ECML disruption: Darlington - Edinburgh due to various issues(10/08)

[GordonT]

Last one to make it here was on the screen until it fell off. I more just meant people standing around on platforms without any overall input on the situation a likely next steps.

Just like at Preston, any disruption involving Newcastle tends to be compounded by its function as the usual crew changeover point on Anglo-Scottish through services and limited availability of through platforms.

 

[Bungle73]

All of this are we or aren't we accepting this ticket or that ticket really does stink of bureaucratic crap on the part of the railway.

Just. Get. People. Moving.

Isn't this stuff dictated by the DfT? It just needs a simple modification to the NRCoC that states that in the event of disruption you are allowed to complete your journey via ANY reasonable route, regardless of whether the ticket you purchased is tied to a specific TOC or not..........

 

[GordonT]

Isn't this stuff dictated by the DfT? It just needs a simple modification to the NRCoC that states that in the event of disruption you are allowed to complete your journey via ANY reasonable route, regardless of whether the ticket you purchased is tied to a specific TOC or not..........

In a sane world that would be a given within a balkanised system such as we have.

 

[800001]

In a sane world that would be a given within a balkanised system such as we have.

They seem fixated in only allowing automatic mutual acceptance when they bring TOCs under the GBR/Dolr.

 

[MatthewHutton]

Isn't this stuff dictated by the DfT? It just needs a simple modification to the NRCoC that states that in the event of disruption you are allowed to complete your journey via ANY reasonable route, regardless of whether the ticket you purchased is tied to a specific TOC or not..........

Would make staffs job easier too.

I mean they de-facto basically have to allow reasonable acceptance in any case.

 

[yorkie]

According to staff at King's Cross, the 1800 to Edinburgh is "definitely on time", and tickets for that train aren't valid on earlier trains today.

But if I wanted to travel tomorrow or Tuesday, I could use the ticket on any of train that day (as per the LNER website; see quote below). I don't get the logic of that.

Travel Alerts for your Train Journey | LNER

Stay updated with the latest LNER train information and sign up for travel alerts here.

www.lner.co.uk

Tickets dated today, Sunday 10 August, can be used on any LNER service up to and including Tuesday 12 August.

Rail replacement coaches have been sourced to run between York, Darlington, Durham Newcastle and Edinburgh, please see station staff for further details.

If you are unable to defer your journey, you can use your ticket on the following train operating companies at no extra cost:

• CrossCountry between Sheffield / Doncaster and Leeds / York
• East Midlands Railway between London St Pancras International and Leicester / Sheffield
• Greater Anglia between Cambridge and Peterborough
• Great Northern and Thameslink between London Kings Cross and Stevenage / Peterborough
• ScotRail between Edinburgh and Glasgow
• TransPennine Express between Doncaster and Sheffield, and between Leeds / York and Newcastle

You can use the disruption map to help plan your journey.

Edit: just to confirm, the 1800 was indeed delayed, despite being assured it woudn't be! It doesn't particularly affect me personally, but some connections have been missed, with others in doubt. This was avoidable. It's great that LNER are allowing people to defer their journeys, and it totally makes sense to allow travel tomorrow/Tuesday, but I just don't get why people who could have avoided a missed connection have been forced to do so, when it was entirely foreseeable. When severe disruption occurs, people should be allowed to minimise the delay to their journeys, if they are in a position to do so.

 

[Steddenm]

There are some lengthy diversions here according to LNER. Liverpool St to Peterborough via Cambridge?

Image shows LNER map with alternative routes including Liverpool St to Peterborough via Cambridge taking 2½hours

 

[800001]

There are some lengthy diversions here according to LNER. Liverpool St to Peterborough via Cambridge?
View attachment 186037
Image shows LNER map with alternative routes including Liverpool St to Peterborough via Cambridge taking 2½hours

Yes, a valid diversion route if Peterborough to Kings Cross is shut.

They have just posted a generic alternative route map.

LNER used to have specific maps to post when certain sections were closed, but looks like they have condensed it into one document.

And that is wheee some confusion will of come today when customers see that and use the routes on it, to be then told no it's not valid.

 

[Tivvy]

Currently sitting on an LNER service at York which claims to be heading to Edinburgh. Huge operation getting a party of schoolchildren onboard.

Combined with all the fun and games with Storm Floris at the start of the week, it looks like I picked the wrong week to embark on a heavily rail-based trip around Britain!

 

[bravesirrobin]

Just passing through the problem area, still seems to be single-line working through Chester-le-street.

 

[route101]

This will explain a number of Edinburgh passengers on the 1116 Leeds to Carlisle service today.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Attempting to get from Leeds to Dundee.

How did you get on? Was going to suggest travelling via the Settle / Carlisle line, but think you'd already left Leeds by then.

 

[MatthewHutton]

Yes, a valid diversion route if Peterborough to Kings Cross is shut.

They have just posted a generic alternative route map.

LNER used to have specific maps to post when certain sections were closed, but looks like they have condensed it into one document.

And that is wheee some confusion will of come today when customers see that and use the routes on it, to be then told no it's not valid.

It’s awful for the staff and basically regardless of what is agreed they have to turn a blind eye anyway.

If I turned up at the Euston platform for the Glasgow or Manchester trains with that map how could they deny me access to the platform?

And what if a member of staff somewhere else on the railway has said you can do it? I had a “not London” ticket and there was disruption and I was quite specifically told that I could go via London.

 

[The North Briton]

There are some lengthy diversions here according to LNER. Liverpool St to Peterborough via Cambridge?
View attachment 186037
Image shows LNER map with alternative routes including Liverpool St to Peterborough via Cambridge taking 2½hours

They seem to have replaced that map with one just showing routes out of Liverpool St.!?

 

[ainsworth74]

Currently on the 1800 off Kings Cross (hurray!) but despite being non-stop through Retford we've been routed via platform 2? We didn't actually stop in the platform and ran straight through but seems a little strange? Is there an issue with the down fast here?

 

[800001]

They seem to have replaced that map with one just showing routes out of Liverpool St.!?

Yes they have strange.....especially as GTR running and also LNER with Peterborough calls.

 

[airantraigh]

Currently on the 1800 off Kings Cross (hurray!) but despite being non-stop through Retford we've been routed via platform 2? We didn't actually stop in the platform and ran straight through but seems a little strange? Is there an issue with the down fast here?

Points failure at Retford south junction on down main making all northbound services run through P2

 

[Intercity_225]

Points failure at Retford south junction on down main

It never rains it...

 

[ainsworth74]

Points failure at Retford south junction on down main

Really not the ECMLs day today is it?

 

[800001]

Really not the ECMLs day today is it?

The teams are earning there money today.

 

[Tram203]

According to staff at King's Cross, the 1800 to Edinburgh is "definitely on time", and tickets for that train aren't valid on earlier trains today.

But if I wanted to travel tomorrow or Tuesday, I could use the ticket on any of train that day (as per the LNER website; see quote below). I don't get the logic of that.

Travel Alerts for your Train Journey | LNER

Stay updated with the latest LNER train information and sign up for travel alerts here.

www.lner.co.uk

Edit: just to confirm, the 1800 was indeed delayed, despite being assured it woudn't be! It doesn't particularly affect me personally, but some connections have been missed, with others in doubt. This was avoidable. It's great that LNER are allowing people to defer their journeys, and it totally makes sense to allow travel tomorrow/Tuesday, but I just don't get why people who could have avoided a missed connection have been forced to do so, when it was entirely foreseeable. When severe disruption occurs, people should be allowed to minimise the delay to their journeys, if they are in a position to do so.

Apologies if off topic - can anyone who chooses to travel tomorrow or Tuesday claim 2+ hours - and hence 100% - delay repay?

 

[800001]

Apologies if off topic - can anyone who chooses to travel tomorrow or Tuesday claim 2+ hours - and hence 100% - delay repay?

I would have thought so, after all, it was them who said to defer if possible.

 

[Tram203]

I would have thought so, after all, it was them who said to defer if possible.

I'd like to think so too - sadly though I also wouldn't be surprised for people who did claim as such to receive a "we've checked our records and can see that if you'd wedged yourself in to a vestibule for 3 hours on a heavily delayed train then changed on to another train to your destination via an alternative route even though ticket acceptance was ambiguous at best and we had given you the option to defer travel you could have arrived only 1hr 59mins late hence your claim is rejected and we will also be trawling your claim history with a view to taking potential legal action with regard to any likely perfectly valid claims we feel warrant it" type of response.

 

[800001]

I'd like to think so too - sadly though I also wouldn't be surprised for people who did claim as such to receive a "we've checked our records and can see that if you'd wedged yourself in to a vestibule for 3 hours on a heavily delayed train then changed on to another train to your destination via an alternative route even though ticket acceptance was ambiguous at best and we had given you the option to defer travel you could have arrived only 1hr 59mins late hence your claim is rejected and we will also be traveling your claim history with a view to taking potential legal action with regard to any claims we feel warrant it" type of response.

Take screen shots of there pinned tweet attached below, which explicitly states

'We highly advise deferring your travel if you can. Tickets are valid on another LNER service, up to and including Tuesday 12 August 2025'.

https://x.com/lner/status/1954509848734761100?s=46&t=JLp3J2Up_Gl_m9cQz-au6w

 

[ainsworth74]

And now a points failure at Darlington on the mains (so doesn't seem to be affecting passenger services) and disruptive passengers on 1E27 the 1830 from Edinburgh mean that train has been at Newcastle for 40 minutes and has just got moving. 1E28 has been sat at Newcastle itself for 15 minutes now as well.

Really really not a good day!

 

[Bill57p9]

Looking at the diagram in post 37, I am intrigued by the suggestion of London St Pancras to Newark North Gate via Nottingham with just a change at Nottingham.

To totally split hairs, there isn’t even a station called Newark North Gate. There is however one called Newark Northgate.

 

[Intercity_225]

And now a points failure at Darlington on the mains (so doesn't seem to be affecting passenger services) and disruptive passengers on 1E27 the 1830 from Edinburgh mean that train has been at Newcastle for 40 minutes and has just got moving. 1E28 has been sat at Newcastle itself for 15 minutes now as well.

Really really not a good day!

Oh the ECML can be fun sometimes..

 

[800001]

Looking at the diagram in post 37, I am intrigued by the suggestion of London St Pancras to Newark North Gate via Nottingham with just a change at Nottingham.

Well it's technically correct.......followed by a 20 minute walk from Castle to North Gate.

 

[ainsworth74]

Oh the ECML can be fun sometimes..

I'm not sure I can recall a day like this, where it's lots of things in isolation which individually would be an issue but not necessarily a disaster but all happening in the same day all over the route.

Must have been tough all around!

 

[SuspectUsual]

Apologies if off topic - can anyone who chooses to travel tomorrow or Tuesday claim 2+ hours - and hence 100% - delay repay?

I would have thought so, after all, it was them who said to defer if possible.

I'd like to think so too - sadly though I also wouldn't be surprised for people who did claim as such to receive a "we've checked our records and can see that if you'd wedged yourself in to a vestibule for 3 hours on a heavily delayed train then changed on to another train to your destination via an alternative route even though ticket acceptance was ambiguous at best and we had given you the option to defer travel you could have arrived only 1hr 59mins late hence your claim is rejected and we will also be trawling your claim history with a view to taking potential legal action with regard to any likely perfectly valid claims we feel warrant it" type of response.

Er, no.

I asked them on Twitter/X and they’ve said that if the train tomorrow runs on time, there is no entitlement to delay repay

I’ve expressed my surprise at this and asked them how being delayed a whole day through no fault of my own means I’m not delayed if tomorrow’s train runs on time. Let’s see what they say to that

EDIT

They’ve replied saying that if I claimed DR for a train tomorrow that ran on time it would automatically be rejected, so what I actually need to do is claim a full refund for the delays today.

I despair