reservation if you're in the unlucky half of the train.

 

[DanNCL]

They been using the 9 car 801s

There have been 5 car Azumas running on their own today too.

 

[hwl]

It occurs to me that if LNER are getting most of their fleet back for use so quickly then it follows that more of GWRs fleet are failing. Could the welding required be quite time consuming ?. If so then it is going to be a long time before GWR has anything like a reasonable fleet provision.

THe LNER failures sound like they are in the highest mileage units and GWR units typically have higher mileages in service than LNER as most have been in service longer.

 

[johntea]

OK it would not happen today but pre-March 2020 passengers could have a flight into Heathrow or Gatwick or perhaps arrive on Eurostar then a booked rail ticket at 18xx from Paddington or Kings Cross to home lets say 150 miles.

First when might they learn of this? When they arrive at Heathrow, Gatwick or St Pancras or not until Paddington or Kings Cross? Regardless any ' do not travel ' notice is irrelevant. One way or another the requirement is either to get to the destination station or accommodation in London.

On several flights I've been on (such as a Virgin Atlantic Orlando - Gatwick) they actually have a semi live news feed on the entertainment screens so you would probably be able to find out mid air, not that you would be able to do too much with the information but you would know before landing!

 

[Highlandspring]

Scotrails Hitachi class 385s are being checked today as well. Nothing found so far but if there is you might see HSTs stepping in.

Actually a /0 and a /1 have already been withdrawn from traffic after similar areas of concern have been found. Checks will be finished tomorrow and we’ll see if any more are affected.

 

[ainsworth74]

Fail to provide a unit for a service = penalty and for the day = big penalty. For the IEP fleet alone (800/801) today alone will have cost them a minimum of upper hundreds of thousands in penalties depending on quite what they managed to get out and when and most likely over a million. This is going to be very expensive.

Interesting thanks

I don't suppose you'd have any idea whether Hitachi would also be on the hook for any other consequential losses that the TOC suffers? Or is that all rolled into the penalty payment?

 

[Anonymous10]

On several flights I've been on (such as a Virgin Atlantic Orlando - Gatwick) they actually have a semi live news feed on the entertainment screens so you would probably be able to find out mid air, not that you would be able to do too much with the information but you would know before landing!

honestly by that point id rather just not know id just be panicking

 

[LOL The Irony]

This is not looking good at all. Talk of hiring emergency fleets, at least 10-14 days before returning to service? I hope Hitachi have a fair few million down the back of the sofa.

 

[800001]

There have been 5 car Azumas running on their own today too.

One 5 car unit in use today!!

 

[55002]

There have been 5 car Azumas running on their own today too.

Only 1wasn’t there? on an out and back Leeds this afternoon

 

[DanNCL]

One 5 car unit in use today!!

Only 1wasn’t there? on an out and back Leeds this afternoon

Didn't realise it was only one, thought it was more than that!

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

GWR showing hourly service in their journey planners for tomorrow presumably expect enough units to cover that even if some are 5 cars

 

[Omnishambles]

This is not looking good at all. Talk of hiring emergency fleets, at least 10-14 days before returning to service? I hope Hitachi have a fair few million down the back of the sofa.

Any confirm on this ? Just seeing conjecture, gossip and rumour at the moment

 

[55002]

Didn't realise it was only one, thought it was more than that!

800101 did Inverness to KGX and 1730 KGX-EDB, 800105 did 0648 Glasgow to KGX, 1430 KGX-EDB, 2000 EDB-NCL, think was 800209 on the Leeds, rest were 801s

 

[43096]

Any confirm on this ? Just seeing conjecture, gossip and rumour at the moment

If nothing else, I think you have the most appropriate name on here for this thread!