WCML South issues 18/3

[oversteer]

What's going on with the WCML?

I saw a picture earlier of a 390 with a bent panto and a problem on the fast lines. Now LM have started cancelling all of their evening services..

Not much info on Twitter. Anyone know?

 

[tsr]

There's a significant OHLE issue in the Ledburn Junction area. I've seen pictures of a snapped cable.

Southern services are not running between Watford Junction and Milton Keynes Central, at the request of NR. AFAIK, passengers can use any LM services that are running.

 

[GB]

OLE damage in the Leighton Buzzard area.

 

[The Planner]

1H63 was the train involved I think (390039). Took the Panto out, was originally the Down Fast that was the problem just north of Ledburn but then considered too dangerous to run on the Up.

 

[A0wen]

But I'm sure all the 'armchair experts' around here keep telling us that the WCML's OHL is infallible, whereas the 'cheapskate' electrification done on the ECML is a liability and always subject to problems.

Surely some mistake........

 

[Starmill]

It's not as simple as that though. The West Coast has more trains - and more pantographs.

Exogenous factors such as weather or terrain are unlikely to produce different results based on the type of electrification.

 

[nuneatonmark]

Currently on the 1710 ex-Euston. Running 8 minutes late at MKC after going on slow line past the problem area so not too bad. Normal approach for problems like this. Cancel a bunch of LM services plus one an hour Virgin to Manchester and Brum. A very kind Virgin train manager allowed me to board an earlier train than I was booked on.

 

[driver_m]

But I'm sure all the 'armchair experts' around here keep telling us that the WCML's OHL is infallible, whereas the 'cheapskate' electrification done on the ECML is a liability and always subject to problems.

Surely some mistake........

The neutral section got took out. Might be worth pointing out a lot of these dewirements are happening on the southern section on the fast lines. They tend to be rarer on the older sections that cover the slows and the Liverpool and Manchester sections. It does take an absolute hammering on the southern section to be fair.

 

[The Ham]

The neutral section got took out. Might be worth pointing out a lot of these dewirements are happening on the southern section on the fast lines. They tend to be rarer on the older sections that cover the slows and the Liverpool and Manchester sections. It does take an absolute hammering on the southern section to be fair.

Would another two lines to help relieve the amount of trains running? (runs for cover as this thread too becomes about HS2)

 

[didcot]

Saw 57302 dragging 390039 through Rugby about 1400 to Oxley from Leighton Buzzard

 

[33056]

But I'm sure all the 'armchair experts' around here keep telling us that the WCML's OHL is infallible, whereas the 'cheapskate' electrification done on the ECML is a liability and always subject to problems.

Surely some mistake........

A colleauge of mine who attended the incident pointed out that if a similar incident happened on the East Coast the whole lot would have come down rather than just the one line due to the difference in the way the OLE is constructed.

 

[driver_m]

A colleauge of mine who attended the incident pointed out that if a similar incident happened on the East Coast the whole lot would have come down rather than just the one line due to the difference in the way the OLE is constructed.

It would do because they use wirehead spans that connect all the wiring across all running lines. Rather than it being individually strung like on many other OLE installations. However there are sections of this on the west coast north of weaver junction yet this doesn't tend to come down to much either.

 

[Starmill]

It's been pointed out on here before that 2 track headspans aren't as much of a risk.

 

[driver_m]

It's been pointed out on here before that 2 track headspans aren't as much of a risk.

But they also have 4 track headspans on the west coast round Warrington being one example.