Snow Service Changes 25/02/18 onwards.

[al78]

Situation deteriorating rapidly in South London. Can honestly say (having not been alive in 62/63) that I have never seen aything like this in 47 years in London.

Not even in December 2010, the coldest December for 100 years? That cold spell lasted most of the month, not just a week, and snowfall was higher.

 

[Sparks807Evo]

There's a Cross Country service (220012 and another Voyager) that was stranded just north of Cheltenham - 1320 out of New Street. I got off it at New Street after travelling from the north east. Was actually running as the 0841 from Newcastle and then took over the cancelled service behind it (0942 from Newcastle) from New Street onwards. Weather at the time it was nearing New Street meant it was meant to be ok to be the first service they'd run to Bristol. Mad to think it is still not in Cheltenham - feel sorry for the train crew and passengers stuck on it.

Edit 17:47- Seems now to be running back towards Birmingham about 240 minutes late!

 

[TheGarner]

East Midlands Trains cancelled their services to Liverpool Lime Street. So no express trains as TPE haven't been running either. Which is what I would normally get on at Piccadilly, got myself to Oxford road.

It got quite mad at Oxford Road to get onto the Northern stopping services. Could not get on two services as they got full very quickly on single pacer units. One BTP officer had to tell people to get away from the doors as no more people could literally get on.

Decided it would be best to get an Uber to Warrington instead of waiting around for the next one to see what would happen.

 

[Three-Nine]

The rain overnight has certainly been an interesting factor. I got home from work today and looked out through my kitchens frosted glass windows.

I don't have frosted glass windows.

Metalwork around the nearest station looks like its coated in a layer of transparent plastic, and walking on the snow is like walking on Easter egg shells. Its much harder to clear than normal because you have to fracture the frozen top layer first.

 

[diffident]

New St back up and running but one would suspect its quite chaotic down there with WMT essentially cancelling everything towards Kidderminster and Bromsgrove from 6pm

 

[gavin]

VTEC still awaing info on whether they will be able to run services north of Newcastle tomorrow

 

[higthomas]

Hmm, I have to be at Dagenham at 2100 and then Harwich at 0300. Should be fun!

Hmm, I think many would say you're stupid and/or reckless. Hope it goes well!

 

[83G/84D]

No trains will depart Birmingham for the Worcester direction after1900 hrs tonight.

 

[Bromley boy]

Hmm, I think many would say you're stupid and/or reckless. Hope it goes well!

I think he’s a freight driver!

 

[341o2]

The Swanage railway has cancelled services due to run tomorrow and Sunday

 

[diffident]

WMT looking to run some sort of service over the Snow Hill lines

https://twitter.com/WestMidRailway/status/969637645684019200?s=20

 

[theageofthetra]

On a Met to Uxbridge and thats working fine- is 4th rail just more resistant or are the S stock good just good in these conditions.

 

[theageofthetra]

Caterham suspended again.

Redhill-Reigate suspended.

Epsom points failure continues to cause issues.

Class 700s all getting ice in their horns, so 20mph only.

Hever Junction being worked manually - Uckfield line open - all trains delayed and/or amended.

Was ice in the horns such an issue when they were roof mounted?

 

[theageofthetra]

Not even in December 2010, the coldest December for 100 years? That cold spell lasted most of the month, not just a week, and snowfall was higher.

Not in central London.

 

[Butts]

No Trains (or Bus Service) in the Newport (Gwent Area) today. No Taxis either.

I walked to work from Newport to Cwmbran - do I deserve a Blue Peter Badge.

 

[GaryMcEwan]

I left London at Midday up to Newcastle where I'm currently stuck until at least tomorrow. Hopefully trains will then be able to get over into Scotland.

VTEC said when I left if I keep hold of my hotel receipt for tonight in Newcastle then they'll refund it.

 

[LAX54]

Does anybody know what the conditions are like on the Wherry/Bittern/East Suffolk lines? The signalling map on OTT has 'Closed' at the Ipswich end of the East Suffolk. I imagine with the snow and wind there will be some drifting. This service is still suspended despite GA trying to run everything else.

Thanks,
Gareth

The roads in many areas are blocked, as they are mainly 'side roads' to many boxes, so if there is just one Signaller missing, then its job done !

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Snow from 1330 today in St Albans has been quite icy and sharp - settling quickly such that local roads (which TBF have been well treated , suddenly got bad) - my eldest came back from MKC to WFJ on the train which was late but running in quite heavy snow ,to find (yet again) , the Abbey Chug has decided to have another rest day so a bus was in order.

 

[LAX54]

It was my understanding that the purpose of the classification of trains detailed in section 6 of TW1 was to enable priority to be accorded by signallers to higher priority trains (generally lower numbers, class 373 having been added at 9 after the system was set up), hence the lowest number being nominated post and parcel trains (I want to say it is the Irish Mail, probably because I've been tucked up inside nice and warm with Red For Danger), passenger expresses, snow ploughs, OHE and breakdown trains going to clear the line, and rescue trains. Followed by ordinary passenger services, then parcels and special freight, fast freight, ECS, and progressively slower freight.

Wikipedia reckons what I call special freight used to be fish trains, and newspaper trains used to rank with passenger expresses and trains going to clear the line.

Indeed a Class 1 used to be a fast, and a Class 6 a slow old freight, but whilst in theory it still is, TOCs now use headcodes to help drivers know where there are stopping ! GA: if a train stops at Romford its a '2' if it does not stop at Romford it's a 1, but could have more stops than a '2' ! lol as for regulating, wow betide a Signaller that does that sort of thing !

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Indeed a Class 1 used to be a fast, and a Class 6 a slow old freight, but whilst in theory it still is, TOCs now use headcodes to help drivers know where there are stopping ! GA: if a train stops at Romford its a '2' if it does not stop at Romford it's a 1, but could have more stops than a '2' ! lol as for regulating, wow betide a Signaller that does that sort of thing !

Train headcodes came in under Power Signalling schemes in the early 1960's , maybe a tad before , you must be young (!) , a slow old freight used to be a class 8 or 9 ,which was 45 or 25 mph. The latter had no fitted brakes so ran around gingerly and with great care.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

No Trains (or Bus Service) in the Newport (Gwent Area) today. No Taxis either.

I walked to work from Newport to Cwmbran - do I deserve a Blue Peter Badge.

Valerie Singleton and John Noakes would feature you in a special insert. A long walk -did you really do that ? , - well done. How many fag breaks ?

 

[KingJ]

Southeastern is going in to meltdown. Failed train at Lewisham has caused a ripple effect of queueing trains. Reports of passengers detraining, so power has been switched off. Looks like pretty much only the Greenwich line services out of Cannon Street are able to run.

It's been a really challenging week for Southeastern, earlier today especially and this really is just another level of disruption they didn't need. Feel sorry for the folks in the control room and on the social media accounts - must be hell for them at the moment. And of course, not overly pleasant for those stranded on trains in the area either with no heat/light/power.

 

[LAX54]

Train headcodes came in under Power Signalling schemes in the early 1960's , maybe a tad before , you must be young (!) , a slow old freight used to be a class 8 or 9 ,which was 45 or 25 mph. The latter had no fitted brakes so ran around gingerly and with great care.

No, I know a Class 6 trundles on a fair lick, I can remember the Class 9's ! (and the clearing points we had to use in the PSB ) remember once we had a class 9 ballast fail at Manningtree, as the assisting loco ran wrong road past it, came on the NRN saying, thats not the failure is it ? Yes it is was the answer, well thsi will be fun he said, they have sent me out with a Class 90 !
However.....it did make it to Harwich, albeit it took rather a long time

 

[6Gman]

Train headcodes came in under Power Signalling schemes in the early 1960's , maybe a tad before , you must be young (!) , a slow old freight used to be a class 8 or 9 ,which was 45 or 25 mph. The latter had no fitted brakes so ran around gingerly and with great care.

And stopping before any steep downhill bits to pin down a few brakes!

 

[Butts]

Valerie Singleton and John Noakes would feature you in a special insert. A long walk -did you really do that ? , - well done. How many fag breaks ?

Fortunately the Main Roads had very light traffic so I was able to make good time by utilising them rather than the footpaths.
It took me about 90 Minutes as where I work is an Industrial Estate on the outskirts of Cwmbran .

Pleased to report no fag breaks en-route - I might have never got going again

 

[pt_mad]

Amazed that none of the country is on a red warning now. Seems to be only yellow which is surprising given the amount of disruption that's going on nationwide with rail and road.

There are major A roads in Herefordshire and Worcester that are now blocked. And reports of drifts of up to 12 feet at the sides of the roads.

 

[gavin]

VTEC hoping to run north of Newcastle tomorrow it is unlikely services will be starting overly early on that section of the line

Things should improve slightly down south tomorrow as temperatures begin to rise slightly

 

[LewFinnis]

After criticism yesterday for no trains between Ramsgate and Dover, Southeastern tried to put some on today but they were badly affected by the freezing rain and eventually got cancelled. I, too, woke up to frosted glass windows, so I knew it was going to be a bad day. Stagecoach SE managed to keep most buses running and their Twitter feed referred to sending a bus to Ashford Station to get rail passengers to Canterbury. Both Stagecoach SE and Arriva have been accepting valid rail tickets this afternoon.

 

[EonLeader]

Made it home from the City, to SE London, off the DLR and three buses. Thankful I did because Southeastern has been utterly destroyed tonight. No other word for it. The one place you don't want something to happen - Lewisham - and it happens there. Big time.

Incidentally, the 3rd rail DLR was running absolutely slick, obviously it being a light rail has far less to haul through snow but I'm assuming the construction of the rails themselves help matters? This was the Lewisham branch, as well.

Think I've done fairly well on commutes this week considering. Worst of it was Wednesday morning, Southeastern were still running standard timetable and running it into an awful lot of trouble. Even then, still 'only' 20 mins late into CST...

 

[philthetube]

On a Met to Uxbridge and thats working fine- is 4th rail just more resistant or are the S stock good just good in these conditions.

I think the S stock has proved surprisingly resilient, To the weather obviously just as prone as all stocks to iced juice rails but apart from that , pretty good. The Met area has had a bout the best of the weather however.