Major disruption through Retford (16/04/2026) and residual effects over following days

[dodecahedron67]

1E01 door interlock issues, suspected air leak between coaches A & B.

Single line working implemented

 

[MontyP]

Yes it is definitely 1E01 1Y81 diverted via the joint line

Ah yes that makes sense - I guess it rejoined the mainline at Newark

 

[55002]

Northbound seems to be still at a standstill. I'm on 1D09 0940 to Bradford being held at Biggleswade. Looks like there are services ahead being held at St Neots and Peterborough

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Apr 2026 ==


Are you sure it's 1E01? Looks like 1Y81 is ahead of it but still being held at Newark?

Northbound past the stricken train been moving for about 15 mins now so no idea why you still being held So far back. 1N04 been at St Neots for a while, must be another issue

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Apr 2026 ==

1E01 door interlock issues, suspected air leak between coaches A & B.

Single line working implemented

Can’t the thunderbird move the train?

 

[MontyP]

Northbound past the stricken train been moving for about 15 mins now so no idea why you still being held So far back. 1N04 been at St Neots for a while, must be another issue

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Apr 2026 ==


Can’t the thunderbird move the train?

1D08 still being held at Peterborough as well

 

[dk1]

Can’t the thunderbird move the train?

Not with an air leak. That would require fitters attention. No doubt on the way by road.

 

[55002]

Not with an air leak. That would require fitters attention. No doubt on the way by road.

Ah that’s what I suspected, probably half hour from Doncaster to Norwell Lane then by road

 

[dk1]

Ah that’s what I suspected, probably half hour from Doncaster to Norwell Lane then by road

It may be possible to isolate some vehicles but depending on what end the Thunderbird attached you’d have to be careful there were no swingers. Not sure if Azumas use couplings or are bolted together.

 

[MontyP]

1H02 now heading up the mainline towards Grantham
1S09 still being held at Grantham and others further south, any idea why? A few northbounds have gone past the problem train so why still being held?
Important appointment in Leeds at 3pm so I'm getting impatient!

 

[hexagon789]

1H02 now heading up the mainline towards Grantham
1S09 still being held at Grantham and others further south, any idea why? A few northbounds have gone past the problem train so why still being held?
Important appointment in Leeds at 3pm so I'm getting impatient!

If they are doing Single Line Working, then possibly they are about to send a flight of trains South (there are a fair few backed up behind the stricken train), hence holding northbounds now.

 

[gledhill56]

The single line working also presumably having the added complication of having to hold Lincoln-Nottingham trains at Newark flat crossing.

 

[dk1]

The single line working also presumably having the added complication of having to hold Lincoln-Nottingham trains at Newark flat crossing.

Sounds a right old palaver this morning. Not an easy fix either.

 

[NER1621]

I’m sure that the arcane details of air leaks are very interesting, but sitting at York this now just looks like another LNER service collapse. We were travelling from Darlington to Ely via Peterborough on a day trip to attend a friend’s installation to his new parish which we now cannot get to in time (and I’d allowed an hour change at Peterborough which I naively thought would be sufficient contingency!)

As that was the only reason for making this journey, which has now been negated, we have bailed at York and are returning home.

After which I will need to do battle with LNER to get a refund of our unused return Advance singles for this evening, because I’m sure that they will claim that those trains did actually run so we could have caught them.

And the next time we plan a day trip we’ll be driving. It would have taken 3.25 hours to drive, leaving from our front door, with the ability to self-divert in case of any disruption, having complete flexibility as to when we returned, and not having to share space with hordes of inebriated stag and hen parties and football supporters. I’ve been a railway enthusiast since childhood and on and off a railway employee, but after six decades I’m sick and tired of the railway’s ability to let you down without warning whilst charging you a fortune to do so. I’m only going to use it in the future where I’m travelling out the day before an event, and travelling back the day after.

 

[357]

Can’t the thunderbird move the train?

Traction is not the issue. The issue is lack of air pressure. When a locomotive hauls a train, be it regular LHCS or a thunderbird hauling a unit, the brakes on the coaches/wagons/unit are still being used.

 

[Haywain]

I’m sure that the arcane details of air leaks are very interesting, but sitting at York this now just looks like another LNER service collapse. We were travelling from Darlington to Ely via Peterborough on a day trip to attend a friend’s installation to his new parish which we now cannot get to in time (and I’d allowed an hour change at Peterborough which I naively thought would be sufficient contingency!) The entire reason for the journey now having been negated we have bailed at York and are returning home, after which I will need to do battle with LNER to get a refund of our unused return Advance singles for this evening, because I’m sure that they will claim that those trains did actually run so we could have caught them.

And the next time we plan a day trip we’ll be driving.

You'll be entitled to a refund of your outward tickets too as you have abandoned the journey and returned to the origin. I doubt you'll have much trouble getting the return tickets refunded as well in view of that.

 

[Twingo37175]

You'll be entitled to a refund of your outward tickets too as you have abandoned the journey and returned to the origin. I doubt you'll have much trouble getting the return tickets refunded as well in view of that.

Agreed! I have done similar previously when services impacted by trespass incidents and had no issues in full refund for both ways.

 

[Edinburgh2000]

I'm stationary on1E82, held on the slow Southbound line just north of York. Other than "a failed train further down the line" the crew appear to have no information.

 

[ChilliSauce]

The single line working also presumably having the added complication of having to hold Lincoln-Nottingham trains at Newark flat crossing.

Regretfully no bi-di signalling equipped even in its simplist form .. So in effect not being a signalled move, it will be under signaller instruction and 1 at a time in section.

Had the section been equipped with even simple bi-di signalling between crossovers the trapped services could of been released long ago.

Will be intresting to see if ETCS2 on ECML also includes for full bi-di working ...or it is going to be in effect a resignalling "on the cheap".

Clearly the infrastructure owner needs a trip to Switzerland to see how it's all done on SBB & BLS main lines .

 

[Intercity_225]

Feels like what happened at Colton Junction a few weeks ago all over again..


1Y07 looks to have just completed the Single Line Working move to Newark, now 165 down.

 

[Edinburgh2000]

If only 1E82 could be put in a platform at York, we could make alternative plans (like XC to Sheffield, then to London). Frustrating to sit here on the slow line watching XC trains pass us.

 

[Haywain]

like XC to Sheffield, then to London

No Sheffield to London trains today.

 

[tram21]

The single line working also presumably having the added complication of having to hold Lincoln-Nottingham trains at Newark flat crossing.

Its causing quite a few delays on this route too, one train being held for 40 minutes!!

 

[Swedenorer]

And the next time we plan a day trip we’ll be driving. It would have taken 3.25 hours to drive, leaving from our front door, with the ability to self-divert in case of any disruption, having complete flexibility as to when we returned, and not having to share space with hordes of inebriated stag and hen parties and football supporters. I’ve been a railway enthusiast since childhood and on and off a railway employee, but after six decades I’m sick and tired of the railway’s ability to let you down without warning whilst charging you a fortune to do so. I’m only going to use it in the future where I’m travelling out the day before an event, and travelling back the day after.

I don't think you are alone in this view. Going north this kind of chaos seems to be increasing - with the convenience of the passengers the last consideration.

 

[MontyP]

Seems that nothing at all is moving past the affected train. Just the one service went through wrong line, nothing in either direction since then.

I'm sure all the industry experts will explain how difficult it is to sort this sort of thing out but to an outsider this is being incredibly badly handled, dozens of trains in both directions affected for several hours.

 

[55002]

Seems that nothing at all is moving past the affected train. Just the one service went through wrong line, nothing in either direction since then.

I'm sure all the industry experts will explain how difficult it is to sort this sort of thing out but to an outsider this is being incredibly badly handled, dozens of trains in both directions affected for several hours.

You can understand that they need to release the trapped trains southbound, but the delays to northbound are unacceptable really.

 

[Edinburgh2000]

1E82 now moving again. Just gone non-stop through York. Driver says "all lines open". Well done Lumo for letting the driver talk to the passengers. I hope he's right. Traksy still shows 1E01 blocking.

 

[milooo]

You can understand that they need to release the trapped trains southbound, but the delays to northbound are unacceptable really.

Do we know why northbound services were all held initially?

 

[GordonT]

Important appointment in Leeds at 3pm so I'm getting impatient!

How long will it take you from Leeds station to your appointment?

 

[cats_five]

1E01 - the problem train - now shown as at Northgate on Traksy and Realtime Trains.

Edit: now moving south so presumably fixed.

 

[MontyP]

Do we know why northbound services were all held initially?

1E01 now moved into Newark station. But still not moving northbound. Something seriously wrong with contingency procedures here. There is absolutely no reason why northbound shouldn't now be cleared and everything back moving.

 

[357]

Do we know why northbound services were all held initially?

Probably for staff to inspect the train - there is not enough room between lines to work in the gap safely