Snow Disruption 5/1/25-6/1/25

[LancasterRed]

Engineering work? Aren't Northern still running hourly 6 car trains to/from Buckshaw Parkway? And buses from there to/from Preston? Or has that now all fallen over?

I imagine that's what they'll end up on. Didn't have the time nor desire to stick around after grabbing my Too Good To Go

 

[ScotGG]

I get the impression from other forums that the snow was less severe than forecast in the south and midlands. In London there was a little covering at around midnight, but it had all gone by the morning. Even in the midlands, I think there may only be 1 or 2 cm that had pretty much all gone by the morning. So I doubt there would be any snow or ice related disruption in the south or midlands.

That was always the Met Office forecast. Warm front meets cold mass and transient snow for short few hours before very mild Sunday for large areas of southern UK.

It then gets spun by some of the useless press like the Express, Mail, Reach local titles like Essex live etc as severe all day snow in London and South/Midlands when it was always mostly a north of England/Scotland affair. Happens so often. Also, apps on phones are hopeless for forecasts especially severe weather.

Whenever there's severe weather possible I go to the Met Office and Netweather websites. The rest are invariably clickbait.

There's potential snow in Weds too in the south. Not nailed on. Met Office and Netweather state it's merely a chance and scope not known. Daily Express, Daily Mail, ITV morning TV, weather apps etc? Going nuts as ever about blizzards. Nothing is yet confirmed.

 

[rg177]

Buses in Huddersfield have resumed to some degree so I've managed to get an Arriva 203 to Leeds. General consensus from TPE staff was they don't think there'll be any buses anywhere all day.

 

[standish1]

Buses in Huddersfield have resumed to some degree so I've managed to get an Arriva 203 to Leeds. General consensus from TPE staff was they don't think there'll be any buses anywhere all day.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Jan 2025 ==

No local bus between Manchester and Huddersfield . 184 only going to Uppermill and then returning.

 

[geoffk]

As expected, no snow here in Exeter, just rain but that has stopped now and the sun even came out for a few minutes. Felt quite mild out.

 

[73001]

Merseyrail are also struggling this morning. Appears that attempts to operate south of Rock Ferry on the Chester/Ellesmere Port routes have difficult, with a limited bus replacement being offered.

There are also delays on other routes, though most seem to be operating.

This seems to be Merseyrails annual problem of really wet snow/sleet/rain washing the deicer off the third rail. It then freezes or snows properly and ice forms on the rail stopping the current from flowing. The new trains will be less forgiving than the 507/8 when it comes to dodgy current.

 

[trainophile]

Anyone fancy a guess at what tomorrow will look like, specifically TPE out of Liverpool and ManVic? Supposed to be going to Scarborough, non-refundable Travelodge, not feeling very optimistic.

 

[Sprinter107]

That was always the Met Office forecast. Warm front meets cold mass and transient snow for short few hours before very mild Sunday for large areas of southern UK.

It then gets spun by some of the useless press like the Express, Mail, Reach local titles like Essex live etc as severe all day snow in London and South/Midlands when it was always mostly a north of England/Scotland affair. Happens so often. Also, apps on phones are hopeless for forecasts especially severe weather.

Whenever there's severe weather possible I go to the Met Office and Netweather websites. The rest are invariably clickbait.

There's potential snow in Weds too in the south. Not nailed on. Met Office and Netweather state it's merely a chance and scope not known. Daily Express, Daily Mail, ITV morning TV, weather apps etc? Going nuts as ever about blizzards. Nothing is yet confirmed.

This is the problem. Our local newspaper Birmingham Mail is now a reach newspaper and its absolutely obsessed with weather. Multiple headlines on the same page about weather. It's very often for other areas, so I don't bother reading those articles anymore. But then there's going to be one occasion where it is for local weather, but many may not have read it, because they are fed up of Reach's policy of click bait.

 

[barringtoncem]

Everything running here to and from my local station with no delays reported had a brief covering of snow but this soon dissapeared when the rain started

 

[PG]

I did some digging.

A few folk may have been doing so as well

 

[rg177]

Managed to have a sprightly walk into Leeds Station by getting off the bus near Bridgwater Place. The absolute icing on the cake was the Newcastle service being almost ready to go, advertised as Platform 11B.

It was actually on 15, and has left with me as the only passenger, with a crowd waiting on 11B. I did tell the guard (after checking this was indeed for Newcastle) but we had the road and I suspect we just had to go. Next three TPE services to York and beyond are also cancelled.

So all's well that hopefully ends well for me. Just not any other poor soul on the platform

 

[realemil]

On the other hand, Glasgow has no snow - and apart from a signal failure towards Wemyss / Gourock, everything else seems to be ok

 

[far]

Needs to travel from NLW to YRK tomorrow and wondering whether I should stick to Northern on the Caldervale line and change at Leeds or splash out on TPE. At the moment, neither looks the better option.

 

[MikeWM]

I imagine it isn't snow related as we didn't get a lot around here and what there was melted some hours ago, but there seems to be rather major disruption between Ely and Peterborough due to the 1056 Norwich -> Liverpool 'breaking down' just after Ely North junction, and seems to have been stuck there for the last 3.5 hours. With south of Cambridge being closed, this is extremely disruptive for anyone trying to do east-west journeys today.

Rather unhelpfully, NRE is reporting this as 'disruption between Ely and Norwich' even though trains going that way appear to be running normally. The issue is between Ely and Peterborough. (GA's website is correctly reporting the location).

 

[Sleepy]

I imagine it isn't snow related as we didn't get a lot around here and what there was melted some hours ago, but there seems to be rather major disruption between Ely and Peterborough due to the 1056 Norwich -> Liverpool 'breaking down' just after Ely North junction, and seems to have been stuck there for the last 3.5 hours. With south of Cambridge being closed, this is extremely disruptive for anyone trying to do east-west journeys today.

Rather unhelpfully, NRE is reporting this as 'disruption between Ely and Norwich' even though trains going that way appear to be running normally. The issue is between Ely and Peterborough. (GA's website is correctly reporting the location).

Would imagine this information came from EMR as they are spouting between Norwich and Ely too. Surprised it's still blocking the line after 4 hours though.

 

[far]

Also currently trying to help a friend get from Leeds to Huddersfield. He was advised to get to Wakefield Kirkgate where he'd find a rail replacement bus. However, there's nobody around and even the Arriva's aren't running today.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Also currently trying to help a friend get from Leeds to Huddersfield. He was advised to get to Wakefield Kirkgate where he'd find a rail replacement bus. However, there's nobody around and even the Arriva's aren't running today.

Are you saying the hourly RRBs aren't now running? Should be departing xx40 from Wakefield Kirkgate.

Apart from that, anyone got any other ideas?

 

[dangie]

Please can someone explain why trains can't run if there's literally only a couple of inches of snow?
Is there a technical reason, or is it simply lack of staff?

 

[rg177]

Also currently trying to help a friend get from Leeds to Huddersfield. He was advised to get to Wakefield Kirkgate where he'd find a rail replacement bus. However, there's nobody around and even the Arriva's aren't running today.

The 202, 203, 229 and 254 have been running since about 1pm between Leeds and Huddersfield. There's also a 268 from Wakefield Bus Station to Dewsbury tracking (to change onto the 202/203). The 231/232 from Wakefield to Huddersfield aren't tracking and IIRC showed as cancelled on the boards at Huddersfield earlier.

At 1pm today there were absolutely no RRBs out of Huddersfield to anywhere (though the roads between Hudds and Leeds were fine if a bit slushy).

 

[Intercity_225]

I imagine it isn't snow related as we didn't get a lot around here and what there was melted some hours ago, but there seems to be rather major disruption between Ely and Peterborough due to the 1056 Norwich -> Liverpool 'breaking down' just after Ely North junction, and seems to have been stuck there for the last 3.5 hours. With south of Cambridge being closed, this is extremely disruptive for anyone trying to do east-west journeys today.

Rather unhelpfully, NRE is reporting this as 'disruption between Ely and Norwich' even though trains going that way appear to be running normally. The issue is between Ely and Peterborough. (GA's website is correctly reporting the location).

5Z99 is approaching the train to presumably try and rescue it and take it back to Ely.

 

[Spaceflower]

5Z99 is approaching the train to presumably try and rescue it and take it back to Ely.

Why would it take so long?

 

[Intercity_225]

Why would it take so long?

Absolutely no idea. I vividly remember seeing a 5Z99 a couple of hours ago which approached the train then reversed back into Ely. I am not very sure though.

1L04 was held near Manea (a service from Sheffield - Norwich) for about an hour at around 2pm, not sure why though. Maybe an evacuation took place.

 

[far]

The 202, 203, 229 and 254 have been running since about 1pm between Leeds and Huddersfield. There's also a 268 from Wakefield Bus Station to Dewsbury tracking (to change onto the 202/203). The 231/232 from Wakefield to Huddersfield aren't tracking and IIRC showed as cancelled on the boards at Huddersfield earlier.

At 1pm today there were absolutely no RRBs out of Huddersfield to anywhere (though the roads between Hudds and Leeds were fine if a bit slushy).

Ah thanks for that! Bustimes seemed to show no sign of the usual direct Wakefield to Huddersfield Arrivas

 

[Intercity_225]

5Z99 is approaching the train to presumably try and rescue it and take it back to Ely.

5Z99 is currently at the signal behind the failed unit, no idea what the plans are for this.

 

[rg177]

Service looks to have resumed between Leeds and Manchester. A Liverpool to Redcar has left Victoria.

 

[Spaceflower]

Service looks to have resumed between Leeds and Manchester. A Liverpool to Redcar has left Victoria.

Why was the extension to Saltburn so short lived?

 

[D6130]

Please can someone explain why trains can't run if there's literally only a couple of inches of snow?
Is there a technical reason, or is it simply lack of staff?

Given that large parts of Northern England were under 10-16 cm of snow this morning, I suspect that large numbers of traincrew will have had severe difficulties getting in to work.

 

[Intercity_225]

1L04 was held near Manea (a service from Sheffield - Norwich) for about an hour at around 2pm, not sure why though. Maybe an evacuation took place.

1L44 (14:22 Birmingham - Cambridge) is now also being held a few signals before the broken down train. Maybe an evacuation is taking place.

Never mind, it's now been given the route through. Annoying how major disruption could've been stopped if it had failed one signal earlier..

 

[Sleepy]

5Z99 is currently at the signal behind the failed unit, no idea what the plans are for this.

Fitters (from Nottingham) on site dealing with air leak before movement takes place.

 

[AndrewE]

This seems to be Merseyrails annual problem of really wet snow/sleet/rain washing the deicer off the third rail. It then freezes or snows properly and ice forms on the rail stopping the current from flowing. The new trains will be less forgiving than the 507/8 when it comes to dodgy current.

maybe they need to develop a shoe-mounted mini snowplough? Even if the front bogie hasn't got shoes (as they learned with the old units) then fit a dummy shoe or insulated plastic wheel on the bogie in front of the first shoe to support or carry the scraper?