Storm Frank: impact on West Coast and Highland Mainlines

[backontrack]

Storm Frank has impacted rail travel in Cumbria and Scotland.

DISRUPTION:

Damage to the overhead electric wires between Curriehill and Kirknewton is causing disruption to trains between Edinburgh and Carlisle / Glasgow Central via Shotts / Carstairs. A picture of the damage can be viewed here. This disruption is expected to continue until at least 15:00.

The following alterations and ticket acceptance will apply:

Caledonian Sleeper

Passengers travelling to Edinburgh are advised to travel via Glasgow Queen Street for ScotRail services to Edinburgh. Passengers travelling from Edinburgh towards Fort William / Aberdeen / Inverness will be delayed by up to 2 hours 30 minutes.


CrossCountry

No CrossCountry trains will run between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central.

Passengers may use:

First TransPennine Express to and from Glasgow Central.
ScotRail services between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central (surely Queen Street? - Ed).
Virgin Trains between Birmingham New Street and Glasgow Central.


First TransPennine Express

No First TransPennine Express services will run between Carlisle and Edinburgh.

Passengers may use:

CrossCountry, ScotRail, Virgin Trains and Virgin Trains East Coast services via any reasonable route.
ScotRail
Trains between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh via Shotts will not run between Livingston South and Edinburgh. Trains between Ayr and Edinburgh via Carstairs will not run between Carstairs and Edinburgh.

Buses will run between the following stations:

Livingston South and Edinburgh
Livingston South and Livingston North to connect with train services between Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh


Virgin Trains (West Coast - Ed.)

Virgin Trains services between Edinburgh and London Euston will be diverted with journey times delayed by up to 40 minutes.

Passengers may use:

CrossCountry between Birmingham New Street and Edinburgh.
ScotRail services between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central.
Virgin Trains East Coast between Edinburgh and London Kings Cross.
You can follow this incident using the hashtag #Curriehill.


INCIDENT CLEARED:

Following flooding and a landslip near Lockerbie all lines are now open. Passengers may be delayed by up to 10 minutes between Glasgow Central and Carlisle while services return to normal. This expected to continue until approximately 12:00.

Alternative travel options

Virgin Trains passengers may use:

CrossCountry between Birmingham New Street and Edinburgh
First TransPennine Express via any reasonable route
ScotRail between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh
Virgin Trains East Coast between London Kings Cross and Edinburgh
Trains between Carlisle and Edinburgh are unable to run because of overhead wire problems at Curriehill.

You can follow this incident using the hashtag #Lockerbie.

 

[Philip Phlopp]

NR Scotland have some additional 'daylight' images of the OLE/mast damage at Curriehill/Kirknewton.

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailSCOT/status/682136087855247360

Is probably the best as it shows the damage to the mast, and where the debris has come from. It looks like one mast damaged and a couple of cantilevers taken out (one either side of the track) so won't be difficult to fix, unless the foundation has been damaged and the engineers want a new base installed.

That should be repairable with a mobile Movax unit though, so even then, not a massive problem.

Just a bit frustrating that our OLE survived the storm intact and was taken out by debris instead, but such is life.

 

[Carntyne]

Massive amount of disruption right across Scotland so far. Flooding seems to be causing the most problems. Balloch line was under water earlier, though now reopened.

 

[Blindtraveler]

HML gone now, flooding at pitlochry, bustituted INV to PTH. Not many buses available though and large numbers traveling, am caught in this.

 

[jopsuk]

Do remember that the weather conditions will be heavily limiting the availability and capability of emergency rail replacements

 

[backontrack]

HML gone now, flooding at pitlochry, bustituted INV to PTH. Not many buses available though and large numbers traveling, am caught in this.

Terrible news.

 

[Mag_seven]

Do remember that the weather conditions will be heavily limiting the availability and capability of emergency rail replacements

Yet some think that the railway can produce rail replacement buses at the drop of a hat which will run on unflooded roads in some mysterious parallel universe.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I spoke to soon as theyv now got things moving propperly and most pax moving with more buses on way plus many excersising the option to go via Aberdeen. Buses are full but thus far no major issues.

 

[Antman]

Yet some think that the railway can produce rail replacement buses at the drop of a hat which will run on unflooded roads in some mysterious parallel universe.

No I don't think anybody really thinks that now do they?:roll:

 

[Blindtraveler]

A9 not for the faint hearted or lacking in confidence driver though it must be said. V windy. Cudos to the driver of our coach.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Do remember that the weather conditions will be heavily limiting the availability and capability of emergency rail replacements

Yet some think that the railway can produce rail replacement buses at the drop of a hat which will run on unflooded roads in some mysterious parallel universe.

I think my first post was maybe taken the wrong way, it was designed as a warning to anyone thinking of traveling that at the time buses were limmitted. As stated later all now running as well as can be, sorry for any confusion foalks!

 

[nidave]

This has been posted on Facebook: Enniscorthy Train Station
(I know its not the UK but thought might be of interest)

For those that have no idea where this is: http://binged.it/1OkPUnn

 

[al78]

This has been posted on Facebook: Enniscorthy Train Station
(I know its not the UK but thought might be of interest)

For those that have no idea where this is: http://binged.it/1OkPUnn

You will need a barge substitution for that.

 

[crispy1978]

You will need a barge substitution for that.

Indeed - if you didn't know differently you'd think it was a canal.

 

[ainsworth74]

I'm impressed the signals are still going!

 

[Blindtraveler]

Hows it all looking this morning accross the network? Having don a 15.5h megatrip back from Orkney yesturday I am unsurprisingly not out today!

 

[najaB]

Hows it all looking this morning accross the network? Having don a 15.5h megatrip back from Orkney yesturday I am unsurprisingly not out today!

Just had a look at RTT and it looks like southbound HML services from Inverness are only running as far as Avimore.

 

[Minilad]

No I don't think anybody really thinks that now do they?:roll:

Yes actually. Lots do

 

[jopsuk]

Highland Chieftain is operating from/to Perth

 

[IanXC]

This mornings Northbound Caledonian Sleeper diverted via Aberdeen passing approximately 7.20 - due INV 1011

 

[DarloRich]

Wcml closed between Lockerbie and Motherwell - any idea what is going on?

 

[wensley]

Wcml closed between Lockerbie and Motherwell - any idea what is going on?

From what I can see it looks like a structures defect related to the flooding.

 

[najaB]

From what I can see it looks like a structures defect related to the flooding.

Any more detail available?

 

[PHILIPE]

Go to the NRE Disruption section of Website and by following # Links would appear to be safety due to flooding. Expected to be closed until end of day.

 

[83G/84D]

There is bridge damage near Lamington viaduct (between Carstairs and Beattock summit) due to flooding.

 

[matt]

This was posted on twitter showing Lamington Viaduct

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailGLC/status/682508357954068480

 

[Carlisle]

From what I can see it looks like a structures defect related to the flooding.

You'd have thought they could have diverted the odd one or two trains via Dumfries instead , total waste of time and money having crews sign diversionary routes if they always revert straight to busses

 

[berneyarms]

You'd have thought they could have diverted the odd one or two trains via Dumfries instead , total waste of time and money having crews sign diversionary routes if they always revert straight to busses

The line is closed between Kilmarnock and Dumfries.

 

[najaB]

You'd have thought they could have diverted the odd one or two trains via Dumfries instead , total waste of time and money having crews sign diversionary routes if they always revert straight to busses

Are trains able to run normally that way? There were a lot of problems last week due to Desmond.

 

[Carlisle]

The line is closed between Kilmarnock and Dumfries.

Thanks for the correction, ill now keep quiet about this

 

[MCSHF007]

"Sweeping dips on the UP and DOWN lines of the middle of Lamington Viaduct (Bridge No.332 62m 1550yds)...

"...Sandstone blocks 0.5 tonne washed right out of the bridge, plus a crack of about 4 or 5ft up the structure from where the sandstone block has washed away. Pway also request earthworks examiner".

Sounds serious.