Law Jn loss of Signalling

[221129]

Loss of all signalling at Law Jn this afternoon. All trains currently on stop in the Lockerbie/Motherwell area.

Major delays and cancellations to be expected.

 

[221129]

Crosscountry are conveying passengers from Edinburgh via Birmingham New Street in that direction only until further notice. Arrangements have been made for Virgin Trains rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.
Virgin Trains East Coast are conveying passengers between Edinburgh and London Kings Cross in that direction only until further notice. Arrangements have been made for Virgin Trains rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.
ScotRail are conveying passengers between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central via Glasgow Queen Street in both directions until further notice. Arrangements have been made for Virgin Trains rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.
Transpennine Express are conveying passengers via any reasonable route until further notice. Arrangements have been made for Virgin Trains rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.

Ticket acceptance in place.

 

[221129]

Rail Replacement Services to start providing services between Carlisle and Glasgow/Edinburgh.

 

[OpsWeb]

It failed the other day at Law jct also, with a route strip failure and a naughty signal failing to show a proceed. I think a temp fix was carried it during the day, with a view to fixing it properly at end of service.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Rail Replacement Services to start providing services between Carlisle and Glasgow/Edinburgh.

I'm on one of those, general chaos.

 

[PHILIPE]

NRE site says severe lineside fire

 

[221129]

NRE site says severe lineside fire

Lineside fire that took out about 20m of Signalling cables.

 

[PHILIPE]

Lineside fire that took out about 20m of Signalling cables.

Thought that would have probably been the case.

 

[GW43125]

Lineside fire that took out about 20m of Signalling cables.

Oh dear. Hopefully not South Hampstead-type.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

From my replacement bus, I saw a double Voyager heading north near Ecclefechan.
Apparently the 1530 Euston-Glasgow on RTT, 35 down.
Either the problem is solved or the Voyager is taking a convoluted route to Glasgow.

Edit: Line open again, just long enough for maximum disruption.
The 1740 Glasgow-Carlisle via Dumfries has just crept into Carlisle.
Should have thought of that one...
2.5 hours on a bus is not my idea of fun.

 

[takno]

From my replacement bus, I saw a double Voyager heading north near Ecclefechan.
Apparently the 1530 Euston-Glasgow on RTT, 35 down.
Either the problem is solved or the Voyager is taking a convoluted route to Glasgow.

https://traksy.uk/live/M+2+ABINGTN+9+1S78

Looks like the signalling is still out from just north of Quintinshill to Symington, but 1S78 looks like it headed into the black hole and has made it to Glasgow. I guess they may be hand-signalling it, although that's a hell of a lot of points to clip, and a pretty long section.

 

[GW43125]

https://traksy.uk/live/M+2+ABINGTN+9+1S78

Looks like the signalling is still out from just north of Quintinshill to Symington, but 1S78 looks like it headed into the black hole and has made it to Glasgow. I guess they may be hand-signalling it, although that's a hell of a lot of points to clip, and a pretty long section.

How long is that section? *Insert rant about Didcot at the bank holiday weekend here*

 

[47271]

How long is that section? *Insert rant about Didcot at the bank holiday weekend here*

A long way. Quintinshill to Symington has got to be more than 50 miles.

 

[Carntyne]

No hand-signalling or block working involved, the signalling was restored.

1S78 was the first Down service are I think and 1M44 on the Up.

 

[GW43125]

A long way. Quintinshill to Symington has got to be more than 50 miles.

Ouch. Just realised where you mean. Isn't Symington just south of Carstairs?

 

[takno]

A long way. Quintinshill to Symington has got to be more than 50 miles.

about 55m45c to be exact. Doesn't sound like a very credible block TBH. Maybe the signalling was working but the link to the reporting system was down... Looks like there are trains reporting all the way through now, although with some ****s left scattered around the place

 

[GW43125]

about 55m45c to be exact. Doesn't sound like a very credible block TBH. Maybe the signalling was working but the link to the reporting system was down... Looks like there are trains reporting all the way through now, although with some ****s left scattered around the place

Those ****s are probably just where the bobbies realised how screwed they were but knew the TD feed was live...

Coat collected.

 

[Sunset route]

Sounds like working by "post it notes"

 

[GW43125]

Sounds like working by "post it notes"

"Emergency train describer". Simple yet effective.

 

[Phil from Mon]

Stuck on the 1458 from Haymarket for about 22 minutes some 14 miles north of Carlisle. Once that cleared it was pretty much straight through bar a few minor additional delays making us 30 minutes late at Crewe arriving about 1930. We did pass a number of stationary trains heading (or trying to head) north. The PIS at Crewe was showing the next Virgin to Birmingham (a Glasgow train?) on time when my connection for Bangor came in. We then had a bit of delay due to signal problems between Fflint and Prestatyn.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Stuck on the 1458 from Haymarket for about 22 minutes some 14 miles north of Carlisle. Once that cleared it was pretty much straight through bar a few minor additional delays making us 30 minutes late at Crewe arriving about 1930. We did pass a number of stationary trains heading (or trying to head) north. The PIS at Crewe was showing the next Virgin to Birmingham (a Glasgow train?) on time when my connection for Bangor came in. We then had a bit of delay due to signal problems between Fflint and Prestatyn.

I arrived at Glasgow Central (from Edinburgh via Shotts) at 1715, intending to get the 1730 Glasgow-Warrington and on to Chester.
First thing I heard was the station PIS advising London passengers to go via Edinburgh, so I knew we were in trouble.
The departure board showed the 1730 and later trains as "On Time" (fat chance).
But Virgin staff said basically nothing moving, bus to Carlisle round the corner (big queue).
The "problem" was said to be a lineside fire at Carluke, so Edinburgh services would be OK I thought.
I started to walk to Queen St, thinking I could get the 1852 to Birmingham, or even ECML via York, but thought better of it and resigned myself to the bus.
In the traffic it took 40 minutes even to get alongside Polmadie depot, and Carlisle took 2.5 hours.
There was then a bus jam at Carlisle as too many were trying to unload.
I expected a station full of trains waiting to go south, but in fact we had to wait for the next Euston arrival to reverse.
Apart from seeing the northbound Voyager at Ecclefechan, a class 325 mail train (Shieldmuir-Warrington) arrived in P2 while we waited, so I knew the line must be open.
Turned out I could have caught the 1740 via the G&SW, although only 2 coaches so not really suitable for everybody.
Everyone got away from Carlisle on what was billed as the delayed 1840 from Glasgow, but I was surprised there were no direct Birmingham or Manchester options - everybody had to change at Preston for TPE/Northern and Crewe for LM.
Anyway, arrived Chester 2 hours late so I'll be making my first ever delay-repay claim!
Northbound trains started running through Carlisle from about 2000, but not in time to come south again, all heading to Polmadie for the night.
On the bright side, we got to see a full moon rising over the Howgill fells in the Lune gorge, so not all bad.
I was on a 1st Advance, but only coffee turned up until Preston, and only sandwiches after that, due to "disrupted supplies".

 

[Sunset route]

"Emergency train describer". Simple yet effective.

It is, I've worked that method on many occasions.

 

[tsr]

It is, I've worked that method on many occasions.

It's always disconcerting when the signaller asks you which train you are and where you're going...

 

[Sunset route]

It's always disconcerting when the signaller asks you which train you are and where you're going...

And don't forget the most important question "what is your current location"? So we can marry up the pretty red track circuit lights (if they are working) to a train.

 

[ComUtoR]

It's always disconcerting when the signaller asks you which train you are and where you're going...

Or when they ask what the signal is showing.

"Drive, could you stop at X### signal before going into [station]"
"Signaller this is ... " "just to confirm. The signal is showing a 2 in the theatre box and a single yellow. There are 3 lights out though"
"Thanks Drive, No wonder my panel is completely blank"

"Driver; could you stop at signal XX### please, regardless of the aspect as I have no idea what its showing"

hock:

Both real conversations. The second one, just a couple of days ago. Always freaks me out.