ECML - OHLE problems at Stevenage (17 & 18th December)

[jopsuk]

When GA saying they're accepting FCC passengers to/from Cambridge, I assume that's just becuase it's simpler than saying their tickets are valid anyway? Don't think Kings Cross/FCC only tickets exist Cambridge-London?

GA are also managing to lay on extra services:

09:15, 09:45 & 10:45 Cambridge to London Liverpool Street calling at Whit P'way, Aud End, Stortford & T'Hale

 

[Zoe]

So we've just hit the A303 and the meter is at...........£318 so far!

Are taxi drivers required to take the shortest route in these circumstances or could the driver have elected to go via the M4 and M5 resulting in a higher fare?

 

[jon0844]

I expect the driver will ask the passengers if they've got any particular preference (especially as someone else is paying). If the motorway is quicker, but longer, it would likely be preferable - and more economical for the taxi too.

I doubt the driver wants to spend any longer driving than s/he has to.

 

[jopsuk]

If it's an actual black cab, rather an a minicab or the new/trial people-carrier black cabs, I think they're incapable of doing more than 50mph anyway, so the shortest route will be fastest- no bombing down the M4 at warp speed

 

[Zoe]

I expect the driver will ask the passengers if they've got any particular preference (especially as someone else is paying). If the motorway is quicker, but longer, it would likely be preferable - and more economical for the taxi too.

So the train company wouldn't refuse to cover all the fare if the driver took a longer route?

 

[Searle]

Confusion at hertford north right now. A queue out of the door for tickets (but no one using the TVM's, think that's normal though). FCC are running an extra service into London, the 09:10, probably because they had unused stock that was meant for Stevenage. I assume this is classed as an off peak train (the first off peak is due at 09:17), and it speeds up my journey by 7 minutes, so I seemed to have benefited from the problems!

 

[jon0844]

So the train company wouldn't refuse to cover all the fare if the driver took a longer route?

How is the TOC going to know? Did they put a member of staff in the taxi to keep tabs?

 

[noddy1878]

I got home ok! Got in at 0600 and meter was reading £894!!!! I don't know if it was a proper black cab. He was going 70 so I guess not. We said go a303 cos its shorter and at that time of the day there is no traffic. Any other time I would say go m4/m5.

I don't really know the ins and outs of the problem but east coast didn't seem to know what they were doing. The NRE app was saying trains were cancelled but they insisted that it would run. My original train was an hst so I assumed it would run if they said so (although be late through affected area). It was when we were suddenly told it was cancelled at Doncaster the problems started. Other passengers were told the same thing and they were on different trains! There was also a complicated reversing procedure at Biggleswade to get onto the only running line. Now I don't know the track layout but surely they could put us in the other line earlier to not need the reversing?

 

[jon0844]

I can't see any reason why a black cab can't do 70mph. I've had them take me home to Hatfield (often a driver heading home that way anyway, so willing to do a bit of a deal on the meter!) and we've used the A1(M) and not been trundling along at just 50!

Not the most comfortable ride, but as long as you wear your seatbelt you can relax a bit (otherwise you'd be bouncing and sliding all over the place).

 

[jopsuk]

I got home ok! Got in at 0600 and meter was reading £894!!!!

Nice. Get a picture of it?

 

[Zoe]

How is the TOC going to know? Did they put a member of staff in the taxi to keep tabs?

Taxi fares are published so in theory the TOC could calculate what the fare should be by using a map. This wouldn't be completely accurate as the meter continues to run when the taxi is stationary although I doubt there would be much traffic in this case due to the time.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
How many digits do taxi meters have?

 

[noddy1878]

Nice. Get a picture of it?

I did. And i read it wrong in my tired state! £895 not £894!

 

[jon0844]

Taxi fares are published so in theory the TOC could calculate what the fare should be by using a map. This wouldn't be completely accurate as the meter continues to run when the taxi is stationary although I doubt there would be much traffic in this case due to the time.

I am sure there are guide prices, but I doubt anyone could (or would) seek to question it, unless it was way out - as in the cabbie claimed £1500 or something.

As you say, there are variable factors. There could have been an accident, a diversion, one of the passengers needing a toilet break or whatever. The TOC isn't going to waste time, especially when there aren't the sort of detailed logs there are on the railway.

 

[Zoe]

I did. And i read it wrong in my tired state! £895 not £894!

Would have been interesting if you had been going to Penzance as unless there is another digiit available, it seems the meter wouldn't have been able to show the full fare.

 

[philjo]

at 06:20 this morning the FCC website said trains were running again through Hitchin albeit with 20 minutes delays.
at 07:00 the platform at letchworth was very full as a train from Cambridge had just terminated there & it then reversed back into the sidings (the train later ran into Platform 2 to form a service to Cambridge)
the 07:04 service then came in announced (manually) as calling at the usual all stations to Hatfield, finsbury park & KX. it was also announced the 07:09 KX only was behind it, running as 8 coaches instead of 12.
A couple of minutes later the driver announced the line at Hitchin had closed again so the train was now terminated. new announcement in platform telling everyone to go to the front of the station for replacement coaches and it was announced that they had received confirmation from FCC control that a regular shuttle service was running from Stevenage towards London

There were 5 coaches parked in the car park but it took about 25 minutes before these started boarding - during which time the 07:09 from Cambridge had arrived an terminated so I would estimate enough passengers at the front of the station to easily fill 3 or 4 x 8-coach trains. more coaches eventually arrived - I got on the 6th coach to leave. took about 30 minutes to get to Stevenage. At Stevenage more confusion. we were told there that there were more overhead problems south of Hitchin so the power through Stevenage was now off as well - could see a couple of trains along the line from the platforms stranded without power. So told to get on buses to Welwyn Garden city. Fortunately one arrived immediately but usual traffic queues to get out of stevenage onto A1(M) and again from the A1(M) into WGC -

Fortunately a 313 was about to leave at WGC so left WGC within a couple of minutes at 09:27 (having left Letchworth at 07:45 & Stevenage at 08:40)

I haven't had to do a delay repay claim from FCC for several months but now I have 4 claims to send in 4 consecutive days (which I will send in the same envelope!)

Thursday am - 62 minutes (broken down train at hitchin blocking the tracks & tripping out power)
Friday pm - 45 minutes (fire alarms causing KX signal box to be evacuated to no train s could run)
monday pm - 75 minutes
Tuesday am - 120 minutes
Who knows what tonight will bring!

 

[jon0844]

I took just over two hours to get from Hatfield to Paddington last week due to disruption in roughly the same area, but as I was on a £11.50 advance ticket to Bristol I couldn't even begin to work out what I'd get back as only part of the journey was affected, and I got my FGW train (with 8 minutes to spare!).

So, I've opted not to claim.

Most passengers were pretty relaxed about all the disruption though, to be fair. Still, delays in the morning are probably better than the evening. People know they'll be late for work, but they have an excuse. In the evening, it's THEIR time that is being disrupted - valuable time with the family/eating/drinking time!

 

[jopsuk]

If you got to your destination on time/within "acceptable" delay then you would get nothing as far as I understand, even if you left early to get a connection to get the booked train. If disruption causes you to arrive at your destination late, then even if earlier parts of the journey were OK it is the full value of the through ticket that is refunded if the dealy is bad enough to warrent it.

 

[jon0844]

I got to my destination exactly on time - maybe 1 minute early, thanks to padding!

 

[jopsuk]

Therefore if you'd submitted a claim, you'd have been rejected- yes, your journey wasn't as smooth as it could have been, but the payouts are for delay.

 

[elementalpat]

Just when things are settling down again, there are reports of someone getting hit by a train near York.

This really is an awful few days for the ECML

 

[ushawk]

Just when things are settling down again, there are reports of someone getting hit by a train near York.

This really is an awful few days for the ECML

Looks like 1Y38 1425 Newcastle to London Kings Cross is the service involved - it never rains.....

 

[tsr]

Looks like 1Y38 1425 Newcastle to London Kings Cross is the service involved - it never rains.....

It's turning out to have been a bad few days. A very, very bad few days.

I feel really sorry for staff along the ECML - it's probably been very tough for all of them over the last few days. Especially, though, my thoughts are with the driver of whichever service - 1Y38 or otherwise - was involved in this latest incident.

 

[philjo]

I see that FCC are running a much reduced peak hour timetable out of London this evening - basically xx:06/xx:36 from Kings Cross calling at Finsbury Park, Potters Bar, hatfield and all stations to Peterborough.

2tph running from Moorgate to Stevenage via Hertford and 2tph Moorgate to WGC.

NR says that FCC only tickets valid on EC services to Peterborough this evening.

half hourly Letchworth to Cambridge shuttle and the Kings Lynn services start at Cambridge.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/additional_info/FCC.pdf

I predict some bad overcrowding this evening..... (glad I caught the 15:51 from Potters Bar through to Hitchin)

 

[mm333]

Are taxi drivers required to take the shortest route in these circumstances or could the driver have elected to go via the M4 and M5 resulting in a higher fare?

I was due to get the 2035 KGX-LDS to connect to GSY on Monday but that was cancelled, so I got the 2135 and taxis were organised from Leeds.

On our way to Guiseley, a message popped up on the taxi's little screen (that lists waiting jobs etc) saying that journeys on the rail account are charged at 75 pence per mile for the round trip. Leeds-Guiseley and back is about 20 miles, so that works out at £15 for the taxi company. If I'd got a taxi myself, it would have cost me about £20.

 

[dk1]

Looks like 1Y38 1425 Newcastle to London Kings Cross is the service involved - it never rains.....

XCs 14.35 Newcastle-Reading also passed over the remains.

 

[Aictos]

Last night was fun, I was helping organise buses at Stevenage - one guy tried being abusive to one of the managers, ended up having to organise his own travel plans plus had another passenger turn round to him and told him to belt up as the staff were doing their best under the circumstances

Eventually got home at 3am after staying behind past my rostered hours to assist with the disruption.

I did see a 313 with a damaged pantograph at Hitchin earlier, how much does it actually cost to replace damaged pantographs?

 

[Tomnick]

Now I don't know the track layout but surely they could put us in the other line earlier to not need the reversing?

I don't think this has been answered already - the nearest facing crossover to the north is at St Neots, and Single Line Working ought to be done over the shortest distance possible, both from a safety point of view but to also keep things moving as well as possible under the circumstances (especially if traffic in both directions was being passed over a single Down line, as your post suggests, rather than being able to run Up trains over the Down Fast and Down trains over the Down Slow).

 

[rdwarr]

Last night was fun, I was helping organise buses at Stevenage - one guy tried being abusive to one of the managers, ended up having to organise his own travel plans plus had another passenger turn round to him and told him to belt up as the staff were doing their best under the circumstances

Eventually got home at 3am after staying behind past my rostered hours to assist with the disruption.

I did see a 313 with a damaged pantograph at Hitchin earlier, how much does it actually cost to replace damaged pantographs?

As a Stevenage-based commuter I'd just like to say Thanks. Your efforts are appreciated by the majority.

 

[Aictos]

As a Stevenage-based commuter I'd just like to say Thanks. Your efforts are appreciated by the majority.

Thanks, it was a team effort though - I'm just grateful I had two fantastic bus co-ordinators from Birmingham who knew their stuff

 

[noddy1878]

I don't think this has been answered already - the nearest facing crossover to the north is at St Neots, and Single Line Working ought to be done over the shortest distance possible, both from a safety point of view but to also keep things moving as well as possible under the circumstances (especially if traffic in both directions was being passed over a single Down line, as your post suggests, rather than being able to run Up trains over the Down Fast and Down trains over the Down Slow).

I guess thats quite a bit further north is it? The whole process took about 20 minutes with the reversing and wondered if it would have been quicker to cross over earlier.