Brexit related rail disruption

[gavin]

Moderator note: split from Eurostar and South East Trains stopped at St Pancras due to trespasser (30/03)

Trains were disrupted this morning at St Pancras this morning due to a trespasser.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-47758618

Took the beeb long enough to say he was wearing a St George's flag sky news had it straight away

Eurostar cancelled all trains in and out of London this morning after a trespasser spent all night on the roof of St Pancras Railway Station. A 44-year-old man was arrested this morning for trespass and obstruction of the railway after police were called just after 7pm last night. An image circulating on Twitter showed a man who appeared to be wearing a St George's flag. MEP Molly Scott Cato tweeted: "Is this for real? A Brexit protestor preventing an MEP from leaving Brussels? Feels symbolic of the whole sorry, self-contradictory mess."

https://news.sky.com/story/eurostar...to-and-from-london-due-to-trespasser-11678869

 

[MarkyT]

So presumably another twit deliberately trying to case mass disruption like those go slow protesters on the motorways the other week.

 

[Matt_pool]

So presumably another twit deliberately trying to case mass disruption like those go slow protesters on the motorways the other week.

Notice how peaceful the remain demo was last Saturday compared to the leave demo yesterday and the motorway go slow pratts; then this plonker dressed up as St George causes chaos!

 

[bramling]

Notice how peaceful the remain demo was last Saturday compared to the leave demo yesterday and the motorway go slow pratts; then this plonker dressed up as St George causes chaos!

The remain demo caused chaos as well, trains at my local station were unboardable for much of the day, and a number of roads into London congested, leading to shift workers and others having difficulty getting to and from work.

 

[MarkyT]

The remain demo caused chaos as well, trains at my local station were unboardable for much of the day, and a number of roads into London congested, leading to shift workers and others having difficulty getting to and from work.

Not completely stopped though was it, and not likely to result in such a large loss for foreign holidays wrecked etc. Sensibly they organised the march on a Saturday both to attract more people and impact on normal work journeys as little as possible.

 

[bramling]

Not completely stopped though was it, and not likely to result in such a large loss for foreign holidays wrecked etc. Sensibly they organised the march on a Saturday both to attract more people and impact on normal work journeys as little as possible.

End result for me was the same. Delayed by half an hour in a traffic jam going to work last weekend, and delayed by half an hour on the train going home from work on Friday evening.

 

[Jonny]

this is something we are going to have to get used to

whatever happens with brexit, a large proportion of the population are going to feel hard done by.

All this after the main pro-Brexit event in Central London had passed off generally peacefully, with reportedly five arrests out of tens if not hundreds of thousands of pro-Brexit campaigners in London earlier in the day (similar to an average football crowd of the same size); I've heard of many more at highly emotionally charged football matches), in spite of reports of deliberately antagonistic journalists and claims from an MEP (former UKIP) that I subscribe to, that Police were putting on riot gear. Trust me, both sides have been very restrained although the first I heard about this incident or even this type of incident (as Brexit-related) was on the news. Hopefully, no-one else is even contemplating anything like this. None of the chatter that I have heard (generally pro-Brexit) even comes close to this.

Call it media sensationalism.

Anyone would think that the mass media are cheering both sides on at once so as to put everyone at everyone else's throats. I think a large part of the blame can be laid at their door.

 

[DanDaDriver]

https://twitter.com/thisislucio/status/1112637637582602241?s=21

“Leave campaigner(s) have tried to disrupt trains again, this time with a home made track-circuit clip (to make the signaller think the line was occupied). However, due to European directives, this line had been upgraded to axel counters, so the protest had no effect.”

 

[Bletchleyite]

https://twitter.com/thisislucio/status/1112637637582602241?s=21

“Leave campaigner(s) have tried to disrupt trains again, this time with a home made track-circuit clip (to make the signaller think the line was occupied). However, due to European directives, this line had been upgraded to axel counters, so the protest had no effect.”

Ha ha ha ha ha ha

 

[404250]

Not a bad April Fool.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

The remain demo caused chaos as well, trains at my local station were unboardable for much of the day, and a number of roads into London congested, leading to shift workers and others having difficulty getting to and from work.

I can sympathise with that, but I don't think it's quite the same thing. In the case of the Leave demo and other incidents, we're talking about individuals deliberately causing trouble, and doing so in a way that goes way beyond the right to peacefully demonstrate - in some cases even committing acts of violence. For the remain demo, it was simply a case of, the numbers at the demonstration were so huge that it had inevitable impacts on roads and public transport - which on the whole would have been planned in advance by TfL. I'm not aware of anyone at the remain demo deliberately setting out to delay/inconvenience/beat up other people.

At the Leave demo, as far as I can make out from the photos, I would say some of the roads around Parliament Square must have been blocked to make way for the demo - and that must have delayed a few people's journeys, But it's noticeable that no-one is complaining about that - because we all recognise that that inevitably goes with people's right to peacefully demonstrate. What many are drawing attention to is the deliberate acts of violence or what in the case of the Eurostar protester must surely count as sabotage - committed by or threatened by many individuals.

 

[zuriblue]

https://twitter.com/thisislucio/status/1112637637582602241?s=21

“Leave campaigner(s) have tried to disrupt trains again, this time with a home made track-circuit clip (to make the signaller think the line was occupied). However, due to European directives, this line had been upgraded to axel counters, so the protest had no effect.”

Trains cancelled due to Leaves on the track?

 

[Aictos]

Trains cancelled due to Leaves on the track?

Don't know what they hoped to gain from their actions, I call it stupidity.

 

[Highlandspring]

https://twitter.com/thisislucio/status/1112637637582602241?s=21

“Leave campaigner(s) have tried to disrupt trains again, this time with a home made track-circuit clip (to make the signaller think the line was occupied). However, due to European directives, this line had been upgraded to axel counters, so the protest had no effect.”

I mentioned this in another thread a couple of days ago. There have been three very similar incidents so far with only one of those being in an axle counter area (which “European directives” have nothing to do with anyway).

 

[DanDaDriver]

Not a bad April Fool.

https://news.sky.com/story/brexit-r...acks-to-cause-significant-disruption-11682378

Two "malicious" devices were placed on railway tracks in a Brexit-related attempt to "cause significant sabotage and disruption to Britain's rail network".

British Transport Police (BTP) said the two obstructions occurred on the railway near Yaxley, Cambridgeshire, on 21 March and Netherfield in Nottinghamshire on 27 March.


Police said staff at Network Rail identified the devices, which were "intended to cause disruption" to train services, and that the saboteurs had "put their life at risk" to plant the obstructions.

An initial assessment from BTP led officers to believe the sabotage attempts "relate to Britain's exit from the European Union".

Assistant Chief Constable Sean O'Callaghan, from British Transport Police, said: "This was a serious and deliberate attempt by someone to cause significant sabotage and disruption to Britain's rail network.

"It is important to highlight that these acts were intended only to delay services and not cause damage to the infrastructure, however this failed on both occasions."

Mr O'Callaghan added: "The railway has a number of substantial safeguards in place to prevent and detect this type of sabotage and we are now working tirelessly to identify those responsible

 

[KingJ]

https://news.sky.com/story/brexit-r...acks-to-cause-significant-disruption-11682378

Statement from the BTP here.

Statement: Incidents on the railway in Cambridgeshire and Nottinghamshire
Detectives from British Transport Police are currently investigating two malicious obstructions which occurred on the railway near Yaxley, Cambridgeshire on 21 March and at Netherfield, Nottinghamshire on 27 March.

In both incidents, colleagues from Network Rail had identified devices on the rail tracks which were intended to cause disruption to railway services. The items failed to disrupt services as intended. Detectives are now working closely with the rail industry to investigate these incidents.

ACC Sean O’Callaghan from British Transport Police, said: “This was a serious and deliberate attempt by someone to cause significant sabotage and disruption to Britain’s rail network. We are urgently investigating the circumstances behind both incidents and are working extremely closely with our national partners, including the rail industry.

“It is important to highlight that these acts were intended only to delay services and not cause damage to the infrastructure, however this failed on both occasions. The railway has a number of substantial safeguards in place to prevent and detect this type of sabotage and we are now working tirelessly to identify those responsible.

“We’re are currently keeping an open mind on why someone would put their life at risk to place these items on a live railway, however our early assessment has led us to believe it relates to Britain’s exit from the European Union. We’ll continue to monitor this situation extremely closely and have circulated advice to rail operators and indeed Network Rail.

“Anyone with information should contact British Transport Police by sending a text to 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40.”

 

[hooverboy]

Statement from the BTP here.

not exactly original tactics.

back in the 70's the IRA were planting "devices" on railway lines.

 

[sbt]

not exactly original tactics.

back in the 70's the IRA were planting "devices" on railway lines.

It happened into the late 80s. I remember one clearly as a viable device was placed on the SW Main Line close to the MOD establishment I was working at. No damage was done but I can't remember if that was because went off but the device or placement wasn't suited to the task or because it didn't go off.

 

[Ianno87]

It happened into the late 80s. I remember one clearly as a viable device was placed on the SW Main Line close to the MOD establishment I was working at. No damage was done but I can't remember if that was because went off but the device or placement wasn't suited to the task or because it didn't go off.

Happened at Wilmslow as late as 1996.

 

[furnessvale]

Happened at Wilmslow as late as 1996.

Wilmslow was late March/ early April 1997. I was bomb incident officer for the area but I had retired two weeks earlier!

 

[Cowley]

Wilmslow was late March/ early April 1997. I was bomb incident officer for the area but I had retired two weeks earlier!

Blimey!
Was that the one that was placed in a concrete culvert or pipe?

 

[furnessvale]

Blimey!
Was that the one that was placed in a concrete culvert or pipe?

I don't know! I was sunning myself many miles away!

 

[Ianno87]

Wilmslow was late March/ early April 1997. I was bomb incident officer for the area but I had retired two weeks earlier!

Ah yes, you are quite correct 26th March 1997 according to https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ira-admits-double-bomb-attack-1275542.html

For some reason, I had it in my head it happened before the 1996 Manchester bombing.

 

[Cowley]

I don't know! I was sunning myself many miles away!

That’s a pretty good course of action...

 

[transmanche]

End result for me was the same. Delayed by half an hour in a traffic jam going to work last weekend, and delayed by half an hour on the train going home from work on Friday evening.

However, as the march was arranged months ago and well-publicised you had ample opportunity to make alternative arrangements in advance. The same as people have to do for any large event.

 

[digitaltoast]

This is NOT a leave/stay debating point, just a simple factual question:
This quote from a local paper is all over my facebook and twitter timeline, from:
https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/ne...omemade-devices-found-cambridgeshire-16066638

The devices, which were accompanied by a note threatening to "bring this country to its knees", were intended to bring chaos to the rail networks signalling system by making it seem a stationary train was on the track.
However safety features on the tracks, introduced to comply with EU regulations, meant the devices failed.
​

Given that I could find nothing in the official statement, is this actually true, and if so, what were the safety features?

 

[DarloRich]

This is NOT a leave/stay debating point, just a simple factual question:
This quote from a local paper is all over my facebook and twitter timeline, from:
https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/ne...omemade-devices-found-cambridgeshire-16066638

The devices, which were accompanied by a note threatening to "bring this country to its knees", were intended to bring chaos to the rail networks signalling system by making it seem a stationary train was on the track.
However safety features on the tracks, introduced to comply with EU regulations, meant the devices failed.
​

Given that I could find nothing in the official statement, is this actually true, and if so, what were the safety features?

Firstly I thought this was an April fool!

Secondly I assume the reference is to axle counters not track control circuits.

 

[Mojo]

This is NOT a leave/stay debating point, just a simple factual question:
This quote from a local paper is all over my facebook and twitter timeline, from:
https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/ne...omemade-devices-found-cambridgeshire-16066638

The devices, which were accompanied by a note threatening to "bring this country to its knees", were intended to bring chaos to the rail networks signalling system by making it seem a stationary train was on the track.
However safety features on the tracks, introduced to comply with EU regulations, meant the devices failed.
​

Given that I could find nothing in the official statement, is this actually true, and if so, what were the safety features?

The person that posted this photo on Twitter of one of the said devices, linked to above, (which appears to be an attempt at some sort of homemade track circuit operating clip) incorrectly stated that the reason it didn't work is because of EU regulations. This is not correct and is simply the result of a more modern signalling system in the area, however the media seem to be reporting on the comment made by the Twitter poster as if it was some sort of fact.

 

[DarloRich]

The person that posted this photo on Twitter of one of the said devices, linked to above, (which appears to be an attempt at some sort of homemade track circuit operating clip) incorrectly stated that the reason it didn't work is because of EU regulations. This is not correct and is simply the result of a more modern signalling system in the area, however the media seem to be reporting on the comment made by the Twitter poster as if it was some sort of fact.

Becuase it is funnier and makes the kippers look silly.

 

[theironroad]

The person that posted this photo on Twitter of one of the said devices, linked to above, (which appears to be an attempt at some sort of homemade track circuit operating clip) incorrectly stated that the reason it didn't work is because of EU regulations. This is not correct and is simply the result of a more modern signalling system in the area, however the media seem to be reporting on the comment made by the Twitter poster as if it was some sort of fact.

Becuase it is funnier and makes the kippers look silly.

Anyone know whether conversion from lines being TCB to Axle Counter was the result of EU directives etc?