OLE problem on ECML tonight (20/08/15)

[railnerd]

Hi.
Have we actually established why the wires are down yet?
Also, who will foot the delays bill?

 

[High Dyke]

Hi.
Have we actually established why the wires are down yet?
Also, who will foot the delays bill?

1E24 17:00 Edinburgh - Kings Cross first reported a problem with the train (ADD activation) at the same time as the OLE equipment tripped out.

As for the delay bill, well that gets complicated. AIUI both the relevant TOC and Network Rail would hold a joint inquiry to ascertain the cause. If the TOC are found to have a defective train that caused the OLE to be damaged then they would be expected to foot the bill for delays; however in many cases NR seemed to get lumbered with the payment to the TOC's regardless of blame.

 

[Pseudonym]

We did make it to London - though on the 09:29 from WKF as the 08:58 along with so many others was cancelled.
Got there at about 13:25 instead of 11:00 - but we got there.
Special mention for the train crew who were great in difficult circumstances - thanks to you all!

 

[TGV]

The loco involved was 91114. The one fitted with the double pantograph.

 

[najaB]

The loco involved was 91114. The one fitted with the double pantograph.

Oh, the irony that the double pantograph is a test to try and improve reliability. Is it not the case that only one pantograph is in use at any time though?

 

[railnerd]

Hi.
Its still going on. No passenger trains between peterborough and spalding. A freight went northbound early this morning. Still ecml delays too. Not as bad tho.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Hi.
Its still going on. No passenger trains between peterborough and spalding. A freight went northbound early this morning. Still ecml delays too. Not as bad tho.

Indeed.

VEC site - slogan - "The Start of an Amazing Journey" :roll:

says hopes to be clear by Sunday.

https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.c...isruption-id=5ACF5CE8CFFA4F77A282FBBBD4677E68

Details

Damage to the overhead power lines in the Grantham area is causing disruption between Grantham / Spalding and Peterborough. The following changes will apply until at least the end of service:

Hull Trains, Grand Central and Virgin Trains East Coast are running a normal timetable with delays of up to 10 minutes expected from Grantham towards London Kings Cross. Trains from London Kings Cross towards Grantham are running normally.
Buses will replace trains between Spalding and Peterborough increasing journey times by up to 20 minutes.
Trains between Nottingham and Norwich will be diverted and not call at Grantham.

Further repair work will take place throughout the day; a normal service is expected to resume on Sunday 23 August.

 

[railnerd]

Hi.
Ironduke being ironic methinks

 

[lincolnshire]

Indeed.

VEC site - slogan - "The Start of an Amazing Journey" :roll:

says hopes to be clear by Sunday.

https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.c...isruption-id=5ACF5CE8CFFA4F77A282FBBBD4677E68

Details

Damage to the overhead power lines in the Grantham area is causing disruption between Grantham / Spalding and Peterborough. The following changes will apply until at least the end of service:

Hull Trains, Grand Central and Virgin Trains East Coast are running a normal timetable with delays of up to 10 minutes expected from Grantham towards London Kings Cross. Trains from London Kings Cross towards Grantham are running normally.
Buses will replace trains between Spalding and Peterborough increasing journey times by up to 20 minutes.
Trains between Nottingham and Norwich will be diverted and not call at Grantham.



Further repair work will take place throughout the day; a normal service is expected to resume on Sunday 23 August.

One thing that always amused me was on the back of the seat reservation labels on Virgin East Coast was the quote "The Start of an Amazing Journey"
I wonder how many have looked at this and thought your bloody well right there after been sat in the delays due to overhead line problems over the last few days. Why put something stupid like this on the back of labels it only adds to wind passengers up.

 

[jon0844]

Better wording perhaps 'The start of an adventure'? Then spin it so such delays are part of an extra experience you didn't even have to pay for.

 

[khib70]

One thing that always amused me was on the back of the seat reservation labels on Virgin East Coast was the quote "The Start of an Amazing Journey"
I wonder how many have looked at this and thought your bloody well right there after been sat in the delays due to overhead line problems over the last few days. Why put something stupid like this on the back of labels it only adds to wind passengers up.

You guys just can't help yourselves, can you? Any actual evidence that Virgin were at fault for this failure of NR infrastructure? Thought not. Funny how you never saw the saintly EC getting ripped into every time the knitting came down, eh?

It may well be a defective VTEC unit responsible. But let's wait for the results of any investigation before having completely irrelevant digs at VTEC's advertising slogans.

 

[railnerd]

Hi.

Handbags away please ladies.
I think the fact that we type on here rather than talking face to face makes us forget that a lot of us laugh in the face of adversity.
Either that or we have found VTECs PR guru!

 

[jon0844]

I am pretty sure the first comment was a joke, and mine certainly was. Even DOR run trains brought down wires from time to time, so I don't think you can blame the operators.

My personal theory is that a local fox or rabbit possibly sneezed in the direction of the wires...

 

[asylumxl]

My personal theory is that a local fox or rabbit possibly sneezed in the direction of the wires...

No, that's way too strong a force. I think a stray neutron might have made an impact.

 

[lincolnshire]

You guys just can't help yourselves, can you? Any actual evidence that Virgin were at fault for this failure of NR infrastructure? Thought not. Funny how you never saw the saintly EC getting ripped into every time the knitting came down, eh?

It may well be a defective VTEC unit responsible. But let's wait for the results of any investigation before having completely irrelevant digs at VTEC's advertising slogans.

Lets get things straight I didn,t say who was at fault for the overheads coming down or was blaming Virgin Trains East Coast , but at least East Coast, National Express and GNER to what I can remember didn,t print stupid things on the back of there seat reservations like Virgin do, which just winds up the passenger if there is delay and problems of any sort whats so ever , as when you sit in your seat and see the back of the label in front of you there message of spin on how good they think they are, its a train journey form A to B that the passenger is interested in.

Years ago a cinema that I went to which could,t afford a refurbishment due to lack of cash was called the Classic Cinema had and advert which was all ways shown before start of the film which said This is A Classic Cinema as to which you often heard someone say your bloody well right there.

 

[Carntyne]

Lets get things straight I didn,t say who was at fault for the overheads coming down or was blaming Virgin Trains East Coast , but at least East Coast, National Express and GNER to what I can remember didn,t print stupid things on the back of there seat reservations like Virgin do, which just winds up the passenger if there is delay and problems of any sort whats so ever , as when you sit in your seat and see the back of the label in front of you there message of spin on how good they think they are, its a train journey form A to B that the passenger is interested in.

Years ago a cinema that I went to which could,t afford a refurbishment due to lack of cash was called the Classic Cinema had and advert which was all ways shown before start of the film which said This is A Classic Cinema as to which you often heard someone say your bloody well right there.

Stretching it. It's part of their branding and why they're so popular. You can't go through every line of their brand and disruption-proof it.

 

[70014IronDuke]

You guys just can't help yourselves, can you? Any actual evidence that Virgin were at fault for this failure of NR infrastructure? Thought not. Funny how you never saw the saintly EC getting ripped into every time the knitting came down, eh?

It may well be a defective VTEC unit responsible. But let's wait for the results of any investigation before having completely irrelevant digs at VTEC's advertising slogans.

Since my original comment seems to have caused ripples down the line, perhaps I'd better come back and state my reasoning.

"You guys just can't help yourselves, can you?"

Well, I'm not sure how you mean this, but if Virgin are so stupid as to use this slogan, knowing full well that there are going to be a whole series of events each year that makes their trains multi-hours late, then - whether their fault or not - they are setting themselves up for the p*ss take, frankly.

And I would quote such slogans if it were EC trains, or GNER or FGW or whoever.

Because the average passenger/customer/bloke-what-you-are-moving does not care whether it is Virgin EC, Network Rail or Timbuktu ChooChoo PLC who causes his train to be cancelled and him to be 3-4-5 hours late (or more) at his destination.

I cited a fact - Virgin Trains use this slogan - and in the circumstances of last week on the ECML, for the average punter on their trains, it invites ridicule, regardless of whether it was the fault of NR, EMT or Mrs George Stephenson's marauding spirit.

If you don't like that, I suggest you write to Virgin and advise them to change their slogan. Who knows, they might give you a dozen 'go-anywhere' returns in exchange for your wise counsel.

ps If they are transferrable, I'd appreciate it if you could pass a couple on this way in lieu of this suggestion

 

[westv]

My train ended up 10m late on Friday.

 

[lincolnshire]

Since my original comment seems to have caused ripples down the line, perhaps I'd better come back and state my reasoning.

"You guys just can't help yourselves, can you?"

Well, I'm not sure how you mean this, but if Virgin are so stupid as to use this slogan, knowing full well that there are going to be a whole series of events each year that makes their trains multi-hours late, then - whether their fault or not - they are setting themselves up for the p*ss take, frankly.

And I would quote such slogans if it were EC trains, or GNER or FGW or whoever.

Because the average passenger/customer/bloke-what-you-are-moving does not care whether it is Virgin EC, Network Rail or Timbuktu ChooChoo PLC who causes his train to be cancelled and him to be 3-4-5 hours late (or more) at his destination.

I cited a fact - Virgin Trains use this slogan - and in the circumstances of last week on the ECML, for the average punter on their trains, it invites ridicule, regardless of whether it was the fault of NR, EMT or Mrs George Stephenson's marauding spirit.

If you don't like that, I suggest you write to Virgin and advise them to change their slogan. Who knows, they might give you a dozen 'go-anywhere' returns in exchange for your wise counsel.

ps If they are transferrable, I'd appreciate it if you could pass a couple on this way in lieu of this suggestion

Well I will agree with you there, if the BBC still had thats life on T.V. they would have been taking the mickey out of that statement, which was most probably been dreamed up by some group who have never travelled on a train for years.

As you say the average person only wants a train to go from A to B and most never know who,s train they have been on as I have found out over the years since privatisation when you asked them who,s train it was? The usual answer is err don,t know, what colour was it ? can,t remember. But it got me from A to B.

 

[DarloRich]

Rail UK advertising strap line submission:

"trains - they are ok!" (sometimes)

Not sure that will win the contract tbh :roll:

 

[railnerd]

Hi.

Without being pedantic, who remembers the BR/Intercity strap from the 80s?

'We're getting there'

At least it was honest. Reminds me of a quote by the great American comic Steven Wright...
'when you think about it, everywhere is within walking distance'.
As opposed to UK DJ Steve Wright...
'Love the show'.

 

[jon0844]

Without being pedantic, who remembers the BR/Intercity strap from the 80s?

'We're getting there'

I remember it. Did they ever get there?