Heat related disruption 8 July 2026 onwards

[jon0844]

I've been called worse!

I'd rather be associated with a bin than Farage to be honest. At least bins serve a purpose.

 

[Tetragon213]

Gold medal for hyperbole!

After spending a full day in the office, then having to work 2 hrs overtime, on top of dealing with a few particularly troublesome colleagues, then spending 55 minutes being baked at Snow Hill in the sun, let's just say patience was running thin; this comes not that long after the rail industry did one worse to me during the previous heatwave, stranding me at Bristol.

Regardless, I still stand by the general sentiment that WMR did an unacceptably poor job of managing the situation; it transpired that 2-3 previous trains were cancelled, so for those guys they really should have been sorting out alternative travel or handing out water, as the chaps who had intended to board the 1716 were stuck in Snow Hill for about an hour and a half. WMR also failed to provide even the most basic information to passengers over what the problem was. And of course none of the trains had functional air con; at the very least, if it was working then it was underperforming like hell.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

After spending a full day in the office, then having to work 2 hrs overtime, on top of dealing with a few particularly troublesome colleagues, then spending 55 minutes being baked at Snow Hill in the sun, let's just say patience was running thin; this comes not that long after the rail industry did one worse to me during the previous heatwave, stranding me at Bristol.

Stuck in the sun at Snow Hill? That's impressive, given most of the used parts of the station are under a car park.

 

[matt_g_uk]

There have been Thameslink Class 700 cancellations this week blamed on pantograph damage to several trains. Not clear if this is also heat-related.

 

[E27007]

For the heatwave , LNER are wisely substituting Azumas in place of class 91+Mk4 sets , the air-conditioning systems of Mk4 sets prone to failure when worked hard. The substitutions are often three of the four 225 diagrams leaving a single 91 to bear the 225 flag.
The evidence of LNER having spare Azumas for three of the four 225 diagrams is of concern to followers of the 225 fleet, will LNER make the substitutions permanenent?

 

[800002]

The evidence of LNER having spare Azumas for three of the four 225 diagrams is of concern to followers of the 225 fleet, will LNER make the substitutions permanenent?

What's the reason for the 225 being in service?
Isnt it to allow more azuma resilience within the fleet?
They may be 'spare' but that coverage wants to be reserved for when an Azuma goes sick.

 

[Kite159]

I see Northern have cancelled quite a few services around Manchester today due to 'Severe Weather' (met office is predicting 31C this afternoon)

And the automatic announcements at Manchester Victoria are going on about claiming delay repay and we all know Northern will likely reject any such claims because they are hopeless.

 

[Andy Pacer]

For the heatwave , LNER are wisely substituting Azumas in place of class 91+Mk4 sets , the air-conditioning systems of Mk4 sets prone to failure when worked hard. The substitutions are often three of the four 225 diagrams leaving a single 91 to bear the 225 flag.
The evidence of LNER having spare Azumas for three of the four 225 diagrams is of concern to followers of the 225 fleet, will LNER make the substitutions permanenent?

There has been talk of TfW doing the same with their 67+Mk4 sets although it seems they've carried on this week (albeit without any chefs).

 

[Tetragon213]

Stuck in the sun at Snow Hill? That's impressive, given most of the used parts of the station are under a car park.

Weirdly, it was warmer under the concrete than it was in the open section!

 

[Trainfan2019]

Now here's an odd one today...

29 journeys part cancelled on EMR between Sheffield and Liverpool due to severe weather. How come there's no severe weather between Norwich and Sheffield on this route?

 

[londonmidland]

Now here's an odd one today...

29 journeys part cancelled on EMR between Sheffield and Liverpool due to severe weather. How come there's no severe weather between Norwich and Sheffield on this route?

I assume it’s to do with the units overheating when travelling over the much hillier part of the route - particularly over the Hope Valley.

 

[Tram203]

Now here's an odd one today...

29 journeys part cancelled on EMR between Sheffield and Liverpool due to severe weather. How come there's no severe weather between Norwich and Sheffield on this route?

It's EMR.

No more needs saying.

 

[RichJF]

There have been Thameslink Class 700 cancellations this week blamed on pantograph damage to several trains. Not clear if this is also heat-related.

I've been on 2 x 700s (one 12 car, one 8 car) that have been churning out warm or hot air this week. Combined with a massive chunk of the Bedford - Three Bridges & Brighton - Cambridges being canned because of the pantograph issues you can imagine what an 8 car roasting 700 on the BML felt like!

 

[Russel]

It's EMR.

No more needs saying.

Sad to see the demise compared to the MML days.

 

[Andy Pacer]

Sad to see the demise compared to the MML days.

Or even EMT!

 

[Russel]

Or even EMT!

Yeah true, though they didn't dish out free tea and coffee!

 

[Jez]

Quite a few TFW services cancelled today including services on Conwy Valley, Ebbw Vale to Newport, Wrexham to Chester and some Heart of Wales to name a few.

Some of this is due to 'more trains than usual needing repairs' but also due to the heat.

Also read something about a speed restriction on the aberdare line due to hot track..

 

[CaptainHaddock]

I assume it’s to do with the units overheating when travelling over the much hillier part of the route - particularly over the Hope Valley.

Strangely TPE's 185s are running over the same route with no overheating issues.

 

[The exile]

How does a window cool a train, or anything else for that matter?

By being opened- that’s the only way of cooling the saloon of a 150, unless you’ve got a bucketload of ice with you. It was a comment on the statement about Class 150s “cooling systems”. The only inbuilt system for cooling the saloon of a 150 is to open a window.

 

[Mike395]

Strangely TPE's 185s are running over the same route with no overheating issues.

They are significantly newer than the EMR 158s (which are the bulk of the cancellations) and designed specifically for the hillier Transpennine routes, so it's comparing apples with oranges.

 

[snookertam]

Now here's an odd one today...

29 journeys part cancelled on EMR between Sheffield and Liverpool due to severe weather. How come there's no severe weather between Norwich and Sheffield on this route?

I’d guess speed restrictions in the lines they run over between Sheffield and Norwich, so with the anticipated delay they’re turning at Sheffield to make the service in that section more robust? They’ll have calculated that between Sheffield, Manchester and Liverpool there are far more options for passengers to complete their journeys with TPE, Northern etc.

 

[E27007]

What's the reason for the 225 being in service?
Isnt it to allow more azuma resilience within the fleet?
They may be 'spare' but that coverage wants to be reserved for when an Azuma goes sick.

The 225 fleet of 12 locomotives are in service until CAF deliver an order for 10 Civility sets to LNER, 12 Class 91 locomotives to operate 4 diagrams per day is low utilisation, with several 91's close to requiring expensive G-examinations, the possibilty of Azuma sets taking over the work of the 225 diagrams cannot be ruled out

 

[Andy Pacer]

Yeah true, though they didn't dish out free tea and coffee!

But they did operate over the Hope Valley!

Remember the free tea and coffee, would be unheard of these days.

Back on topic though I can partly see the logic in dropping some of the EMR Regional stuff to help keep resources for other routes but in the grand scheme of things I wonder if it really is much of a benefit. Since the Nottingham - Leicester Ivanhoe line service is now self contained (rather than running through to Lincoln and beyond any more) it does seem to be easier picking to cancel, but even so, taking off both units seems unnecessary, surely dropping from hourly to every 2 hours would still be a benefit without effectively cutting customers off.

 

[45Fox]

Great Central Railway have suspended services over the past day or so due to the weather

This has also been because of a fire close to the railway, at Swithland.
The GCR has been closely working with Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service to help combat this.

The attached photos are from a social media post by LFRS.

 

[CHAPS2034]

There has been talk of TfW doing the same with their 67+Mk4 sets although it seems they've carried on this week (albeit without any chefs).

67008 + HD02 on 1V37 0830 MAN-CDF has expired somewhere just south of Leominster. Awaiting a rescue loco from Canton apparently to take it to Hereford where the train will terminate. Not sure what the problem is and whether it is heat related

 

[Trainfan2019]

I assume it’s to do with the units overheating when travelling over the much hillier part of the route - particularly over the Hope Valley.

I’d guess speed restrictions in the lines they run over between Sheffield and Norwich, so with the anticipated delay they’re turning at Sheffield to make the service in that section more robust? They’ll have calculated that between Sheffield, Manchester and Liverpool there are far more options for passengers to complete their journeys with TPE, Northern etc.

Thanks both for the above. Been a long time since I travelled that route and forgotten about the hope valley terrain. Like you say, there are the 2 other train companies options though.

 

[mtmikethom]

in what way do you mean?

Engineers from a company providing new fleet of busses to my depot (all electric) state electric busses have to have aircon due to the heat provided by the batteries.

If aircon not working bus does not enter service.

Anyway, this is off topic to the forum thread

Plenty of electric buses in Norwich that done have air conditioning

 

[Starmill]

Plenty of electric buses in Norwich that done have air conditioning

Indeed, plenty in the whole country.

 

[800001]

Plenty of electric buses in Norwich that done have air conditioning

I was Only going by what engineers were saying, obviously, as stated by several other people not all do have aircon.

 

[E27007]

RTT reports 91106 working 1A24 1440 Leeds to Kings Cross cancelled at Doncaster "problem with train M8", 91106 returning to Leeds as 5A24 empty coaching stock.

So the sole 91 working today has not completed the booked diagram.