Rolling blackouts and the railway.

[DoubleLemon]

If the unlikely but potential rolling blackouts happen. How would it impact track, stations, car parks on Stations and lighting in and around them?

 

[anamyd]

I was wondering this too, would services just get cancelled?

 

[Trainbike46]

I suspect it will depend on how severe the situation becomes, and whether National Grid ESO decides to prioritise the rail network, but a few options are:

- Bimodes requested to all switch to diesel to limit the network's electricity draw (lightest option)
- Pre-announced rolling blackout, leading to cancelled electric services but no stranded trains. Diesel services may still operate
- rolling blackout without prior notice, leading to stranded trains (the railway industry will clearly do a lot to avoid this from happening)

 

[Bald Rick]

It won’t affect the railway, with a handful of localised exceptions.

 

[HSTEd]

Previous rolling blackouts did not impact essential supplies for the control of trains and tracion supplies - although I believe most train heating was switched off and timetables were prepared that allowed some service to be run with the minimum use of point machines and other such equipment.