West coast main line problems this morning (16/05)

[Phil from Mon]

0901 VTWC to Birmingham from Crewe was cancelled this morning on arrival at Crewe from Scotland, and replaced by a direct Euston only service. Does anyone know what was happening please?

 

[Chrism20]

Wires down between Glasgow & Motherwell this morning.

Probably skipped the West Mids stops and went straight to Euston in order to try and return the timetable to normal ASAP. I've been on a service where they have done it before.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

0901 VTWC to Birmingham from Crewe was cancelled this morning on arrival at Crewe from Scotland, and replaced by a direct Euston only service. Does anyone know what was happening please?

That train (9M48, 0540 ex Glasgow) was cancelled at Preston 105 late, because of OHLE problems near Glasgow - a number of services were cancelled throughout.
VT were no doubt trying to recover the service further south.

 

[Mag_seven]

And now for a helpful response that attempts to answer the OP query - there were OLE problems in the Glasgow area disrupting all Anglo-Scottish WCML services this morning.

 

[MadCommuter]

To add a bit more detail, the affected area was just south of Newton. 9M48 ran via Hamilton to bypass the area.

 

[sdrennan]

Why did they not divert. There are a couple of diversion routes bit it seems the majority of south bound services were all canned

 

[PHILIPE]

Why did they not divert. There are a couple of diversion routes bit it seems the majority of south bound services were all canned

Which diversionary routes could have been used ? It's not so easy nowadays.

 

[TimboM]

Which diversionary routes could have been used ? It's not so easy nowadays.

When there was weekend/Bank Holiday engineering recently in the Motherwell area I believe some services went via Mossend. Depends exactly where the wires were down, though - and even then, not easy as you say at short notice - needs paths, drivers appropriately signed etc. etc.

 

[Chrism20]

When there was weekend/Bank Holiday engineering recently in the Motherwell area I believe some services went via Mossend. Depends exactly where the wires were down, though - and even then, not easy as you say at short notice - needs paths, drivers appropriately signed etc. etc.

There was engineering works last weekend. I was on the 1025 on Sunday morning and it went via Mount Florida but I'm sure it went through the area affected this morning so that would presumably rule that route out.

There are other routes but as you say it's getting to them in amongst all the others that are backed up and also using the route.

 

[sdrennan]

The early 0428 service ran ok . This runs via Holytown and avoids Motherwell as a diversionary route. Can't believe paths would be an issue on the early services

 

[Chrism20]

The early 0428 service ran ok . This runs via Holytown and avoids Motherwell as a diversionary route. Can't believe paths would be an issue on the early services

Going by the expletive laden rant my ex boss had on Facebook at 08:18 yesterday for being bundled off a Shotts line train at Holytown yesterday and onto an RRB this line was also not much of an option for diversions.

 

[ScottDarg]

If anyone's interested, here is the damaged wires from ScotRails twitter account as well as a crudely annotated map showing where the damage was.



ScotRail had GLC-Lanark trains run express to Motherwell and Lanark-GLC missing Bellshill. Trains to Larkhall ran via Whifflet and had them run express from Rutherglen to Hamilton Central, where trains from Larkhall were also starting from for a while. Edinburgh via Shotts services terminated and started back from Holytown.

Virgin had busses shuttle passengers between Glasgow and Carlisle.

 

[Mag_seven]

Why didn't beardie divert his trains via the R&C?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Why didn't beardie divert his trains via the R&C?

SR, XC and the VTEC Glasgow-King's Cross were also cancelled.
I think some trains did successfully divert (and a few went the normal route), but mostly it was all stopped.

 

[GW43125]

Why didn't beardie divert his trains via the R&C?

1) What's R&C?
2) Is it electrified?

 

[87015]

Why didn't beardie divert his trains via the R&C?

Don't know where that is, but VTWC are in the midst of getting rid of the vast majority of diversionary route knowledge. Add it to removing the 57s knowledge that they've done and there won't be many options left by the end of the month.

 

[GW43125]

Don't know where that is, but VTWC are in the midst of getting rid of the vast majority of diversionary route knowledge. Add it to removing the 57s knowledge that they've done and there won't be many options left by the end of the month.

They're doing what?!

 

[PHILIPE]

1) What's R&C?
2) Is it electrified?

Rutherglen and Coatbridge

 

[signallerscot]

R&C = Rutherglen & Coatbridge line. Rutherglen East Jn to Langloan Jn and Whifflet North Jn allowing trains to run from Glasgow to Motherwell via Carmyle, Whifflet, Mossend and Braidhurst. It is electrified but I believe Virigin Polmadie men don't sign it, though it is route cleared for 390s and Voyagers. In any case it may not have been useable for other reasons like the position of trapped trains or due to the electrical sectioning/switching required to isolate the damaged area.

 

[Phil from Mon]

Thanks for the information guys, appreciated

 

[Carlisle]

Don't know where that is, but VTWC are in the midst of getting rid of the vast majority of diversionary route knowledge. Add it to removing the 57s knowledge that they've done and there won't be many options left by the end of the month.

The enthusiasm for using diversionary routes shown when the likes of Mr Green and later Mr Gibb were in charge no longer seems to exist, guess if it's not a franchise commitment there's no obligation to use any of them

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

1) What's R&C?
2) Is it electrified?

Rutherglen & Coatbridge (electrified 2014).
Allows through electric running via Carmyle and Whifflet to Motherwell, or Law Jn via Holytown, and to Cumbernauld (eventually to Falkirk/Stirling).

 

[Mag_seven]

Woops - sorry for using an unexplained acronym (R&C=Rutherglen and Coatbridge). Guilty as charged your honour.

The enthusiasm for using diversionary routes shown when the likes of Mr Green and later Mr Gibb were in charge no longer seems to exist, guess if it's not a franchise commitment there's no obligation to use any of them

Typical of today's fragmented railway that Polmadie drivers appear not to sign a perfectly good (and now electrified) diversionary route.