ECML Signal Failure (22/05) - Special Working?

[Teebs]

I'm on a southbound service on the ECML and we were told that due to signal failures all services were cancelled southbound from Newcastle, except two trains an hour from LNER using special working. I was wondering what special working means in this context? Giving drivers authorisation to proceed by phone/radio based on them reporting when they reach a new stop?

 

[PLY2AYS]

I'm on a southbound service on the ECML and we were told that due to signal failures all services were cancelled southbound from Newcastle, except two trains an hour from LNER using special working. I was wondering what special working means in this context? Giving drivers authorisation to proceed by phone/radio based on them reporting when they reach a new stop?

Special working (emergency or TBW, probably ESW in this case) is where 2 or more successive signals in a section/area cannot be cleared or are misbehaving in some way…

The signaller will use ESW or TBW depending on the signal system/layout to authorise trains individually through the section, at specific speeds depending on circumstances (route and road)

Trains typically run much slower and will queue to enter the section under the authority of the signaller.

 

[Egg Centric]

(For anyone looking at this thread cause of the disruption and unsure whether to travel - I've just abandoned a journey I have some discretion over at Durham due to trains being standing only in first. I wouldn't advise travel if you have the option. There is ticket acceptance next day and other operators)

 

[Tomnick]

(For anyone looking at this thread cause of the disruption and unsure whether to travel - I've just abandoned a journey I have some discretion over at Durham due to trains being standing only in first. I wouldn't advise travel if you have the option. There is ticket acceptance next day and other operators)

Annoyingly, with virtually no information forthcoming but station staff making the very best of an appalling job, we let a fast bus to York go from Durham on the understanding that normal working had resumed, and are now suffering on a heavily overcrowded Azuma that'll almost certainly take longer than the bus would've done.

 

[Egg Centric]

Annoyingly, with virtually no information forthcoming but station staff making the very best of an appalling job, we let a fast bus to York go from Durham on the understanding that normal working had resumed, and are now suffering on a heavily overcrowded Azuma that'll almost certainly take longer than the bus would've done.

Maybe we were on the same platform at the same time, lady who kept on not realising her microphone was still on?

 

[DanNCL]

I am travelling Northbound in around an hour or so to Chester-le-Street. I have an absolutely zero confidence in TPE actually getting me there but I am hoping things will have improved enough to allow me to get back to Durham by train…!

Special working (emergency or TBW, probably ESW in this case) is where 2 or more successive signals in a section/area cannot be cleared or are misbehaving in some way…

The signaller will use ESW or TBW depending on the signal system/layout to authorise trains individually through the section, at specific speeds depending on circumstances (route and road)

Trains typically run much slower and will queue to enter the section under the authority of the signaller.

What do these acronyms mean?

 

[Tomnick]

Maybe we were on the same platform at the same time, lady who kept on not realising her microphone was still on?

Quite possibly, yes. We're now on 1E23 which stopped additionally at Durham, much to everyone's surprise!

 

[D1537]

I am travelling Northbound in around an hour or so to Chester-le-Street. I have an absolutely zero confidence in TPE actually getting me there but I am hoping things will have improved enough to allow me to get back to Durham by train…!

I think you're going to struggle with Chester-Le-Street unless there's an RRB, all TPE services are turning round at York or Leeds.

1S21 is moving north and is between Thirsk and Northallerton, running 153 late.
1S22, 1S23, 1W24, 1S25 and 1S51 are all queuing at Tollerton.

 

[DanNCL]

I think you're going to struggle with Chester-Le-Street unless there's an RRB, all TPE services are turning round at York or Leeds.

1S21 is moving north and is between Thirsk and Northallerton, running 153 late.
1S22, 1S23, 1W24, 1S25 and 1S51 are all queuing at Tollerton.

I’ll accept Durham and get a local bus for the last bit if need be. I just don’t want to have to get a bus all the way from York!

 

[TurboMan]

What do these acronyms mean?

TBW: temporary block working. Driver is authorised to pass several signals at danger by a handsignaller who gives the driver written instructions (the 'ticket').
ESW: emergency special working. Much the same as TBW, but the ticket is dictated to the driver by the signaller over the radio. ESW was brought in a few years ago as an alternative to TBW as a quicker way of getting things moving, due to the time taken to find someone to act as handsignaller, and get them to site.

TBW is likely to disappear from the rule book sometime fairly soon, to be replaced by (a variant of) ESW.

 

[D1537]

I’ll accept Durham and get a local bus for the last bit if need be. I just don’t want to have to get a bus all the way from York!

Looks like things are moving now. 1S23 (on the slow) and 1S22 (on the fast) have started moving north. 1E20 has nearly reached York (131L), so I presume the southbound queue will start moving shortly.

 

[Egg Centric]

I’ll accept Durham and get a local bus for the last bit if need be. I just don’t want to have to get a bus all the way from York!

Do you have an ETA in Durham? If it's before about 2010 can give you a lift as have been dragged to B&M...

 

[Teebs]

Anyone on what should have been the 19.10 out of Northallerton (17.00 from Edinburgh, 18.29 from Newcastle)? Want to come and say hi? PM me

Edit: Think it should be 1E24.

 

[DanNCL]

Do you have an ETA in Durham? If it's before about 2010 can give you a lift as have been dragged to B&M...

Not before 21:00, almost certainly much later as I’ve not even made it to York yet. Thanks for the offer though!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 May 2025 ==

TBW: temporary block working. Driver is authorised to pass several signals at danger by a handsignaller who gives the driver written instructions (the 'ticket').
ESW: emergency special working. Much the same as TBW, but the ticket is dictated to the driver by the signaller over the radio. ESW was brought in a few years ago as an alternative to TBW as a quicker way of getting things moving, due to the time taken to find someone to act as handsignaller, and get them to site.

TBW is likely to disappear from the rule book sometime fairly soon, to be replaced by (a variant of) ESW.

Thanks.

Looks like things are moving now. 1S23 (on the slow) and 1S22 (on the fast) have started moving north. 1E20 has nearly reached York (131L), so I presume the southbound queue will start moving shortly.

A three hour journey in standard class on an 80x doesn’t sound like fun but as long as I get a seat I suppose it’s better than a bus.

I’ll get on whatever train I can North from York and get off at Durham (or if needed Darlington) and finish the journey by bus.

The most annoying thing for me is that I considered driving down to West Yorkshire this morning instead of getting the train, had I done that I’d not be in this situation now!

 

[camvsthetrains]

On the 18:35 York to Morpeth. Been waiting over a hour south of thirsk and there is another train in front.

Train manager has just said it is taking 45 minutes for each train to go through the affected area.

It was only 10 minutes late getting into York, but I fully regret travelling now...

 

[mityellow]

At around 19:15 the communication about rail replacement buses/taxis leaving Newcastle was only being done face to face rather than over the speakers - this meant our taxi with room for about 8 left with 3 onboard. Whilst there was a plentiful supply of staff within Newcastle Station itself there was no-one outside to fill the taxis/allocate people logically and so a chain of these barely half full taxis went to Chester-le-Street where there was no-one waiting for us in the first taxi never mind the ones behind us (or at least no-one waiting at the right place...). We then headed on to Durham. I got off here, but again there was no-one being guided to fill the taxi which was apparently now off to York. Felt like they'd done well to get so much rail replacement transport and done well with having visible staff on the platforms but there was a breakdown in communication between the two.

 

[D1537]

On the 18:35 York to Morpeth. Been waiting over a hour south of thirsk and there is another train in front.

Train manager has just said it is taking 45 minutes for each train to go through the affected area.

It was only 10 minutes late getting into York, but I fully regret travelling now...

1S51 is traversing the affected area now. You (on 1S25) will be next up. Most trains are around 130-160 minutes late after they've made it to Northallerton.

 

[Egg Centric]

1S51 is traversing the affected area now. You (on 1S25) will be next up. Most trains are around 130-160 minutes late after they've made it to Northallerton.

On the bright side for those stuck on them, that's 100% delay repay on a return territory.

And of course any of us who've decided to travel tomorrow instead, same deal. Ker ching!

 

[Teebs]

1E24 now going through the affected area southbound. Our guard said 11 signals to be passed at danger with a 50mph speed restriction and then a pause while the driver gets the train reconnected to the signal system. I'd guess we're running about 2 hours later.

 

[DanNCL]

My bank account might like the idea of my open return tickets from a lot further south being fully reimbursed by delay repay but my body certainly doesn’t like that idea. I’m exhausted and I just want to get home, but at least I’m on a train from York now and I have a seat. Current estimates for arrival into Durham range from 1 and a half to 3 hours…

Can’t be risk this happening again when I have to be up early the next morning so I think I’ll drive next time.

 

[D1537]

Seeing a load of comments from pax who are on 1S26 which has been at York for the last 2.25 hours, meanwhile 1S27 and 1S30 have gone past and ahead of it.

Edit: it's now left 142 late. 1S31 just behind to join the queue of 3 trains currently at Tollerton...

 

[DanNCL]

Communication from TPE has been dire. They’re advertising replacement road transport from York but staff at York were completely unaware of this, and there was no sign of any buses. Hopefully Durham will provide me with a taxi back to Chester-le-Street as it’s currently looking like I’ll not be back in Durham before the last bus.

Seeing a load of comments from pax who are on 1S26 which has been at York for the last 2.5 hours, meanwhile 1S27 and 1S30 have gone past and ahead of it.

1S53 has gone past too. 1S26 has now left York and is going on the slow line so may potentially overtake 1S30 and 1S53 which are both queuing on the fast line south of Tallington.

 

[D1537]

1S53 has gone past too. 1S26 has now left York and is going on the slow line so may potentially overtake 1S30 and 1S53 which are both queuing on the fast line south of Tallington.

Very possibly, 1S23 did that earlier as well!

 

[Egg Centric]

Communication from TPE has been dire. They’re advertising replacement road transport from York but staff at York were completely unaware of this, and there was no sign of any buses. Hopefully Durham will provide me with a taxi back to Chester-le-Street as it’s currently looking like I’ll not be back in Durham before the last bus.

Unfortunately I've now had a bit to drink otherwise I'd have sorted you and other RF members out since I'm less than 15 mins drive away. But if it's helpful, having been through similar disruption with LNER before while obviously I can't guarantee it I have had taxis reimbursed by them without quibble after the fact in this sort of scenario - which is probably a lot quicker than waiting for staff at the scene to sort it.

 

[SuspectUsual]

On the bright side for those stuck on them, that's 100% delay repay on a return territory

If only LNER sold returns widely……

 

[Egg Centric]

If only LNER sold returns widely……

I was thinking exactly that when I posted

 

[APT618S]

Seeing a load of comments from pax who are on 1S26 which has been at York for the last 2.25 hours, meanwhile 1S27 and 1S30 have gone past and ahead of it.

I was told by station staff that 1S26 had the signal go back on them during departure and ended up stopped just past the signal itself but still on the platform.
When I left York on 1S27 it had reversed a few yards back down the platform but still had red lights on the northen end of the train. Presumably this added to the time lost. No idea if it was connected to the signalling issues.

 

[DanNCL]

Unfortunately I've now had a bit to drink otherwise I'd have sorted you and other RF members out since I'm less than 15 mins drive away. But if it's helpful, having been through similar disruption with LNER before while obviously I can't guarantee it I have had taxis reimbursed by them without quibble after the fact in this sort of scenario - which is probably a lot quicker than waiting for staff at the scene to sort it.

It’s fine, even if I don’t get a taxi reimbursed it’ll cost a lot less than I’ll get back in delay repay!

I think the fact the TPE gave up several hours ago and there’s been nothing to Chester-le-Street in that time probably helps my case getting quibble free replacement transport as I’ll not be the first one.

 

[MichaelTrains]

I’m stranded at Darlington. Nothing is moving. No staff, they’ve all gone home. Very poor.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 May 2025 ==

This is extremely poor from LNER. No staff present and everyone just praying for a miracle that the trains turn up.

 

[DanNCL]

I was told by station staff that 1S26 had the signal go back on them during departure and ended up stopped just past the signal itself but still on the platform.
When I left York on 1S27 it had reversed a few yards back down the platform but still had red lights on the northen end of the train. Presumably this added to the time lost. No idea if it was connected to the signalling issues.

I did think something was odd about 1S26’s position at the platform when I saw it at York but couldn’t work out what.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 May 2025 ==

I’m stranded at Darlington. Nothing is moving. No staff, they’ve all gone home. Very poor.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 May 2025 ==

This is extremely poor from LNER. No staff present and everyone just praying for a miracle that the trains turn up.

That can’t be right as Darlington uses station staff for dispatch so there must be someone there surely. But very poor that they’ve gone and hidden away in an office instead of being out helping customers.