Snow and how it affects things

[JamesM]

Hi guys,

I'm likely to be using the WCML tomorrow. Travelling from Crewe at 9 and back at about 6. Looking at the Met Office warnings for snow (currently at AMBER) and also of course the derailment problems so far today, it's tempting to cancel.

I suspect I won't be able to get a full refund of an advance ticket (the Saturday Day Travelcard thing Virgin do) unless there is actually disruption, so I guess I just need to chance it and go.

How does snow affect the trains? Do they solider on, or does everything grind to a halt? Generic question, with 101 answers I'm sure, but I would be interested in whether the WCML can generally cope or if it's "one inch and it's a crisis"?

Thanks,

James

 

[142094]

The media would have you think that a small flurry of snow is enough to lead to mass cancellations, which of course doesn't happen. The majority of problems will be with overhead wires, 3rd rail (although not where you're travelling to), and ingress into rolling stock. Rarely, if you get a lot of snow all at once it will cause problems when there aren't enough snowploughs to go around.

 

[YorkshireBear]

From my personal experience the WCML is one of the better lines, virgin (or whoevers deciision it is) pushed them quite hard through last winter at expense to ... (someone) by having to replace pantographs regularly due to ice on overhead wires.

Can i ask where your travelling to?

You should be fine i wouldnt worry about it.

 

[SS4]

From my personal experience the WCML is one of the better lines, virgin (or whoevers deciision it is) pushed them quite hard through last winter at expense to ... (someone) by having to replace pantographs regularly due to ice on overhead wires.

Can i ask where you're travelling to?

You should be fine i wouldnt worry about it.

The OP mentioned (the Saturday Day Travelcard thing Virgin do) so I'd imagine they are going to London although it's unclear whether it's LM or VT.

You are likely to be fine and have no issues. Snow might cause a small delay if it freezes on the rail

 

[AJP62]

Last winter during the worst of the weather the 8.02 Virgin service from Macclesfield to Piccadilly was on time most mornings. As this is one of the first services off Euston in the morning I thought it was a remarkble feat!

 

[JoeGJ1984]

I'm also travelling on Sunday from Shrewsbury to Manchester Piccadilly via Crewe. Should I be OK? (I think the disruption caused by the derailment would have cleared by then).

 

[OuterDistant]

I suppose the ironic thing is that the trains generally cope OK with snow, as long as the crews can get the depot - which is usually by car!

 

[LE Greys]

There's been a 37 with bogie ploughs sitting in what was once Platform 1 at Aberdeen on-and-off for the last few weeks. Runs ahead of the EC expresses whenever there is real snow. A few years ago, when the sleeper got stuck, there was a wonderful series of images in the Press and Journal of an EWS example cleaving a snowdrift in two. That was an odd incident caused by a massive fall overnight, usually a 67-hauled sleeper would run when all lightweight units remain in the depot.

I haven't noticed 225s running slab-end-first in the last few years, which they always used to do so that a heavyweight loco can meet the snowdrifts instead of a lightweight DVT.

 

[DownSouth]

I haven't noticed 225s running slab-end-first in the last few years, which they always used to do so that a heavyweight loco can meet the snowdrifts instead of a lightweight DVT.

That could also could be done as a sign that the snow is causing the company great distress, like a national flag being hung upside-down.

 

[WestCoast]

I am a bit cheesed off about the weather too (not something we have control over though!). Booked a cheap deal to go to Edinburgh about six weeks ago and the snow has to arrive tomorrow (after weeks and weeks of relatively mild weather, at least in England). It's not predicted to snow in most of Scotland, but it looks like it will probably affect my return journey through Cumbria. Grrr...

I'll still go, I am sure the chances are that I will be OK, if a little delayed.

 

[Tomonthetrain]

I'll be going out tomorrow - either that or getting into a argument at home...as usual! Plus I'm on NXEA advances & a great escape!

 

[Crossover]

Having travelled on the WCML a couple of years back when the snow came bad and London got its' fair share for some time in a while, the trains were pretty much running fine and I got to Euston and back on a Pendolino without any major problems (I didn't attempt to cross London in the end though as the likes of LUL were cancelled on surface lines)

I remember when leaving the return train seeing the "wheelarches" with massive lumps of snow stuck in them and slowly melting and dropping off!

I believe trains can actually run in pretty bad weather - things such as this seem to leave them a tad stumped though :P

 

[GB]

Despite the media ridicule and what they would like you to believe, the type of snow does actually play a part as well as quantities. The network can usually cope with the normal wet stuff unless there is a fairly large amount in a short space of time but the powdery type of snow doesn't melt as quick and gets blown into all the little nocks and crannies of the various signalling and train equipment.

 

[londonmidland]

I'm travelling tomorrow too - Leicester - Manchester Piccadilly via Sheffield and then on a FTE 185 to Piccadilly. I wonder how it will be!