Stockport Signalling (trespass, 02 Nov 24)

[185]

Can't find any threads relative to this, but I think that this screenshot from Traksy highlights the true mess Stockport's prehistoric signalling causes during disruption.

Tonight's trespasser blocked the line at Slade Lane Jn but Stockport was unable to turn trains back, and had to continue sending trains through.. leading to a complete mess.

(Edit, as requested by Mods, I was at Piccadilly and witnessed the chaos from the north side, eventually taking 1 hour 10 from Picc to Stockport, due to extreme caution probably due to passengers trackside). In times of disruption I've never seen so many trains full of passengers sent through to queue up. I'm told door egresses were being pulled, batteries failed.)

I see no likely upgrades in the pipeline, but I wonder if anyone has heard of any plans afoot...

 

[Krokodil]

I think that the bigger issue is why after four hours the line is not yet clear.

 

[_toommm_]

I think that the bigger issue is why after four hours the line is not yet clear.

Disruption is now expected until the end of the day. The information boards at Manchester Airport are handily holding a carrot at the end of a very long stick, and saying there's a train at 19:00. This of course won't happen, so it's annoying that the trains that clearly won't run aren't being cancelled.

 

[Lucy1501]

Tonight's trespasser blocked the line at Slade Lane Jn but Stockport was unable to turn trains back, and had to continue sending trains through.. leading to a complete mess.

There are full turnback capabilities at Stockport, albeit most platforms requiring a shunt, and areas to reverse at Heaton Norris Junction. Permissive working is also allowed "during periods of significant service disruption only" in platforms 1, 2, 3 and 4.

This is nothing to do with the age of the signalling in the Stockport Area - even the resignalling plans for Slade Lane Junction to Stockport that were both proposed and planned didn't have turnbacks in the Levensulme and Heaton Chapel areas - its impractical to have turnbacks every mile or so. This appears to be an issue with the operational side of things.

 

[Halish Railway]

I passed the trespasser twice as I was going from Piccadilly to Stockport and back on a rover ticket. Police were on site at 15:00 so how the delay has persisted I have no idea.

 

[66701GBRF]

I think that the bigger issue is why after four hours the line is not yet clear.

Because the person concerned is now up an OLE stanchion and incidents like this are under emergency services control.

 

[Intercity_225]

Because the person concerned is now up an OLE stanchion and incidents like this are under emergency services control.

I may be sounding silly here, but does that mean the OHLE is off? Are any trains without power?

 

[66701GBRF]

Trespasser now in custody so things should start moving soon. Will be delays and cancellations into the night though.

I may be sounding silly here, but does that mean the OHLE is off? Are any trains without power?

Yes

 

[Intercity_225]

Trespasser now in custody so things should start moving soon. Will be delays and cancellations into the night though.


Yes

I'm presuming the trains with no power are:
1H24 - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C31566/2024-11-02/detailed
1H25 - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C21795/2024-11-02/detailed#allox_id=0
1H69 - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C21816/2024-11-02/detailed#allox_id=0
1A71 - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C21705/2024-11-02/detailed

 

[Lucy1501]

I'm presuming the trains with no power are:
1H24 - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C31566/2024-11-02/detailed
1H25 - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C21795/2024-11-02/detailed#allox_id=0
1H69 - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C21816/2024-11-02/detailed#allox_id=0
1A71 - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C21705/2024-11-02/detailed

They do have batteries onboard that keep most things going, stepping down to only keeping essential systems like communications and lighting after a while.

 

[_toommm_]

I'm presuming the trains with no power are:
1H24 - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C31566/2024-11-02/detailed
1H25 - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C21795/2024-11-02/detailed#allox_id=0
1H69 - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C21816/2024-11-02/detailed#allox_id=0
1A71 - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C21705/2024-11-02/detailed

And 2H40.

 

[Intercity_225]

They do have batteries onboard that keep most things going, stepping down to only keeping essential systems like communications and lighting after a while.

Ah, thanks.

 

[CHESHIRECAT]

So 1646 Piccadilly Stoke got to Stockport and was then cancelled?.. why?
Also why not run ATW via Warrington to Crewe??

 

[_toommm_]

So 1646 Piccadilly Stoke got to Stockport and was then cancelled?.. why?
Also why not run ATW via Warrington to Crewe??

It may be that not all the crew sign via Warrington up the WCML.

 

[DarloRich]

Caught up in this. Stuck at Buxton after football. No trains were coming up from on Manchester .We ended up sorting out own cab out to Macclesfield to hopefully make a south bound Avanti as they seem to be turning there.

Got to say the poor bloke at Buxton station was given no information or devolved authority to arrange cabs for stranded passengers. Poor fella

No replacement coaches were running. Information was very poor

 

[Intercity_225]

Looks like the line is now open.

 

[185]

Also why not run ATW via Warrington to Crewe??

Transport for Ebbw Vale decided to not retain diversions, so now Stoke, Earlestown, and Stafford are off most traincrew cards.

 

[Adam Evans]

I was caught in this earlier going from Liverpool to Manchester. Ended up getting the 17:54 to Victoria which ran without too much delay thankfully. Although whilst waiting at Wavertree, the guard said that they managed to initially talk the guy away, only for him to return shortly afterwards. Hope he's alright.

Another guard was saying to me last night that he had a nervous breakdown after having to deal with two suicide attempts on the railway within a couple of weeks of each other, one of them who'd self-harmed in a bad way beforehand.

 

[185]

I note 1A71, there for 3 hours - the 1635 Man Picc - Euston is still sat at Slade Lane Jn, 28 minutes after the line was back open.

Several thousand passengers stopped, and appears the (Tesco) freight is going first.

 

[bengley]

I note 1A71, there for 3 hours - the 1635 Man Picc - Euston is still sat at Slade Lane Jn, 28 minutes after the line was back open.

Several thousand passengers stopped, and appears the (Tesco) freight is going first.

Flat batts

 

[185]

Flat batts

amazing

 

[Krokodil]

Because the person concerned is now up an OLE stanchion and incidents like this are under emergency services control.

Were they up the OLE when this all kicked off several hours ago? Having witnessed a trespass incident in Manchester before, I was struck by the different approaches taken by BTP and GMP officers. BTP dithered, GMP just marched down the ramp and grabbed the youth from the signal ladder.

Also why not run ATW via Warrington to Crewe??

Too much congestion. The Llandudno - Manchester services were all turning back at Warrington to avoid clogging up Oxford Road.

 

[The Planner]

Stockport is way down the list, getting rid of the Ansaldo stuff is first.

 

[185]

Too much congestion. The Llandudno - Manchester services were all turning back at Warrington to avoid clogging up Oxford Road.

Terminating the Chesters at Warrington Bank Quay is acceptable as there is now an alternative Vic/Leeds service... however failing to run the Cardiff - Manchesters via NLW is not only a missed opportunity but plain incompetency by TfW senior management - if the past three (BR, FNW, W&B and ATW) running the route managed to do it - TfW management should be booted down the road for this.

 

[Krokodil]

Terminating the Chesters at Warrington Bank Quay is acceptable as there is now an alternative Vic/Leeds service... however failing to run the Cardiff - Manchesters via NLW is not only a missed opportunity but plain incompetency by TfW senior management - if the past three (BR, FNW, W&B and ATW) running the route managed to do it - TfW management should be booted down the road for this.

The crews do sign the route. It's booked work for the locos when they run ECS. The fact is that there were no paths through Castlefield. I don't care what BR would have done, BR didn't have anything like the intensive service we have today.

 

[185]

The crews do sign the route.

Some do. Many lapsed & gone off their card. New staff seemingly not being trained on it.

 

[Trainguy34]

Has the Avanti with flat batteries been evacuated, coming up on 4 hours since it left Piccadilly with no sign of movement.

Edit: Looks like they've got something pulling up behind it to drag it about 1/2 a mile back to Longsight, the track bashers will be happy about that.

 

[Krokodil]

Some do. Many lapsed & gone off their card. New staff seemingly not being trained on it.

There's been some route learning recently. But it's irrelevant because there are no paths.

 

[westcoaster]

Has the Avanti with flat batteries been evacuated, coming up on 4 hours since it left Piccadilly with no sign of movement.

Edit: Looks like they've got something pulling up behind it to drag it about 1/2 a mile back to Longsight, the track bashers will be happy about that.

Could be another compatible unit, hopefully with a bit of juice transferred to get the pans up after coupling.

 

[_toommm_]

Has the Avanti with flat batteries been evacuated, coming up on 4 hours since it left Piccadilly with no sign of movement.

Edit: Looks like they've got something pulling up behind it to drag it about 1/2 a mile back to Longsight, the track bashers will be happy about that.

1Z98 a few signal blocks behind it, presumably doing a train to train evacuation (if that hasn't already took place) then taking it back to Longsight.