Thameslink and broken down trains

[AndyY]

This morning there was yet another delay caused by broken down trains:

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/143596.aspx

A broken down train at St Albans means that one of the platforms cannot be used. This is causing delays of up to 45 minutes to trains between Luton and London St Pancras International. Some services will be cancelled or amended. Disruption is expected to continue until 12:30.

Same story last Thursday morning. A broken down train at Blackfriars caused all southbound trains to halt, and I could not get into work on time even with a 30 minute buffer.

I suffered less serious delays caused by broken down trains last Friday evening and yesterday evening.

Personally I feel this kind of delay is becoming more frequent. Is this because of new rolling stock being introduced, existing rolling stock getting old, or other reasons (e.g. Govia does not want to admit that drivers are callling in sick so make up some excuse)?

 

[Ibex]

This morning there was yet another delay caused by broken down trains:

Personally I feel this kind of delay is becoming more frequent. Is this because of new rolling stock being introduced, existing rolling stock getting old, or other reasons (e.g. Govia does not want to admit that drivers are callling in sick so make up some excuse)?

Disruption information is put out by people with no connection to management (e.g station announcers and route controllers) so I very much doubt someone has just "made up an excuse" for something like a broken down train. I do obviously appreciate fully that in disruption information isn't always 100% accurate but deliberately putting out wrong information isn't generally the done thing.

Speaking as someone who does this for a living (not for Thameslink!) I have to say it really gets under my skin to see there's always people ready to doubt the reason for disruption as if we just sit there and pick out any tosh from a hat as if we've nothing better to do. Anyway I'll get off my soapbox now...

Chances are it's a bit of both in regards to why trains are failing so much; the 700's will have inevitable teething problems but the 319's are probably going to start collapsing. I do wonder how much energy a TOC will put into maintaining a fleet knowing it's departure is imminent!

 

[hwl]

Re Ibex if you look at DfT's GTR remedial plan then quite a lot...

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...ile/525767/govia-thameslink-remedial-plan.pdf

 

[LBSCR Times]

And the train that broke down this morning was a 700!
Yes, the 319's are getting old. Repairing is getting harder and harder, due to spares.
And yes, the information going out is nearly always correct, especially on Thameslink believe it or not....

 

[Supercoss]

Thursday - stalled 8 car between City Thameslink & Blackfriars,, detrained to City Thameslink(back coach just in platform), train in rear detrained (8 car 319) coupled and towed stalled set back North to depot
Friday - stalled 8 car 319 at St Albans City down fast blocked Radlett to Harpenden pantograph damage - overhead line issue caused by another operators train damaging overhead line
Today - stalled FLU 700 up slow platform (preventing other services reversing North to South in centre siding, on train technician reset and set moved to depot under own power.
Thursdays 16 car seen in process of attaching

 

[gazr]

Last Thursday at around 11 am @ Kentish Town was interesting. ..Sevenoaks to Kentish Town in P3, The all yellow HST stopped in P4 and a 16 car 319 running through P2 on the way to Cricklewood

Something appears to be very wrong on the section from Blackfriars to St.Pancras. There was almost a complete block at City Thameslink as a northbound train had trouble with the pantograph on the switchover at the same time, causing 10 minute delay.

 

[D365]

Friday - stalled 8 car 319 at St Albans City down fast blocked Radlett to Harpenden pantograph damage - overhead line issue caused by another operators train damaging overhead line[/IMG]

What operator would this be? Bearing in mind that only Thameslink run electric trains.

 

[Supercoss]

Roof component on Diesel service.

 

[LBSCR Times]

What operator would this be? Bearing in mind that only Thameslink run electric trains.

Pedantic mode:-
(With apologies)
When running depot to depot with TL 319's, it could be a GBRF train!

 

[skyhigh]

I noticed unusual happenings at Harpenden this morning while I was there at about 09:10 - a pair of 319s departed southbound from platform 1, a few minutes later they returned back to platform 1 and sat for about 10 minutes before heading off south again. I can't say I've ever seen that happen before, I can't think why the train would have needed to do that? I'm assuming it wasn't due to the earlier train fault at St Albans.

 

[AndyY]

Thank you for the information.
So the new and old trains are all breaking down. I am sure that it will do wonders to timetable planning when the Thameslink project is complete and there will be 24 trains per hour through the section between St. Pancras and Blackfriars!

I had a personal experience which made me distrust reasons for delay. Some years ago I was on my way from London to Ramsgate. The train was well out of London when it halted and the driver got out with another person, and we overheard them complaining about being unable to operate the points. Eventually the train got moving again after about an hour, and the announcement on the train blamed "congestion in London" for the delay. We all laughed.
Sorry if I appeared cynical, but I was thinking that perhaps a company in crisis will tell staff to say / not say certain things.

 

[cjohnson]

Looks like a couple more breakdowns near St Albans today; as well as an "operating incident" at St Pancras (12-car stopping rather short).

 

[John Webb]

Looks like a couple more breakdowns near St Albans today; as well as an "operating incident" at St Pancras (12-car stopping rather short).

While working at St Albans South box today, a class 700 was noted stuck in the Up Fast platform around 2.30pm, with people being crossed over to the Up slow platform. Several Up fast trains were seen coming past on the Up Slow. The 700 moved off after around half an hour. Not long after fast trains resumed on the up fast.
A little later we noted Down fast trains passing on the Down Slow line, and the Down Fast line was apparently out of use. Can't give any details as I had no access to Real Time Trains etc.

 

[Bald Rick]

While working at St Albans South box today, a class 700 was noted stuck in the Up Fast platform around 2.30pm, with people being crossed over to the Up slow platform. Several Up fast trains were seen coming past on the Up Slow. The 700 moved off after around half an hour. Not long after fast trains resumed on the up fast.
A little later we noted Down fast trains passing on the Down Slow line, and the Down Fast line was apparently out of use. Can't give any details as I had no access to Real Time Trains etc.

Same 700 that failed at the same place yesterday. Rebooted to fix.

DF was blocked to inspect a suspected (unrelated) OLE problem.

 

[AM9]

Thank you for the information.
So the new and old trains are all breaking down...

My bold. Well at least you aren't exaggerating. Strange that such a clalmity wasn't reported on the London news, let alone the National broadcasts. Must have been in a parallel universe.

The prophets of doom are working overtime now. What a strange pleasure it must give them.

 

[SPADTrap]

I noticed unusual happenings at Harpenden this morning while I was there at about 09:10 - a pair of 319s departed southbound from platform 1, a few minutes later they returned back to platform 1 and sat for about 10 minutes before heading off south again. I can't say I've ever seen that happen before, I can't think why the train would have needed to do that? I'm assuming it wasn't due to the earlier train fault at St Albans.

Set back to cross over to pass the failure?

 

[skyhigh]

Set back to cross over to pass the failure?

Good suggestion, there wasn't anything obvious when I went through about 15 minutes later but a failure could well have been moved during that time.

 

[Jonny]

Same 700 that failed at the same place yesterday. Rebooted to fix.

Software issue, then? Hopefully it can be ironed out. It may even be a case of premature software ageing.

On the plus side, at least it can restart with a reboot. If it keeps happening, the software may require alteration.

 

[swt_passenger]

My bold. Well at least you aren't exaggerating. Strange that such a clalmity wasn't reported on the London news, let alone the National broadcasts. Must have been in a parallel universe.

The prophets of doom are working overtime now. What a strange pleasure it must give them.

Well, starting a new thread in the general discussion sub-forum like this does help to exaggerate the problems, however the 700 glitches are also being discussed in the obvious existing thread in the rolling stock forum, and ISTM the 319 issues are just the same old thing that has happened to 319s now and again for years...

 

[MCR247]

Software issue, then? Hopefully it can be ironed out. It may even be a case of premature software ageing.

On the plus side, at least it can restart with a reboot. If it keeps happening, the software may require alteration.

The fact that the neutral section seems to be significant would suggest to me that that it isnt software, more something tripping a circuit breaker