ECML major disruption (26/07)

[londonmidland]

Major disruption on the ECML today due to damage to the overhead electric wires in the Hitchin area. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Sounds like major damage has occurred, with multiple lines affected. I assume several headspan structures have been affected?

 

[malc-c]

Local BBC Radio are reporting problems with overhead wires at Biggleswade in their travel reports

 

[Twingo37175]

My better half and eldest son are returning from the big smoke this afternoon, back to Doncaster. Think my eldest lad is probably one of the few pleased around this as it means he can come back via Manchester (seems a grand central 180 can be swapped for a pendolino).

 

[philjo]

Had a near miss this morning - I was on the 0654 Cambridge to Brighton service that appears to be the last service that made it off the Cambridge branch before everything stopped. I noticed an Azuma going north on the slow line at Hitchin.

 

[aag2110]

Currently at Leeds, meant to be on 11.15 LDS-KGS as far as Stevenage. Staff suggesting either going to Manchester then on to Euston or Sheffield and on to St Pancras & then back out.
Safe to say the platform for the delayed 11.11 XC service via Sheffield is very busy!
Opting for the much quieter if slightly slower 11.39 Leeds-Lincoln via Sheffield Northern service…

 

[OxtedL]

Looking at the positions of stalled trains, it seems there could be two separate issues - one between Stevenage and Hitchin, and one around Biggleswade.

 

[LowLevel]

Currently at Leeds, meant to be on 11.15 LDS-KGS as far as Stevenage. Staff suggesting either going to Manchester then on to Euston or Sheffield and on to St Pancras & then back out.
Safe to say the platform for the delayed 11.11 XC service via Sheffield is very busy!
Opting for the much quieter if slightly slower 11.39 Leeds-Lincoln via Sheffield Northern service…

Main problem being the mainly 5 coach EMR trains from Sheffield are far from able to handle the numbers so are reporting full before departure - I'd have gone for Manchester myself!

 

[An_Engineer]

Was trying to head Cambridge way this morning (to Meldreth), and anything on the KingsX-Cambridge line going through Hitchin is cancelled as well. Intitially we were told just Peterborough trains were cancelled, though gradually all cambrdige trains were cancelled as well (despite the announcers at Finsbury park being told that Cambridge services were still running, not their fault just bad information).

Trains all the way down to Brighton on Thameslink seem affected (due to originating in Cambridge).

 

[D1537]

Oddly, LNER have acceptance on EMR, but Hull Trains and Grand Central don't (both have Avanti, Northern and TPE, and GC also have LNWR and XC).

 

[800001]

Looking at the positions of stalled trains, it seems there could be two separate issues - one between Stevenage and Hitchin, and one around Biggleswade.

The issue is around the neutral section immediately south of Biggleswade.

1D02 has damaged pan.

1N80 is evacuating customers of 2 stranded GTRs south of Hitchin, both without power.

1D03 returned to Hitchin to detrain.
1S05 retraining at Arseley.

No services south of Peterborough for mainline for remainder of day, also no service to/from Leeds.

Oddly, LNER have acceptance on EMR, but Hull Trains and Grand Central don't (both have Avanti, Northern and TPE, and GC also have LNWR and XC).

Be trying to distribute the customers, so they don’t all head for one route.

Euston reportedly turning customers away due to the volume of them turning up.

 

[LowLevel]

Oddly, LNER have acceptance on EMR, but Hull Trains and Grand Central don't (both have Avanti, Northern and TPE, and GC also have LNWR and XC).

They do and have since this morning have ticket accpetance on EMR - someone seems to have gotten confused. There has been a clanger somewhere whereby it was input and messaged out to staff as "accepting Cross Country and TPE tickets due to overhead wire problems at Hitchin".

Cross Country and TPE controls look after the ECML open access operators so someone has crossed their wires and put them rather than Grand Central and Hull Trains.

 

[Twingo37175]

Euston reportedly turning customers away due to the volume of them turning up.

Have advised the other half and eldest for Euston, given the joy I can imagine on EMR to Sheffield. Spotted a couple of 11 carriage trains for Manchester, I know that coach U is unreserved on those, is there a second unreserved carriage? Thanks!

 

[DanNCL]

No services south of Peterborough for mainline for remainder of day, also no service to/from Leeds.

Why aren’t LNER serving Leeds when the issue is South of Peterborough?

 

[Kite159]

Have advised the other half and eldest for Euston, given the joy I can imagine on EMR to Sheffield. Spotted a couple of 11 carriage trains for Manchester, I know that coach U is unreserved on those, is there a second unreserved carriage? Thanks!

Normally coach C.

I believe the former FC coach on a refurbished set is also unreserved for Standard class if you get one of the few refurbished units

 

[railfan99]

A friend from Australia is on 1B37 (1050 hours Nottingham - London St Pancras) and was only 20 minutes late at Leicester.

He says for what could have been a super disrupted day, this amount of unpunctuality is tolerable as originally he wanted to go on another route.

Apparently there are standees even in first class where he and his wife are seated.

 

[Twingo37175]

Normally coach C.

I believe the former FC coach on a refurbished set is also unreserved for Standard class if you get one of the few refurbished units

Thanks - I will advise them towards C or U to be sure!

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Why aren’t LNER serving Leeds when the issue is South of Peterborough?

Indeed you would expect some sort of Leeds to Donny shuttle as a minimum when they are the main service provider between the two locations.

 

[800001]

Why aren’t LNER serving Leeds when the issue is South of Peterborough?

Purely a presumption, but if they needs to travel to stations up to and including PBO they go via York or Don and change. For London divert them via alternatives.
Otherwise Peterborough becomes inundated with customers for London with no where for them to go.

 

[class 9]

Why aren’t LNER serving Leeds when the issue is South of Peterborough?

There's not enough capacity at Peterborough, also Leeds- London passengers will be using XC to Sheffield, then EMR to St Pancras.

 

[800001]

There's not enough capacity at Peterborough, also Leeds- London passengers will be using XC to Sheffield, then EMR to St Pancras.

Plus crews will be all to pot now. Leeds crews may now be covering for KGx crews and helping the services to Peterborough, hence why Leeds serviced all binned.

There will be a method in the madness somewhere.

I would love all the armchair experts to go to a control room and run a service in disruption whilst also dealing with stranded and failed trains.

 

[Chriso]

Not even the option to travel tommorow either which is frustrating

 

[800001]

Not even the option to travel tommorow either which is frustrating

Strike day!!! Extremely limited service

 

[Failed Unit]

Could someone refresh my memory, Cambridge - London can't run because it is on the same power section as Biggleswade?

Hopefully this can be altered at some point (in the future of course as it won't be easy) - As it may have helped if they could have kept London - Cambridge open for the sake of diverting some LNER services

 

[AngusH]

I would love all the [people who are not controllers] to go to a control room and run a service in disruption whilst also dealing with stranded and failed trains.

I absolutely agree, it would be an excellent idea and give a much better idea of how things go on.

Although instead perhaps the training materials used to train controllers could be released, with example problems from real situations and then people could see how they would get on in the same situation.

 

[TheEdge]

There will be a method in the madness somewhere.

I would love all the armchair experts to go to a control room and run a service in disruption whilst also dealing with stranded and failed trains.

I was at Wool a few weeks ago when it all went to hell at Weymouth and was stood there with my dad when a non stop service from Dorchester went screaming through the platform. First thing I said to him was "there is a special place in hell for train running controllers who don't issue stop orders!" Then a few minutes latermy insider knowledge kicked in, "actually, to be fair if they stick stop orders in it'll be late to its join at Bournemouth, then it'll be late at Clapham where it'll cause merry hell"

Its frustrating when it happens to you but there is almost always a sensible reason.

Could someone refresh my memory, Cambridge - London can't run because it is on the same power section as Biggleswade?

Hopefully this can be altered at some point (in the future of course as it won't be easy) - As it may have helped if they could have kept London - Cambridge open for the sake of diverting some LNER services

I know its not helpful for the intermediate stations but Cambridge passengers can be quite easily plopped onto the GA services to Liverpool Street so its one of those things that would be nice to have but there is at the moment a workable solution.

 

[800001]

I was at Wool a few weeks ago when it all went to hell at Weymouth and was stood there with my dad when a non stop service from Dorchester went screaming through the platform. First thing I said to him was "there is a special place in hell for train running controllers who don't issue stop orders!" Then a few minutes latermy insider knowledge kicked in, "actually, to be fair if they stick stop orders in it'll be late to its join at Bournemouth, then it'll be late at Clapham where it'll cause merry hell"

Its frustrating when it happens to you but there is almost always a sensible reason.



I know its not helpful for the intermediate stations but Cambridge passengers can be quite easily plopped onto the GA services to Liverpool Street so its one of those things that would be nice to have but there is at the moment a workable solution.

I believe they have, or at in process of shortening the section isolated, with view to allowing services to run towards Royston.

All trains now evacuated, now the mission to move them all.

 

[TheEdge]

All trains now evacuated, now the mission to move them all.

If you listen carefully you'll hear every available 37 in the southeast starting up...

 

[800001]

If you listen carefully you'll hear every available 37 in the southeast starting up...

Lead to believe OHL power restored, the 2 trains at Hitchin have power, as do the 2 at Arsley.

 

[Failed Unit]

I was at Wool a few weeks ago when it all went to hell at Weymouth and was stood there with my dad when a non stop service from Dorchester went screaming through the platform. First thing I said to him was "there is a special place in hell for train running controllers who don't issue stop orders!" Then a few minutes latermy insider knowledge kicked in, "actually, to be fair if they stick stop orders in it'll be late to its join at Bournemouth, then it'll be late at Clapham where it'll cause merry hell"

Its frustrating when it happens to you but there is almost always a sensible reason.



I know its not helpful for the intermediate stations but Cambridge passengers can be quite easily plopped onto the GA services to Liverpool Street so its one of those things that would be nice to have but there is at the moment a workable solution.

True, but LNER at weekends divert via Ely and Cambridge. They don't have the option even if the crew sign the route with the current situation. Likewise Royston / Letchworth are cold be served. But understand the is not going to be fixed quickly.

 

[800001]

Up and Down slow at Biggleswade currently being route proved, with aim to opening these shortly.
LNER, look like reinstating trains ex Edinburgh to run all way through to Kings Cross, would expect same soon from London