Lineside fire Stratford 10th July 26

[Nicholas Lewis]

Services been at a stand for nearly three hours Liverpool St - Ilford due to a lineside fire in the triangle of Stratford Central Jcn / Carpenters Rd Jcn / Carpenters Rd Sth Jcn. The isolation is affecting the North London Lines as well Elizabeth Line so disruption widespread across East London. Stratford Stn is close so DLR suspended but Central Line able to run through.

Latest reports show trains now being detrained although most have been secured in platforms.

https://x.com/cmpd_date/status/2075675553898615157

 

[John Webb]

Good reason for going back to keeping lineside vegetation to a minimum, perhaps??

 

[Russel]

Good reason for going back to keeping lineside vegetation to a minimum, perhaps??

It's certainly out of control across the network.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Good reason for going back to keeping lineside vegetation to a minimum, perhaps??

Indeed its been an incident waiting to happen at multiple areas all across the network but particularly in London where Buddlleia has been allowed to run riot. Picture below is from London Fire Brigade and looks like wire damage but thats the freight line mainly so hopefully no damage to the passenger lines.

 

[Russel]

Indeed its been an incident waiting to happen at multiple areas all across the network but particularly in London where Buddlleia has been allowed to run riot.

It's growing out of the retaining walls on the approach to Birmingham New Street from Proof House Jn to the point where passing trains brush past it.

I may be over-simplifying things, but rebuilding a collapsed retaining wall on the approach to one of the countries busiest interchange stations will be a lot more expensive and disruptive than dealing with the issue now...

 

[NSEWonderer]

Doubt this will be resolved by today, looks like there may even be signalling cables damaged according to some on site. Gidea Park depot is already packed with 345s

 

[Russel]

Doubt this will be resolved by today, looks like there may even be signalling cables damaged according to some on site. Gidea Park depot is already packed with 345s

Great, I'm meant to be travelling to Clacton tomorrow from Liverpool Street...

 

[saismee]

Great, I'm meant to be travelling to Clacton tomorrow from Liverpool Street...

There will almost certainly be alternative travel. Whether it's buses or going via Cambridge. Not ideal of course, but once you're on the country side of Stratford (Shenfield) then it should run mostly okay.

Some would say it's a blessing in disguise so you don't have to go to Clacton

 

[Russel]

There will almost certainly be alternative travel. Whether it's buses or going via Cambridge. Not ideal of course, but once you're on the country side of Stratford (Shenfield) then it should run mostly okay.

With a bit of luck things will be sorted over night, I'm not travelling until about 10am.

Going via Cambridge will take too long and I don't fancy buses in 30 degree heat.

 

[Paul AC]

It's growing out of the retaining walls on the approach to Birmingham New Street from Proof House Jn to the point where passing trains brush past it.

I may be over-simplifying things, but rebuilding a collapsed retaining wall on the approach to one of the countries busiest interchange stations will be a lot more expensive and disruptive than dealing with the issue now...

The whole of the West Coast Main Line is massively overgrown to the point that it is inevitable than a major accident will result; and as we all know, this is due to cuts to Network Rail maintenance budgets as insisted on by the DfT and the Treasury.

 

[F Great Eastern]

Lot of people going to get stranded in London tonight!

 

[Russel]

It'll be interesting to hear what started this...

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Lot of people going to get stranded in London tonight!

I imagine control are feeling the heat tonight.

Upwards of 20 trains got marooned and looks like several have had to be detrained beyond station limits looking at video floating around social media.

The GA webpage and twitter feed isn't particularly helpful, just listing all routes that are suspended without advising on alternative options. For example, they could take a long winded route via Cambridge for Ipswich/Norwich and - given they are running a shuttle Shenfield to Southend Victoria - get passengers to use c2c via the London Tilbury & Southend (LTS) route.

Perhaps there usual levels of high reliability means there not as used to other operators in how to inform passengers.

 

[F Great Eastern]

But a long winded route via Cambridge to Ipswich and Norwich isn't going to work, because they won't have any connecting trains left to transfer on to by the time they get to Cambridge as the last train would have already left.

As for GA and informing passengers being bad, that's been a fairly recent change, the Broxbourne issue a while ago and since has seen a change of approach from what came before.

 

[mimoma]

Think I was one of the last trains to make it through to Liverpool Street before it went down. Just had my last train confirmed cancelled so finally making my way back now.

 

[saismee]

But a long winded route via Cambridge to Ipswich and Norwich isn't going to work, because they won't have any connecting trains left to transfer on to by the time they get to Cambridge as the last train would have already left.

As for GA and informing passengers being bad, that's been a fairly recent change, the Broxbourne issue a while ago and since has seen a change of approach from what came before.

I would expect the RRBs to be moved to Cambridge where they can then start shipping people towards Norwich and Ipswich, then taxi from there onwards. It doesn't seem like that's happening.

 

[F Great Eastern]

I would expect the RRBs to be moved to Cambridge where they can then start shipping people towards Norwich and Ipswich, then taxi from there onwards. It doesn't seem like that's happening.

The use of rail replacement buses on GA in reaction to unplanned disruption has been cut back in recent months unfortunately.

Long as the taxpayer is happy etc.

 

[saismee]

The use of rail replacement buses on GA in reaction to unplanned disruption has been cut back in recent months unfortunately.

Long as the taxpayer is happy etc.

There's at least 6 available across the network. If I recall correctly it was 2 at Ipswich, 1 at Norwich, 1 at Cambridge North, 2 at Colchester, and 1 more somewhere on the East.

 

[F Great Eastern]

There's at least 6 available across the network. If I recall correctly it was 2 at Ipswich, 1 at Norwich, 1 at Cambridge North, 2 at Colchester, and 1 more somewhere on the East.

If there are buses then probably that should be communicated to passengers?

As there is NOTHING to suggest there is any anywhere on GA sites or social media.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

But a long winded route via Cambridge to Ipswich and Norwich isn't going to work, because they won't have any connecting trains left to transfer on to by the time they get to Cambridge as the last train would have already left.

Power off was around 1830 and they quickly set 2100 for restoration of services then 2300 at around 2000 (its now 0800 tomorrow) so there was plenty of of opportunity to provide advice to passengers earlier in the evening.

As for GA and informing passengers being bad, that's been a fairly recent change, the Broxbourne issue a while ago and since has seen a change of approach from what came before.

Perhaps im too used to GTR where barely a day goes by without a drama so there well practiced in putting contingency plans in place and keeping websites and social media platforms upto date.

 

[Russel]

Power off was around 1830 and they quickly set 2100 for restoration of services then 2300 at around 2000 (its now 0800 tomorrow) so there was plenty of of opportunity to provide advice to passengers earlier in the evening.

To be fair to them, it's entirely possible that the scale of the fire wasn't known at the time.

 

[frankmoh]

Good reason for going back to keeping lineside vegetation to a minimum, perhaps??

I was on a train from Stratford to Meridian Water yesterday, and the number of times I could hear (or see!) branches scraping the train was very high. It's certainly an issue.

 

[saismee]

If there are buses then probably that should be communicated to passengers?

As there is NOTHING to suggest there is any anywhere on GA sites or social media.

I don't know if they're running. If I'm honest, internal information seems scarce but I'm in bed rather than at the station thankfully. Will certainly affect my shift tomorrow though...

The site does actually mention routes via Cambridge for Ipswich and Norwich, and it is telling people to submit delay repay and contact customer relations with receipts for anything they had to pay to complete or abandon their journey (presumably hotels as it seems they've given up). At this time it's already a lost game so I don't blame the poor controllers in charge.

 

[GordonT]

Eventual total bill for taxi reimbursement claims will be impressive.

 

[NSEWonderer]

I assume some TOCs will require additional drivers to come in if possible and move the many littered trains eventually?

 

[saismee]

Based on cancellations it looks like this will extend until at least 1000.

 

[Harpo]

C2C is also closed between Fenchurch St & Barking until 0600 Monday due to a signalling fault but also says:

A power failure between Limehouse and Barking due to a fire at Stratford (London)has caused extensive damage to telecommunications in the area.

Incident: Limehouse | National Rail

Disruption between London Liverpool Street / London Fenchurch Street and Barking. Find details of all current incidents on National Rail Enquiries.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

 

[Russel]

Based on cancellations it looks like this will extend until at least 1000.

Where are you seeing that?

I'm getting about 0800 on RTT and National Rail

 

[Surreytraveller]

I assume some TOCs will require additional drivers to come in if possible and move the many littered trains eventually?

They'll use the drivers of all the cancelled trains

 

[saismee]

Where are you seeing that?

I'm getting about 0800 on RTT and National Rail

Internal app is saying 1030 from Norwich will terminate at Colchester. AIUI this should be replicated to RTT as I think it's the same feed.