Bantamzen
Established Member
I know what its like to have been feet away from a lightning strike, very scary indeed!
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Weather Disruption caused by storm Ciara (February 9th, 10th and 11th)
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I know what its like to have been feet away from a lightning strike, very scary indeed!
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LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
A chaotic morning at Liverpool Lime St today, with multiple cancellations in all directions other than Wigan.
It was really difficult working out how to get to Manchester, with repeated cancellations via both CLC and Chat Moss routes.
There were several instances of trains being announced, boarded and then cancelled at the very point of departure.
I eventually joined the 1102 to Warrington BQ, intending to change at Earlestown, but was told that it would become the 1127 to Crewe instead.
But then 10 minutes later that was reversed and we set of for Warrington after all.
What I find so frustrating is the way the PIS (station, platform and on board) is so often out of sync with each other in such circumstances.
Plus the fact that nobody will give you best alternatives: the trains are just "cancelled".
The reasons offered for cancellation varied from a broken down train earlier/train fault/bad weather/late arrival etc, seemingly out of RDG's random excuse generator.
Nobody mentioned a fatality or OHLE damage which I gather were a couple of the real reasons for the chaos.
Trains from Chester were cancelled because of "bad weather", which was patently not true today, as some trains on this shuttle service were getting through.
I never discovered where the "broken down train" incident in Manchester had happened.
It would take a clever broken down train to block all the routes into Manchester from Liverpool.
I greatly sympathise with the staff struggling with the storm and its aftermath, but the communications systems in such situations are just useless.
Meanwhile, downstairs Merseyrail were running pretty much like clockwork.
It was really difficult working out how to get to Manchester, with repeated cancellations via both CLC and Chat Moss routes.
There were several instances of trains being announced, boarded and then cancelled at the very point of departure.
I eventually joined the 1102 to Warrington BQ, intending to change at Earlestown, but was told that it would become the 1127 to Crewe instead.
But then 10 minutes later that was reversed and we set of for Warrington after all.
What I find so frustrating is the way the PIS (station, platform and on board) is so often out of sync with each other in such circumstances.
Plus the fact that nobody will give you best alternatives: the trains are just "cancelled".
The reasons offered for cancellation varied from a broken down train earlier/train fault/bad weather/late arrival etc, seemingly out of RDG's random excuse generator.
Nobody mentioned a fatality or OHLE damage which I gather were a couple of the real reasons for the chaos.
Trains from Chester were cancelled because of "bad weather", which was patently not true today, as some trains on this shuttle service were getting through.
I never discovered where the "broken down train" incident in Manchester had happened.
It would take a clever broken down train to block all the routes into Manchester from Liverpool.
I greatly sympathise with the staff struggling with the storm and its aftermath, but the communications systems in such situations are just useless.
Meanwhile, downstairs Merseyrail were running pretty much like clockwork.
AFAIK you cannot get day returns MAN-EUS.
Airport lone I believe. Northern told me there was also a trespass incident in the Deansgate area, which stopped everything for a while, plus at one point Oxford Road was down to one usable through platform... not good at all.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Indeed not, though he could have an Off Peak Single Online I suppose, having used an Advance for the outward.
This is fairly typical, though - if you have an Advance and the booked train is cancelled you can take the next one, but with an Off Peak if the next train is peak they tell you to get lost.
It looks like trains are running but there's a big gap between services. Probably because all the trains are queued up near Carlisle - it does look like those are moving now though, so the WCML is open at last hopefully.
It was chaos at Lime Street last night too. I arrived in good time to catch the 19.25 Man Oxford Road service which on NRE Live Departures was showing as still running but delayed. But all of the departure boards in the station were just displaying words to the affect of "All services suspended due to Storm Ciara".
The station was deserted and I could see no staff to ask if it was true that there were no trains, so, having just missed a bus home I went to a pub for a pint and to wait half an hour for the next bus.
I decided to check Live Departures and "hey presto", the 19.25 departed on time!
Anyway, I got the bus home and checked to see if the 20.26 to Man Oxford Road ran, and yes, you guessed it, it did!
Fortunately I could get a bus home, but I wonder how many people couldn't and were forced to fork out money on a taxi!
For those bemoaning the selling of tickets during disruption, something I saw at Manchester Piccadilly today:
(Images show notes taped to ticket machines reading "Due to severe disruption across the country, please check with staff before purchasing a ticket.")
(Images show notes taped to ticket machines reading "Due to severe disruption across the country, please check with staff before purchasing a ticket.")
I've created a new thread here to talk about the train stuck outside Piccadilly which was not weather related as far as we know.
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/train-stuck-just-outside-manchesterpiccadilly-mon-10-02.200129/
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/train-stuck-just-outside-manchesterpiccadilly-mon-10-02.200129/
70014IronDuke
Established Member
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There should be a legal requirement to ensure stuff like this has to be stored safely when storm warnings are given in advance. Failure should lead to a hefty fine.
70014IronDuke
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TfW says there is a "good service" on the Heart of Wales line.
Well, it's good if transferring to /from train and bus at Llandod and Llandovery counts as good.
Anyone know what the damage is in the central section?
Well, it's good if transferring to /from train and bus at Llandod and Llandovery counts as good.
Anyone know what the damage is in the central section?
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
There is a good "Planned" service. There is no damage from Storm Ciara. Planned Engineering Work, believed to be vegetation clearance work.
How do you prove who it belongs too?
It is. People are thoughtless unfortunately.
70014IronDuke
Established Member
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OK, good to know it's planned engineering work - thanks for that.
However, I don't consider that a "good service" - there should be an asterisk or whatever with a note clearly stating that it's going to be delayed due to this work. The initial glance indicates 'everything's fine' when it isn't.
70014IronDuke
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Obviously that may prove difficult. Probably 80% of the time they'd get away with it. That isn't the point - people should be made to think and realise that the may be personal consequences from their irresponsible lack of action.
Having driven the section of the M6 between Birmingham and Warrington when the smart motorway upgrades covered a large section of it, I can confirm it is boring, although not difficult to maintain concentration.
A Challenge
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What's the locked about at the bottom of the first picture? Anyway, they'd still insist you had a ticket, just not to buy it before you've checked the journey is possible.
davetheguard
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Not a major event in the great scheme of things, but it looks like the northern half of the Barnstaple branch is closed with a tree down on the line. Trains turning round at Eggesford or Crediton. The last train to leave Barnstaple was at 16.31; the next three after that (17.33; 18.38; 19.42) have been cancelled.
GWR struggling to get hold of taxis in the area.
GWR struggling to get hold of taxis in the area.
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Jona26
Member
I wonder if any of the owners involved in these incidents have had the nerve to ask for them back?
People should be made to think? You are asking a bit much there. This is the country where people faff around in checkout queues looking for their payment card when asked to pay, instead of doing that during the idle 10 minutes they were waiting in the queue beforehand. This is the country where people think they can engross themself in a smartphone and walk around a busy town centre without walking into people. This is the country where people walk into a shop and stop in the doorway, so that no-one else can get in or out. This is the country where dog walkers act like gas, they fill any space they are put in, so anyone approaching from behind has to walk at a snails pace because their dog has to sniff every square inch of the ground, and there is no space to overtake. The UK population by large doesn't do thinking.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I suppose the railway could sue for the cost which would come off the third party liability part of the owner's home insurance.
leytongabriel
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Greater Anglia at it again? So there was a tree blocking services at Bishop's Stortford. Hertford E services seemed to be running. Tottenham Hale completely closed. Information screens not showing any useful information. No services to Stratford.
Now I can perfectly understand that services to Stortford, Cambridge and Stansted would be in trouble. But correct me if I'm wrong, hasn't a few million just been spent on a third track for the Meridian Water shuttle? Why weren't these running at least? Why the lack of information on screens?
Why no announcements to update passengers waiting on Lea Valley stations? Couldn't Stortford stoppers have been turned round earlier? It looked like oops a tree, down tools all round, from a passenger perspective.
Now I can perfectly understand that services to Stortford, Cambridge and Stansted would be in trouble. But correct me if I'm wrong, hasn't a few million just been spent on a third track for the Meridian Water shuttle? Why weren't these running at least? Why the lack of information on screens?
Why no announcements to update passengers waiting on Lea Valley stations? Couldn't Stortford stoppers have been turned round earlier? It looked like oops a tree, down tools all round, from a passenger perspective.
jamesst
Member
Knowing the uk public some off them probably put in a claim for damage caused to there trampolines by the railway!!
headshot119
Established Member
It says "locked while printing" or something similar. The door stays locked till all the tickets have been printed basically.
As they cross-form with the Bishop's Stortford-Stratford service, possible that no (or not enough) train crew from Stortford could get there.
1) TFW 1D30 hit a person at Newton-Le-Willows this morning closing the Chat Moss. Sadly, a fatality. Route obviously disrupted for a number of hours due to this.
2) Later this morning Northern 2F23 failed just outside of Manchester Piccadilly blocking the Down Slow with pax. stranded on board for a number of hours. Not only that but Castlefield corridor ground to a halt as only one line was accommodating platforms 13 and 14 at Piccadilly. I was one of many stuck on my way into Manchester and a 40 minute journey took an hour longer - I believe there was also a signal failure at Salford Crescent that added to the struggles of getting into Manchester. On the broken down train - 1Z99 went to assist to no avail, so 2F23 was shunted into the Mayfield loop and pax. were then evacuated.
All in all, not anything from "RDG's random excuse generator" but a fatality, broken down train and a signal failure.
It says, "Locked while printing in progress," or something along those lines. On the Avanti ticket machines, the plastic flap is locked closed until all the tickets/coupons are printed. Then it unlocks with a clunk, and the light flashes, allowing you to collect your ticket(s).
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
This was retrofitted because far too many people were leaving tickets behind, apparently.
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