Merseyrail issues 18-07-19 onwards

[Polarbear]

Merseyrail's Northern Line has been closed for most of yesterday, and all of today, due to power supply issues. Although It's happened before, I don't recall things being so serious that the line has had to be closed for more than a couple of hours at any time.

Does anyone happen to know what the root cause of the problem is?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

NRE currently says it's only the southern part between Central and Hunts Cross that is affected.
https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/today.aspx

Power supply problems between Liverpool Central and Hunts Cross mean that trains are currently unable to run between these stations.
Disruption is expected to continue until the end of service

 

[Polarbear]

Sorry, yes. It’s only part of the Northern Libe that’s out. Rail replacement buses are operating.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

Big festival in Sefton Park Liverpool this afternoon as well.

Any train issues could be problematic as I expect it will be the usual Friday rush, plaus the extra 1000's travelling to the festival.

 

[Elecman]

Being reported as cable damage

 

[M28361M]

Earlier today, Network Rail tweeted a picture of a damaged high-voltage cable.

 

[Matt_pool]

This has been causing massive overcrowding on Northern and other services into Lime Street during rush hour.

Commuters don't want to sit on a rail replacement bus that takes 40+ minutes when they can squeeze onto a Northern Rail 156 for 12-15 minutes instead.

Thank God they have been using 156's (albeit only 1 unit!) over the past couple of days, because if they had been Pacers or 150's people, like myself, would have been unable to board the train at West Allerton or Mossley Hill and we would have been late for work!

It didn't help on Thursday that the guard of the 156 I caught allowed 5 bikes squeeze on into one end of a carriage!

 

[Saperstein]

It didn't help on Thursday that the guard of the 156 I caught allowed 5 bikes squeeze on into one end of a carriage!

Blimey, they could cycle that distance!

Saperstein

 

[Bletchleyite]

To be fair the Class 156 van area is perfectly suitable for 5 bikes, probably more. If they were on first, the guard perhaps didn't know he'd be full and standing from Hunts Cross.

 

[Steph_acc]

Look like the lines going to be closed until Monday morning. Will be interesting to see if more information as to the cause comes out with a closure this long.

http://m.nationalrail.co.uk/pj/disruption/details/55C51DD4BBE54D0FA52FB3FF24CC85E1

 

[Saperstein]

Update: Disruption extended until end of service Monday 22 July.

UPDATE - Hunts Cross line disruption extended to Monday

UPDATED - Disruption extended until end of service Monday 22 July.

Due to a cable fault on the Hunts Cross line, the power supply to the third rail has been severely reduced preventing trains running between Liverpool Central and Hunts Cross.

Unfortunately due to the complexity of the fault and the work required to rectify it, Network Rail have advised that services will continue to be suspended all day Monday 22 July, until start of service on Tuesday morning (23 July).

If the fault is rectified before this time, we will resume a normal train timetable as soon as possible.

Passengers are advised to check merseyrail.org or @merseyrail on Twitter before they travel.

Source: Merseyrail app.

Saperstein.

 

[36270k]

Being reported as cable damage

If it is a similar setup to older Southern routes , It would be the 11kv 3-phase cable that links the substations.

 

[Elecman]

If it is a similar setup to older Southern routes , It would be the 11kv 3-phase cable that links the substations.

It is indeed

 

[Skie]

Based on the recent image tweeted by network rails lime street account, it looks like they are replacing a fairly large section of cable.

 

[Saperstein]

Shame they can’t get a few DMU’s in to deputise as the problem doesn’t seem to be lineside?

I guess that’s one drawback of an all electric fleet, but that said there would probably be issues of crew signing traction/routes.

Saperstein.

 

[modernrail]

I would be interested to know what the likely causes of this level of damage to a high voltage cable are if anybody has experience of such things.

 

[aleggatta]

I'm very puzzled as to the need to joint multiple locations, sounds like the cable has been left to deteriorate to a point of unusability. The standard 11kv installation at the hospital I worked at featured ducts buried in sand, with concrete slabs on top, and whilst I can appreciate you don't necessarily need the ducts, but for a cable to have issues in such a massve way either says to me manufacturing error, installation error or damage during transit.

 

[urbophile]

Shame they can’t get a few DMU’s in to deputise as the problem doesn’t seem to be lineside?

I guess that’s one drawback of an all electric fleet, but that said there would probably be issues of crew signing traction/routes.

Saperstein.

They wouldn't be able to run into Central, so you'd still need replacement buses from Brunswick.

 

[Elecman]

I'm very puzzled as to the need to joint multiple locations, sounds like the cable has been left to deteriorate to a point of unusability. The standard 11kv installation at the hospital I worked at featured ducts buried in sand, with concrete slabs on top, and whilst I can appreciate you don't necessarily need the ducts, but for a cable to have issues in such a massve way either says to me manufacturing error, installation error or damage during transit.

Possibly using an old method but well trusted way of locating an underground cable fault, split the cable at the approximate Halfway point see which half is faulty, then repeat halfway on the faulty section and again until you get to a reasonable length of cable to replace.

 

[Harryn9000]

they must either be old cable or fault with the cable. as most of the cable has been replaced fairly recently across the network

 

[aleggatta]

Possibly using an old method but well trusted way of locating an underground cable fault, split the cable at the approximate Halfway point see which half is faulty, then repeat halfway on the faulty section and again until you get to a reasonable length of cable to replace.

That method is virtually redundant with the fault tracing equipment available, although given this is NR and not a DNO who knows

DNO: distribution network operator

 

[Elecman]

That method is virtually redundant with the fault tracing equipment available, although given this is NR and not a DNO who knows

DNO: distribution network operator

Trust me DNOs still use this technique, reflectance distance measuring isn’t always suitable but is widely used

 

[Skie]

More pictures/updates from NR: https://twitter.com/NetworkRailLIV/status/1152953990021353472

"The team laying out over a mile of new cable in Dingle Tunnel to fix the fault"

 

[M28361M]

A couple of empty stock workings ran to Hunts Cross and back on Sunday evening, presumably test trains.

5T01 2145 Kirkdale CS to Kirkdale CS
5T02 2156 Kirkdale CS to Kirkdale CS

And Merseyrail tweeted:

Network Rail have now confirmed that following a power supply problem, repairs have now been made and a normal service will run on the Hunts Cross line tomorrow (22nd July).

 

[Saperstein]

Yep all back to normal and the say it, see it, sorted messages are back (it was automated messages about the disruption over the weekend all over the network.)

Saperstein.