East Coast Scuppered

[jon0844]

Loads of things that haven't been done there, in particular having a TOC speaking to the local authority to arrange the clearing of entrances/paths to stations. There's a bridge over Hatfield station that is owned by the council, and it's the county council that does the gritting. A typical case of buck-passing, yet most people will (wrongly) assume it's owned by the railway.

It has a ramp at one end, which is hard to walk on with no hand rail when it's icy, and steep steps that (over time) have begun to angle slightly downwards, and so 'encourage' you to slip. It is NEVER cleared and I dare say that it's a serious (possibly fatal) accident waiting to happen. The best advice would be to walk the long way around, but people do continue using it.

The TOC could surely arrange to do it on behalf of the county council, perhaps for a small fee agreed way in advance. It's clear that Herts County Council will never do it.

 

[Clip]

It's strange how there always seem to be plenty of buses/coaches and drivers sitting around with nothing to do just waiting to the called up for rail replacement services. I'm aware that neither cost as much as their railway equivalents (although enough drivers to cover a full EC train's worth of passengers can't come cheap)

A lot of them use coach companies that do other things like tourism and school runs.. Mind you travelmaster down in Kent have realised the worth of investing in New coaches for the prolonged engineering works which then are sat there wating for business through the week.

But it also shows up why it can take time to get buses to where they are required at times like this as they call drivers in then have to get them out again..

 

[philjo]

Yesterday the notice of the FCC emergency timetable was showing on the FCC website - if you were looking in the right place. form the front page, nothing obvious was showing.
3 hours later the National Rail site had no mention of the FCC emergency timetable - it still just said there were some alterations based on a notice posted at 07:25

=================

I have just received this email update from FCC:

Great Northern route service update - 14:15 Tuesday 21 December
Disruption to Peterborough services - what has happened
Services between Huntingdon and Peterborough are being severely disrupted due to overhead power line problems.

Overhead line equipment was damaged in the Huntingdon area at approximately 8am this morning. Network Rail engineers are assessing the damage. We will publish details of any emergency engineering work on our website when it is available.

This is a separate incident to the wire damage in the Sandy area yesterday. Network Rail successfully fixed this overnight and gave us clearance to operate over the lines at 7:20am this morning.

Alterations to services to/from Peterborough today
Due to this disruption services to/from Peterborough are operating as follows:

No fast services are operating;
Stopping services are running between King’s Cross and St Neots; and
Buses replacing trains between St Neots and Peterborough.
Journey times to/from Peterborough are extended by at least 60 minutes for the rest of the day.
Depending on Network Rail’s assessment, there may be an opportunity to run a limited number of services from King’s Cross through to Peterborough after 6:30pm. If this is possible, we will publish details on our website by 6pm.

Please check the ‘Live train updates' section of our website for live running information.

Arrangements at London King’s Cross this evening
London King’s Cross station is anticipated to be very busy this evening. To help manage customer flows, all First Capital Connect services will depart/arrive into platforms 8-11 from 3pm today.

Other Great Northern route services
Other Great Northern route services are operating to the normal timetable, although there may be some shorter services and cancellations because train carriages were displaced by yesterday's disruption.

I did wonder why they need to cram everybody into the suburban section if East Coast aren't running any services. There isn't a lot of room on platfroms 10 & 11 !

 

[me123]

I did wonder why they need to cram everybody into the suburban section if East Coast aren't running any services. There isn't a lot of room on platfroms 10 & 11 !

I don't know the station too well, but I'd have thought that they'd want to use the longer East Coast platforms, which would give them a lot more room. Better yet, only use odd/even numbered platforms so that you've got the whole width of the actual platform available.

 

[williamn]

I was at Kings Cross at lunchtime and there appeared to be two EC services leaving. Their website still states that no services are running though...

 

[gordonthemoron]

I was at Kings Cross at lunchtime and there appeared to be two EC services leaving. Their website still states that no services are running though...

EC stated on their website that they were running trains between KX & Peterborough which are scheduled to take 2.5 hours. I expect they'll be HSTs going via Cambridge

 

[Failed Unit]

You would hope that once the debris is cleared the HSTs will still be able to run, unless a total possession is required for re-wiring. The 0752 Aberdeen - London is showing as running through. If it is, or taking a detour, or terminating at Peterborough I guess we shall wait and see.

 

[jopsuk]

an academic enquiry- if 67 drags were to be used, where would the locos have to be attached? Could the 91s make it to Cambridge (or even Ely) without draining too much power from the lines, messing up the FCC services?

 

[williamn]

One *I think* was a 225...

 

[MCR247]

an academic enquiry- if 67 drags were to be used, where would the locos have to be attached? Could the 91s make it to Cambridge (or even Ely) without draining too much power from the lines, messing up the FCC services?

I don't think so

 

[captainbigun]

No AC locos north of Milton neutral (north Cambridge), and unlikely to be permitted to run Shepreth Branch junction to Hitchin under their own power.

 

[ushawk]

WCML is now also having problems. Signalling problem at Kidsgrove and a broken down train at Oxenholme (affecting trains towards Preston/Manchester).

Looks like a brilliant day to travel today, what with airports having problems too.

 

[amcluesent]

I'm posting from the EC 14:30 KGX to PBO via Cambridge, expect to get in at 17:00 and everyone has been told they'll have to get off and join other services northbound. Don't know if the train is going back for another collection. We are going very slowly, slower than the FCC train to Cambs.

 

[dk1]

I'm posting from the EC 14:30 KGX to PBO via Cambridge, expect to get in at 17:00 and everyone has been told they'll have to get off and join other services northbound. Don't know if the train is going back for another collection. We are going very slowly, slower than the FCC train to Cambs.

NXEA (Norwich) have supplied a conductor to route conduct the EC conductor between Cambridge & Peterborough today.

Train will not get a 'good' run as has no official path & will just be fitted in as best as poss.

 

[PTF62]

I have just received this email update from FCC:

Alterations to services to/from Peterborough today
Due to this disruption services to/from Peterborough are operating as follows:

No fast services are operating;
Stopping services are running between King’s Cross and St Neots; and
Buses replacing trains between St Neots and Peterborough.
Journey times to/from Peterborough are extended by at least 60 minutes for the rest of the day.

Firstly what do they mean by 'fast' presumably the daytime xx:22 trains not the xx:36 trains, so why does the Live Departures part of their website shows the 16:22 and 16:40 (which is the first 'real' fast train) are still scheduled to run.

The last cancelled train showing on the 'Today's Updates' part of their website is the 15:22.

Perhaps their excuse is that they have only had seven hours to get the correct information out and they need a bit more time...

 

[philjo]

Saw EC HST going through Letchworth towards Cambridge just after 3pm.
About 10 minutes later GC HST went past towards London.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

No AC locos north of Milton neutral (north Cambridge), and unlikely to be permitted to run Shepreth Branch junction to Hitchin under their own power.

I believe the only electric loco permitted to run Hitchin-Cambridge under its own power is a Class 86, running as light engine.

Maybe this will change as I understand that the power supply is being strengthened in places to allow FCC to operate the 12-car services to Cambridge.

 

[Flywaver]

There has been another booster section added at Little Thetford albeit not a Neutral section. NR test train involving Class86,87 saw an Ely Visit. Can't see why a 91 can't make it. But far better flexibility at Cambridge keeping a 67 in the holding sidings. It's what was done on the Diesel/Electric loco changeovers in the 80s..
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

No AC locos north of Milton neutral (north Cambridge), and unlikely to be permitted to run Shepreth Branch junction to Hitchin under their own power.

Class86,87 visited Ely a couple months back

 

[amcluesent]

I was surprised EC train didn't stop to pickup at Cambs. IMHO quite a few distressed peeps would have been coming up via Cambs on FCC and could have used this train rather than hung about for the hourly Xcountry to Bham.

 

[Lampshade]

You couldn't make this up hock:

 

[DarloRich]

Now there is a failed train between leeds and wakefield westgate!

 

[PTF62]

FCC have now put this information on their Service Update page -

Update: Network Rail expects to be able to allow a few services through to Peterborough this evening. The following will run as advertised in the timetable. These services will be very busy:
King's Cross to Peterborough: 18:40, 19:10, 20:07, 21:07, 22:07


Check the Live updates page before you set out.

But the irony is they have not put the information on their Live Update or Today's Update page, because according to that page, everything it OK and all trains are on time.

 

[captainbigun]

There has been another booster section added at Little Thetford albeit not a Neutral section. NR test train involving Class86,87 saw an Ely Visit. Can't see why a 91 can't make it. But far better flexibility at Cambridge keeping a 67 in the holding sidings. It's what was done on the Diesel/Electric loco changeovers in the 80s..
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Class86,87 visited Ely a couple months back

It was planned, but it didn't in the end. NR wouldn't remove the restriction at such short notice.

91 is higher rated and falls into a different pile to the 86/87s. Hence 86/87 can go places that 91 can't.

 

[Failed Unit]

I was surprised EC train didn't stop to pickup at Cambs. IMHO quite a few distressed peeps would have been coming up via Cambs on FCC and could have used this train rather than hung about for the hourly Xcountry to Bham.

That is my point about Rose tinted BR days. The would have cancelled the cambridge cruiser. Used the path, station stop and driver to get through the area.

Although I suspect BR would have probably merged MML London - Sheffield with Doncaster - Edinburgh. Too fragmented to do St pancras - Aberdeen via Derby now.

 

[PTF62]

Firstly what do they mean by 'fast' presumably the daytime xx:22 trains not the xx:36 trains, so why does the Live Departures part of their website shows the 16:22 and 16:40 (which is the first 'real' fast train) are still scheduled to run.

The last cancelled train showing on the 'Today's Updates' part of their website is the 15:22.

Perhaps their excuse is that they have only had seven hours to get the correct information out and they need a bit more time...

And at last FCC finally get around to letting people know they have cancelled the 16:40, 30 minutes before it is due to leave.

Cracking service.

 

[MadCommuter]

Now there is a failed train between leeds and wakefield westgate!

I think I saw that on the website this morning, unless its another one?

 

[jopsuk]

Maybe this will change as I understand that the power supply is being strengthened in places to allow FCC to operate the 12-car services to Cambridge.

The two southbound 12 cars have been running since May, I belive that there should be 12 car trains running now (if it wasn't for the icy chaos) northbound. There have also been for some time a limited number of eight car trains making it as far as Ely.

 

[Aictos]

Would be my summary.

Joking aside, the problem is that FCC just don't seem to learn. Yes **** happens and passengers generally accept that, since it is beyond FCC's control if the overhead lines come down.

What is not beyond FCC's control is to get up to date accurate information out to passengers, to allow them to make a rational and considered decision about what to do next.

And yet today, it takes them over three hours to start to put any semblance of sensible information out, but they still manage to screw it up.

I am sorry but I disagree with that point of view, I was on the 0619 East Coast Stevenage to Peterborough service this morning and although I didn't get home until 1120, most of the information as to what was actually happening was coming from FCC and not East Coast.

This is a fact that the guard had commented on that I was a passenger and was getting more information to what was actually happening at times then them which isn't good for East Coast.

I will give credit where credit is due though, the crew did a damn fine job of keeping people informed and making sure everyone was okay from issuing of hot drinks to food and blankets, it was so good to see ALL staff actively helping in this time of disruption.

So for me, FCC did better then usual this morning.

 

[jon0844]

That's the thing though, the staff are going way beyond the call of duty - but poor information provided from the warmth and comfort of Hertford House (or wherever it's managed from) lets the whole team down, and - guess what - it's those hardworking people on the trains and platforms to deal with the complaints.

I've not met any staff who will defend this new system, but they have to work with it and deal with the fallout. I feel so sorry for them all, yourself included.

Given they've not even used their Twitter account, which has thousands of followers, since 2nd December, I am guessing it was some little pet project from someone who might now be on leave or off sick, thus the best way to get information quickly to those that need it is being ignored. Surely any large corporation has now realised how important social media is?

Imagine, at the very least it could be used to say which trains left King's Cross, Cambridge and Peterborough - and people could then work out roughly when it would arrive (or at least know a train is heading in their direction if they're somewhere along the way). What a missed opportunity, and so vital given the crapness of their new information system.

I have to go in to work tomorrow, so I'll be most interested to see if we have yet another day of misinformation!

 

[jopsuk]

Another technical enquiry about the diversions- do the speed limits on the branch between Hitchin and Cambridge have MU differentials or are the HSTs/180s allowed to go as fast as the FCC trains?

 

[dk1]

The two southbound 12 cars have been running since May, I belive that there should be 12 car trains running now (if it wasn't for the icy chaos) northbound. There have also been for some time a limited number of eight car trains making it as far as Ely.

Also some semi-fast 8-car FCC Kings Lynn services. These call Ely & Downham Market only North of Cambridge.