Northern bizarre excuse

[peters]

"Due to a late running freight train at Delamere the line is blocked.

Disruption is expected until 10:45 18/10"

https://twitter.com/northernassist/status/1317750017403342848

Does anyone know what's really happened? Real Time Trains shows a Chester-Manchester train was terminated at Delamere at 09:20 and is due to restart at Northwich at 10:20, after arriving empty from Greenbank at 10:19!

 

[Efini92]

Railhead treatment train probably got stuck

Edit : It looks like a possession overran.

 

[peters]

Now it looks like the train for the 10:20 Northwich-Manchester is coming off the Manchester-Chester service, which has been terminated short at Greenbank, while the train which only got as far as Delamere will run to Greenbank and then back to Chester.

 

[E16 Cyclist]

How exactly was this an excuse?

 

[peters]

Looks like the 10:56 Chester to Manchester is in theory being replaced by 3 buses - 12:00 Chester-Stockport (set down only after Cuddington), 12:00 Greenbank-Stockport (set down only after Plumley) and 11:40 Knutsford-Stockport.

There are still referring to it as a late running freight train! Typically it's happened on a Sunday when there's no services between Chester and Manchester via Warrington.

 

[PHILIPE]

Looks like the 10:56 Chester to Manchester is in theory being replaced by 3 buses - 12:00 Chester-Stockport (set down only after Cuddington), 12:00 Greenbank-Stockport (set down only after Plumley) and 11:40 Knutsford-Stockport.

There are still referring to it as a late running freight train! Typically it's happened on a Sunday when there's no services between Chester and Manchester via Warrington.

The reasons quoted represent the root cause of the delay.

 

[185143]

How exactly was this an excuse?

Exactly. Is Northern's reputation that bad that any reason given that isn't their fault is deemed as an excuse? Sadly I suspect it probably is, certainly outside of enthusiast circles.

 

[Jona26]

If it was over-running engineering works that caused a works train to be late leaving the possession site why shouldn't Northern state that?

 

[PHILIPE]

As I said, it is the root cause that shows and this is decided by what code is input to attribute the cause of delay rather than open text. I've seen delays attributed to events that have happened the previous day.

 

[GB]

The freight train didn’t have the correct paper work and was stuck and thus delayed. Just because you don’t fully understand the reasons given doesn’t mean that reason is wrong or bizarre.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Do details for the "stuck" non passenger train working appear anywhere on Real Train Times ?

 

[robbeech]

Exactly. Is Northern's reputation that bad that any reason given that isn't their fault is deemed as an excuse? Sadly I suspect it probably is, certainly outside of enthusiast circles.

Yes, absolutely it is. their reputation is beyond appalling and justifiably so. One would be folly to believe a word they said in any situation as they're well known for being inaccurate. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean that everything they say is incorrect, and quite often they're just following a procedure, particularly when it's the social media staff that are publishing information.

 

[Bob figgis]

6C91 Hartford C.L Jn to Crewe Basford Hall S.S.M operated by Colas left the overnight engineering posession at 10:52 am just 152 minutes late from its scheduled departure of 08:20. I presume it is this working that caused these issues today as I cannot find any other “freight” train in that area that was running late enough to impact today’s passenger service.

 

[Bow Fell]

There’s no reason in Tyrell for “a late running engineering train” so they’ve gone with the best alternative. They could have used “engineering works not being finished on time”

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Do details for the "stuck" non passenger train working appear anywhere on Real Train Times ?

Presumably this is the one...

Realtime Trains - 695H 0820 Hartford C.L. Jn to Crewe Bas Hall S.S.M.

Realtime Trains provides live realtime running information for the Great British railway network using open data.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Still confused as to whether it was a problem with this freight working or delayed engineering work completion that caused this morning's issue on the Altrincham and Chester line.

P.S. What would the freight have been hauling to/from Hartford / Crewe?

 

[221129]

Presumably this is the one...

Realtime Trains - 695H 0820 Hartford C.L. Jn to Crewe Bas Hall S.S.M.

Realtime Trains provides live realtime running information for the Great British railway network using open data.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Still confused as to whether it was a problem with this freight working or delayed engineering work completion that caused this morning's issue on the Altrincham and Chester line.

P.S. What would the freight have been hauling to/from Hartford / Crewe?

As already stated, it was a paperwork issue with the train.

If it was over-running engineering works that caused a works train to be late leaving the possession site why shouldn't Northern state that?

Because that wasn't the cause and would be a lie.

There are still referring to it as a late running freight train!

Which would be correct....

 

[Mcr Warrior]

As already stated, it was a paperwork issue with the train.

Thanks for clarifying. First planned movement of the day on that section of the line presumably (and blocking everything until authorisation to move could be sorted?)

 

[peters]

The freight train didn’t have the correct paper work and was stuck and thus delayed. Just because you don’t fully understand the reasons given doesn’t mean that reason is wrong or bizarre.

The terminology used on a social media account or passenger information site should be written in jargon that's easy for the average passenger to understand. If Deutsche Bahn give passenger information at a station in Berlin in Italian, whose fault is it if the information isn't understood?

 

[Mag_seven]

At the end of the day 99% of travellers just want to know when their train will turn up and if it isn't going to turn up what the alternatives are. That in my opinion is the information the Twitter teams should be giving out perhaps with a brief explanation as to why there are delays to assist with any future delay/ repay claims.

They should certainly not be wasting their time arguing with enthusiasts about the finer details of delay attribution.

 

[Darandio]

The terminology used on a social media account or passenger information site should be written in jargon that's easy for the average passenger to understand.

The average passenger doesn't understand a reason such as the line is blocked due to a late running freight train?