Disruption On The East Coast Mainline

[LNW-GW Joint]

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?

The Highland sleeper lost 3 hours en route (most at Huntingdon but some also at Doncaster) and the three portions are still en route.
The later Lowland sleeper lost only 20 minutes around Huntingdon, but was 92 minutes late at Edinburgh (most of it approaching Edinburgh) where it was cancelled.

Of the southbound services, the Highland sleeper lost 95 minutes at Newcastle and arrived at Euston 82 down.
The Lowland sleeper arrived 70 down after delays at Doncaster.

Times from RTT.

 

[Cletus]

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:

Has the picture been changed? Slightly confused about the trains currently on view in the picture.

 

[CallySleeper]

More to the point, how old is it?! That looks like a Hull Trains 170 on the left.

Not sure what's happened to the Fort William beds this morning, whether it ran from Edinburgh or if it was capped. The 04.50 day train ran as per, albeit surely with two carriages.

 

[sprinterguy]

Has the picture been changed? Slightly confused about the trains currently on view in the picture.

Yes, it now shows a picture of Kings Cross, albeit from about twelve years ago, when Hull Trains used 170s hired in from Anglia.

 

[ainsworth74]

Do we have any pictures of the damage?

Also the level of redfacedness at Network Rail HQ must have been sufficient to warm the equivalent of every home in Milton Keynes last night once it was discovered that one of their test trains brought down the wires!

 

[Julia]

Still plenty of fun this morning - one of the up sleepers passed St Neots at 0738, 67-hauled, but no East Coasts while I waited; 0718 SNO-KGX cancelled, 0741 SNO-KGX 4 cars vice 12 (and already full to standing at HUN), 0758 SNO-KGX cancelled, no buses.

And this was after major disruption on Sunday with only the up fast open for most of the day during works at Belle Isle, and about 10pm a fatality near New Barnet which caused cancellations for a couple of hours. Hey ho...

 

[ExRes]

Has the picture been changed? Slightly confused about the trains currently on view in the picture.

Indeed it has, someone from SWT probably complained to the BBC, it will more than likely change to a picture of Etches Park later with an ex-Hull Pioneer on display ........

 

[Shimbleshanks]

Just woken up having arrived in Kings Cross ex-York at 02.40 this morning followed by an hour's cycle ride home to South London, eventually making my bed at 04.20am.

Caught the 21.17 ex-York running an hour late (I was booked in the 22.20) where we were transferred to an empty HST - but absolutely rammed with passengers sitting and sleeping in the aisle even in first class; then, just as we thought things couldn't get any worse, another trainload tried to board at Peterboro, followed by diversion via March and Cambridge. Some passengers got left behind as there physically wasn't room to get any more on.

 

[talltim]

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

I think they must have changed the picture. Now it just looks like the trains are running 20 years late...

 

[Muzer]

I was on the highland sleeper. Not only were we delayed due to the dewirement, we also had to change loco at Darlington Doncaster according to the attendant. Anyone know why, and the TOPS number of the replacement loco?

We missed most of the stops north of Edinburgh, only stopping at stations where people were booked to get off. Everyone was given a passenger charter form.

 

[TUC]

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.
[/i]

Given the number of bus and coach companies there must be between Peterborough and London, one has to question how much effort goes into securing replacement buses, even allowing for the short notice.

 

[DelayRepay]

Given the number of bus and coach companies there must be between Peterborough and London, one has to question how much effort goes into securing replacement buses, even allowing for the short notice.

I think the problem is, where do you find sufficient drivers at such short notice on the evening of a Bank Holiday? Although there are lots of buses in the area, I would expect most of the drivers were either on duty driving the buses or were at home enjoying the end of the bank holiday.

Full credit to EMT for running the extra services last night. It seems like they faced a "perfect storm" - bank holiday loadings combined with both the ECML and WCML being closed.

 

[ainsworth74]

I suspect the Bank Holiday could well have eaten into available coach/bus resources (both in terms of vehicles being otherwise engaged. drivers hours and drivers actually being available).

 

[Dave1954]

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/G51325/2014/08/26/advanced

I think you are quite right Cally according RTT......

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/G51132/2014/08/25/advanced

 

[TheEdge]

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.

Asking for a friend who was on 1N33 (2000). Was it hauled as well or did it run under its own power?

 

[91104]

Asking for a friend who was on 1N33 (2000). Was it hauled as well or did it run under its own power?

That was an HST it was 1N35 that was hauled as far as Pboro.

 

[Robertj21a]

Given the number of bus and coach companies there must be between Peterborough and London, one has to question how much effort goes into securing replacement buses, even allowing for the short notice.

.
Probably not all that many bus companies in that particular area - let alone finding drivers who had enough hours left to drive legally.

 

[hassaanhc]

.
Probably not all that many bus companies in that particular area - let alone finding drivers who had enough hours left to drive legally.

Also fit to drive, I.e. not been drinking or fatigued.

 

[TheBigD]

I know of one coach company that won't touch railway work... I doubt they're alone...

 

[HowardGWR]

Is it agreed that there is only one way out of this - renew the ECML with gantry OLE?

 

[najaB]

Is it agreed that there is only one way out of this - renew the ECML with gantry OLE?

Nope. A bad pantograph can pull down any OHLE.

 

[Class 170101]

I wouldn't mind knowing how NR got away with blocking the WCML and severely reducing capacity on the MML and ECML given the complaints that occurred the last time that happened. Didn't NR promise it wouldn't happen again as a result of that?

 

[hassaanhc]

Is it agreed that there is only one way out of this - renew the ECML with gantry OLE?

Nope. A bad pantograph can pull down any OHLE.

Wasn't this the first for several months? Not been aware of any such incidents on that route recently, but I hardly ever use it so don't keep up to date there .
The London-area GWML also has the same but each line is no more than 4tph of electric trains normally (with lower speeds) rather than the double figure electric train frequency of the ECML, so that tends to explain why the GWML hardly ever has problems (as more use means more chance of things going wrong).

 

[Crossover]

Nope. A bad pantograph can pull down any OHLE.

Maybe, but if it is headspans, you will usually lose all 2/3/4 lines, rather than just one

 

[carriageline]

I wouldn't mind knowing how NR got away with blocking the WCML and severely reducing capacity on the MML and ECML given the complaints that occurred the last time that happened. Didn't NR promise it wouldn't happen again as a result of that?

I imagine they 'got away with it' because it was engineering works which were in the pipeline a while. The track has also needed work for a while, and it's part of a resignalling project.

Unless you mean doing all 3 at the same time, then i think they were hoping something like this wouldn't happen


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[HowardGWR]

Maybe, but if it is headspans, you will usually lose all 2/3/4 lines, rather than just one

Yes that was my point. I thought it was obvious but perhaps @najaB is thinking about something else?

 

[Muzer]

On that subject, what style electrification are they using for the new projects (northern hub/gwml beyond airport junction/ewr/mml/Windermere/etc.)? I'd hope they'd have learnt from the east coast...

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Railscot recently posted this photo of completed OHLE at one of the Whifflet line stations and also this one on the Cumbernauld line. I remember someone posted on these forums that the Whifflet line when electrified would be a diversionary route for the WCML.

 

[petersi]

Railscot recently posted this photo of completed OHLE at one of the Whifflet line stations. I remember someone posted on these forums that the Whifflet line when electrified would be a diversionary route for the WCML.

I think south of Alexandra palace station and the flyover they removed some of the head span and replaced with portal
2012
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tetramesh/6930416260/
2013
https://www.flickr.com/photos/68628359@N04/8968405542/

 

[ainsworth74]

On that subject, what style electrification are they using for the new projects (northern hub/gwml beyond airport junction/ewr/mml/Windermere/etc.)? I'd hope they'd have learnt from the east coast...

Gantries nearly everywhere and they look bomb proof most of them. Headspan is being used but mostly in depots or through stations (i.e. low speeds).