ECML Disruption (shock!) (01/06/2026)

[Intercity_225]

Feels like Summer 2024 all over again... Apparently there's damage to the overhead lines near Hitchin. Unsure which line, unsure when it happened, unsure what's happening, but if anyone knows please inform me

 

[800001]

Feels like Summer 2024 all over again... Apparently there's damage to the overhead lines near Hitchin. Unsure which line, unsure when it happened, unsure what's happening, but if anyone knows please inform me

A GTR has just moved out of platform 2 onto the flyover line. So power available on that line.
Doesn't seem to be anything else moving just yet...

Edit - 1P88 just departed Hitchin on down slow towards Peterborough.

 

[lrbvoyager]

As someone who lives in the west coast, I can’t help but feel something goes wrong on the east coast every single day by the looks of this forum.

 

[An_Engineer]

Pretty much all GTR trains from Cambridge cancelled. Was on a King's Cross train and it turned around at Royston and returned to Cambridge.

 

[MboroFC]

Absolute carnage.

 

[Segedunum]

The only detail known is, all lines blocked southbound and diesel only northbound due to OHLE trips resulting in power being switched off.

 

[800001]

The only detail known is, all lines blocked southbound and diesel only northbound due to OHLE trips resulting in power being switched off.

At Hitchin GTR services have moved on the down slow (northbound) towards Peterborough on over the flyover on the line towards Cambridge, so OHL must be available on those 2 lines.

Also a GTR Kings Cross to Peterborough (1P92) had just departed Kings Cross.

 

[Russel]

As someone who lives in the west coast, I can’t help but feel something goes wrong on the east coast every single day by the looks of this forum.

West Coast isn't much better a lot of the time to be fair.

 

[E27007]

Travelling Yorkshirs to London, advised at Doncaster @ 1915hours , no trains to London for the remainder of the day,.
Passengers directed to Sheffield to travel to St Pancras

 

[800001]

Black status has been declared by LNER, and customers advised if they can make alternative travel arrangements this can be claimed back through LNER Customer services.

Picture attached sent from LNER source stating what I mention above

 

[158756]

Looks like all southbound trains are at a standstill all the way back to York, where 1E25 and 1E26 appear to be queuing north of the station. 3 LNER and 1 GC already in the platforms. Similar at Doncaster, three platforms blocked and a HT service stuck outside presumably because it'll block the only remaining through platform.

 

[Segedunum]

Two services have left Kings Cross - 1S31 (1930 to Edinburgh) which has quite a few additional calls added, and just ahead of it is 1S84 (1933 to Edinburgh) which is calling additionally at Retford and Doncaster.

 

[johncrossley]

Are the ECML overhead wires actually unreliable by international standards when looking at the failure rates on a statistical basis?

 

[D1537]

Looks like all southbound trains are at a standstill all the way back to York, where 1E25 and 1E26 appear to be queuing north of the station. 3 LNER and 1 GC already in the platforms. Similar at Doncaster, three platforms blocked and a HT service stuck outside presumably because it'll block the only remaining through platform.

The queue outside York is now 1E25, 1E26, 1E27 and 1E28. I'm unsure why they let the latter two past Darlington/Northallerton...

 

[800001]

The queue outside York is now 1E25, 1E26, 1E27 and 1E28. I'm unsure why they let the latter two past Darlington/Northallerton...

Greater choice and availability of Hotels at York/Leeds for the passengers whose journeys will most likely end up being terminated at York?

 

[bramling]

At Hitchin GTR services have moved on the down slow (northbound) towards Peterborough on over the flyover on the line towards Cambridge, so OHL must be available on those 2 lines.

Also a GTR Kings Cross to Peterborough (1P92) had just departed Kings Cross.

Complete meltdown on the GTR side. Literally no outer-suburban service on the entire route except between Cambridge and Kings Lynn. Will be interesting to see if they manage to get something together by close of traffic, as a lot of people will be stuck in London.

 

[Farigiraf]

For any armchair crayonistas looking at ways of fixing the Welwyn bottleneck (due to which these disruptions keep ruining the whole south ECML not just either the fast or slow lines), may be worth rethinking a tunnel. More expensive, sure, but mostly safe from the constant weather or trespassing issues

 

[D1537]

Greater choice and availability of Hotels at York/Leeds for the passengers whose journeys will most likely end up being terminated at York?

Possibly, but York hotels are very busy at this time of year (well, they are all the time, but especially in the summer). 1E29 will be joining the party in about half an hour too, it's just left Darlington.

1E22 (at Newark) and 1E23 (at Doncaster) have been terminated.

 

[zwk500]

For any armchair crayonistas looking at ways of fixing the Welwyn bottleneck (due to which these disruptions keep ruining the whole south ECML not just either the fast or slow lines), may be worth rethinking a tunnel. More expensive, sure, but mostly safe from the constant weather or trespassing issues

A Welwyn bypass/4-tracking would have made no difference to this incident at Hitchin,

 

[lrbvoyager]

Does anyone actually know what ticket acceptance is in place? I can’t seem to find anything on it.

 

[Dave61]

Ticket acceptance details here

Incident: Royston | National Rail

Incident resolved: disruption to Great Northern and Thameslink services between Peterborough / Cambridge and London. Find details of all current incidents on National Rail Enquiries.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

Incident resolved: disruption to Great Northern and Thameslink services between Peterborough / Cambridge and London

Service alteration details
Incident reported: Monday 01 June 2026 at 18:52
Incident cleared: Tuesday 02 June 2026 at 14:05

Route(s) affected
Great Northern between Stevenage and Moorgate, and also between Kings Lynn / Peterborough / Cambridge and London Kings Cross

Thameslink between Cambridge and London Kings Cross / Brighton, and also between Peterborough and Horsham
Description

Trains can now run as scheduled following earlier damage to the overhead wires in the Hitchin area.

 

[lrbvoyager]

How has Grand Central got ticket acceptance with Avanti from MIA-EUS when Avanti don’t run to MIA.

 

[158756]

Possibly, but York hotels are very busy at this time of year (well, they are all the time, but especially in the summer). 1E29 will be joining the party in about half an hour too, it's just left Darlington.

1E22 (at Newark) and 1E23 (at Doncaster) have been terminated.

Looks like 1E24 has terminated at York so that'll free up a platform to clear the queue.

Trains that were stuck at Grantham/Newark/Retford (except 1E22) do seem to be moving towards Peterborough now.

 

[Segedunum]

How has Grand Central got ticket acceptance with Avanti from MIA-EUS when Avanti don’t run to MIA.

Considering they have acceptance with TPE from York to Manchester Piccadilly, they will mean Manchester Piccadilly.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

How has Grand Central got ticket acceptance with Avanti from MIA-EUS when Avanti don’t run to MIA.

Because some has by mistake selected the wrong Manchester station.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Looks like 1E24 has terminated at York so that'll free up a platform to clear the queue.

Trains that were stuck at Grantham/Newark/Retford (except 1E22) do seem to be moving towards Peterborough now.

1E25 on the move but 1E29 now joined the queue

 

[D1537]

Looks like 1E24 has terminated at York so that'll free up a platform to clear the queue.

Trains that were stuck at Grantham/Newark/Retford (except 1E22) do seem to be moving towards Peterborough now.

I'm surprised they don't cape 1Y20 to free up another one. The set should actually end up in the bay at York tonight (P7) and it clearly isn't going to go to KGX and back now, so could they just shunt it into there?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Considering they have acceptance with TPE from York to Manchester Piccadilly, they will mean Manchester Piccadilly.

Because some has by mistake selected the wrong Manchester station.

I really wouldn't be surprised if someone typed in "Manchester" (or any shortened version) and selected the first one on the list (presumably alphabetical) which is Manchester Airport.

 

[GordonT]

The queue outside York is now 1E25, 1E26, 1E27 and 1E28. I'm unsure why they let the latter two past Darlington/Northallerton...

1E29 also joining the perfectly sequential queue. 1E25 has now made it to Platform 11.

 

[D1537]

1E29 also joining the perfectly sequential queue.

That'll be it now - 1E30 is terminating at Newcastle and going back to Edinburgh in the path of 1S30. I'm guessing there was no crew to take it south.