Storm Gerrit related disruptions-27/12/23

[Essan]

Don't thnk its been mentioned, but Scotrail have suspended restrictions on all advance tickets - instead you can use your ticket on any service, regardless of which one you were originally booked on. Anyone know if this is the case with other TOCs today?

It's the sort of thing which really should (IMO) be standard with all TOCs whenever there is major disruption

Edit: though not quite clear whether advance tickets for today are valid for travel on the 28th and 29th? I assume so?

Tickets dated for today (27 December) will be accepted for travel on 28 and 29 December. You don't need to do anything to take advantage of this, just travel as normal.

Need to travel today? We have lifted all restrictions on Advance Single tickets for the rest of today. You can catch the next available ScotRail train instead of waiting for your booked service.

Major disruption due to extreme weather

Updated: 0710, 24 January 2023 Storm Jocelyn Another storm, Storm Jocelyn, has impacted the railway. All ScotRail services had to be suspended from 19.00 on Tuesday night (23 January) and there are no rush hour services on Wednesday morning, as high winds and heavy rain batter the country once...

www.scotrail.co.uk

 

[D1537]

At Preston there is a queue spanning the footbridge and onwards to the end of platform 4 full of people waiting for taxis. It really is a sorry sight.

TPE's 1S61 is going through to Carlisle, they might be better off getting that far and then getting a cab (or even going via Newcastle, the northern ECML looks mostly OK).

 

[Retorus]

Don't thnk its been mentioned, but Scotrail have suspended all advance tickets - instead you can use your ticket on any service, regardless of which one you were originally booked on (and all tickets valid for travel tomorrow as well). Anyone know if this is the case with other TOCs today?

It's the sort of think which really should (IMO) be standard with all TOCs whenever there is major disruption

LNER have suspended all restrictions so any tickets, including Advance ones, dated for today can be used tomorrow or Friday.

 

[Agent_Squash]

Avanti abandoning Preston-Carlisle when there is disruption in Scotland needs to be called out in the media. It's not on, especially on a travel day like today.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Maybe we need Northern to provide an hourly "stopper" north of Preston?! OR else Avanti get some staff at Carlisle.

There's no sensible reason Avanti couldn't run a shuttle service north of Preston using whatever stock is there and Preston crews.

 

[Elecman]

There's no sensible reason Avanti couldn't run a shuttle service north of Preston using whatever stock is there and Preston crews.

Quite

 

[YorkshireBear]

Maybe Avanti executives also own Preston taxi companies...

 

[trei2k]

It looks like an HST has suffered a bit of damage at Broughty Ferry:

Source: https://twitter.com/Longydfc/status/1740022708446830880




(Image from twitter shows a damage cab and a ScotRail HST. Someone in high-vis stands next to the powercar)

 

[Retorus]

Is it just the cheapest hotel or could someone fork out and claim it all back - is there a limit to prices?

£300 apparently. For info:

https://twitter.com/LNER/status/1740020926819778817?s=20

 

[Class83]

So the flooding is apparently somewhere between Carlisle and Lockerbie, it will be interesting to see what, if any engineering work Network Rail is planning next summer to reduce the risk of flooding on that section of the track. The weather isn't good today, but it's also not exactly stop the world I want to get off bad. I haven't seen photos, but is the track underwater, or are they concerned about embankment erosion?

BA seem to be running about half the Edinburgh-London Shuttles, there area couple of cancellations to Shetland and Lewis, but other than that the airport is operating. If Avanti could run half the services on the WCML today it would probably get those who can't travel tomorrow where they are going.

 

[trei2k]

BBC Scotland have the following news article about disruption across the country: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3gydzw7p6po

It looks like Bowling station has flooded again



(Screenshot from BBC News showing a train stopped with flooding in the foreground)

 

[thomalex]

It looks like an HST has suffered a bit of damage at Broughty Ferry:

Source: https://twitter.com/Longydfc/status/1740022708446830880


View attachment 149181

Dear god. Where’s the driver?

 

[Trainguy34]

It looks like an HST has suffered a bit of damage at Broughty Ferry:

Source: https://twitter.com/Longydfc/status/1740022708446830880


View attachment 149181

How odd, RTT says it reached Arbroath after a 5 min delay between Carnoustie Arbroath. Also odd as that was on the back, not the front.

 

[yorkie]

Avanti are trying not to get out of their obligations to re-route passengers; they probably won't like my tweet correcting them:

https://twitter.com/RailUKForums/status/1740018160512721339

This is wrong; firstly, any passenger whose delay could reasonably be anticipated to be over an hour is *entitled* to be re-routed, as per the relevant legislation.

Furthermore, this statement goes against the policies agreed by all train companies:

https://raildeliverygroup.com/about-us/publications/archive/350-2014-07-passenger-information-during-disruption-cop/file.html

 

[D1537]

How odd, RTT says it reached Arbroath after a 5 min delay between Carnoustie Arbroath. Also odd as that was on the back, not the front.

That was on 1A37. On Traksy there's a 5A37 stationary just north of Broughty Ferry so I'm going to assume that it was returning empty towards Dundee (with 43129 on the front now, of course).

Edit: scratch that, the above image on X was in reply to someone saying they were still on the train ... so I'm guessing it never got to Arbroath and RTT is wrong.

 

[XCTurbostar]

I wouldn't trust RTT on formations, they've been wrong on multiple occasions.

How odd, RTT says it reached Arbroath after a 5 min delay between Carnoustie Arbroath. Also odd as that was on the back, not the front.

 

[glasgowniteowl]

Notable that Scotrail have apparantly abandoned Cardonald, Hillington East and West, yet lots of trains still running through, surely a stop order for a few of those trains to each call at one stop would have been appropriate

 

[380101]

Dear god. Where’s the driver?

Driver is okay. Managed to take evasive action before impact. Believe he got behind the driver's seat just in time.

 

[The Prisoner]

Av*nti managed to run an empty service from Carlisle to Preston non stop at 1425. Could they really have not found anyone to staff it? How did it get there? On a line that is "closed".

Shambles.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:30113/2023-12-27/detailed

 

[MrJeeves]

Edit: I’m aware they need to etc etc, but this is the first that I’m aware of where they’ve provided this option publicly.

They've done it the last two times they've issued a DNT (though they delete the tweets when the disruption is over to prevent confusion).

 

[43055]

Av*nti managed to run an empty service from Carlisle to Preston non stop at 1425. Could they really have not found anyone to staff it? How did it get there? On a line that is "closed".

Shambles.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:30113/2023-12-27/detailed

It arrived at Carlisle at 1118 on the 0730 from London

Realtime Trains | 1S42 0730 London Euston to Carlisle | 27/12/2023

Real-time train running information for 1S42 0730 departure from London Euston to Carlisle on 27/12/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[jagardner1984]

Not to defend the indefensible, but is there something in moving the problem here - that "you aren't going to get past Preston" potentially deters more people from the attempt, rather than leaving more people stranded at Carlisle, which arguably has fewer alternative onward transport options to Scotland.

Fundamentally isn't the issue that in these days of threadbare provision - everything is pushed to the max so there isn't really the scope to turn trains in places they aren't designed to, not to mention the fact the crew for much of the service GLC - PRE is provided from Polmadie, who are now somewhat severed from the rest of the WCML network. If there were more main lines in to Scotland you would stand more of a chance of one or more of them withstanding the weather, but as it is, all of the Anglo Scottish traffic descending on either Newcastle or Carlisle to board a 2 car sprinter to Glasgow seems equally problematic.

You wonder if something could be done "Collect free travel voucher when you use today's ticket tomorrow" to more actively discourage those who have an option to travel another time.

For those who don't have that option, its really another sorry day for long haul rail travel.

 

[realemil]

They've done it the last two times they've issued a DNT (though they delete the tweets when the disruption is over to prevent confusion).

That would explain why I've never seen it then!

 

[Trainguy34]

It looks like an HST has suffered a bit of damage at Broughty Ferry:

Source: https://twitter.com/Longydfc/status/1740022708446830880


View attachment 149181

(Image from twitter shows a damage cab and a ScotRail HST. Someone in high-vis stands next to the powercar)

Likelihood of a write-off?

 

[camerar1]

How odd, RTT says it reached Arbroath after a 5 min delay between Carnoustie Arbroath. Also odd as that was on the back, not the front.

Do not rely upon what RTT says for which end is which for a ScotRail HST.

RTT also sometimes projects times forward - in this case to Arbroath.

Traksy currently shows 5A37 static at Broughty Ferry - on the up line, although it may actually be on the down.

Facebook reports say that Fire Brigade now present with ladders.

Likelihood of a write-off?

That seems credible, may be easier to get 43128 going - which has sat at Haymarket unused since delivery.

 

[D1537]

Likelihood of a write-off?

Depends if they've got a spare cab knocking about. Is the rear PC from Carmont still around?

 

[CheshireCrusty]

Does anyone know how long the flooding between Lockerbie and Carstairs is likely to keep the WCML blocked?
I seem to recall it happens at least once a year.
I am due to travel to Edinburgh tomorrow p.m.

 

[Trainguy34]

Depends if they've got a spare cab knocking about. Is the rear PC from Carmont still around?

I was just looking at the Stonehaven incident before looking at this!

The rear one was either 43030 or 43140. Both scrapped, 43140 in May 2021 and 43030 in November 2022 after being stripped for parts.

 

[scotraildriver]

Deleted

 

[yorkie]

Just a gentle reminder to please stick to the topic of storm disruption.

If anyone would like to discuss any other matter, including anything related to or arising from the storm in more detail, please create a new thread, or use an existing one, if there is one.

Also just a reminder that when making any post that refers to any external content, please add a hyperlink (if at all possible) as well as a quote, which should be separate to your own comment. When posting images, please provide a text alternative, to ensure blind people are able to understand what has been posted.

Many thanks