This mornings rush hour on the East Grinstead and Uckfield lines were a total disaster this morning after a north bound Electrostar broke down just before Oxted tunnel. Rumour as it that it was caused by a shoe coming off and taking out the airline for the brakes.
Southern managed to get all the trains behind it stopped at stations with diesel units at Oxted, Edenbridge Town and Ashurst, and electric units stuck at Hurst Green and Lingfield (I think).
I was at Edenbridge and probably we were luckiest as we could walk to Edenbridge for an alternative service. Took me 90 minutes to make that decision as it wasnt really until then it was clear the delays were going on for ages.
Passengers at Oxted were bussed and taxied either to Caterham or back down the Uckfield line. Passengers at Ashurst - well not sure what happened to them, most seem to have had to wait it out!
Southern did get the passengers on the stranded train back to Oxted eventually, by splitting it and bringing the working half back.
Does anyone know how they recovered the broken part? Did it eventually move under its own power? There was a diesel unit behind it which has Delner couplers fitted apparently to allow then to recover electric units. Did that happen today? Indeed has it ever happened?
Southern managed to get all the trains behind it stopped at stations with diesel units at Oxted, Edenbridge Town and Ashurst, and electric units stuck at Hurst Green and Lingfield (I think).
I was at Edenbridge and probably we were luckiest as we could walk to Edenbridge for an alternative service. Took me 90 minutes to make that decision as it wasnt really until then it was clear the delays were going on for ages.
Passengers at Oxted were bussed and taxied either to Caterham or back down the Uckfield line. Passengers at Ashurst - well not sure what happened to them, most seem to have had to wait it out!
Southern did get the passengers on the stranded train back to Oxted eventually, by splitting it and bringing the working half back.
Does anyone know how they recovered the broken part? Did it eventually move under its own power? There was a diesel unit behind it which has Delner couplers fitted apparently to allow then to recover electric units. Did that happen today? Indeed has it ever happened?
