Weather related disruption Leeds/York/Doncaster (27/07)

[cuccir]

Things are already not looking good at Leeds - see this photo on Twitter of delays, apparently due to a lighting strike on signalling equipment.

Weather warnings are in place down the eastern half of the country all afternoon and on Saturday 28th. Can we expect more of this sort of problem? Flooding, heat and lightning seem to be the main threats.

 

[TUC]

The annoying aspect is that from the photo it looks like this started around 0900, but my wife got on a train at Halifax at 1002 with no warning of any problems. Train is still at Halifax! There was plenty of time to warn passengers at other stations.

 

[mildertduck]

Sounds like York has taken a hit:
LNER are advising "do not travel today"

 

[gavin]

LNER have told passengers not to travel today tickets for today are valid Saturday and Sunday

 

[Bayum]

I’m 12 miles away from Leeds. We seemed to have storm after storm after storm for a good 90mins - 2hrs. The rain and lightning were quite something, I’m hardly surprised to see that there are delays to the rail network around here.

 

[Moonshot]

Trans Pennine services are now getting delayed or cancelled at Manchester.....anyone planning to travel in next few hours, be aware of the increasing disruption

 

[TUC]

The annoying aspect is that from the photo it looks like this started around 0900, but my wife got on a train at Halifax at 1002 with no warning of any problems. Train is still at Halifax! There was plenty of time to warn passengers at other stations.

The guard on my wife's train was doing her best to keep passengers informed but was applogetic about how little information she was getting.

Once again the rail industry proves itself inept at basic communication. Why does this keep happening?

 

[ainsworth74]

Once again the rail industry proves itself inept at basic communication. Why does this keep happening?

Is there anything to actually communicate?

 

[AM9]

... Can we expect more of this sort of problem? Flooding, heat and lightning seem to be the main threats.

Simple answer, - yes!
Slightly longer answer yes, - until the railway's (and the rest of the country's) infrastructure is adjusted to cope with the climate changes now beginning to show their teeth. Other countries have been coping with hotter summers and colder winters, (some of them simultaneously) more frequent electric storms, heavier rainfall, higher windspeeds etc..
The problem is that those responsible for managing resilience of services trim the measures to (usually) just about keeping things going. That's true wherever they are, not just in the UK. The test is how quick is it recognised that things need improving and how quickly those controlling the finance make it happen.

 

[TUC]

Is there anything to actually communicate?

On the level of 'is this problem likely to last 30 mins or 4 hours?-Yes. On the level of 'are there any alternative arrangements being put in place that are worth hanging on for or should I change my plans?-Yes

 

[mildertduck]

Looking at Twitter, the problem seems to be that passengers are tweeting questions which operators have already answered.... i.e. "can I use my tickets on train X"....

 

[TUC]

Looking at Twitter, the problem seems to be that passengers are tweeting questions which operators have already answered.... i.e. "can I use my tickets on train X"....

Although the nature of Twitter is to deal with breif queries and comments.

 

[AverageTD]

All Trains between Ilkley, Skipton, Bradford and Leeds (apart from Ilkley to Bradford) cancelled due to lighting striking the signals. Harrogate loop is completely closed. Buses are pretty much the only way around in North Yorkshire at the moment.

 

[Bantamzen]

The guard on my wife's train was doing her best to keep passengers informed but was applogetic about how little information she was getting.

Once again the rail industry proves itself inept at basic communication. Why does this keep happening?

Given the scale of the problem they probably had no idea how long it might take. Even now NR are talking about major disruption into the evening peak.

 

[47802]

I’m 12 miles away from Leeds. We seemed to have storm after storm after storm for a good 90mins - 2hrs. The rain and lightning were quite something, I’m hardly surprised to see that there are delays to the rail network around here.

I'm only 7 miles to the west of Leeds no storms at all so far.

You do get the impression that as per usual the Railway is totally inept at handling this.

 

[Tio Terry]

On the level of 'is this problem likely to last 30 mins or 4 hours?-Yes. On the level of 'are there any alternative arrangements being put in place that are worth hanging on for or should I change my plans?-Yes

Given that a lightning strike can take out 1 or 100 elements of a signalling system, nobody will have a clue if it is likely to take 30 mins, 4 hours or 2 days to get things back in to working order until staff have got to site and analysed the problems.

 

[syorksdeano]

Northern advising passengers not to travel in Yorkshire

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/197184.aspx

Northern advise customers not to travel at this time in the Yorkshire area due to severe infrastructure failure caused by lightning strikes.

The only services Northern are able to operate at this time in the affected area are:

• Sheffield to Lincoln
• Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly
• Hull to Scarborough

All other routes are blocked in the Yorkshire area at this time.

Unfortunately Northern are unable to provide road transport due to the scale of the disruption.

Even Doncaster has taken a hit until end of service

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/197189.aspx[/QUOTE]

 

[DarloRich]

.You do get the impression that as per usual the Railway is totally inept at handling this.

You also get the impression that posters here are, as per usual, showing their regular ineptitude at understanding serious issues.

On the level of 'is this problem likely to last 30 mins or 4 hours?-Yes. On the level of 'are there any alternative arrangements being put in place that are worth hanging on for or should I change my plans?-Yes

Question 1: Don't know. it takes as long as it takes.

Is that helpful?

Question 2 - maybe but no one has told me yet and the phone is ringing off the hook in the control office.

Is that helpful?

 

[Iskra]

Supposed to be doing Sheffield-Newcastle via Doncaster.

Currently on a TP to Manchester to try go the long way around.

There was very severe lightning in Sheffield overnight and into this morning. Apparently York ROC or whatever it’s called was hit.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Sheffield station rapidly filling up with trains that can’t go anywhere because of multiple lightning strikes elsewhere. Seven units already parked in centre roads that are usually empty during the day

 

[westv]

Well I've got to travel today back to Hull this evening as otherwise (at the moment) I have nowhere else to go.

 

[Boysteve]

The 06:56 LNER Edinburgh to LKX passed Skelton Bridge Jcn at 09:38 but at 13:00 had still not reached York, same with the 07:00 XC from Edinburgh to Plymouth. According to Traksy they are both 0.5 - 1.0 miles outside York for over 3 hours. This has passenger de-train incident all over it from my perspective! The railway companies need to consider human behavior patterns and not expect people to accept being caged for hours, especially if passengers can see roads/houses/city life or a pub out of the window! I noticed that the 07:30 LKX to Edinburgh was eventually allowed to enter York after a 2 hour wait right outside.

UPDATE
I can see the 06:56 off Waverley arrived into York at 13:10, it lost 208 minutes between Skelton Bridge Jcn and York railway station.

 

[DarloRich]

The journey back "home " this evening will be fun! Best stock up on a couple of extra cans!

The 06:56 LNER Edinburgh to LKX passed Skelton Bridge Jcn at 09:38 but at 13:00 had still not reached York, same with the 07:00 XC from Edinburgh to Plymouth. According to Traksy they are both 0.5 - 1.0 miles outside York for over 3 hours. This has passenger de-train incident all over it from my perspective! The railway companies need to consider human behavior patterns and not expect people to accept being caged for hours, especially if passengers can see roads/houses/city life or a pub out of the window! I noticed that the 07:30 LKX to Edinburgh was eventually allowed to enter York after a 2 hour wait right outside.

OK. Which do you want? The signals fixed asap or everything off & all lines blocked and resources moved to empty trains? Obviously at some moment in time there is a tipping point. Do you know where it is?

 

[westcoaster]

The 06:56 LNER Edinburgh to LKX passed Skelton Bridge Jcn at 09:38 but at 13:00 had still not reached York, same with the 07:00 XC from Edinburgh to Plymouth. According to Traksy they are both 0.5 - 1.0 miles outside York for over 3 hours. This has passenger de-train incident all over it from my perspective! The railway companies need to consider human behavior patterns and not expect people to accept being caged for hours, especially if passengers can see roads/houses/city life or a pub out of the window! I noticed that the 07:30 LKX to Edinburgh was eventually allowed to enter York after a 2 hour wait right outside.

Not that simple, each set of points may need to be manually wound, scotched and clipped for each movement, if the roc was hit as posted that could have frazzled lots of gubins. Also of the track circuits are flooded (non water related) you have no idea what is where.

 

[cuccir]

I'm only 7 miles to the west of Leeds no storms at all so far.

You do get the impression that as per usual the Railway is totally inept at handling this.

Is the post genuine? I'm slightly flabbergasted.

(1) Thunderstorms are a very localized phenomenon. It is completely normal to have heavy, disruptive storms somewhere are have no rain as close to a couple of miles away.
(2) Lightning hit the signalling equipment. While there are delays that we can criticize TOCs for (resulting from crappy staff relations or poor maintainance planning) I'm not sure what else could be done here

 

[DarloRich]

It is the lead story on BBC news: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-44978970

and the article clearly says:

The signalling centre in York was also hit by lightning strikes.

 

[AverageTD]

I'm a bit surprised that the TOC's or National Rail (whoever organise these things) haven't put buses on he busiest routes. It says hat the scale of the accident is too big for buses but surely they can spare some from somewhere?

 

[DarloRich]

I'm a bit surprised that the TOC's or National Rail (whoever organise these things) haven't put buses on he busiest routes. It says hat the scale of the accident is too big for buses but surely they can spare some from somewhere?

Signal failures at Leeds and York and a large points failure at Doncaster. Sheffield/Retford to Darlo is a fair way by bus.................

( assuming you have enough trains and crews to run a train service either side of the problem.)

 

[Saint66]

Limited number of services starting to depart Leeds.

 

[bramling]

Simple answer, - yes!
Slightly longer answer yes, - until the railway's (and the rest of the country's) infrastructure is adjusted to cope with the climate changes now beginning to show their teeth. Other countries have been coping with hotter summers and colder winters, (some of them simultaneously) more frequent electric storms, heavier rainfall, higher windspeeds etc..
The problem is that those responsible for managing resilience of services trim the measures to (usually) just about keeping things going. That's true wherever they are, not just in the UK. The test is how quick is it recognised that things need improving and how quickly those controlling the finance make it happen.

Bit knee-jerk? Only last year everyone was moaning about how we no longer get decent summers or snow in winter in this country!