Disruption On The East Coast Mainline

[rjhglover]

My sister is currently sat a train on Platform 3 at Peterborough station which I am assuming is the scheduled which arrived at Peterborough 28 minutes late at 18.28. Now officially cancelled. There are also reports of a train being derailed.

The official line from the East Coast Official Site at 20.03 is:
East Coast and Grand Central services between Peterborough and London Kings Cross are being delayed by up to 120 minutes. Replacement buses have been requested to run between Peterborough and London Kings Cross, however there is no estimate as to when they will be available.
First Capital Connect services between Peterborough and London Kings Cross will run between Huntingdon and London Kings Cross only
The 17:10 First Hull Trains service between Hull and Peterborough will terminate at Peterborough.The 19:09 Hull to London Kings Cross service is cancelled. Passengers should travel to Doncaster for alternative transport.

Alternative travel options
Mutual ticket acceptance is in place between East Coast, Grand Central, Hull Trains, and First Capital Connect.
Passengers may also use CrossCountry services on reasonable routes.
East Coast and First Hull Trains passengers may use tickets dated today to travel on tomorrows services. Passengers should travel on the same time train where possible.

 

[devinier]

East Coast website states it is due to OHL problems near Peterborough.

 

[MadCommuter]

Scot-Rail.co.uk member dhtulyar states an NMT has brought the wires down.

 

[petersi]

Scot-Rail.co.uk member dhtulyar states an NMT has brought the wires down.

What's an NMT?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Not a good time for the ECML to be blocked when the WCML is closed for the Watford upgrade.
The Highland sleeper is also supposed to be running via the ECML tonight.
St Pancras only for the north!

 

[MadCommuter]

What's an NMT?

New Measurement Train

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Measurement_Train

 

[Minilad]

1Q42 had pantograph damage on scene. Wires down in the Holmes LC area. Not sure if 1Q42 was the NMT or another type of test train

 

[CallySleeper]

Onboard 1D69 1932 St Pancras - Leeds - feel like I must have got out of London just in time. Not sure what's happened but think there are a few GC passengers onboard trying to get to the north east.

 

[Qwerty133]

EMT accepting tickets, and also running an extra service to Derby at 23:00 (calling Leicester, Kettering and Derby). They are also accepting their own tickets tomorrow.

 

[trainophile]

I know it's not funny for those involved, but I did smile at this tweet...

#EMTUpdate We are experiencing exceptional customers on our trains because of overhead wire problems at Peterborough

 

[MadCommuter]

NRE reporting severe overcrowding at St Pancras.

 

[cf111]

Not a good time for the ECML to be blocked when the WCML is closed for the Watford upgrade.
The Highland sleeper is also supposed to be running via the ECML tonight.
St Pancras only for the north!

ScotRail's JourneyCheck advises they will run. The lowlander is also going via the ECML:

20:44 Inverness to London Euston due 08:01
This train will be delayed between Doncaster and London Euston and is expected to be 90 minutes late.
This is due to overhead wire problems.
Due to overhead wire problems in the Connington area (just south of Peterborough).

Overnight services are scheduled to run through this area this evening and will operate calling at all scheduled stops, though may be delayed by up to 90 minutes.

 

[ASharpe]

I only just managed to miss this today - part of me is glad but it would have been good to get some delay repay on one of the tickets I had.

I did see the NMT on my way south on the ECML can't remember where though, I looked out of the window and thought yellow - a bit of an Arthur Dent moment it seems.

 

[Michael.Y]

Scot-Rail.co.uk member dhtulyar states an NMT has brought the wires down.

AN NMT? There's only one, isn't there?

 

[nicobobinus]

Have had a trawl through twitter and it appears trains are being diverted between Peterborough and Hitchin via Ely and Cambridge.

Popped through St. Pancras a couple of minutes before the 2225 Sheffield departure - upper concourse was empty, everyone that wanted to be on the train was on the train. Walked over to Kings Cross for a train home just in time to hear the 2200 Newcastle platform announcement.. the ensuing stampede was worthy of a peak shoulder VT train at Euston.. but it did clear the concourse to near normal levels. So not too bad in London.. considering the horror stories I've read re. what's been happening at stations further up the line.

 

[pethadine82]

I took the 21:53 from Platform 9 at Kings cross.
No announcement from the driver of the stopping pattern.
I overheard someone saying that the 22:23 was going to be leaving and was supposed to be quicker.
got to Finsbury Park, and no announcements.
Train stopped at the normal slow calling patterns until Stevenage.
At Biggleswade I saw the Scot Rail Sleeper! we overtook it enroute to Sandy, but then it overtook us.
Got to St Neots where the train terminated.

St Neots was chaos.
There was no rail replacement buses available.
Went to the forecourt and saw an East Coast train guard, who told me that an East Coast service had left London, and was going to be stopping at St Neots and Huntingdon, and any stations it needs to until Leeds, where they will provide taxis to further destinations.

Then a lady wearing a London underground navy blue fleece, and a faded First orange vest told everyone to be quiet as she could not hear the people she was speaking to.

Then a coach arrived and people disembarked. The driver, who looked middle eastern said that he had been going to and fro from Peterborough to St Neots.
He was going back on his final journey to Peterborough via huntingdon.
I decided to board and other passengers followed me.
Some representative from First followed and said that their insurance will be void if there was standing passengers.
We then left St Neots and arrived in huntingdon 15 mins later.
I could see the Scot rail sleeper on the Northbound slow line, and it was still there when we left.
Arrived at Peterborough 20 miles later and saw an East coast train from the bridge with load of pax. waiting on the Platform.
As we pulled in, I could see that train was empty, and as I got into the taxi home I could see a mass exodus of people coming away from that Platform.
This was at 12:30

I take it that I had reached Peterborough before the sleeper and the East Coast service from London,
Does anyone know what happened to them?

 

[IrishDave]

I take it that I had reached Peterborough before the sleeper and the East Coast service from London,
Does anyone know what happened to them?

OTT maps has them (1S25 and 1D36) still (at 01:05) sat at Huntingdon on the Down Slow, presumably awaiting the line to reopen. Given all three/four lines are under possession, I get the feeling this is a big job and it might take all night, but I presume they won't have let the two trains go north of Hitchin without expecting they'd get through eventually...

EDIT: 1S25 and 1D36 now (at 01:25) on the move on the Down Slow, the possession appears to have been lifted on the Down Slow only.

 

[Suraggu]

East Coast running additional 23:47 Peterborough -Newcastle and an 0200 Newcastle -Edinburgh to help move stranded passengers.

1N35 expected into Newcastle at 0516, only 3hours late and was routed via Cambridge. If that was a HST (as booked) it should be booked on the 0630 back to London....
Fair play to finding the crew at that short notice and so late especially the 0200 ex Newcastle.

 

[Boothby97]

AN NMT? There's only one, isn't there?

There is only one, yes.
It is reported that Mk1 Overhead Electric Test Coast 'Mentor' (975091) brought it down. The NMT still seems to be running around with mostly Mk1/Mk2 coaches, the Mk3s still on exam I presume.

 

[91104]

East Coast running additional 23:47 Peterborough -Newcastle and an 0200 Newcastle -Edinburgh to help move stranded passengers.

1N35 expected into Newcastle at 0516, only 3hours late and was routed via Cambridge. If that was a HST (as booked) it should be booked on the 0630 back to London....
Fair play to finding the crew at that short notice and so late especially the 0200 ex Newcastle.

1N35 was 67 hauled as I was the driver as far as Peterbough where we detached it and then coupled to 1Y53 and took that via Cambridge arriving back at the Cross at 04.55 but if it was any consolation to the passengers it was the 'Royal' 67005.
I don't suppose anyone's got any photos of it for me as were a few photographers at Peterborough and Cambridge.

 

[crewmeal]

Must be bad to be featured by Eamonn Holmes on Sky News. Good luck to those trying to get to work on time.

 

[ExRes]

It seems, from this photo in the BBC news report, that there was far more damage to the overheads than first thought ............

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-28933249

 

[MadCommuter]

Interesting how the media have only just picked up on this when the worst of the disruption was last night.

 

[steamybrian]

It seems, from this photo in the BBC news report, that there was far more damage to the overheads than first thought ............

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-28933249

...using a photograph of Clapham Junction..:roll:

 

[PhilipW]

.... now if only Ely-Peterborough had been electrified and could be used as a standard diversionary route ....

I can dream

 

[Saint66]

NR have done a good Job to get all lines back open this morning.

 

[ExRes]

NR have done a good Job to get all lines back open this morning.

If it was the NMT that had the wires down then I'm not surprised that they've shown great energy in recovering the situation

 

[sidmouth]

Wondered if NR used Mentor to test the knitting before opening back to traffic

 

[Alfie1014]

GE Main Line blocked at Ipswich due to over running engineering works again. Expected to reopen around 10:00.

 

[38Cto15E]

At 0925hrs the Euston to Inverness sleeper is shown on realtraintimes as being at Blair Atholl, 177 minutes late.