Landslip At Corby (13/06)

[MadCommuter]

EMT tweeting that a train is picking up crew and heading to Kettering to then go to London.

 

[Roast Veg]

That's no good for passengers who intended to make a connection at STP, many will have been after a cross London journey at what should have been a very reasonable time of day. Hopefully hotels and renumeration are in order, but for that many people I don't know how the staff will be able to address them all.

 

[MadCommuter]

That's no good for passengers who intended to make a connection at STP, many will have been after a cross London journey at what should have been a very reasonable time of day. Hopefully hotels and renumeration are in order, but for that many people I don't know how the staff will be able to address them all.

Taxis will be taking some good fares tonight.

 

[apinnard]

1F77 has been sat at Kettering platform 4 on the down fast for ages. 1F79 is in section directly behind. Will one of them terminate and head back to London with passengers being brought to Kettering from Corby on the shuttles?

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

I understand train partly derailed. Was it just the rear power car, given the picture, or was it (the answer I'm dreading), the whole train?

 

[MadCommuter]

A 5Z99 heading south approaching Loughborough looks a likely candidate for the London special.

Although looks like some kind of block on the fasts south of Kettering all the way to Bedford.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think those of us sat comfortably in our armchairs at home with a pleasant Friday night drink to hand have to offer all praise to those staff (and the firemen etc) out working in the rain and floodwater to assist the passengers. Well done you all.

Indeed, it's done nothing but wee down for about 48 hours, there was always going to be something like this but it's not nice for those who have to work on it...

 

[Bletchleyite]

No food or water on 1C52 for some hours, all suitcases had to be left behind on evacuation.

How does the railway deal with reuniting people with them? Unlike on a plane, they don't know who's on board.

 

[bb21]

Site inspection has been completed and confirmed no derailment (including the cess wheels which were previously buried in silt).

 

[38Cto15E]

To all passengers and staff affected by this incident, you have my sympathy, a very very unfortunate incident, and as far as I can see it was just one of those things that happen in life.
However, it just goes to show how things can snowball and go very wrong quickly.
It just makes matters worse when one person caused so much trouble to so many people.

 

[Roast Veg]

How does the railway deal with reuniting people with them? Unlike on a plane, they don't know who's on board.

Can't answer that one, it's likely a very unpredictable task.

 

[Kneedown]

Well my better half, who was a CH on the affected train has just arrived home after a 19hr shift.

 

[westcoaster]

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O13763/2019/06/14/advancethis was the service to London at 0030. Looks to have been stationary for 40+ mins at Luton airport parkway.

 

[Spartacus]

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O13763/2019/06/14/advancethis was the service to London at 0030. Looks to have been stationary for 40+ mins at Luton airport parkway.

A passenger had some sort of seizure but then there was a brief standoff as the passenger (who when the ambulance arrived half an hour later appeared to have recovered) didn’t want to leave the train while the ambulance crew wouldn’t let the train leave with the passenger on board, which is a first for me, previously every time I’ve known something like this happen the ambulance crew have left empty handed.

 

[MadCommuter]

@EMT twitter seemed to stay going all night. I'm not sure if they are 24 hours anyway, but that's to be applauded. What they could do better with, is getting the message out sooner, that they will get people to their destination or provide accommodation. It's in the charter, but TOCs regularly are slow to admit to it. This would ease a lot of worry among these affected.

Hopefully everyone got back to where they were going safely. One of those snowball situations where everything was against them.

It seems the train that rescued them from Kettering in the early hours had no catering. I would hope it at least had bottles of water on board?

 

[whhistle]

Trying to put this all in some sort of time order:

INCIDENT 1: TRESSPASS
Around 15:00, there were reports of tresspass just south of Leicester.
Trains began diverting through Corby.
Civil police asked for the line to be stopped, but BTP said no. Trains ro run at caution.
However Cross Country trains in the area stopped anyway with one XC driver out trying to talk the guy down.
Civil police stopped road traffic while waiting for a negotiator.
By 16:00 tresspasser was off the line / trains running "normally".



INCIDENT 2: 1B53
Local BBC News reports 1B53 passengers had an 8 hour journey to London. From RTT, it looks like this train called at Leicester but then diverted to Corby. Whether it then somehow came back through Leicester (picking up the 180 mins delay time), I don't know - this conflicts with the official report below.



INCIDENT 3: THE CORBY AREA
Official report from Network Rail

16:01: Driver of 1D43 reports bank slip and water above rail head near Corby line. Driver is currently checking track.

16:15: 1D43 trapped as rear bogie completely cover in silt.

16:29: Driver of 1C52 reports water is freely running and covering the down (towards Leicester) line. Water is rising on the (towards London) line and covering the rail in certain areas but passable at 5mph.

16:40: (towards London) line to be cleared at extreme caution by 1C52/1C55. 1B53 (the last in the queue) will be used to evacuate 1D43.

16:45: 1C52 now reports that the track beyond 1D43 is completely under water and they are unable to pass. Both lines now at a compete job stop.

16:491C52 to be used to evacuate passengers, 1C55 and 1B53 will return wrong direction and cross over at Manton Junction. EDIT: Perhaps this is where 1B53 picked up the ~180 min delay.

16:50: Network Rail staff arrived on site. Three trains (1C52, 1C55, 1B53) stood on (towards London) line. One train (1D43) stood on (towards Leicester) line.


BBC News link: Flood passengers stranded on rescue train


REPORT FROM PERSON ON 1B53 A TRAIN (BBC News):
After rescuing passengers from 1D43, the rescue train headed south towards Corby.
The train stopped and sat in tunnel near Corby for an hour as the landslip / flooding had got worse.
It then turned back around to head towards Leicester.
However due to further flooding, it stopped before getting very far.
It was then decided to evacuate using the power car door where passengers had to head past a scrap yard (clue to exact location?) and on to buses.

The news report on the radio suggests the person was "on the 15:00 from Leicester". The news reporter says 15:10 from Leicester, which would make the train 1B53.

------------------------------------------------------

Obviously a lot of this is mixed around but it gives a good idea what went on.
Can't see anything about a derailment, so possibly confusion with the silt there.
I also can't find anything official about the evacuation or buses.

 

[LowLevel]

The situation regarding derailment isn't certain because of the silt. They think it now probably hasn't derailed but need to dig it out fully to be sure.

 

[Urobach]

To give a bit more background to this:

INCIDENT 1: TRESSPASS
Around 15:00, there were reports of tresspass just south of Leicester.
Trains began diverting through Corby.
Civil police asked for the line to be stopped, but BTP said no. Trains ro run at caution.
However Cross Country trains in the area stopped anyway with one XC driver out trying to talk the guy down.
Civil police stopped road traffic while waiting for a negotiator.
By 16:00 tresspasser was off the line / trains running "normally".



INCIDENT 2: 1B53
Local BBC News reports 1B53 passengers had an 8 hour journey to London. From RTT, it looks like this train called at Leicester but then diverted to Corby. Whether it then somehow came back through Leicester (picking up the 180 mins delay time), I don't know - this conflicts with the official report below.



INCIDENT 3: THE CORBY AREA
16:01: Driver of 1D43 reports bank slip and water above rail head near Corby line. Driver is currently checking track.

16:15: 1D43 trapped as rear bogie completely cover in silt.

16:29: Driver of 1C52 reports water is freely running and covering the down (towards Leicester) line. Water is rising on the (towards London) line and covering the rail in certain areas but passable at 5mph.

16:40: (towards London) line to be cleared at extreme caution by 1C52/1C55. 1B53 (the last in the queue) will be used to evacuate 1D43.

16:45: 1C52 now reports that the track beyond 1D43 is completely under water and they are unable to pass. Both lines now at a compete job stop.

16:50: Network Rail staff arrived on site. Three trains (1C52, 1C55, 1B53) stood on (towards London) line. One train (1D43) stood on (towards Leicester) line.



REPORT FROM PERSON ON 1B53 (BBC News):
(assuming after 1C52 and 1C55 cleared the line)
1B53 used as a rescue train for 1D43. It then headed south towards Corby.
The train stopped and sat in tunnel near Corby for an hour as the landslip / flooding had got worse.
1B53 then turned back around to head towards Leicester.
However due to further flooding, it stopped before getting very far.
It was then decided to evacuate using the power car door where passengers had to head past a scrap yard (clue to exact location?) and on to buses.

------------------------------------------------------

Obviously a lot of this is mixed around but it gives a good idea what went on.
Can't see anything about a derailment, so possibly confusion with the silt there.
I also can't find anything official about the evacuation or buses.

1C52 was the rescue train which also subsequently got stuck

 

[Spartacus]

To give a bit more background to this:
Obviously a lot of this is mixed around but it gives a good idea what went on.
Can't see anything about a derailment, so possibly confusion with the silt there.
I also can't find anything official about the evacuation or buses.

The problem was that with a bogie totally covered in silt it was impossible to tell if it was derailed until it was significantly dug out.
In the end I believe passengers and luggage were moved by bus separately, heaven knows how long it might have taken had passengers taken their luggage with them.

It seems the train that rescued them from Kettering in the early hours had no catering. I would hope it at least had bottles of water on board?

The trouble is how much can you even take on board, unless you fill the power cars with water (which needs regularly replenishing and weighs a hell of a lot) you're gonna struggle to keep supplies for an 8 hour delay when most journeys are 2 hours or less.

 

[MadCommuter]

The trouble is how much can you even take on board, unless you fill the power cars with water (which needs regularly replenishing and weighs a hell of a lot) you're gonna struggle to keep supplies for an 8 hour delay when most journeys are 2 hours or less.

One bottle per passenger in the power car would have placated many dehydrated people. Do TOCs keep an emergency supply at major depots? This train came from the depot and sat at Kettering awaiting all stranded passengers so an extra hour to put limited supplies on board would have been useful.

 

[whhistle]

The situation regarding derailment isn't certain because of the silt. They think it now probably hasn't derailed but need to dig it out fully to be sure.

Indeed!
And in such a small area with the weather throwing it down, I'm surprised anyone could see anything apart from a train and rain!

 

[whhistle]

1C52 was the rescue train which also subsequently got stuck

Yes, you're right!
I didn't press "down" enough on the log and they changed the rescue train.
Have added it now

 

[MadCommuter]

Was the stranded train south of the tunnel? If so, the train was remarkably near an Asda and Corby station. If North of the tunnel, different story.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

Trying to put this all in some sort of time order:

INCIDENT 1: TRESSPASS
Around 15:00, there were reports of tresspass just south of Leicester.
Trains began diverting through Corby.
Civil police asked for the line to be stopped, but BTP said no. Trains ro run at caution.
However Cross Country trains in the area stopped anyway with one XC driver out trying to talk the guy down.
Civil police stopped road traffic while waiting for a negotiator.
By 16:00 tresspasser was off the line / trains running "normally".



INCIDENT 2: 1B53
Local BBC News reports 1B53 passengers had an 8 hour journey to London. From RTT, it looks like this train called at Leicester but then diverted to Corby. Whether it then somehow came back through Leicester (picking up the 180 mins delay time), I don't know - this conflicts with the official report below.



INCIDENT 3: THE CORBY AREA
Official report from Network Rail

16:01: Driver of 1D43 reports bank slip and water above rail head near Corby line. Driver is currently checking track.

16:15: 1D43 trapped as rear bogie completely cover in silt.

16:29: Driver of 1C52 reports water is freely running and covering the down (towards Leicester) line. Water is rising on the (towards London) line and covering the rail in certain areas but passable at 5mph.

16:40: (towards London) line to be cleared at extreme caution by 1C52/1C55. 1B53 (the last in the queue) will be used to evacuate 1D43.

16:45: 1C52 now reports that the track beyond 1D43 is completely under water and they are unable to pass. Both lines now at a compete job stop.

16:50: Network Rail staff arrived on site. Three trains (1C52, 1C55, 1B53) stood on (towards London) line. One train (1D43) stood on (towards Leicester) line.


BBC News link: Flood passengers stranded on rescue train


REPORT FROM PERSON ON 1B53 (BBC News):
(assuming after 1C52 and 1C55 cleared the line)
1B53 used as a rescue train for 1D43. It then headed south towards Corby.
The train stopped and sat in tunnel near Corby for an hour as the landslip / flooding had got worse.
1B53 then turned back around to head towards Leicester.
However due to further flooding, it stopped before getting very far.
It was then decided to evacuate using the power car door where passengers had to head past a scrap yard (clue to exact location?) and on to buses.

------------------------------------------------------

Obviously a lot of this is mixed around but it gives a good idea what went on.
Can't see anything about a derailment, so possibly confusion with the silt there.
I also can't find anything official about the evacuation or buses.

Just one (but a Stagecoach Gold E400 MMC double-decker was used to shuttle to and from the where passengers were waiting and Kettering station.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

Just out of curiosity, was the "special" train from Kettering to London an 8-coach HST given the number of people on the stranded train?

 

[Spartacus]

One bottle per passenger in the power car would have placated many dehydrated people. Do TOCs keep an emergency supply at major depots? This train came from the depot and sat at Kettering awaiting all stranded passengers so an extra hour to put limited supplies on board would have been useful.

Ah, didn't realise you meant the 1Z that collected them all eventually.

Was the stranded train south of the tunnel? If so, the train was remarkably near an Asda and Corby station. If North of the tunnel, different story.

It was in the vicinity of Heritage Way from what I can gether, in a cutting.

 

[MadCommuter]

It was in the vicinity of Heritage Way from what I can gether, in a cutting.

Against all advice, given the location and appalling conditions described, I would have detrained myself and family. I'm amazed people didn't, armed with GPS and maps on phones.

 

[Tomnick]

You might want to tell Network Rail to change the log then

OTT’s map shows 5C32 still standing on the Up Corby so I don’t think there’s much doubt about that. Nothing could go forward so that’s the only one of the three that could’ve been used.

 

[Spartacus]

Against all advice, given the location and appalling conditions described, I would have detrained myself and family. I'm amazed people didn't, armed with GPS and maps on phones.

Then you'd have become part of the problem, causing all rescue efforts to halt and trains to be stopped between Kettering and Corby.

Either squeezing between the trains or more likely between the train and embankment, wading through a foot of moving floodwater and assorted debris with a large number of rail staff, including BTP in attendance, I'm sure you'd have all got very far......

 

[DarloRich]

Against all advice, given the location and appalling conditions described, I would have detrained myself and family. I'm amazed people didn't, armed with GPS and maps on phones.

dear me. A mature and helpful response that i am sure would have in no way made helping everyone else harder . Perhaps your nom de plume is quite accurate.