Thameslink Problems

[Julian G]

While looking at the Thameslink Groups, they mentioned that OHL had fell on a 319

Damaged cables cause rail delays

Thousands of commuters faced major delays in the morning rush-hour after damage to overhead power lines.
The electric cables came down at Mill Hill Broadway, north London, at just after 0600 GMT on Friday.

Midland Mainline services from Luton to the Midlands were delayed, with no trains into St Pancras. First Capital Connect services were also affected.

Network Rail said it hoped to have the line open by 1600 GMT. It said the damage could have caused by vandalism.

Replacement bus services are operating between Luton, Luton Airport Parkway, Harpenden and Welwyn Garden City, between St Albans, Radlett, Elstree and Edgware and between Luton and Hitchin for connections to London.

A Network Rail spokesman denied earlier reports that the power lines had come down on a train and that it had been evacuated.

Edited (by doublepost prevention system):
An 8 car Thameslink (old) is stuck outside Hendon
8 car (4 car TL (new)+4 car SN 319) stuck at Mill Hill Broadway
Edited (by doublepost prevention system):
Here's more

No service between City Thameslink and Luton due to overhead line problems between Hendon and Mill Hill Broadway. Tickets being accepted on local bus routes and London underground services

 

[ChrisCooper]

Wonder if NR have any evidance it's due to vandalism, or if they are just clutching at straws hoping it isn't there fault, but don't want to blame FCC. Regarding the reports of wires coming down on a train, it's a fairly common occurance when the OHLE is damaged. Anyway, it must be bad to have caused all 4 lines to be closed for so long. Where minor damage is done but the wires are still up, it's possible to carry out any repairs and inspect the wires whilst the adjacent track is open and it's wires are live. It does seem the MML has a lot of problems with the overhead though, which probably isn't suprising since it was put up in the late 70s and is intensly used.

 

[Galvanize]

problem is, the Midland mainline uses Mark 3 headspan OHLE, which is made up of wires, stretched and tensioned. It may look better than an old gantry, like on the WCML south of Weaver Junction, but they're not robust at all. It takes a small thing to knock it over, and it often does the "domino effect" of pulling the rest of them nearby :-x

 

[Julian G]

After earlier overhead wire problems between Hendon and Mill Hill Broadway First Capital Connect and Midland Mainline are, as of 16.25, running a reduced service between Luton and London St Pancras / Moorgate

Services will stop operating from 22.00 on Friday 21 April to 06.00 Saturday 22 April to allow maintenance on the line

First Capital Connect are operating the following services:

xx10 & xx40 Bedford to Moorgate calling at all stations to St Albans, then West Hampstead Thameslink, Kings Cross, Farringdon and Moorgate
xx25 & xx55 Bedford to Moorgate calling at all stations
xx23 & xx53 Moorgate to Bedford calling at all stations
xx05 & xx35 Moorgate to Bedford calling at Farringdon, Kings Cross, West Hampstead, St Albans and then all stations to Bedford

Customers are to use the London Underground to maintain connections to/from Moorgate station

Midland Mainline are running the following services until 22.00, after which road replacement services will operate between London St Pancras and Luton:

xx30 Nottingham to St Pancras
xx02 Derby to St Pancras
xx27 Sheffield to St Pancras

xx25 St Pancras to Sheffield
xx55 St Pancras to Nottingham
Edited (by doublepost prevention system):
The event:

21/04 0549 KENTISH TOWN 1 N YORK ECO REPORT THAT 609 SECTION HAS
TRIPPED AND WILL NOT RESET. UP AND DOWN FAST AFFECTED


--
Nick
Edited (by doublepost prevention system):
20:08 First Capital Connect road replacement transport will operate every 10 minutes from London Kings Cross to St Albans then calling at all stations to Luton to connect with a shuttle train service from Luton to Bedford.
A shuttle train service will operate from Bedford to Luton to connect with road replacement transport every 30 minutes from Luton to London Kings Cross calling at all stations from 21:20 to 23:40. Then two road replacement services will operate from 00:10 (Saturday), both at XX:10. One calling at all stations the other will operate from Luton to St Albans calling at all stations and then non stop to London Kings Cross