ECML Signalling Failure Between Newcastle and Durham

[afc75]

On a coach now.

Which took 2.5 hours. But was actually comfortable.

Bit chaotic at York, but a random Lumo started from/departed York at 16.11......empty, save myself and about 8 others on carraige B.

 

[Trainguy34]

It is, but I only fixed it an hour before you tested it.

Ah, love your website and used it less then an hour ago to see if anything was going through.

 

[800001]

Signalling has just been restored and can be operated normally.
Obviously disruption for remainder of day due to crew and set displacement

 

[Hadders]

I’ve been caught up in this to a minor extent at Kings Cross this afternoon.

Some feedback for anyone involved with managing Kings Cross during disruption:

I was intending to get the 16:12 Thameslink service to Stevenage which was cancelled.

- The 16:10 GTR service non-stop to Royston (for onward buses to Cambridge) could’ve had extra stops put in at Stevenage and Hitchin to mitigate the disruption but this wasn’t done.

- The 16:24 Lumo service was shown as cancelled on the departure board as was the 16:43 Grand Central service. Nothing on the departure board about ticket acceptance.

- There were large crowds on the downstairs concourse with announcements being made by a man with a loud hailer. These were barely audible. I thought the PA system might be broken but it was playing regular ‘See it Say it Sorted’ announcements and auto announcements were being made for trains that were departing.

- Eventually a man with a Scottish accent made an announcement apologising for the disruption. It was made so fast was very difficult to understand what he was saying.

- Lumo’s website has details of ticket acceptance but I couldn’t find anything on Grand Central’s.

- My back-up train was the 16:35 LNER to Leeds, first stop Stevenage. This was advertised on the departure board as 10-car but was only a 5. I decided to let this go because it was wedged and although I probably could’ve squeezed on someone travelling long distance was more deserving of that train than me.

- The Kings Cross departure boards used to show Thameslink trains departing from St Pancras. They Weren’t doing this today (and I don’t think they have for a few weeks now).

- I wandered across to St Pancras to get the 16:43 Thameslink to Stevenage. This was shown as running 28 mi utes late so I returned to Kings Cross for the 17:12 so I could get a seat before the trin departed.

I’m an experienced train traveller so I know how things work and what to expect. A ‘normal’ would’ve found the situation very stressful. Disruption happens, and to be fair this wasn’t major disruption, but my view is there could’ve been better information given at the station.

 

[afc75]

I’ve been caught up in this to a minor extent at Kings Cross this afternoon.

Some feedback for anyone involved with managing Kings Cross during disruption:

I was intending to get the 16:12 Thameslink service to Stevenage which was cancelled.

- The 16:10 GTR service non-stop to Royston (for onward buses to Cambridge) could’ve had extra stops put in at Stevenage and Hitchin to mitigate the disruption but this wasn’t done.

- The 16:24 Lumo service was shown as cancelled on the departure board as was the 16:43 Grand Central service. Nothing on the departure board about ticket acceptance.

- There were large crowds on the downstairs concourse with announcements being made by a man with a loud hailer. These were barely audible. I thought the PA system might be broken but it was playing regular ‘See it Say it Sorted’ announcements and auto announcements were being made for trains that were departing.

- Eventually a man with a Scottish accent made an announcement apologising for the disruption. It was made so fast was very difficult to understand what he was saying.

- Lumo’s website has details of ticket acceptance but I couldn’t find anything on Grand Central’s.

- My back-up train was the 16:35 LNER to Leeds, first stop Stevenage. This was advertised on the departure board as 10-car but was only a 5. I decided to let this go because it was wedged and although I probably could’ve squeezed on someone travelling long distance was more deserving of that train than me.

- The Kings Cross departure boards used to show Thameslink trains departing from St Pancras. They Weren’t doing this today (and I don’t think they have for a few weeks now).

- I wandered across to St Pancras to get the 16:43 Thameslink to Stevenage. This was shown as running 28 mi utes late so I returned to Kings Cross for the 17:12 so I could get a seat before the trin departed.

I’m an experienced train traveller so I know how things work and what to expect. A ‘normal’ would’ve found the situation very stressful. Disruption happens, and to be fair this wasn’t major disruption, but my view is there could’ve been better information given at the station.

Yeah. Their was very little communication at Newcastle or York.......a mix of guessing, using Real Time Trains, and knowing other people on trains from Newcastle helped me.

But i'm nerdy enough with no real rush to get home, 2 understand/take an educated guess.

 

[GordonT]

Yeah. Their was very little communication at Newcastle or York.......a mix of guessing, using Real Time Trains, and knowing other people on trains from Newcastle helped me.

But i'm nerdy enough with no real rush to get home, 2 understand/take an educated guess.

I wonder if unplanned late evening/Saturday/Sunday disruption is more prone to poor communication due to fewer staff around who would be involved in the communication process if it manifested itself during weekday daytime?

 

[800001]

I wonder if unplanned late evening/Saturday/Sunday disruption is more prone to poor communication due to fewer staff around who would be involved in the communication process if it manifested itself during weekday daytime?

Same amount of staff both station, and in control.

 

[greyman42]

Bathrooms filled with standing passengers.

Selfish b*******

 

[class 9]

Same amount of staff both station, and in control.

Doesn't matter which day, station staff magically disappear when the job goes up the spout!!

 

[800001]

Doesn't matter which day, station staff magically disappear when the job goes up the spout!!

I never said they didn’t disappear, mearly replied to the comment about staff!!!!

 

[LickeyIncliner]

I’ve been caught up in this to a minor extent at Kings Cross this afternoon.

Some feedback for anyone involved with managing Kings Cross during disruption:

...

- There were large crowds on the downstairs concourse with announcements being made by a man with a loud hailer. These were barely audible. I thought the PA system might be broken but it was playing regular ‘See it Say it Sorted’ announcements and auto announcements were being made for trains that were departing.

- Eventually a man with a Scottish accent made an announcement apologising for the disruption. It was made so fast was very difficult to understand what he was saying.

...

I know the Scots voice you mention (personally I find him easy to understand, but not everyone does). I have no idea who he is or what his job is in non-disrupted moments, but I do know that he's always announcing one of two things: either bad news for a lot of travellers or bad news for everyone

 

[Hadders]

I know the Scots voice you mention (personally I find him easy to understand, but not everyone does). I have no idea who he is or what his job is in non-disrupted moments, but I do know that he's always announcing one of two things: either bad news for a lot of travellers or bad news for everyone

I've certainly heard the voice before. It was harder to hear on the mezzanine than on the gorund level concourse. The piano could be heard loud and clear on the mezzanine!

 

[James90012]

I've been caught up previously and heard the voice too. In my experience the main complaint I had was it came far too late into the disruption advising to use alternative routes for which acceptance had been in place for a few hours.

 

[Bayum]

I’ve been caught up in this to a minor extent at Kings Cross this afternoon.

Some feedback for anyone involved with managing Kings Cross during disruption:

I was intending to get the 16:12 Thameslink service to Stevenage which was cancelled.

- The 16:10 GTR service non-stop to Royston (for onward buses to Cambridge) could’ve had extra stops put in at Stevenage and Hitchin to mitigate the disruption but this wasn’t done.

- The 16:24 Lumo service was shown as cancelled on the departure board as was the 16:43 Grand Central service. Nothing on the departure board about ticket acceptance.

- There were large crowds on the downstairs concourse with announcements being made by a man with a loud hailer. These were barely audible. I thought the PA system might be broken but it was playing regular ‘See it Say it Sorted’ announcements and auto announcements were being made for trains that were departing.

- Eventually a man with a Scottish accent made an announcement apologising for the disruption. It was made so fast was very difficult to understand what he was saying.

- Lumo’s website has details of ticket acceptance but I couldn’t find anything on Grand Central’s.

- My back-up train was the 16:35 LNER to Leeds, first stop Stevenage. This was advertised on the departure board as 10-car but was only a 5. I decided to let this go because it was wedged and although I probably could’ve squeezed on someone travelling long distance was more deserving of that train than me.

- The Kings Cross departure boards used to show Thameslink trains departing from St Pancras. They Weren’t doing this today (and I don’t think they have for a few weeks now).

- I wandered across to St Pancras to get the 16:43 Thameslink to Stevenage. This was shown as running 28 mi utes late so I returned to Kings Cross for the 17:12 so I could get a seat before the trin departed.

I’m an experienced train traveller so I know how things work and what to expect. A ‘normal’ would’ve found the situation very stressful. Disruption happens, and to be fair this wasn’t major disruption, but my view is there could’ve been better information given at the station.

Or someone with a disability or inability to stand for long periods or move between London stations at such a pace.