Moist! (Leaf fall affecting GN services between Royston and Letchworth)

[StateOfPlay]

Delays of up to 15 minutes on the GN line today between Royston and Letchworth due to the moist weather and leaves.

http://prntscr.com/8wrpb3

There are delays on all lines between #Royston and #LetchworthGardenCity due to poor rail conditions
With the moist weather and leaves falling, tracks can become slippery, so we run at a reduced speed in sections

Is this a common event?

 

[Murph]

Is this a common event?

Pretty much an annual.

 

[bluenoxid]

Surely the OP should be banned for the use of that word in the title?

 

[StateOfPlay]

Surely the OP should be banned for the use of that word in the title?

Tittle tattle!

 

[A-driver]

Delays of up to 15 minutes on the GN line today between Royston and Letchworth due to the moist weather and leaves.



http://prntscr.com/8wrpb3







Is this a common event?

Happens every year around this time. The leaf fall has well and truly started this week on the GN. That stretch of line is well known for issues. Infact ashwell station is the only location on the entire GN listed in the sectional appendix for poor adhesion. The cuttings around there and up around baldock mean the rails are generally starved of any sunlight to dry up the rails. Royston itself is also known by all GN drivers for being very dodgy. Rarely a year goes by when at least one train dosnt overshoot Royston due to leaf fall.

And then once you have managed to stop the train correctly you have to fight it to make it start moving again, power notch 1 on a 365 can be too much leading to wheels spinning and motors overloading.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

Surely the OP should be banned for the use of that word in the title?

Maybe it should be made a sticky!

 

[ainsworth74]

Maybe it should be made a sticky!

Nono don't worry I'll call you a taxi and get your coat...

 

[HarleyDavidson]

Soo sorry I couldn't resist!

 

[jon0844]

Surely the OP should be banned for the use of that word in the title?

What's wrong with the word Royston?

 

[ainsworth74]

What's wrong with the word Royston?

To be fair to the OP I added Royston to the title. So, uh, do I have to ban myself?

 

[philjo]

A number of late running trains this morning - heavy rain falling also bringing down more leaves. though there was also mention to signalling issues
I could hear a couple of 365s struggling when leaving Letchworth the other evening.
A few years ago I was on a 4 coach 317 which took about 30 minutes to get up the hill from Hitchin to Letchworth due to leaf fall.

There hasn't been a specific leaf fall timetable on the GN route for the last couple of years - FCC/WAGN always had one for a few weeks which had some of the morning peak stoppers leave a few minutes earlier.