Can anyone give any detail as to what's been going on here over the last few days? Seen pretty much constant disruption over the last few days, London Overground trains terminating at Hackney Downs and London Fields, Greater Anglia diverted to Stratford etc. Description available on RTT is "due to a problem with the electrified line", what's happened to block the up and down slows outside of Liverpool Street? Sorry if there's another thread I've missed.
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Liverpool Street Disruption
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trainmananthon
Member
Thursdays issues were from what I gather x4 315s bringing the wires down on the slow lines, also taking platforms 1-4 at Liverpool Street out of action.
Yesterday's issues were a lineside fire somewhere on the Hackney lines but I don't know where exactly.
Today's issues are unclear - I've so far seen 3 seperate reports. Damage to the overheads, urgent repairs to the railway and a derailed train. I don't have any more info on today currently unfortunately
trainmananthon
Member
Safe to say the wires are definitely down!
First image is the damage to wires
Second image is a pantograph that SHOULD be attached to a 315...
First image is the damage to wires
Second image is a pantograph that SHOULD be attached to a 315...
Twice in the past 3 days has a 315 had it's panto graph ripped off the OHLE on the approach between Liverpool St and Bethnal Green - this happened today, previously also happening around the similar time of 11am on Thursday. Today a 379 has been trapped in the broadgate tunnels since then, and the lines into LST partially blocked - what's causing all of the OHLE issues at the moment?
PG
Established Member
Not being in the vicinity I don't know but from a brief scan of Twitter I'd hazard a guess that the recent hot weather has played a part in causing the issues to which you refer.
Oh and welcome to the forum
Oh and welcome to the forum
Thanks!Not being in the vicinity I don't know but from a brief scan of Twitter I'd hazard a guess that the recent hot weather has played a part in causing the issues to which you refer.
Oh and welcome to the forum
Also seems as if the problems are still continuing this morning
That's what I thought - the GEML was shut every weekend for years to replace the OLE and make it more reliable particularly during hot weather.
I think that the GE F&F renewal was only done on the GEML between Liverpool St and Southend. It was the old 1500VDC fixed tension compound catenary OLE (LNER planned in the '30s and completed by BR in 1949 to Shenfield and 1956 to Southend on Sea) that was at last replaced in recent years. Those lines are known as the 'Electric' and 'Main'.
The 'Slow' line running from platforms 1-7 is where the Chingford trains (now TfL Rail), run through Bishopsgate Tunnel and up Bethnal Green bank. They pass through Bethnal Green station and then turn away from the GEML, northwards to Hackney Downs Junction, and then to Chingford. They were electrified by BR in the early '60s and used contemporary OLE which hasn't AFAIK, been replaced, - (but certainly patched up so many times)!
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All this OLE was replaced over Christmas 2007/8 during the infamous engineering overrun. It isn’t F&F kit, although I can’t remember what it is. It is, however fixed tension. I would be surprised if it was a weather related failure though - the sun doesn’t get down there much and it wasn’t that hot.
The F&F kit takes over on all 6 lines - Mains, Electrics and Suburbans just after the East London Line Bridge, through Bethnal Green station and for a tension length round the corner towards Cambridge Heath. That part was all done over Christmas 2011, and was one of the earlier F&F sections to be done. After that it’s 1950s vintage kit, installed a5 6.25kV and subsequently upvolted.
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PG
Established Member
Thanks for the information on the OLE kit @Bald Rick.
So one wonders if susceptibility to extremes of temperature was not the cause then what was? In the absence of any statements from those involved in rectification of the situation then we may never know.
Not intended as a criticism of anyone involved since the priority is reopening lines not sharing failure analysis with all and sundry.
So one wonders if susceptibility to extremes of temperature was not the cause then what was? In the absence of any statements from those involved in rectification of the situation then we may never know.
Not intended as a criticism of anyone involved since the priority is reopening lines not sharing failure analysis with all and sundry.
Astro_Orbiter
Member
Just for clarity, the pair of lines that lead through Bethnal Grn platforms are known as the Up and Down Suburban Lines, which continue until Hackney Downs where they become the Up/Dn Southbury or the Up/Dn Cambridge. The Up/Dn Fast run alongside the Sub between Bethnal Green and Hackney Downs.
Platforms 1-4 at Liv St are accessed from the Sub only, I believe there was an attempt by TFL to bookmark those platforms for ARL services only, but obviously its not really possible, and in reality, P1-10 are used by all ARL, GA West Anglia/Stanex and some GE services.
Ah, I was wondering what the 'Bethnal Green' lines were officially called. I've known about the 'Main' and 'Electric' designations since the '60s, (it was also used on the GEML signal numbering, i.e. UM, DM, UE, DE). By the way, what does ARL stand for?
59CosG95
Established Member
From memory, it looks like it could be Mk3d.
Although, if imperial measurements are used on the structure numbering, it's more likely to be UK1 (as that's both imperial and metric).
O L Leigh
Established Member
As it's been a Cl315 both times I'm wondering if the fault might not be with the pantographs rather than the OLE. These units don't have an ADD to bring the pan down in the event of a fault or damage.
87015
Established Member
And again today... 315s involved again.
Are all 315s still fitted with Stone-Faiveley AMBRs?
O L Leigh
Established Member
Starting to become more convinced.
Looking likely. This line has been under repeated failures for the last week and all(?) 315s involved (saw something about a 379 stopped in the Bishopsgate tunnel but I can't recall if this was a unit failure).
TfL's Service Status page, under the London Overground "special service" status says that there's no service between Hackney Downs and Enfield/Cheshunt due to an obstruction on the track, and OpenTrainTimes shows 2U46 terminating northbound at Stamford Hill, with other services stopped outside Stoke Newington and at Hackney Downs and London Fields. Is this also related to the 315 failures again today?
2U46 is terminated there due to the OHLE issues.
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PG
Established Member
We appear to have two threads relating to the same issues, the other one being https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/major-overhead-line-issues-around-liverpool-street.204962/
Will flag this up for mods attention so hopefully all further discussion can continue here in this thread.
Will flag this up for mods attention so hopefully all further discussion can continue here in this thread.
Ah that's what I was talking about. Thanks for info. [Edit: I think I misread this post. See post #26 for an accurate response]
Thanks.
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O L Leigh
Established Member
Nowhere near. The incident at Harlow has no bearing on this whatsoever.
Mention of a Cl379 formation stuck in Bishopsgate Tunnel is not surprising as the damage to the OLE will have caused a loss of power to this and many other trains in the area as well as a physical blockage of lines immediately around the damaged units. The photos posted up-thread show that at least one of these dewirements happened on Bethnal Green bank just a matter of yards from the entrance to Bishopsgate Tunnel. In fact, you can see the portal in one of the photos.
Fair enough - the one I mentioned was the only one I could think of with a 379.
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