Totley Tunnel issues

[syorksdeano]

Just heard that Northern have issued a do not travel warning for passengers travelling from Sheffield to Manchester due to urgent repairs to Totley Tunnel.

Anyone with any idea with what is going on, as its going to be absolute chaos, with Transpennine Express running limited trains due to strike action.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Seems that the emergency tunnel repairs at Totley will mean that the route between Edale and Sheffield will be closed until at least 1700 today. Will obviously also affect any TPE services, not just Northern.

Bus/minibus/coach replacements to operate in the meantime, subject to the availability of vehicles at relatively short notice!

More here...
https://m.nationalrail.co.uk/pj/disruption/details/FE691D33521A454A9279EF30B4E1AA89

Buses replace trains between Edale and Sheffield until approximately 17:00

Last updated: 12:22 13/02/2022

Incident created: 13/02/2022 07:56

Route affected

Northern between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield

TransPennine Express between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield / Doncaster

Train operator affected

TransPennine Express

Northern

Description

Urgent repairs to a tunnel are required at Totley. Consequently, trains are currently unable to run between Edale and Sheffield.

We anticipate that disruption will continue until 17:00.

 

[Starmill]

There were only four TransPennine Express services planned anyway today, and no East Midlands Railway services.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Are there any alternative rail routes that could be taken for journeys between Sheffield / Stockport or Manchester, thus avoiding using road transport?

 

[MP393]

Are there any alternative rail routes that could be taken for journeys between Sheffield / Stockport or Manchester, thus avoiding using road transport?

A pretty poor offering of a few a day to Huddersfield or Leeds to change there for Sheffield however due to industrial action on TPE there isn’t many at all.

 

[skyhigh]

Loose brickwork found last night during a routine inspection.

 

[Starmill]

Are there any alternative rail routes that could be taken for journeys between Sheffield / Stockport or Manchester, thus avoiding using road transport?

People with Northern only tickets could use a Northern service from Manchester Victoria to Leeds and Leeds to Sheffield. But Northern haven't advised this or indicated that they will allow it.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

But Northern haven't advised this or indicated that they will allow it.

No, just seems to be the "Do not travel" between Chinley and Sheffield.

 

[noddingdonkey]

TPE have diverted Manchester-Sheffields via Huddersfield (P8) and Wakefield Kirkgate before. Don't know if there's any scope for Northern to do a similar diversion, I imagine there are plenty of paths with TPE's strike. Northern route knowledge Manchester-Huddersfield may well have lapsed.

 

[Llama]

Not a chance for Northern. Only one link of Northern drivers at one depot, nominally 48 drivers but in reality far fewer, now sign the route through Standedge tunnel.

 

[Watershed]

TPE have diverted Manchester-Sheffields via Huddersfield (P8) and Wakefield Kirkgate before. Don't know if there's any scope for Northern to do a similar diversion, I imagine there are plenty of paths with TPE's strike. Northern route knowledge Manchester-Huddersfield may well have lapsed.

Little chance of diversions that way happening today - the Northern service is operated by Manchester Piccadilly traincrew, who don't sign anything beyond Guide Bridge towards the Stalybridge direction. And the very limited TPE strike service won't have enough slack in the 1 or 2 conductors' diagrams to allow for diversion via Wakefield and Huddersfield.

No good option for getting between Sheffield and Manchester by train today. In fact, a bad day to be travelling across the Pennines - engineering works on the Calder Valley. Standedge on a strike timetable. Hope Valley blocked. And replacement buses on Derby-Stoke for an unexplained reason.

 

[skifans]

If anyone is out there today remember Calder Valley Manchester-Leeds trains are terminating at Moston. So rail replacement buses from Rochdale to Manchester.

Real time trains is showing an hourly EMR rail replacement bus from Stockport to Sheffield non-stop.

 

[Grumpy Git]

What a nightmare!

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Indeed. The routes just seem to lack resilience.

 

[LowLevel]

Little chance of diversions that way happening today - the Northern service is operated by Manchester Piccadilly traincrew, who don't sign anything beyond Guide Bridge towards the Stalybridge direction. And the very limited TPE strike service won't have enough slack in the 1 or 2 conductors' diagrams to allow for diversion via Wakefield and Huddersfield.

Changing at Leeds and going via the Calder Valley is probably the least worst option in the circumstances. But yes, a bad day to be travelling across the Pennines - only the Calder Valley route is running normally. Standedge on a strike timetable. Hope Valley blocked. And replacement buses on Derby-Stoke, because EMR still haven't sorted their industrial dispute out.

EMR industrial dispute was sorted months ago - reduced Sunday service is nothing to do with that anymore.

 

[geoffk]

And Hulley's have stopped their Sheffield - Manchester bus service as it was not viable (but would have been today). "Don't give up your car" I think is the message.

 

[syorksdeano]

So will we be expecting further closures at a later date, as I'm sure the repair will no doubt be temporary

 

[Watershed]

EMR industrial dispute was sorted months ago - reduced Sunday service is nothing to do with that anymore.

What is it down to in that case? There seems to be an ominous silence about that. No trains west of Sheffield or Derby is quite a reduction.

 

[Starmill]

What is it down to in that case? There seems to be an ominous silence about that. No trains west of Sheffield or Derby is quite a reduction.

Hasn't the Sunday service between Derby and Crewe been withdrawn for all of this year and most of last year?

That certainly aligns withe the statement on the website:

Sundays​

Train services on this route will not run, this is a continuation of the revised Sunday timetable which has been in operation throughout most of 2021. A rail replacement bus service will operate on this route between Derby and Crewe. You may also use other operator's services between Stoke on Trent and Crewe.

Not that this much explains why, beyond 'too difficult'.

The Liverpool - Norwich route has also only been running between Sheffield and Grantham on Sundays for a very long time.

 

[Killingworth]

There was already a do not travel warning by TPE for today!

 

[Grumpy Git]

Hasn't the Sunday service between Derby and Crewe been withdrawn for all of this year and most of last year?

That certainly aligns withe the statement on the website:

Not that this much explains why, beyond 'too difficult'.

The Liverpool - Norwich route has also only been running between Sheffield and Grantham on Sundays for a very long time.

Having to travel via Tamworth on my Liverpool - Derby trip means a £40 journey instead of about £24!

 

[Killingworth]

There's supposed to be a replacement bus service but there's clearly confusion about that. I dropped in at Dore and both the CIS and announcement just said cancelled. However, as I arrived an anonymous white minibus was parked in the drop off zone in the car park. Drove away before I got nearer, nobody aboard. Earlier in the day there were more specific details of bus timings from this link.

Find details of current incidents | National Rail

A portal into UK rail travel, including information on ticket purchase and promotions, train times and delays, and more.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

Urgent repairs to a tunnel are required at Totley. Consequently, trains are currently unable to run between Edale and Sheffield.

We anticipate that disruption will continue until 17:00.

Customer Advice:

Northern

Customers are advised NOT TO TRAVEL between Chinley and Sheffield in either direction.

 

[sonic2009]

Having to travel via Tamworth on my Liverpool - Derby trip means a £40 journey instead of about £24!

Shame there isn't ticket acceptance via Tamworth as there was during the strike on tickets routed via Stoke On Trent such as Crewe - Derby

 

[Starmill]

Having to travel via Tamworth on my Liverpool - Derby trip means a £40 journey instead of about £24!

The EMR website says that the other operators are accepting their tickets between Derby and Crewe which implies this shouldn't be an issue.

 

[sonic2009]

The EMR website says that the other operators are accepting their tickets between Derby and Crewe which implies this shouldn't be an issue.

I can only see between Stoke and Crewe on the website currently.

Sundays​

Train services on this route will not run, this is a continuation of the revised Sunday timetable which has been in operation throughout most of 2021. A rail replacement bus service will operate on this route between Derby and Crewe. You may also use other operator's services between Stoke on Trent and Crewe.

 

[Starmill]

I can only see between Stoke and Crewe on the website currently.

Oh, maybe it's been rescinded then. But that's strange because a big deal was made of it in an internal letter last year when the Sunday service was further reduced.

In unrelated news, there are some TransPennine Express rail replacement buses leaving from Manchester Piccadilly. I don't know if they're only covering the four cancelled services towards Sheffield or if some buses have been running anyway because of the industrial action, but unadvertised.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Just come back over the Pennines by car, having been treated to a dining trip on the East Lancs by my brother. Had forgotten about today's TPE strike, but did notice that the M62 was rather busy for a wet Sunday.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Line / tunnel now closed until at least 1900 tonight?

 

[syorksdeano]

I've noticed that this train is due to go through Totley on about 20 minutes time. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R20010/2022-02-13/detailed

Where abouts will they be able to park this up bearing in mind the tunnel is still closed

 

[Grumpy Git]

I've noticed that this train is due to go through Totley on about 20 minutes time. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R20010/2022-02-13/detailed

Where abouts will they be able to park this up bearing in mind the tunnel is still closed

Same with the 2S80 Northern 17:45 from Piccadilly.