Fatality at Chester le Street 16/12/14

[SteveP29]

BTP called to my home town station at 3:25pm today after a fatality.
East Coast main line closed and bus replacements in service.

I know that Cross Country Voyagers and East Coast's HST's would miss Darlington, but could they not be diverted via the Durham Coast line with extra stops at Sunderland and Northallerton?

I know this would depend on drivers having signed for the route

 

[Suraggu]

BTP called to my home town station at 3:25pm today after a fatality.
East Coast main line closed and bus replacements in service.

I know that Cross Country Voyagers and East Coast's HST's would miss Darlington, but could they not be diverted via the Durham Coast line with extra stops at Sunderland and Northallerton?

I know this would depend on drivers having signed for the route

No East Coasts were diverted. Some terminated at Darlington, Durham & Newcastle and formed services to Edinburgh ex Newcastle or London E Durham & Darlington

 

[ThePannier]

I can't find anything on this. Was this a fatality on the railway line? If so, my condolences to their family.

I'm just extra interested as it's my local area.

EDIT: http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/man-dies-after-being-hit-8299022

 

[edwin_m]

I believe the BTP target is to reopen the line within an hour after a fatality if there is nothing pointing to a crime. So even if they could, the operator wouldn't want to start sending trains off on diversions that would take the trains off pattern for much longer than that. Much easier to turn services back either side of the problem to run in the paths of trains in the other direction.

Of course sometimes BTP will discover suspicious circumstances or won't meet their target, but the operators won't know in advance if that is going to happen. I have no information on the specifics of this particular incident, but extend my condolences to the bereaved.

 

[PHILIPE]

Most of the East Coast trains are 221 Electric Powered with just a handful of HSTs. Any diversion would entail trying to find and scramble Diesel Locos for dragging at very short notice.

 

[142094]

Not sure if CrossCountry still sign the route via the Coast - in the past when it was Virgin XC there were trains going via Hartlepool then through Eaglescliffe/Allens West/Dinsdale to get to Darlington and reverse. However in recent years it seems as if only East Coast have used the Coast route when there is engineering work on between Newcastle and Darlington.

Only nearby spare loco would be Newcastle's thunderbird unless they were able to get others from say Tyne Yard or Tees Yard.

 

[ThePannier]

I imagine the Thunderbird 67 at NCL would have been used at one point or another.

 

[Jonny]

I also got caught up in the disruption coming home from Newcastle and it isn't fun being caught in the chaos. It was twice as bad when I worked out the most likely location for it to have happened from the station boards at Newcastle. Of course, they gave very little information out. Apparently there was also a points failure as well which really messed things up, and the train I was on eventually came into CLS on the "wrong" (northbound/down line). Not the most pleasant of evenings.

 

[Marton]

Escaped the chaos. Was booked on 1728 d darlo. Caught 1657 which started at Durham today.

1330 d KX formed 1628 from darlo Having terminated there. Missed it by 3 min.

When I was in darlo cx on 4A and ec Aberdeen services, 1400 KX, departed north.

Sad time of year for many.

 

[sprinterguy]

BTP called to my home town station at 3:25pm today after a fatality.
The East Coast main line closed and bus replacements in service.

I know that Cross Country Voyagers and East Coast's HST's would miss Darlington, but could they not be diverted via the Durham Coast line with extra stops at Sunderland and Northallerton?

I know this would depend on drivers having signed for the route

Diverting via the Durham Coast, particularly at short notice, has become much harder since the Tyne and Wear Metro was extended down to Sunderland and South Hylton with the extra paths that this took up. It took some while until after this event that NXEC/East Coast began to arrange diversions, planned well in advance, over the route again.

As 142094 says, I'm not sure that Arriva XC crews are still signed down the Durham Coast - the last Voyagers I recall being sent through Sunderland were well back in Virgin days in, I think, 2003. The days of ad hoc diversions down the Durham Coast as required seem long gone, I'm afraid.

Absolutley zero chance of a stop at Sunderland, either - it would immediately affect guards' route knowledge as well as dwell time between Metro services, not to mention franchise considerations - and little more chance of a stop at Northallerton: I'm not aware that any diversions have added a stop in there since electrification?

 

[Olympian]

Escaped the chaos. Was booked on 1728 d darlo. Caught 1657 which started at Durham today.

1330 d KX formed 1628 from darlo Having terminated there. Missed it by 3 min.

When I was in darlo cx on 4A and ec Aberdeen services, 1400 KX, departed north.

Sad time of year for many.

You were lucky - I was a passenger on the train involved in the fatality the 1508 Newcastle to Liverpool TPE but thankfully in the rear coach so didn't feel too much of what happened. We stopped just south of Chester-Le-Street station and it took until around 1750 for us to get moving again, and then just as far as Durham where the service was terminated and the 185 headed empty to York for repair etc.

They'd initially tried to bring in another 185 from the north to take our unit back to Newcastle but a points failure somewhere north of us apparently prevented it from crossing over to the up line (it first passed us heading north) to come back to us.

Then took me a further 4 hours to reach Liverpool from Durham.

A sad time indeed.

 

[John @ home]

BTP called to [Chester-le-Street] station at 3:25pm today after a fatality.
East Coast main line closed and bus replacements in service.

I believe the BTP target is to reopen the line within an hour after a fatality if there is nothing pointing to a crime.

I was in the front coach of the train involved in the incident, the 1508 Newcastle - Liverpool. It was handled in a very professional manner by the train staff.

The first northbound trains ran from 1640 but a plan to attach 3 coaches to the rear of our train and return us to Newcastle had to be abandoned due to points failure. Southbound trains passed us on the down line from 1750, and we were on the move and terminated at Durham at 1806.

Level crossing failure near Berwick, diversion of CrossCountry trains via Pontefract, a train failure at Micklefield and an obstruction on the line at Church Fenton all added to delays. I arrived at Leeds 226 minutes late.

 

[edwin_m]

Thanks Olympian and John for these details, which shed some light on the difficulties the front line staff have to put up with, and aren't always obvious to the casual traveller or forum reader.

 

[muz379]

I believe the BTP target is to reopen the line within an hour after a fatality if there is nothing pointing to a crime. So even if they could, the operator wouldn't want to start sending trains off on diversions that would take the trains off pattern for much longer than that. Much easier to turn services back either side of the problem to run in the paths of trains in the other direction.

I believe the target to be 90 mins , at least that's the common consensus amongst other traincrew at my depot .

Either way quite right about sending trains off on diversions when the line is only expected to be closed for about that length could cause further issues .

Absolutley zero chance of a stop at Sunderland, either - it would immediately affect guards' route knowledge

The train wouldn't be able to work over the route in passenger service if the guard did not sign it . So guards route knowledge would not preclude stopping in certain locations on a route the guard signed .

 

[linesider]

I live very close to where this train came to a halt and can confirm that all emergency services responded very quickly and efficiently. The passengers were stranded for almost 3 hours, but only 20 yards from the rear of where the train stopped there is a proper access point to the line,complete with concrete steps and a handrail. If it had been possible to detrain the passengers they could have been on their way in less than an hour.

 

[sprinterguy]

The train wouldn't be able to work over the route in passenger service if the guard did not sign it . So guards route knowledge would not preclude stopping in certain locations on a route the guard signed .

Ah okay - Didn't realise that was how it worked. Thought that performing door procedures and dispatch, etc, would be a different kettle of fish compared to just passing through.

 

[muz379]

Ah okay - Didn't realise that was how it worked. Thought that performing door procedures and dispatch, etc, would be a different kettle of fish compared to just passing through.

All the routes I sign I have to know about each station even if I have never and probably will never stop there . Prime example being Salwick on the Blackpool-Preston line .

Guards need their route knowledge in case of an emergency situation in which the driver is unavailable as well which is why a train cannot run over a route with passengers unless the guard knows the route .

 

[LowLevel]

Ah okay - Didn't realise that was how it worked. Thought that performing door procedures and dispatch, etc, would be a different kettle of fish compared to just passing through.

Theoretically you can be called upon to stop anywhere so you at least need to be familiar with it. If I was called upon to stop at some random shack we normally zip through at line speed I would know where it was etc but take it slowly as I don't call regularly.

You have to know the basics like station exits for emergency evacuation purposes anyway.

 

[Sacro]

Most of the East Coast trains are 221 Electric Powered with just a handful of HSTs. Any diversion would entail trying to find and scramble Diesel Locos for dragging at very short notice.

Most East Coast trains are 225 sets.

Class 221s are diesel and are operated by Virgin and CrossCountry.

 

[edwin_m]

I believe the target to be 90 mins , at least that's the common consensus amongst other traincrew at my depot .

Either way quite right about sending trains off on diversions when the line is only expected to be closed for about that length could cause further issues .

I stand corrected - thanks for the clarification.

 

[Crossover]

Diverting via the Durham Coast, particularly at short notice, has become much harder since the Tyne and Wear Metro was extended down to Sunderland and South Hylton with the extra paths that this took up. It took some while until after this event that NXEC/East Coast began to arrange diversions, planned well in advance, over the route again.

As 142094 says, I'm not sure that Arriva XC crews are still signed down the Durham Coast - the last Voyagers I recall being sent through Sunderland were well back in Virgin days in, I think, 2003. The days of ad hoc diversions down the Durham Coast as required seem long gone, I'm afraid.

Absolutley zero chance of a stop at Sunderland, either - it would immediately affect guards' route knowledge as well as dwell time between Metro services, not to mention franchise considerations - and little more chance of a stop at Northallerton: I'm not aware that any diversions have added a stop in there since electrification?

I also believe that 225s cannot be even dragged under the wires at Sunderland unless their pantos are fastened down (physically as far as I know) so that is going to preclude a number of options

 

[alexl92]

I also believe that 225s cannot be even dragged under the wires at Sunderland unless their pantos are fastened down (physically as far as I know) so that is going to preclude a number of options

Why's that? Not disputing, just interested!

 

[sprinterguy]

Why's that? Not disputing, just interested!

I can't find a specific mention in the sectional appendix, but I suspect that it is due to limited clearances between the train and the 1500V DC OHLE for the Metro (which is by means of a solid bar conductor due to lack of space) in the Sunderland North Tunnel.

Apologies if this proves incorrect.

 

[Legzr1]

I can't find a specific mention in the sectional appendix, but I suspect that it is due to limited clearances between the train and the 1500V DC OHLE for the Metro (which is by means of a solid bar conductor due to lack of space) in the Sunderland North Tunnel.

Apologies if this proves incorrect.

I can't find anything specific but clearance there is VERY tight!

About time the Leamside was re-opened.


Thoughts to everyone involved in this - there's never a 'good' time but a week before Christmas?

 

[Crossover]

Why's that? Not disputing, just interested!

Can't say for sure as it is something I have read previously. I partially expect there may be something to do with 1500V DC coming into contact with something designed for AC may have some bad effects on things, but I may be wrong

 

[96tommy]

I was on a train in 2008 when we hit someone at Chester le Street. It seems to be a hotspot unfortunately.

I was at London on Tuesday and the train I was booked on from Kings Cross to York (20:00) eventually left one hour late

 

[TBSchenker]

No East Coasts were diverted. Some terminated at Darlington, Durham & Newcastle and formed services to Edinburgh ex Newcastle or London E Durham & Darlington

The northbound Kings Cross - Inverness was diverted via Carlisle.

 

[Marton]

The northbound Kings Cross - Inverness was diverted via Carlisle.

Not sure I understand. Diverted which way?

Settle Carlisle seems the only way it would help with Chester le Street blocked.

. Do EC know that route


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rg177]

Not sure I understand. Diverted which way?

Settle Carlisle seems the only way it would help with Chester le Street blocked.

. Do EC know that route


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm pretty sure that the diversion was down to another fatality between Morpeth and Berwick, being sent via Carlisle and up Beattock.

 

[alexl92]

Not sure I understand. Diverted which way?

Settle Carlisle seems the only way it would help with Chester le Street blocked.

. Do EC know that route


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've seen pics of East Coast 225s being dragged over the S&C occasionally so it must be possible, but wouldn't they have to go round near Leeds to get onto it from the East or can you join further north near Skipton?