Trivia - Extremely Late Running

[Huntergreed]

Across the network, it’s well known (amongst the general public) that services don’t always end up running to schedule. Whilst the majority of services run to time and most late services are only slightly late, there are occasionally more severe delays which can take up several hours.

What is the latest you have ever seen a train running?

Is it known what the latest service to ever have run on the privatised rail network is?

Personally, for me, it has to be a long delay on 1S87 from Preston to Glasgow on 6th January 2020. Due into Glasgow Central at 21:44, the service incurred late running after leaving Oxenholme due to a fatality. Initially returned to Oxenholme to allow passengers to alight for some air, the train was eventually moved back further to Lancaster. The train left Lancaster after midnight and followed its original stopping pattern, arriving into Glasgow Central at 02:18 a mere 274 minutes (4 hours and 34 minutes) late.

 

[Peter C]

This thread I made in 2019 talks about how the "Great Britain XII" railtour, with Flying Scotsman at the front on one day, gained a 171-minute delay following trespassers. Not a specific service, but I seem to remember a magazine after the fact saying around 1000 minutes of delays had been incurred as a result of trespassers slowing the railtour and other trains?

-Peter

 

[travelred]

Not as bad as that, but the 1810 from Euston to Wrexham/Holyhead yesterday was cancelled when it arrived into Milton Keynes Central 164 minutes late.

 

[bussikuski179]

In the summer of 2014 VR sleeper train PYO 266 managed to incur a total of 1417 minutes (a mere 23 hours and 13 minutes) delay after a level crossing accident, it was then promptly cancelled at Oulu station. On one of my UK trips I caught a ”ghost train” with no info about it from Bedford to London, which turned out to be a Corby-St P service running something around 200 minutes late after there was some sort of blockage on the line.

 

[Tomnick]

My personal best is a 6½ hour delay on what should've been a 48 minute journey (Leicester to Nottingham), thankfully initially in a station platform so devoid of passengers after alternative arrangements had been made for them.

 

[peteb]

I was on a Sunday afternoon Birmingham New St to London Euston in the mid-80s diverted via Nuneaton due to engineering works. Dep Bham about 4pm, broke down near Nuneaton, stuck for hours, then dragged to Nuneaton, finally made it to Euston about 1am, after last tubes finished. About 6 hours late. However taxis provided, full refund and letter of apology personally signed by Cyril Bleasdale no less.

 

[bramling]

Across the network, it’s well known (amongst the general public) that services don’t always end up running to schedule. Whilst the majority of services run to time and most late services are only slightly late, there are occasionally more severe delays which can take up several hours.

What is the latest you have ever seen a train running?

Is it known what the latest service to ever have run on the privatised rail network is?

Personally, for me, it has to be a long delay on 1S87 from Preston to Glasgow on 6th January 2020. Due into Glasgow Central at 21:44, the service incurred late running after leaving Oxenholme due to a fatality. Initially returned to Oxenholme to allow passengers to alight for some air, the train was eventually moved back further to Lancaster. The train left Lancaster after midnight and followed its original stopping pattern, arriving into Glasgow Central at 02:18 a mere 274 minutes (4 hours and 34 minutes) late.

There was a day fairly recently when an LNER HST managed to accrue a delay of several hours. It might have been the day when the 700/717s had the traction problems, but I can’t remember for sure, might have been something else.

 

[xotGD]

I remember reading years ago that during a period of bad weather one service (The Clansman?) arrived into Euston 24 hours late.

 

[Ceat0908]

Across the network, it’s well known (amongst the general public) that services don’t always end up running to schedule. Whilst the majority of services run to time and most late services are only slightly late, there are occasionally more severe delays which can take up several hours.

What is the latest you have ever seen a train running?

Is it known what the latest service to ever have run on the privatised rail network is?

Personally, for me, it has to be a long delay on 1S87 from Preston to Glasgow on 6th January 2020. Due into Glasgow Central at 21:44, the service incurred late running after leaving Oxenholme due to a fatality. Initially returned to Oxenholme to allow passengers to alight for some air, the train was eventually moved back further to Lancaster. The train left Lancaster after midnight and followed its original stopping pattern, arriving into Glasgow Central at 02:18 a mere 274 minutes (4 hours and 34 minutes) late.

I think I remember that day. Was the fatality at Penrith? I was on a voyager that was stuck before there and was put into P3 at Penrith which has never happened before in all the time I’ve used those services, after 4 and a half hours before then continuing. The TM said the police was suspicious of the nature of the fatality and was why we were held for so long. Not sure if it was that day that you are referring to. Surprised they sent you all the way back to Lancaster though.

 

[Dave91131]

I'd struggle to specify and particular dates, services or delay minutes - however I can recall numerous occasions through the period of roughly 2012-2017 when the ECML would regularly "fall to pieces" and services would be 3-4 hours at least arriving at their destinations.

I think the 1400 KGX-ABD reached its destination after midnight on one such occasion.

 

[Dren Ahmeti]

This one was always an interesting one...
1286 late due to a 750v failure in snowy conditions (iirc).

 

[PHILIPE]

As recently as last night 1Z30 1015 Crewe to Carmarthen Steam Hauled arrived at destination 484 mins (8 hours 4 mins) late following 45231 running hot at Llandeilo. Details can be found in the "Railtours and Preservation" Sub-Forum

 

[CarrotPie]

Tbh pretty much any Caledonian Sleeper service would qualify. I think the day they launched the Mk Vs they ended up about 350 minutes late.

 

[SteveM70]

Tbh pretty much any Caledonian Sleeper service would qualify. I think the day they launched the Mk Vs they ended up about 350 minutes late.

I was going to say much the same. There was one discussed on here, although I can’t find it now, where the up FW was cancelled at Dalmuir about 11 hours late

 

[etr221]

A classic story from the American magazine Trains: enthusiast in Erie, Pa goes down to the station to see the Amtrak train (only one a day) go through - a couple of hours after it should, it did. As he's walking back to his car, the station guy (who knows him) calls out 'Hang on, there'll be another in an hour or two' - which there was. That was yesterday's train. The one he'd seen first was the day before yesterday's train, something like 50 hours late. Today's had been cancelled: stock still going the other way...

And the common (but possibly apocryphal story) from countries with a reputation for never running on time... one day train is at station at time table time - on time? Unheard of! No, yesterday's train, 24 hours late..

 

[faltskog36abba]

My Longest delay was from Stepps in Glasgow to Manchester at seven and half hours. Rail replacement bus from Stepps to Queen street- Delay from Glasgow Central to Preston.
Stuck at Preston an hour and half- Due to trespassers on the lines at Manchester Piccadilly-Then a tram to Bury.

 

[hexagon789]

My grandfather was once on a London-Glasgow train which was diverted into Glasgow Buchanan Street (I believe initially diverted over towards Edinburgh) at some point in the 1940s or 1950s I think due to severe snowfall and snowdrifts blocking the WCML and GSW lines. Iirc said they arrived into Buchanan Street 13 and a half hours after they should have arrived into Glasgow.

 

[185143]

I think I remember that day. Was the fatality at Penrith? I was on a voyager that was stuck before there and was put into P3 at Penrith which has never happened before in all the time I’ve used those services, after 4 and a half hours before then continuing. The TM said the police was suspicious of the nature of the fatality and was why we were held for so long. Not sure if it was that day that you are referring to. Surprised they sent you all the way back to Lancaster though.

It was indeed. I remember it well, it was my birthday and I was working nights. The last passenger arrived at my station at around 04:30 who had been on the affected service. A truly horrendous night for all concerned.

 

[Huntergreed]

I think I remember that day. Was the fatality at Penrith? I was on a voyager that was stuck before there and was put into P3 at Penrith which has never happened before in all the time I’ve used those services, after 4 and a half hours before then continuing. The TM said the police was suspicious of the nature of the fatality and was why we were held for so long. Not sure if it was that day that you are referring to. Surprised they sent you all the way back to Lancaster though.

That’s correct. 1M19 (18:40 GLC - EUS) was sadly the service involved in the fatality. I was on 1S87 (16:57 EUS - GLC). Think we stopped around Grayrigg when we heard the news. Got routed back onto the up fast at Grayrigg and took back to Oxenholme. I remember 1S82 (16:30 EUS - GLC) was also stranded, I believe around Tebay, so we were taken back on the up fast to Lancaster and so it could return to Oxenholme. We were stuck in Lancaster for a good 2 hours (I remember it well (We left around midnight I’m sure).

I’m guessing if you were on a voyager you were onboard 9M62 (18:52 EDB - BHM)? That was the service immediately following 1M19.

Possibly onboard the only VTWC service ever to call at Oxenholme 3 times! (The normal call, reversed back there from Grayrigg, and again called there after we left Lancaster). A truly awful night. I was in Coach C so was lucky enough to get very regular updates from the staff in the coach (and we were given free reign of the shop too).

I’m sure TPE organised coaches for their passengers (I remember a 350 coming into Lancaster and terminating). There was also talk of putting us in a hotel for the night.

 

[Clansman]

I was going to say much the same. There was one discussed on here, although I can’t find it now, where the up FW was cancelled at Dalmuir about 11 hours late

I'm sure there was one or two that didn't get into Euston until 2pm, one of which was the southbound Highlander still sat in Edinburgh as the northbound pulled in to divide, and it still continued.

Bit of a dream of mine to be fair when needing to be in London and not in a hurry - a lie in and a full refund. Not so lucky for the folks who have more important and more urgent commitments!

 

[Jan Mayen]

Off topic, but I'm sure I recall reading about a train in the American Civil War that was delayed for eight years or so.
The track was destroyed in front and behind, so train was abandoned. After the war, railway was repaired as was the train. Original crew and some of the passengers were invited to finish the journey.

 

[Class800]

I've had a few 3-5 hours but mainly too long ago to remember much in the way of detail

Locations involved were Cambourne, Manchester and Glasgow

 

[jfisher21]

Quite a lot of delays on long distance Amtrak, mind you they had quite a good day in Chicago today, the SouthWest Chief was a mere 90 late and the California Zephyr was early!

 

[Grecian 1998]

There were a lot of extremely lengthy delays in 2000/2001 after the Hatfield rail crash in October 2000. I recall a story about a St Pancras - Nottingham service arriving around 8 hours late in the not particularly early hours of the morning, although I can't find it. I did however find this from 2019:

Passengers stuck for eight hours after Nottingham train hits mudslide and flood

The problems only started because there was a trespasser on the line

www.nottinghampost.com

There was also this famously late Waterloo - Weymouth service during the 'beast from the east' in March 2018:

Passengers stuck on trains for 14 hours show 'Dunkirk spirit'

Travellers show "Dunkirk spirit" while stuck on the line between Southampton and Bournemouth.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[CarrotPie]

There was also this famously late Waterloo - Weymouth service during the 'beast from the east' in March 2018:

Passengers stuck on trains for 14 hours show 'Dunkirk spirit'

Travellers show "Dunkirk spirit" while stuck on the line between Southampton and Bournemouth.

www.bbc.co.uk

Post #11 has timings for that.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

There was a day fairly recently when an LNER HST managed to accrue a delay of several hours. It might have been the day when the 700/717s had the traction problems, but I can’t remember for sure, might have been something else.

Was that August 9th last year when the 09:52 Aberdeen to London arrived into Kings Cross at at like 01:05? All because of mess ups with the 700/717's?

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

Was that August 9th last year when the 09:52 Aberdeen to London arrived into Kings Cross at at like 01:05? All because of mess ups with the 700/717's?

Correction August 9th 2019 I meant.

 

[bramling]

Was that August 9th last year when the 09:52 Aberdeen to London arrived into Kings Cross at at like 01:05? All because of mess ups with the 700/717's?

Something like that. I forget the specifics, but I remember it was an HST as I passed it somewhere around Welwyn.

 

[Western 52]

On a Friday night in December 1981 snow caused the 1V98 1612 Newcastle to Cardiff to arrive about 0800 next day instead of 2237 previous evening. Loco failure and points frozen all contributed to the delay. A hammer was used at Cardiff to break ice from the doors so we could alight!

 

[vlad]

My personal "best" was when the Night Riviera was cancelled due to a derailment at London Paddington in 2016. Instead of getting to London at 5am I arrived after 1pm.

That's cheating somewhat, as a train did run in the sleeper path (it was an HST, so people who actually wanted to sleep were put up in Penzance and allowed to travel the following day). I think my longest real delay on a single train (I could wax lyrical about when my train broke down going down the Lickey Incline so we were all forced to change in Bromsgrove...) was travelling from Durham to Derby in the 2000s. We were diverted between York and Leeds owing to a breakdown, and then delayed further in Derbyshire due to signal failures. I think that was only an hour to two late, however.