Derailment at Carstairs 18/02/2018

[Huntergreed]

I notice this morning that a derailment of a freight train has occurred near Carstairs. All lines between Carlisle and Glasgow are blocked! Does anyone know any more information regarding what the situation is, how long it will take to be resolved, and what measures are in place at the moment?

 

[PHILIPE]

I notice this morning that a derailment of a freight train has occurred near Carstairs. All lines between Carlisle and Glasgow are blocked! Does anyone know any more information regarding what the situation is, how long it will take to be resolved, and what measures are in place at the moment?

Just go to the NRE site. The details are very comprehensive:-

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/today.aspx

An engineering train has derailed near Carstairs, blocking the line between Carstairs and Motherwell. The following alterations will apply:

• Trains cannot run between Carstairs and Motherwell
• Virgin Trains services will be delayed by up to 180 minutes, cancelled or diverted to run via Kilmarnock
• ScotRail services between Glasgow Central and Lanark will be terminated at Wishaw and restarted from Shieldmuir

It is hoped that the lines will reopen at 18:00 however disruption may continue until the end of service...

 

[MG11]

It will depend on why, how, and in what way the derailment happened.

 

[ScottDarg]

NRE saying the line's expected to be closed until 15:00 with Virgin Trains expecting disruption until the end of service.

Here's the advice from the NRE link @PHILIPE posted:

Advice for CrossCountry customers:
Ticket acceptance has been arranged with ScotRail for travel between Edinburgh and Glasgow on any reasonable route.

Customers may use their ticket on Virgin Trains and TransPennine Express services via any reasonable route.

Advice for ScotRail customers:

The following rail replacement bus services are in place:

• 1 x Raycars at Motherwell ETA 09:30
• 1 x Swift at Lanark ETA 10:00
• 1 x AAA at Lanark ETA 10:00
• 1 x Ace Travel at Lanark ETA 10:00

The buses will depart Motherwell at xx:45 and Lanark at xx:20.

Please note these may be slightly delayed due to traffic. Passengers are advised if they are traveling to Carluke or Lanark please alight at motherwell where staff can direct you to buses for Carluke and Lanark.

Advice for TransPennine Express customers:
Customers from Manchester have the option of travelling via the east coast using Transpennine Express services from Manchester to York and Virgin Trains East Coast and CrossCountry services to Edinburgh, where passengers can change for Glasgow Central.

Virgin Trains, Virgin Trains East Coast and CrossCountry are conveying passengers via any reasonable route until further notice.

If you will miss a connecting train because of this issue, we will arrange for your ticket to be accepted where possible on alternative services to get you to your destination. This includes tickets where you have a reservation for a specific train. Please see station staff to organise.

Advice for Virgin Trains customers:
Customers holding tickets for journeys to and from Glasgow Central may travel on Monday instead. Ticket acceptance has been arranged for you to travel on the following services:

• CrossCountry between Birmingham New Street and Edinburgh
• Northern between Carlisle and Newcastle
• ScotRail between Edinburgh and Glasgow on any reasonable route
• TransPennine Express on all reasonable routes
• Virgin Trains East Coast between London Kings Cross and Edinburgh
• Coach Hire Bookings rail replacement vehicles are conveying customers between Glasgow Central / Edinburgh and Carlisle

Seen it mentioned elsewhere that it's 2 wagons of the High Output Ballast Cleaner that have derailed at Ravenstruther, just south of Lanark Junction. Not sure how accurate that is though.

 

[380101]

I notice this morning that a derailment of a freight train has occurred near Carstairs. All lines between Carlisle and Glasgow are blocked! Does anyone know any more information regarding what the situation is, how long it will take to be resolved, and what measures are in place at the moment?

unless there is engineering works on the GSW Virgin will run Voyagers down it to Carlisle to keep some sort of service running. TPE could run 185s down it also but their drivers don't sign the route so would require ScotRail drivers from Ayr or Dumfries to route conduct them.

 

[xotGD]

Any drags via Dumfries?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

You'd think the simplest plan would be to divert cross-border Glasgow services to Edinburgh with Scotrail forward.
But so far it looks like cancellations and buses.
Being a Sunday nothing is scheduled northbound from Carlisle until after 1030.

 

[GB]

Seen it mentioned elsewhere that it's 2 wagons of the High Output Ballast Cleaner that have derailed at Ravenstruther, just south of Lanark Junction. Not sure how accurate that is though.

That is correct. Two MFS wagons derailed due to excessive ballast coming off the belt.

 

[800001]

2 wagons of 6Y11 at Ravenstruther.

NRE saying the line's expected to be closed until 15:00 with Virgin Trains expecting disruption until the end of service.

Here's the advice from the NRE link @PHILIPE posted:


Seen it mentioned elsewhere that it's 2 wagons of the High Output Ballast Cleaner that have derailed at Ravenstruther, just south of Lanark Junction. Not sure how accurate that is though.

 

[ScottDarg]

That is correct. Two MFS wagons derailed due to excessive ballast coming off the belt.

Thanks for confirming.

ScotRail have posted a couple of drone images on their Twitter feed:

UPDATE: #CARSTAIRS - teams working hard to get the line reopened folks, no easy task. Some images of issue and impact it's having on line. Apologies for any disruption to your journey today. RT

https://twitter.com/ScotRail/status/965165194040233986

 

[Peter0124]

Just 4 days before this there was a derailment of a Scotrail class 318 at Motherwell as well, what is going on??

 

[Mag_seven]

I notice this morning that a derailment of a freight train has occurred near Carstairs.

Pedant alert - "engineers train"!

Just 4 days before this there was a derailment of a Scotrail class 318 at Motherwell as well, what is going on??

Complete coincidence.

Any drags via Dumfries?

I doubt it but you never know.

 

[Ianno87]

You'd think the simplest plan would be to divert cross-border Glasgow services to Edinburgh with Scotrail forward.
But so far it looks like cancellations and buses.
Being a Sunday nothing is scheduled northbound from Carlisle until after 1030.

There'll be a load of Pendolinos effectively trapped at Polmadie, so sending northbound stuff to Glasgow will screw everything south of Carlisle as there won't be enough trains. What Voyagers are available may need to be sent to cover existing Edinburgh Pendolino workings as these can at least still use the Shotts route (rather than start sending stuff via Dumfries)

Edinburgh may also not have the platform capacity to take diverted trains.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Looks like 1S35 (0920 Birmingham-Glasgow) has gone via Dumfries.
Some VT Edinburgh starters cancelled, stock evidently stuck at Polmadie as you said.
Pity the E&G is not yet in operation to take 390s ECS to Edinburgh via Cumbernauld.

 

[DanTrain]

Looks like 1S35 (0920 Birmingham-Glasgow) has gone via Dumfries.
Some VT Edinburgh starters cancelled, stock evidently stuck at Polmadie as you said.
Pity the E&G is not yet in operation to take 390s ECS to Edinburgh via Cumbernauld.

"Virgin Trains services will be delayed by up to 180 minutes, cancelled or diverted to run via Kilmarnock" [from NRE]

Looks like some stuff is going via Dumfries. Anyone know if this is Pendo drags or just the Voyagers?

 

[furnessvale]

Pedant alert - "engineers train"!

Thanks for that! NOT a freight train before Adonis gets his knickers in a twist AGAIN!

 

[Highlandspring]

Looks like some stuff is going via Dumfries. Anyone know if this is Pendo drags or just the Voyagers?

Just Voyagers.

 

[InOban]

Looks like 1S35 (0920 Birmingham-Glasgow) has gone via Dumfries.
Some VT Edinburgh starters cancelled, stock evidently stuck at Polmadie as you said.
Pity the E&G is not yet in operation to take 390s ECS to Edinburgh via Cumbernauld.

I think it might be possible. Polmadie to just beyond Whifflet, reverse, and take the single track, which I think is electrified throughout, which meanders up to eventually reach the Airdrie lines, where it would need to reverse again. Don't fancy the chances of finding short notice crew who sign all this!

 

[Coolzac]

As someone has said earlier, I am surprised that more services can't go to Edinburgh. I understand that there are capacity limits both on the line and platform space, but even so. I sometimes get frustrated by the lack of flexibility on the railway in times of disruption!

 

[Carntyne]

The wagons have been re railed so track just needs tamped, S&T reconnections and OHLE checks.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I think it might be possible. Polmadie to just beyond Whifflet, reverse, and take the single track, which I think is electrified throughout, which meanders up to eventually reach the Airdrie lines, where it would need to reverse again. Don't fancy the chances of finding short notice crew who sign all this!

That's today's situation of course, and I'm not sure 390s are passed on that route.
Sometime later this year the wired route via Falkirk Grahamston will come into service, and VT has certainly routed Voyager ECS this way when the Motherwell route was closed.
Then of course the Shotts route should also come on line for electrics in about a year's time.

 

[Highlandspring]

I think it might be possible. Polmadie to just beyond Whifflet, reverse, and take the single track, which I think is electrified throughout, which meanders up to eventually reach the Airdrie lines, where it would need to reverse again. Don't fancy the chances of finding short notice crew who sign all this!

Pendolinos are not route cleared for the Basin, or for Coatbridge Sunnyside to Newbridge Jn via Bathgate. That's before you consider Virgin West Coast's requirement that drivers who are route conducting must sign the traction they are conducting on...

Edit thinking about it again there isn't a signalled route from YS163 to the Up Airdrie line so you wouldn't be able to reverse at Sunnyside and head towards Bathgate anyway, you'd need to carry on to Shettleston Loop (which I reckon would not be long enough to accomodate an 11 car Pendolino even if they were route cleared, which they're not).

 

[Peter0124]

Or you could have diverted the Pendos through the Argyle line and reverse them at Hyndland (This would be extremely difficult however) then send them along the airdrie to bathgate towards Edinburgh.

 

[Highlandspring]

Again not route cleared for 390s and never likely to be. You'd definitely struggle to fit a Pendolino in Hyndland loop and you'd bring the whole North Electric to a standstill while you did so. You could of course reverse it at Jordanhill on the Yoker road (or turn via Hyndland West Curve) but it's just getting silly now...

 

[InOban]

I agree it's silly. I only suggested it to give some fun on a Sunday afternoon.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Again not route cleared for 390s and never likely to be. You'd definitely struggle to fit a Pendolino in Hyndland loop and you'd bring the whole North Electric to a standstill while you did so. You could of course reverse it at Jordanhill on the Yoker road (or turn via Hyndland West Curve) but it's just getting silly now...

My knowledge of routes in the area is far too rudimentary to argue about the pros and cons of the Hyndland Loop, etc above. But there is, of course (as most will know in here) a perfectly acceptable alternative route via Kilmarnock and Dumfries just sitting there, virtually unused (at least south of Kilmarnock) on a Sunday.
In the bad days of BR, nobody would have dreamt of hiring in buses. Crews and stock would have been sourced, and trains sent via the G&SW. Maybe not every service, but enough would have been sorted out to keep the punters sort of happy. Today, it seems the first default option was buses.
This could still be done - but whoever Virgin is these days decide not to train crews etc to enable this sort of effort to ge in in emergency. Same with the S&C - they simply don't want to be bothered with preparing to use alternative routes.
This is, ultimatley, the fault of the regulator, who conspires with the TOC for short-term, cheaper if you are lucky, solutions.

Ah! Should have looked at RTT before opening my big keyboard

I see they did manage to extend quite a few Scotrail services today on the G&SW. Congratulations to the operators. I take it back.

 

[mcmad]

Er, Virgin were running an hourly service via the GSW once the overnight engineering works on the GSW were handed back early and additional signalmen brought in to reduce the block lengths.
But why let facts get in the way of a rant.....

 

[Highlandspring]

Quite!

 

[Ianno87]

Er, Virgin were running an hourly service via the GSW once the overnight engineering works on the GSW were handed back early and additional signalmen brought in to reduce the block lengths.
But why let facts get in the way of a rant.....

A good effort there for the GSW to get it in use. That'll now go totally unnoticed/unacknowledged in media coverage, obviously.

 

[Harbornite]

Ah! Should have looked at RTT before opening my big keyboard

I see they did manage to extend quite a few Scotrail services today on the G&SW. Congratulations to the operators. I take it back.

Indeed. Remember to check RTT before kicking off, not after.