Broken down train at Hitchin?

[Max]

Looking at National Rail there look to be quite a few delays into Kings Cross. Does anybody have any more info on the nature of this? On the 1916 Doncaster-KGX, currently running slow in the Biggleswade area. What kind of delay can I expect?

 

[Schnellzug]

According to NRE, "A broken down train is causing disruption near Hitchin.

Because of this, there are delays of up to 30 minutes between Peterborough and Stevenage. These delays are expected to last until approximately 22:30."

So, call it about an hour , then, I expect.

 

[Max]

Looks like it was the 1715 Leeds-Kings Cross that may have broken down. Was cancelled at Stevenage. Have passed 2 other East Coast trains on the slow lines. On the fast lines in the Welwyn area, running very slowly.

 

[Schnellzug]

could have been worse, i suppose, could have been on the double track bit at Welwyn.

 

[Max]

Apologies, I meant Stevenage of course! The culprit looks to be the Flying Scotsman set, sat in Stevenage station at the moment.

 

[graham43404]

Some weird stuff on east coast at the moment. We are on a bit of an HST bash or at least we were until the 21:35 back up to Leeds got subbed for a Mallard as the train that should have gone back up to Leeds according to 125 groups diagrams got sent to Newcastle at 21:00 instead.

Waiting at York earlier there was mallard going down to [stn]KGX[/stn] with 2 class 91's on the back of it. It is now down at [stn]KGX[/stn] after our train from York passed it on the slow line at Hitchin.

Bit of a shame its a mallard going back up being a HST fan, but it could be worse, we could be on a Pendolino or a voyager

 

[causton]

we could be on a Pendolino or a voyager

Crikey, that would be some disruption to allow that to happen!

 

[graham43404]

Crikey, that would be some disruption to allow that to happen!

If that happened on the ECML I think I would cry. That's why we go over to Leeds to avoid the gruesome twosome that Virgin have.

Tonight has shown one thing though, just because it should be a HST doesn't mean it will be if a couple of things happen.

 

[Max]

All credit to East Coast, previous ECML operators have, in the event of delays, insisted that the diagrams remain the same. But it looks like some sensible swaps were made so that trains could go out on time.

 

[graham43404]

All credit to East Coast, previous ECML operators have, in the event of delays, insisted that the diagrams remain the same. But it looks like some sensible swaps were made so that trains could go out on time.

Couldn't agree more. There were some very fast and slick turnarounds and some late calls to platforms but on the whole a job very well done.