Major delays for SWT

[ushawk]

Not good for SWT services in and out of Waterloo this afternoon/evening. Signalling problems first in the Walton-on-Thames area and now in the Vauxhall area. The Waterloo LDB is showing all services as delayed.

Most services shown as arriving between 30 and 60 minutes late. 15.54 service from Basingstoke to Waterloo is currently shown as arriving at Waterloo 2 hours and 19 minutes late.

NRE also says that Portsmouth services are being diverted, what route will these be taking ?

Anyone know the exact cause ? Or is it vandalism again ?

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Signalling supply failure at Weybridge. I'm told Waterloo has been a nightmare this evening - I've advised someone coming back to Farnham to go via Victoria, Redhill, Guildford, Farnham. It took me 1 hour 20 to get from Alton to Farnham.

The 1554 BSK - WAT 2L54 was 138 late at Byfleet and New Haw.

 

[Matt Taylor]

Waterloo was actually closed to intending itinerants at around 7pm this evening because it was absolutely packed with commuters with all platforms full of trains with nowhere to go.

There was a complete loss of signallling between Hersham and Weybridge at around 1200 which is how this all started, there was then another signal failure in the Vauxhall area in the late afternoon which has completely ruined any chance of service recovery from the original incident. I have heard reports of trains taking up to 80 minutes to get from Vauxhall to Waterloo.

This was the scene at 1810:

http://twitpic.com/57wb1f

 

[ushawk]

Delays now expected until the End of Service, which is understandable.

15.54 ex-Basingstoke now due in at WAT at 20.09 - 3 hours and 1 minute late.

 

[embers25]

SWT seem to have given up completely running beyond Bournemouth. Is that an error on LDB with all the chaos or have they really not run a train through to Weymouth since 1420? It looks like they attempted to start running a shuttle to Bournemouth but there are no confirmed departures since then.

 

[Lrd]

SWT seem to have given up completely running beyond Bournemouth. Is that an error on LDB with all the chaos or have they really not run a train through to Weymouth since 1420? It looks like they attempted to start running a shuttle to Bournemouth but there are no confirmed departures since then.

I was on the 1846 (actually 1951) from Clapham Junction (ex Waterloo) to Poole and there was no mention of not running past Bournemouth, and I got off at 21:49 at Southampton Central.

In the Walton-On-Thames to Woking area, there were trains at every signal post waiting to move forward one block, there was a person in Hi-Viz at one signal talking to a train driver on the down slow line, we passed a few trains on the slow lines before coming to a stop at the end of the queue on the fast line, and some of them were jammed packed with people standing for quite a while.

It only seemed to be problems on the down lines at that point, as London bound trains were thundering past, not many of them though.

 

[embers25]

According to LDB your train was also terminated at Bournemouth at 2256.

 

[ushawk]

More delays again today, again due to a signalling problem.This time near Brookwood (according to NRE), delays of up to 3 hours through Woking.

 

[skyjuice06]

omg. Glad i wasn't working today! Getting a train from Surbiton to Clapham Jct would have been hellish.

 

[Ferret]

More delays again today, again due to a signalling problem.This time near Brookwood (according to NRE), delays of up to 3 hours through Woking.

Apparently, the 19:20 Waterloo-EXD hasn't reached Woking yet and it's almost 23:10 as I type this. I've been reading all sorts of contradictory messages being paged out from SWT Control all evening wondering if at any point somebody is going to get a grip!

 

[Matt Taylor]

Trains currently queued from Woking back to Surbiton, some trains delayed over 4 hours, passengers getting off and walking on the track, police in attendance at Woking.........a really bad situation.

And this is in addition to the earlier signal failure that closed platforms 1-14 at Waterloo, the bridge strike at Ashford, the passenger taken ill at Vauxhall, the broken down down train at Raynes Park and the fatality at Mortlake.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
1825 Ex Waterloo just arrived at Woking at 2300hrs:cry:

 

[Metroland]

Failure caused by an attempted cable theft (probably to raise £15 for a few cans of beer). Complete loss of signalling in the rush hour, probably causing delay to excess of 100,000 people, exacerbated by passengers detaining onto live running lines and power had to be turned off.

 

[Ferret]

Failure caused by an attempted cable theft (probably to raise £15 for a few cans of beer). Complete loss of signalling in the rush hour, probably causing delay to excess of 100,000 people, exacerbated by passengers detaining onto live running lines and power had to be turned off.

About time these vermin were dealt with. Too bad they didn't have a nasty accident on the railway quite honestly, I'm fed up to the back teeth of these wastes of oxygen.

 

[Metroland]

Totally agree Ferret, if they aren't stealing the lead off church roofs, or taking electricity cables, copper pipes, gas pipes, telephone and internet cables or stealing drain covers (several people of fallen down drains at night), they are making rail passengers hell mostly for a drug or drink fix.

 

[BestWestern]

Totally agree Ferret, if they aren't stealing the lead off church roofs, or taking electricity cables, copper pipes, gas pipes, telephone and internet cables or stealing drain covers (several people of fallen down drains at night), they are making rail passengers hell mostly for a drug or drink fix.

Are we certain that they're all on drugs or drink though? Mugging old ladies is something that any druggie scumbag could just about manage, but cable theft is organised crime, and relatively complex to do. I'd think more along the lines of gangs and serious criminals to be honest. They're still scumbags of course...

 

[skyjuice06]

It makes me sick to think that there are people still trying to get home at this ungodly hour, and have to go to work again tomorrow!

 

[embers25]

Delays as its beginning to clear now approaching 5 hours including the 1805 to Weymouth that took 4hr 12min from Woking to Farnborough! As days go this has to be one of the worst for SWT in a long while and as far as I can tell all the numerous issues today were beyond their control. After the last two days as well this week has been pretty awful all round. 1920 to Exeter just went through Brookwood at 2343 but seems to have ground to a halt again for the past 30 minutes. God knows what time if at all it'll reach Salisbury let alone Exeter as right now it'd be well after 3am! The 1820 is doing well by comparison being as it is on course to arrive into Exeter by around 0130!

 

[47832]

Just arrived back to Poole from Hamworthy and most trains to Weymouth are being announced as over 4 hours and 20 minutes late still. Felt sorry for the only passenger at Hamworthy waiting for the train back to Weymouth as he said he had to be up at 4 in the morning to get back to work. God knows what unearthly hour he will get home.

 

[wintonian]

Just got back from Southampton was going to wait for the 23:59 to Eastleigh and change as coming off the Victoria (via Gatwick) I would have missed the 23:00 to waterloo. However it arrived 23 late and the guard got off said it was terminating there and told us to go over to platform 4 to find the station staff and then he got the next train back to Bournemouth.

When people asked the station staff how they were going to get to Waterloo/ Clapham etc. they pointed to the train in platform 1 that we just got off and said to get that one, I then informed them that it had just terminated.

However they were very friendly and helpful getting people into taxies including those of use for Winchester as by that point they had no idea if the 23:59 was going to arrive, terminate or miss the 6 min connection at Eastleigh.

I for one won't be sending in my tickets even though it was a first class one as I got home earlier than I should have done and there were enough helpful staff around and they didn't disappear into thin air like they would have done a few years ago.

I have attached a pic of the departures board at Southampton Central taken a few minutes before midnight.

 

[wintonian]

BBC News link

It appears that some people decided to get off the train and walk to the nearest station - and this is third rail land! :roll: :cry:

 

[jamesr]

Having just made it to my parents in Somerset, many many hours late, I can only read that BBC news link and despise the people within it. I think the article is meant to make me feel sympathy, but these people are probably partly to blame... The police were "angry"... good. Shellfish barstewards...

 

[embers25]

The 1820 finally arrived into Exeter at 0319!!!!

 

[Squaddie]

Having just made it to my parents in Somerset, many many hours late, I can only read that BBC news link and despise the people within it. I think the article is meant to make me feel sympathy, but these people are probably partly to blame... The police were "angry"... good. Shellfish barstewards...

After 2 hours or more on a stationary train, and with probably little in the way of information or assistance from the "wastes of oxygen" (to use Ferret's words) who run and work on our railways, I'd be getting off the train too. Rather than charging the passengers with trespass, the TOCs should be charged with unlawful imprisonment.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

The 1820 finally arrived into Exeter at 0319!!!!

That was the 1920

 

[Squaddie]

That was the 1920

Oh, that's alright then. It was only 4½ hours late and not 5½.

 

[Ferret]

After 2 hours or more on a stationary train, and with probably little in the way of information or assistance from the "wastes of oxygen" (to use Ferret's words) who run and work on our railways, I'd be getting off the train too. Rather than charging the passengers with trespass, the TOCs should be charged with unlawful imprisonment.

Unlawful imprisonment? Er, I wish you the best of luck in making that one stick.......

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Unlawful imprisonment? Er, I wish you the best of luck in making that one stick.......

He wouldn't be able to, because the TOCs would have a lawful excuse.

 

[38Cto15E]

Where the power was cut off, I assume that means no Air Con in the carriages, must be pretty awful stuck in a crowded carriage for a few hours with no ventilation.

There was a RAIB initial alert this week about passengers de-training on a FCC between Kings Cross and Kentish town which was jam packed full and little ventilation.

Penalties for railway cable theft should be exceptionally high and a deterrent to both thieves and dealers.

 

[arabianights]

He wouldn't be able to, because the TOCs would have a lawful excuse.

Perhaps but I would argue that the "trespassing" passengers would have a lawful excuse too. I'm not familiar with the case law, if there is any, but I sure as heck wouldn't be taking a fine lying down.

 

[Metroland]

Are we certain that they're all on drugs or drink though? Mugging old ladies is something that any druggie scumbag could just about manage, but cable theft is organised crime, and relatively complex to do. I'd think more along the lines of gangs and serious criminals to be honest. They're still scumbags of course...

Most of the thefts are carried out by casual criminals, stealing small amounts of copper and selling it on to scrap metal dealers to fund drug or alcohol habits, according to the British Transport Police

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/...ts-network-rail-millions-of-pounds?intcmp=239

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jun/06/sheffield-copper-theft-national-rail