Earlestown Chaos due to unsafe building (04/04)

[Eric]

Can someone please help with how this building has collapsed on to the line? No trains moving between Liverpool and Manchester. It's absolute chaotic.

 

[RailAleFan]

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/SERVICE_DISRUPTIONS/161010.ASPX

Safety checks of the line are being made in the Earlestown area. This is disrupting trains between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester stations via Earlestown. Disruption is expected until 19:30.
Advice for Northern customers:
Services are mainly affected from Huyton towards Manchester stations. These services are expected to be delayed by up to 25 minutes. Customers travelling from Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester are advised to travel via Wigan North Western or Warrington Central.
You can use TransPennine Express services from Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Oxford Road / Manchester Piccadilly via Warrington Central.
Advice for TransPennine Express customers:
Trains are unable to run from Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Victoria. You are advised to travel on alternative TransPennine Express services to Manchester Piccadilly from Liverpool Lime Street.
You can use Northern services between Manchester Victoria and Huddersfield.

 

[Eric]

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/SERVICE_DISRUPTIONS/161010.ASPX

Cheers. I wonder which building has collapsed on to the line though?

The conductor on our train has just been swearing to someone at control. Our train has been stuck for 25 minutes now.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Can someone please help with how this building has collapsed on to the line? No trains moving between Liverpool and Manchester. It's absolute chaotic.

"Safety checks on the line" according to NRE.
Must be on the west side, as Chester-Warrington-Manchester services seem to be running normally.
Warrington-Liverpool stopped in P3, Newcastle-Liverpool in P2, at 1710 (on RTT). Both have now run through, TP preceding.
Manchester-Llandudno now run through, so it's only the Liverpool-Manchester line (P1) affected.

 

[Eric]

Seems that our train is now being diverted and terminated at Wigan North Western.

 

[DJH1971]

http://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/...__unsafe_building__near_tracks_at_Earlestown/

RAIL users are facing disruption this afternoon due to "safety checks of the line" being made in Earlestown.
Journeys between Liverpool and Manchester are expected to be affected until this evening.
A Northern Rail spokesman said: "There appears to be an unsafe building near the tracks at Earlestown that Network Rail are looking into at the moment.
"As a result some services are subject to delays and cancellations."
A statement from National Rail said: "Safety checks of the line are being made in the Earlestown area.

 

[PHILIPE]

Seems that our train is now being diverted and terminated at Wigan North Western.

What is your train ?

 

[Eric]

What is your train ?

I'm now on the 18:48 MCV to LDI via BDI just pulled into Halifax.

The train out of LIverpool Limestreet was the 16:20.

 

[DJH1971]

I'm now on the 18:48 MCV to LDI via BDI just pulled into Halifax.

The train out of LIverpool Limestreet was the 16:20.

Which was cancelled, as so was the 16:16 LIV-MIA

 

[D1009]

Cheers. I wonder which building has collapsed on to the line though?

The conductor on our train has just been swearing to someone at control. Our train has been stuck for 25 minutes now.

Where at?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I'm now on the 18:48 MCV to LDI via BDI just pulled into Halifax.
The train out of LIverpool Limestreet was the 16:20.

You were unlucky.
According to RTT, a couple of Airport trains were cancelled (and the return trips), and a Victoria stopper, but back to normal fairly quickly.
The 1612 and 1710 TPE Newcastle ran via the CLC to Stalybridge.
The 1642 Liverpool-Victoria apparently ran via St Helens Central, Ince Moss Jn, Bamfurlong Jn and Golborne Jn to Parkside.
Very rare passenger trackage, it might be the first EMU to go that way in service!

 

[Eric]

You were unlucky.
According to RTT, a couple of Airport trains were cancelled (and the return trips), and a Victoria stopper, but back to normal fairly quickly.
The 1612 and 1710 TPE Newcastle ran via the CLC to Stalybridge.
The 1642 Liverpool-Victoria apparently ran via St Helens Central, Ince Moss Jn, Bamfurlong Jn and Golborne Jn to Parkside.
Very rare passenger trackage, it might be the first EMU to go that way in service!

Just got home from this mini adventure. Not sure why we had to to Wigan North Western but as you say rare passenger trackage.

 

[STANDISH]

I suspect that many drivers do not have route knowledge around the curve and around Parkside Curve.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

The old building between the road overbridge and Earlestown station seems to have a lot of rubble leaning on it and is forcing the building to list towards the railway. If it goes the rubble will block the up line towards manchester.

Tried to snap an image but it isnt very good. Hopefully you can see whats going on.

I was the first TPE service through. Picked up a 20 min delay in the process.

 

[D1009]

The 1642 Liverpool-Victoria apparently ran via St Helens Central, Ince Moss Jn, Bamfurlong Jn and Golborne Jn to Parkside.
Very rare passenger trackage, it might be the first EMU to go that way in service!

I presume this is the train the OP was actually on, so it didn't go via the Ince Moss - Bamfurlong curve, which has always been extremely rare, as he said it went into Wigan NW.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

I suspect that many drivers do not have route knowledge around the curve and around Parkside Curve.

I presume this is the train the OP was actually on, so it didn't go via the Ince Moss - Bamfurlong curve, which has always been extremely rare, as he said it went into Wigan NW.

Back in the day (1970s/1980s) this was a regular diversion route for Trans Pennine services and I would guess that a fair proportion of Lime St, Man Vic and Wigan crews signed it. These days I suspect of Northern crews only Wigan sign the whole lot meaning it's become decidedly rare. Even when Northern have had Sunday services running via Parkside curve to/from Wigan a fair bit of route conducting was necessary. Perhaps when TPE start running via St Helens Central it may be worth adding the Ince Moss curve to their route cards.

 

[Loop & Link]

Bryn-Ince Moss-Bamfurlong Curve has been used a few times now, Lime St & Wigan traincrew should sign it.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I presume this is the train the OP was actually on, so it didn't go via the Ince Moss - Bamfurlong curve, which has always been extremely rare, as he said it went into Wigan NW.

All we have to go on is the gap in RTT times between Huyton Jn and Parkside Jn, and the fact it took 34 minutes.
It could indeed have gone via the bays at Wigan NW and reversed, but I thought 34 minutes was pretty good going and so might have taken the short cut to Bamfurlong and saved the reversal.
It is wired after all.