Delays, delays, delays - is it really all down to 'leaf fall'?

Benno said:

WSP (Wheel Slide Protection) or anti lock brakes in other words. Although WSP is being fitted to some brake blocked units most do not have it fitted and when they start to slide, they keep on sliding causing significant wheel damage. Disc braked units on the other hand have WSP fitted and will allow the wheels to rotate while still braking when a slide is detected therefore reducing the possibility of wheel damage..

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I know.

I was pointing out that brake blocked units are not the magic answer that someone tried to proclaim.

Today a 156 is making a rare appearance on the Mid-Cheshire line. You can tell which diagram the 156 is on as the services are running roughly to time on the Chester-Edgely Junction section, unlike the ones which have 142s on them.

It's not only leaf fall. Sitting at Truro this morning on my way to St Ives with 50 minutes or so to wait for a delayed service from Bristol Parkway to Penzance - we were told multiple times that they apologised for the train being delayed for 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20 and 22 minutes due to everything except leaf-fall and crew problems. At one point it was due to weather conditions between Castle Cary and Taunton, and because the train was calling at stations because of other trains being cancelled! This on a service that was calling at all stations anyway! Within 3-4minutes it was announced that our train was 6 minutes late and then 20 minutes late for different reasons which lead to one station staff muttering within earshot "I wish they'd make up their minds" At one point it was announced that a service to London Paddington was late arriving because of speed restrictions between Truro and Castle Cary! The train hadn't even arrived at Truro and was already late.
sometimes I think they'll fob off the public with any reason on these auto announcements. If they'd just have that phrase "because we don't know why" into the auto announcements then the public would be a damned site more accommodating .

Requeststop said:

At one point it was announced that a service to London Paddington was late arriving because of speed restrictions between Truro and Castle Cary!

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There was a blanket ESR (Emergency Speed Restriction) of 50mph between Castle Cary and Penzance yesterday.

This morning, a 50mph ESR has been imposed between Bournemouth and Eastleigh (until 1000) and Penzance and Cowley Bridge (until 0900) due to high winds.

In the last 2 days, I've had various combinations of signal failures, failed trains and waiting for crew members. Not a lot leafy there. I suspect attempting to enhance services with few new resources in May has simply highlighted how threadbare Northern has become

ChiefPlanner said:

As an ex operator , the horrible feeling when you lose braking traction due to leaf-fall is a very scary moment - especially in the dark. You can cope with slipping on departure - but the challenges of stopping are more worrying. What is it - rail / wheel contact is about the size of a 5p coin ?

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Quite noticeable at the back end too. At night the sound of locked wheels squealing along the rails can be accompanied by the sight of incinerated leaf mulch flying in the slipstream. Or approaching a station call at a known low adhesion blackspot with a full and standing doubled up train realising the driver is struggling to pull up at the barely long enough platform and having to contemplate local door only alighting.