Marston Vale crossing issues

DarloRich · 3 Mar 2020

We have had crossing issues on the vale over the last week with trains only running as far as ridgmont.

The service from Bedford has been very poor with awful replacement services and long journey times and elongated waits in the middle of nowhere.

There is no ETA on a fix. Very poor. Anyone know more?

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Mike99 · 3 Mar 2020

I was planning to do Bletchley to Bedford yesterday for the mileage, because of other plans and advance tickets I had for my day out I still did Bletchley to Ridgmont, RTT told me that the turn around at Ridgmont was either 4 minutes or wait 1 hour and 5 minutes so I thought I would kill the time in the café sited in the old station building as I was there during lunchtime. The service yesterday was operated by two class 230's with a 15/20 minute turnaround at Bletchley. I was on the 12:01 from Bletchley which arrived Ridgmont at 12:18 and was the train forming the 13:23 return service. The café alas is shut on Mondays and by the time I found that out the train forming the 12:20 departure had left meaning I had an hour to kill. I noticed when I arrived at Ridgmont two minibuses were provided one onward, from Ridgmont direct to Bedford and one calling all shacks, the few passengers were being organised by someone possibly from Network Rail or West Midlands Trains. Unfortunately the 12:20 back to Bletchley departed before the second minibus back from Bedford arrived leaving those passengers alighting with pretty much the full hour to wait. Brings up the age old issue of trains waiting for Rail Replacement Buses and vice versa.

Mike99 · 3 Mar 2020

I see the service got as far as Stewartby today

causton · 3 Mar 2020

Safety issues with the level crossings on the line mean Network Rail are undertaking inspections - unfortunately this means that the crossing either need to have attendants or the roads need to be closed. There are not enough attendants to cover the whole line and the council wouldn't (probably rightly so!) close every road across the line, so buses are being put on.

Today there are enough crossing attendants to get as far at Stewartby.

Mag_seven · 3 Mar 2020

Combined with all the documented Class 230 issues, it looks like customers on this line are getting a very raw deal at the moment.

hooverboy · 3 Mar 2020

Mag_seven said:
Combined with all the documented Class 230 issues, it looks like customers on this line are getting a very raw deal at the moment.

All the more reason for east west rail to bite the bullet and factor in some level crossing closures/bridges/dive-unders when the earthworks are due to start.

Not a quick fix,I know,but it should be on the radar, these problems seem to be becoming a regular occurrence.
the quickest,most reliable interim solution would be a few temporary platform extensions(ie 2*23m capable) and a couple of sprinters going spare from GWR

as bletchleyite says,it is by no means a given that the cl230's problems have been rectified.We'll find out(probably the hard way) in 6 months or so.

LMS 4F · 3 Mar 2020

As a young lad some 60 years ago I and a mate used to go to a crossing at Kempston Hardwick. The xing keeper was only to happy for us to open and shut the gates although we couldn't operate the signal levers. The service wouldn't have been much busier than today but the trains were far more interesting, at last in my opinion.

hooverboy · 3 Mar 2020

LMS 4F said:
As a young lad some 60 years ago I and a mate used to go to a crossing at Kempston Hardwick. The xing keeper was only to happy for us to open and shut the gates although we couldn't operate the signal levers. The service wouldn't have been much busier than today but the trains were far more interesting, at last in my opinion.

30 years ago it used to be quite interesting too. used to be a very clapped out old BR blue DMU,but top and tail 31's did make an appearance for a while.

combined with cl25's on the rubbish train,there was quite a variety of stock using the line

LMS 4F · 3 Mar 2020

hooverboy said:
30 years ago it used to be quite interesting too. used to be a very clapped out old BR blue DMU,but top and tail 31's did make an appearance for a while.

combined with cl25's on the rubbish train,there was quite a variety of stock using the line

In my time it was all steam. Ex LMS Fowler tanks, 4Fs hence my choice of ID. On the train from Cambridge in the morning often a B1 or suchlike.
An afternoon train from Bletchley was often used as a running in turn for Locos off Wolverton works. A Jubile once I recall.
By 1963 when I went to Cambridge to enlist in the Army as a16 year old it was a 1st generation DMU, my last time on the line until a couple of years ago when I did a return run for old times state and had a 150 for my sins.

70014IronDuke · 3 Mar 2020

LMS 4F said:
In my time it was all steam. Ex LMS Fowler tanks, 4Fs hence my choice of ID. On the train from Cambridge in the morning often a B1 or suchlike.
An afternoon train from Bletchley was often used as a running in turn for Locos off Wolverton works. A Jubile once I recall.
By 1963 when I went to Cambridge to enlist in the Army as a16 year old it was a 1st generation DMU, my last time on the line until a couple of years ago when I did a return run for old times state and had a 150 for my sins.

The first train out of Cambridge was a B1 or Brush 2 in 1961 and I think into 62. The loco worked back on a parcels train that left Bletchley around 14.30.
Sometime, probably in 62, it changed to a Bletchley working, and it was normally a Black 5, although sometimes a Sulzer 2, until about mid-65. Then it became a Class 24 diagram.

NeilWatson · 3 Mar 2020

Ticket acceptance via Euston and St Pancras for Bletchley to Bedford journeys!

DarloRich · 4 Mar 2020

causton said:
Safety issues with the level crossings on the line mean Network Rail are undertaking inspections - unfortunately this means that the crossing either need to have attendants or the roads need to be closed. There are not enough attendants to cover the whole line and the council wouldn't (probably rightly so!) close every road across the line, so buses are being put on.

Today there are enough crossing attendants to get as far at Stewartby.

Thanks - assumed this was the case. The entire situation has not been well communicated or, frankly, handled.

Mag_seven said:
Combined with all the documented Class 230 issues, it looks like customers on this line are getting a very raw deal at the moment.

Welcome to my world

hooverboy said:
All the more reason for east west rail to bite the bullet and factor in some level crossing closures/bridges/dive-unders when the earthworks are due to start.

Do you HONESTLY think no one has thought of this? There were plans at the E-W public events to close or bridge every crossing on the Vale.

NeilWatson said:
Ticket acceptance via Euston and St Pancras for Bletchley to Bedford journeys!

they kept that quiet!

Bletchleyite · 4 Mar 2020

DarloRich said:
they kept that quiet!

Very surprised that's even being offered, as it takes twice as long as a bus would (a fast RRB takes the same time as the train off-peak), there's the X5 too, and that would mean very cheap tickets to London with no way of knowing you'd just gone out of Euston/St P and sneaked off!

What are the safety issues and why are they affecting the Marston Vale but not elsewhere?

DarloRich · 4 Mar 2020

Very surprised that's even being offered, as it takes twice as long as a bus would (a fast RRB takes the same time as the train off-peak), there's the X5 too, and that would mean very cheap tickets to London with no way of knowing you'd just gone out of Euston/St P and sneaked off![/QUOTE]

The RRB ( or often taxis) seems to be working for Blethcley > Bedford services but not the other way round. The journey times i am hearing about are comparable with going via Euston!

Bletchleyite said:
What are the safety issues and why are they affecting the Marston Vale but not elsewhere?

Street word is that when the line was modified a trial ( and now unique) system was installed. That means failures are harder to rectify as parts are scare. As I said that is street word so may be B/S

Bletchleyite · 4 Mar 2020

It does appear there is acceptance via London!

Though as that mentions the X5 and doesn't explicitly mention ticket acceptance...

FWIW while it's not perfect, the way the new LNR website presents alternatives is really very, very good and should perhaps become a national standard. (See, they can do something right!)

DarloRich · 4 Mar 2020

Bletchleyite said:
Though as that mentions the X5 and doesn't explicitly mention ticket acceptance...

there is never ticket acceptance on the X5!

PS where is that info from?

PPS Does Bedford include Bedford St Johns?

Bletchleyite · 4 Mar 2020

DarloRich said:
there is never ticket acceptance on the X5!

PS where is that info from?

PPS Does Bedford include Bedford St Johns?

It's from the LNR website.

Regarding ticket acceptance I meant that it says you can go via London but doesn't specifically say that there is acceptance with EMR or Thameslink.

Regarding St John's the tickets are the same so they wouldn't have any way to know if you bailed there and wandered over to Midland.

causton · 4 Mar 2020

Bletchleyite said:
What are the safety issues and why are they affecting the Marston Vale but not elsewhere?

Track circuit issues.

It's the Greater Anglia issue all over again :lol:

(although as alluded to above, is it the train or track that is causing the issue? No idea)

Shwam3 · 4 Mar 2020

I believe, though I can't find a definitive source, that the Marston Vale line is fitted with a similar type of level crossing predictor system as fitted on the Norwich to Sheringham line.
All the half-barrier crossings on the Sheringham line had to have emergency speed restrictions and attendants for some time until treadles could be fitted. The issues could be related?

Railwaysceptic · 4 Mar 2020

hooverboy said:
All the more reason for east west rail to bite the bullet and factor in some level crossing closures/bridges/dive-unders when the earthworks are due to start.

When the section between Oxford and Bicester was done, all level crossings were closed and several new bridges were constructed. So East West Rail is well aware of the idea.

Silverlinky · 4 Mar 2020

There never used to be issues before the 230's came along did there?

A month or so back there was an issue with contamination of track circuits, it was thought that a modification carried out on 230's which led to said being laid under all steps of braking had increased the contamination as it was mainly found on the approach to stations. Then it was the wrong type of sand...had Vivarail changed supplier? that went quiet and now these infrastructure failures. Like Anglia they have surfaced after introduction of "new" rolling stock on the line.
There is a Youtube video of barriers down as a train pulls into Kempston Hardwick, it goes over the crossing and stops in the station. The barriers begin to raise and then the sequence starts again and the barriers go back down.
Last week the barriers came down on a lorry as they dropped immediately after raising at a crossing.

Something has gone badly wrong down there.....looking at next Tuesday now before possible resolution.

Richard Ingram · 5 Mar 2020

Silverlinky said:
There never used to be issues before the 230's came along did there?

A month or so back there was an issue with contamination of track circuits, it was thought that a modification carried out on 230's which led to said being laid under all steps of braking had increased the contamination as it was mainly found on the approach to stations. Then it was the wrong type of sand...had Vivarail changed supplier? that went quiet and now these infrastructure failures. Like Anglia they have surfaced after introduction of "new" rolling stock on the line.
There is a Youtube video of barriers down as a train pulls into Kempston Hardwick, it goes over the crossing and stops in the station. The barriers begin to raise and then the sequence starts again and the barriers go back down.
Last week the barriers came down on a lorry as they dropped immediately after raising at a crossing.

Something has gone badly wrong down there.....looking at next Tuesday now before possible resolution.

Quite scary how many cars continued to drive across when the lights started up again. It was a full new sequence, amber, then red, then the barriers. I'd assume a train had just triggered it coming the other way, and stop immediately.

hooverboy · 5 Mar 2020

Railwaysceptic said:
When the section between Oxford and Bicester was done, all level crossings were closed and several new bridges were constructed. So East West Rail is well aware of the idea.

they may well be aware of the idea, but the latest info we have out of this section is that it will likely remain a 60mph secion, thanks to the recent de-scoping.

That seems to suggest that not much in the way of structural changes through this particular stratch is being considered.
beltchley high level+ flyover (reduced platform length)and a platform extension at ridgmont are about the old solid fixtures so far

the original plans were for 100mph electrics
then 90mph diesels
and now 60mph diesels (which is basically what is there now)

bengley · 5 Mar 2020

Richard Ingram said:
Quite scary how many cars continued to drive across when the lights started up again. It was a full new sequence, amber, then red, then the barriers. I'd assume a train had just triggered it coming the other way, and stop immediately.

Clearly, based on that video, the majority of people who drive cars are morons.

Silverlinky · 5 Mar 2020

This was last week at the same crossing...

Bletchleyite · 5 Mar 2020

Richard Ingram said:
Quite scary how many cars continued to drive across when the lights started up again. It was a full new sequence, amber, then red, then the barriers. I'd assume a train had just triggered it coming the other way, and stop immediately.

Quite. While the lights were red due to a malfunction, the drivers there were breaking the law, and had they complied with it and stopped as indicated the incident would not have occurred.

It's not at all improbable that such a sequence might occur in normal operation.

DarloRich · 5 Mar 2020

hooverboy said:
they may well be aware of the idea, but the latest info we have out of this section is that it will likely remain a 60mph secion, thanks to the recent de-scoping.

There were plans at the public information sessions run by E-W rail for the removal of every crossing on the line and replacement with either a bridge or a diversion.

Silverlinky said:
There never used to be issues before the 230's came along did there?

we are well used to level crossing problems on the line, especially Kempston Hardwick. This is the worst I can remember it being mind.

Silverlinky said:
looking at next Tuesday now before possible resolution.

LNWR say Monday. Lets see..............

Llanigraham · 5 Mar 2020

Silverlinky said:
There never used to be issues before the 230's came along did there?

A month or so back there was an issue with contamination of track circuits, it was thought that a modification carried out on 230's which led to said being laid under all steps of braking had increased the contamination as it was mainly found on the approach to stations. Then it was the wrong type of sand...had Vivarail changed supplier? that went quiet and now these infrastructure failures. Like Anglia they have surfaced after introduction of "new" rolling stock on the line.
There is a Youtube video of barriers down as a train pulls into Kempston Hardwick, it goes over the crossing and stops in the station. The barriers begin to raise and then the sequence starts again and the barriers go back down.
Last week the barriers came down on a lorry as they dropped immediately after raising at a crossing.

Something has gone badly wrong down there.....looking at next Tuesday now before possible resolution.

Interesting to note that the Jeep hit and an awful lot of other cars crossed whilst the red lights were flashing!

andythebrave · 7 Mar 2020

From Monday running through to Bedford reinstated.
Crossings at Marston Road in Lidlington, Green Lanes Stewartby and Kempston Hardwick with some sort of special procedure.
Kempston Hardwick crossing closed to road traffic.
But trains not stopping at either Lidlington or Millbrook.
You really couldn't make this up.

A Challenge · 8 Mar 2020

Is there any indication on how long is it likely to be until this situation is fixed?

Marston Vale crossing issues

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