Disruption At Bradford Interchange - 16/11/20 - Lineside Fire

[Bantamzen]

All services are currently cancelled through Bradford Interchange due to a fire on Mill Lane close to the line going into the Interchange. Its a pretty big fire so its unclear when services will be allowed to restart:

National Rail Enquiries - Service Alteration Details

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A large fire on a property near Bradford Interchange has resulted in all lines being blocked. Trains are expected to remain disrupted until the end of the day tomorrow. An image can be viewed here.

How is this affecting the train service?

Trains are unable to run to and from Bradford Interchange.

Trains will be cancelled in full or be diverted not to call at Bradford Interchange. Some trains will start / terminate at alternative stations to normal. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Leeds to Manchester Victoria - The 12 minutes past the hour service departing Leeds will be cancelled. The 42 minutes past the hour service departing Leeds will be diverted, not calling at Bramley, New Pudsey, Bradford Interchange and Low Moor.

Manchester Victoria to Leeds - The 54 or 58 minutes past the hour service from Manchester Victoria will be cancelled. The 17 or 19 minutes past the hour service from Manchester Victoria will be diverted, not calling at Low Moor, Bradford Interchange, New Pudsey and Bramley.

Between York and Blackpool North - These services will be diverted where possible, not calling at New Pudsey, Bradford Interchange and Halifax. If unable to divert they will be cancelled.

Customers where possible can travel on the Blackburn to Manchester Victoria service and change at Todmorden for a diverted service to Leeds or travel to Manchester from Preston then change to a TransPennine Express service to Leeds.

Between Halifax and Hull - These services will run between Leeds and Hull, (cancelled between Halifax and Leeds), not calling at Halifax, Bradford Interchange, New Pudsey and Bramley.

Between Huddersfield and Bradford Interchange - These services will operate between Huddersfield and Halifax.

Alternative travel options:

You may use your ticket on TransPennine Express services between Manchester and Leeds.

Customers travelling between Bradford and Leeds are advised to use Bradford Forster Square station, as this route is not affected.

Limited road transport is operating between Halifax and Leeds calling at all stations.

 

[skyhigh]

8,000 tyres on fire roughly 50m from the railway. The fire service have decided they are able to contain it rather than extinguish, and think it might take a couple of days to burn itself out.

 

[Whistler40145]

Are any services diverted via Brighouse?

 

[37424]

Are any services diverted via Brighouse?

I think they will be all going that way there is no other alternative, It looks like they are running 1 train per hour from Leeds to Manchester into Halifax via Brighouse and then reversing, and Blackpool services just going straight via Brighouse avoiding Halifax.

 

[John Webb]

Some detail about the fire at https://www.westyorksfire.gov.uk/incident/bradford-make-pumps-10/ - this report says that they eventually made it a 15 pump fire. Big problem with tyres is that their water-proof nature makes it very difficult to extinguish any fire in stacks of tyres without resorting to foam rather than plain water. In addition the residues from burning tyres are not very nice and have high pollution potential, hence possibly the reason they are letting it burn out rather than attempting to extinguish the fire.

 

[TheSel]

Photo on BBC News (towards the bottom of this link) shows the proximity to the railway.

 

[Rikki Lamb]

For any one familiar with the railways of Bradford, the fire is at the former Spring Mill Street goods/coal yard which closed in 1983/4

 

[JRT]

The replacement buses are calling at Bradford Forster Square, avoiding the Bradford Interchange area.

 

[Efini92]

I think they will be all going that way there is no other alternative, It looks like they are running 1 train per hour from Leeds to Manchester into Halifax via Brighouse and then reversing, and Blackpool services just going straight via Brighouse avoiding Halifax.

That’s going to take some organising, I don’t think Blackpool crews sign via brighouse.

 

[Crossover]

That’s going to take some organising, I don’t think Blackpool crews sign via brighouse.

I'd be surprised if so - it isn't the first time there have been short notice diversions via Dewsbury of those services

 

[skyhigh]

I'd be surprised if so - it isn't the first time there have been short notice diversions via Dewsbury of those services

Depends if those services were worked by Leeds or York crews who do sign the route (guards do, not sure on drivers).

 

[Whistler40145]

That’s going to take some organising, I don’t think Blackpool crews sign via brighouse.

Haven't noticed the Blackpool North trains being diverted on Realtime Trains

 

[Crossover]

Haven't noticed the Blackpool North trains being diverted on Realtime Trains

It looks like 1B17 ran through early this morning, as has 1B25 and 1B27 more recently

Realtime Trains - 1B25 1123 York to Blackpool North

Realtime Trains provides live realtime running information for the Great British railway network using open data.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

The telltale being them "disappearing" between Holbeck and Milner Royd Junctions

EDIT: 1B27 currently at Heaton Lodge Junction as I type this

 

[Whistler40145]

It looks like 1B17 ran through early this morning, as has 1B25 and 1B27 more recently

Realtime Trains - 1B25 1123 York to Blackpool North

Realtime Trains provides live realtime running information for the Great British railway network using open data.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

The telltale being them "disappearing" between Holbeck and Milner Royd Junctions

EDIT: 1B27 currently at Heaton Lodge Junction as I type this

Cheers

 

[Efini92]

Depends if those services were worked by Leeds or York crews who do sign the route (guards do, not sure on drivers).

I think it’s just Blackpool and Leeds crew who work the service between Leeds and Blackpool. Don’t recall ever seeing a York man at Preston or Blackpool.

 

[Whistler40145]

I thought it was Blackpool North and Leeds crews that worked the York service

 

[Efini92]

I’m sure it’s Victoria, Leeds, Huddersfield and possibly York (correct me if I’m wrong) that sign via brighouse.
But only Victoria, Blackpool and Leeds sign from Hall Royd towards Blackburn.
Note 90% of Victoria crew don’t sign between Blackburn and farington curve junction. They also don’t work any of the Blackpool York services.

 

[Whistler40145]

I’m sure it’s Victoria, Leeds, Huddersfield and possibly York (correct me if I’m wrong) that sign via brighouse.
But only Victoria, Blackpool and Leeds sign from Hall Royd towards Blackburn.
Note 90% of Victoria crew don’t sign between Blackburn and farington curve junction. They also don’t work any of the Blackpool York services.

I know on the very rare occasion when a 155 has been allocated a Leeds crew works to Blackpool North and the same crew work back

 

[skyhigh]

I’m sure it’s Victoria, Leeds, Huddersfield and possibly York (correct me if I’m wrong) that sign via brighouse.
But only Victoria, Blackpool and Leeds sign from Hall Royd towards Blackburn.
Note 90% of Victoria crew don’t sign between Blackburn and farington curve junction. They also don’t work any of the Blackpool York services.

York crew definitely sign via Brighouse - for some reason I had in my mind that they signed all the way to Blackpool, but they don't!

Looking through the diagrams all the Blackpool trains that are running are Leeds crew, as far as I can see (including 1B17).

 

[Anvil1984]

York crew definitely sign via Brighouse - for some reason I had in my mind that they signed all the way to Blackpool, but they don't!

Looking through the diagrams all the Blackpool trains that are running are Leeds crew, as far as I can see (including 1B17).

Nope York crew haven't signed Blackpool in at least 15 years (if at all). They sign Man Vic via Calder Valley which may have been where you got confused

 

[Halifaxlad]

For any one familiar with the railways of Bradford, the fire is at the former Spring Mill Street goods/coal yard which closed in 1983/4

Best shot of the fire in this article:

Suspected illegal storage at Bradford tyre fire site reported in July

published 16th November 2020.

Suspected illegal storage at Bradford tyre fire site reported in July - Tyrepress

The site of the Bradford tyre fire which broke out in the early hours of 16 November causing disruption to the local area was investigated earlier in 2020 by the Environment Agency. Local newspaper the Telegraph & Argos reported on 14 July that a local resident had reported the former Ontrak...

www.tyrepress.com

 

[furnessvale]

What a surprise! Once again tyres that honest people have paid £2 each to be properly disposed of' "mysteriously" go up in smoke.

It really is strange how stacks of tyres, and old fridges, seem to self ignite.

 

[ASharpe]

What a surprise! Once again tyres that honest people have paid £2 each to be properly disposed of' "mysteriously" go up in smoke.

It really is strange how stacks of tyres, and old fridges, seem to self ignite.

Tyres really can self ignite - whether or not that is the case here we don't know.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Tyres really can self ignite - whether or not that is the case here we don't know.

Would that be tyres or shredded tyres / tyre crumb (the latter having a far greater surface area to volume)?

Surely tyre ignition would normally require some external heat source?

 

[ASharpe]

Would that be tyres or shredded tyres / tyre crumb (the latter having a far greater surface area to volume)?

Surely tyre ignition would normally require some external heat source?

There was certainly suggestions in the media of bales of tyres - I don't know the exact composition though.

My understanding is that if the pile is big enough then a slow smouldering can start after just exposure to strong sunlight or even from chemical reactions like rusting of the embedded wires. From that point on it can be weeks before the smouldering reaches the air and really takes off.

 

[Class 170101]

Looks like the block has been shortened to New Pudsey as trains are operating between there and Leeds / York.

 

[Adam0984]

The Hull to Halifax trains have been terminating at New Pudsey yesterday and today. The xx:42 from Leeds to Man Vic have been running diverted via Brighouse, if its a Leeds or Huddersfield crew it can go via Halifax or if its York or Man Vic it goes straight to/from Sowerby Bdg. The Blackpools with Leeds crew are first/last stop Hebden Bdg, if its a Blackpool crew then its cancelled

 

[JRT]

The lines near Bradford Interchange expected to be closed until Eos Wednesday.

 

[M60lad]

Isnt there a signal box nearby where the fire is, wonder what impact that might have on the railway unless its one of the disused ones now with most work done centrally now?

 

[northernchris]

Isnt there a signal box nearby where the fire is, wonder what impact that might have on the railway unless its one of the disused ones now with most work done centrally now?

Mill Lane closed around October 2018 I believe although there may be lineside equipment which has been damaged