Well done TOC's & network Rail

[crewmeal]

Hearty congratulations go out to TOC's and Network Rail for keeping the West Midland's trains running normally when there has been the worst snow fall recorded for years in this region.

Usually when there is a flake or two of snow the rail system grinds to a halt. But not yesterday, everything ran smoothly with minimal delays. Well done to all concerned.

 

[pinguini]

I was delayed by over 30 minutes both to and from my journey at Birmingham New Street yesterday because of issues caused by weather conditions. I do not extend your "congratulations"

 

[tsr]

I was delayed by over 30 minutes both to and from my journey at Birmingham New Street yesterday because of issues caused by weather conditions. I do not extend your "congratulations"

30 minutes isn't good, but having been delayed by multiple hours by snowfall on railways in other parts of the Midlands and in the Home Counties (on rather more than a few occasions!), I would say that isn't terrible.

 

[pinguini]

30 minutes isn't good, but having been delayed by multiple hours by snowfall on railways in other parts of the Midlands and in the Home Counties (on rather more than a few occasions!), I would say that isn't terrible.

Oh of course not terrible, there have been delays much worse than 30 mins in the past and there will be again in the future. But it's still not worth applauding, in my view!!!

 

[Simon11]

Looking at the news, they're reporting about snow and very very little about disruption with the railways!

 

[Ferret]

Looking at the news, they're reporting about snow and very very little about disruption with the railways!

Not seen a great deal of disruption in my part of the world, save for the Derby-Stoke line being shut by snowdrifts and 20mph ESRs on the Lickey because the combination of turbulence from trains passing at 90mph and the weight of the snow was bringing trees down onto the railway line. Kudos to the second reason for providing me with a reason for delays I've not heard before!

 

[Get-Pulled-Off]

Oh of course not terrible, there have been delays much worse than 30 mins in the past and there will be again in the future. But it's still not worth applauding, in my view!!!

Thanks mate! You do realise just how hard we have to work to keep stuff moving, right? I was up at 3.45am to dig my car out of snow for a 6am shift at a signalbox to then be faced with a limited infrastructure where maintenance guys had driven through appalling road conditions to dig out key points and to stay on standby for hours and re-clear them when required.

 

[455driver]

I was delayed by over 30 minutes both to and from my journey at Birmingham New Street yesterday because of issues caused by weather conditions. I do not extend your "congratulations"

Well to be honest anything less than (exactly) on time with the crews doffing their caps to you wont do will it!

What do you do for a living again, we can list all the "problems" we have ever had with your chosen industry!

People work bloody hard (and for long hours) just to ensure that the railways run as good as possible but it will never be good enough for you will it!

Why dont you crawl back into your perfect little world and leave us in the real world in peace.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Thanks mate! You do realise just how hard we have to work to keep stuff moving, right? I was up at 3.45am to dig my car out of snow for a 6am shift at a signalbox to then be faced with a limited infrastructure where maintenance guys had driven through appalling road conditions to dig out key points and to stay on standby for hours and re-clear them when required.

You deserve applause my friend.

 

[Ferret]

You deserve applause my friend.

Agreed. And there'll be many others who just got on with the job yesterday and did their best to keep the service running. Still, there'll always be an ungrateful minority - the BBC show discussed elsewhere on this forum proved that!

 

[306024]

Hmm, perhaps the penguin should return to it's natural habitat

Try arriving for work in the freezing cold and dark and be faced with clearing snow from two 12 car platforms, only to watch further snow undo all your hard work. That requires a lot of hard physical effort.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Thanks mate! You do realise just how hard we have to work to keep stuff moving, right? I was up at 3.45am to dig my car out of snow for a 6am shift at a signalbox to then be faced with a limited infrastructure where maintenance guys had driven through appalling road conditions to dig out key points and to stay on standby for hours and re-clear them when required.

I think the vast majority of rail uses will have appreciated your efforts and I certainly do. Given the weather that we've had this weekend 30 minutes is nothing providing you wear warm, waterproof clothes.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Not seen a great deal of disruption in my part of the world, save for the Derby-Stoke line being shut by snowdrifts and 20mph ESRs on the Lickey because the combination of turbulence from trains passing at 90mph and the weight of the snow was bringing trees down onto the railway line. Kudos to the second reason for providing me with a reason for delays I've not heard before!

Just out of curiosity would the Derby - Stoke have been considered important enough to send a snow plough. Or to send a class 66 to try and clear the blockage by way of its weight?

 

[Get-Pulled-Off]

Thanks guys! I'm not fishing for compliments but it does annoy me when virtually all rail staff have worked extra hard for people to complain about a relatively short delay (in the circumstances). There are always things we could have done better but the majority of shortcomings are infrastructure related. Along with more vital industries like emergency services and power companies, the vast majority of staff are dedicated enough to get up in the middle of the night to keep the job going and face a difficult enough commute to work as it is, being one of the first on the roads to then spend all day in a form of semi-degraded working.

Maybe we should do what people in some jobs do and call in and declare a snow day and get back under the duvet...

 

[A-driver]

Thanks guys! I'm not fishing for compliments but it does annoy me when virtually all rail staff have worked extra hard for people to complain about a relatively short delay (in the circumstances). There are always things we could have done better but the majority of shortcomings are infrastructure related. Along with more vital industries like emergency services and power companies, the vast majority of staff are dedicated enough to get up in the middle of the night to keep the job going and face a difficult enough commute to work as it is, being one of the first on the roads to then spend all day in a form of semi-degraded working.

Maybe we should do what people in some jobs do and call in and declare a snow day and get back under the duvet...

Very good post. Just like the schools that declare themselves closed before snow has fallen even if you have battled to get your kids there and then end up having to find last minute child care as you have to go in and keep the trains running!

 

[RichmondCommu]

Thanks guys! I'm not fishing for compliments but it does annoy me when virtually all rail staff have worked extra hard for people to complain about a relatively short delay (in the circumstances). There are always things we could have done better but the majority of shortcomings are infrastructure related. Along with more vital industries like emergency services and power companies, the vast majority of staff are dedicated enough to get up in the middle of the night to keep the job going and face a difficult enough commute to work as it is, being one of the first on the roads to then spend all day in a form of semi-degraded working.

Maybe we should do what people in some jobs do and call in and declare a snow day and get back under the duvet...

This reminds me of something that was said to a railway man working on the S & C many years a go. As he was clearing snow a passenger shouted "my dad said if you got a job on the railway you'd always have bread and butter. You don't appear to have much jam on yours!" I dare say this is how you felt this weekend!

 

[Ferret]

Just out of curiosity would the Derby - Stoke have been considered important enough to send a snow plough. Or to send a class 66 to try and clear the blockage by way of its weight?

37425 with its miniature snow ploughs was dispatched from Derby to do just that very job this afternoon, as soon as they found a driver to take it out!

 

[Tomnick]

Thanks guys! I'm not fishing for compliments but it does annoy me when virtually all rail staff have worked extra hard for people to complain about a relatively short delay (in the circumstances). There are always things we could have done better but the majority of shortcomings are infrastructure related. Along with more vital industries like emergency services and power companies, the vast majority of staff are dedicated enough to get up in the middle of the night to keep the job going and face a difficult enough commute to work as it is, being one of the first on the roads to then spend all day in a form of semi-degraded working.

Maybe we should do what people in some jobs do and call in and declare a snow day and get back under the duvet...

Can't add much to that - excellent post! We didn't have it too bad around here, but I was evidently one of the first out and about on the roads yesterday at 0445...rather a challenging journey. One of the other chaps on our line had to walk the last two miles after parking his car in a ditch en-route. None of us expect thanks for our efforts (often going beyond what is required of us!) to keep the job moving in difficult conditions, but on the other hand I'm sure we'd rather not listen to folk moaning about relatively minor (and probably unavoidable) delays either!

 

[RichmondCommu]

37425 with its miniature snow ploughs was dispatched from Derby to do just that very job this afternoon, as soon as they found a driver to take it out!

Proceed with caution springs to mind! Just out of interest who owns 37425?

 

[Ferret]

Proceed with caution springs to mind! Just out of interest who owns 37425?

DRS, who have hired it out to DB Schenker for use on Test trains from Derby this week. I presume it's a DB Schenker (ex Serco) driver who was rousted into work at short notice to go and take said loco out to clear the line.

 

[GNER 373]

Thanks mate! You do realise just how hard we have to work to keep stuff moving, right? I was up at 3.45am to dig my car out of snow for a 6am shift at a signalbox to then be faced with a limited infrastructure where maintenance guys had driven through appalling road conditions to dig out key points and to stay on standby for hours and re-clear them when required.

All a thankless task in the eyes of the 'passenger' unfortunately! And I can't believe you didn't get out of bed earlier, say 30 mins before! If you had we wouldn't have complaints about 30 minute delays would we! hahaha!

Some people just don't realise what goes into the mix of running a railway in usual conditions never mind when the weather plays its hand! We should all be publicly flogged for making people delayed! Hahaha!

 

[RichmondCommu]

DRS, who have hired it out to DB Schenker for use on Test trains from Derby this week. I presume it's a DB Schenker (ex Serco) driver who was rousted into work at short notice to go and take said loco out to clear the line.

A surely an unenviable task given that you're not quite sure what you're going to run into.

 

[Ferret]

Like you said earlier, proceed with caution!

 

[crewmeal]

Me and my big mouth. I spoke too soon:roll:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-21916613

Still, good work everyone for battling the elements. You're a credit to your company.

 

[Derbyshire Gra]

I'd just like to add my appreciation. Was at Derby for the 0705 to London, and the conditions driving 11 miles to the station were dire.

On arrival, all the trains were operating to time with the exception of two coming from Leeds, where I believe they had a problem with frozen points. Throughout the day, and returning in the evening, everything I saw was on time.

Brilliant effort chaps in very difficult circumstances.

 

[Ferret]

A surely an unenviable task given that you're not quite sure what you're going to run into.

Per Network Rail, 0Z99 (that being 37425) reported a 3ft snowdrift at Bramshall, which I think is somewhere in the vicinity of Uttoxeter but don't quote me as I don't sign the route. 3 ft?! Yikes! Anyway, the 37 has managed to clear the line and EMT plan to run the last services of the day.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Per Network Rail, 0Z99 (that being 37425) reported a 3ft snowdrift at Bramshall, which I think is somewhere in the vicinity of Uttoxeter but don't quote me as I don't sign the route. 3 ft?! Yikes! Anyway, the 37 has managed to clear the line and EMT plan to run the last services of the day.

I know Bramshall very well and yes its two to three miles from Utah! That must have taken some doing and a fair bit of reversing before having another bash at it? I wonder if that's pretty much the limit for a miniature snow plough? I would love to see the state of 37425 at the moment!

 

[ModernRailways]

I saw someone post an image of a 37 after it had came from the Settle to Carlisle yesterday. Looks very 'snowy'.
This isn't my image, but was taken yesterday. Links to a 'Facebook' URL. Hopefully, I've done it properly and it's also added it below.

 

[RichmondCommu]

I saw someone post an image of a 37 after it had came from the Settle to Carlisle yesterday. Looks very 'snowy'.
This isn't my image, but was taken yesterday. Links to a 'Facebook' URL. Hopefully, I've done it properly and it's also added it below.

Given the reputation for snow drifts in and around the Dent area I'm not surprised!

 

[ushawk]

Apart from disruption for big drifts, the railway has coped well, except from Southeastern which in places grinded to a halt - unlike other 3rd rail operators.

 

[455driver]

I wouldnt fancy trying to couple that 37 to its train!

Yes I know its run as alight loco but it will have to pick up a train at some stage, hopefully after that snow has melted/been cleaned off!