Lineside fire Stratford 10th July 26

[Russel]

Travelled from LST to Colchester this morning and despite everything, I only arrived 5 minutes later than planned, fair play to GA and NR.

 

[saismee]

Travelled from LST to Colchester this morning and despite everything, I only arrived 5 minutes later than planned, fair play to GA and NR.

Once the electric lines opened it has just been running with a slimmed-down timetable. Despite how catastrophic the damage seems, it hasn't been all too bad operationally.

 

[Russel]

Once the electric lines opened it has just been running with a slimmed-down timetable. Despite how catastrophic the damage seems, it hasn't been all too bad operationally.

Indeed, it was strange series so many 720s abandoned around Stratford though!

 

[saismee]

Indeed, it was strange series so many 720s abandoned around Stratford though!

An oversized fleet comes with its benefits.

 

[Russel]

An oversized fleet comes with its benefits.

Yes, something like this could have crippled some other TOCs.

 

[800001]

An oversized fleet comes with its benefits.

Even with an oversized fleet and several abandoned units (now recovered) won't they be using far less units today anyway?

It's only a 2 track railway at Stratford station at the moment, are they running a greatly reduced service through there?

 

[NSEWonderer]

Even with an oversized fleet and several abandoned units (now recovered) won't they be using far less units today anyway?

It's only a 2 track railway at Stratford station at the moment, are they running a greatly reduced service through there?

They'd have as they're sharing track with the stopping lizzy services

 

[saismee]

Even with an oversized fleet and several abandoned units (now recovered) won't they be using far less units today anyway?

It's only a 2 track railway at Stratford station at the moment, are they running a greatly reduced service through there?

Yes but most services terminate short rather than being cancelled entirely. The WAML is unaffected still. With the amount of units stuck I do think a smaller fleet could've been problematic.

 

[GraphitProjekt]

According to NRES, the Limehouse-Barking signalling failure re-occurred at some point tonight.

 

[Russel]

Apparently the Limehouse-Barking signalling failure re-occurred at some point tonight.

Saw a couple of c2c services passing Shadwell DLR at about 7pm so must have happened after then.

 

[Taunton]

Obscured signals would get reported by a driver and sorted pretty quick. That also assumes infrastructure isnt being monitored or inspected. Veg needs sorting, but I don't agree with the hyperbole.

There was a large weed up alongside the Down Main conductor rail at New Cross Gate, right in the station, which was progressively clouted by passing services for weeks as it grew. Eventually it dislodged a collector shoe, disorganising services for the rest of the day. It is just not correct to say things are monitored or inspected - or if they are, nothing is done with the information.

 

[saismee]

If the current fleet size is deemed unnecessarily large (even accounting for future growth), I wonder if a few of the 720s could move to Great Northern to allow the last 15 387s to move to Southern?

I've made a new thread to discuss where spare 720s could possibly go.

Spare Greater Anglia 720s

Split from: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/lineside-fire-stratford-10th-july-26.304475 If the current fleet size is deemed unnecessarily large (even accounting for future growth), I wonder if a few of the 720s could move to Great Northern to allow the last 15 387s to move to Southern? I...

www.railforums.co.uk

I wish this forum had an easier way to split threads.

 

[Bald Rick]

It is just not correct to say things are monitored or inspected - or if they are, nothing is done with the information.

Did you call it in?

 

[Taunton]

Did you call it in?

Is it for passengers to "call it in"? Especially where they see things which (in this case) are there week after week, when they should patently have been 'maintained and inspected'. And call in to who? The railway provides no obvious route to do so (with the sole exception, it appears, nowadays of notices affixed to structures about what to do if you see a Bridge Bash). The passenger's relationship is with the TOC. Do you have any confidence that if I say something at the ticket office counter there is the slightest chance of it going through to the Per Way team in a different organisation?

 

[357]

Do you have any confidence that if I say something at the ticket office counter there is the slightest chance of it going through to the Per Way team in a different organisation?

Yes. When I was station staff we would relay any reports via the signaller or the NR helpline number. It would then go through the chain to the appropriate team.

 

[Russel]

Is it for passengers to "call it in"? Especially where they see things which (in this case) are there week after week, when they should patently have been 'maintained and inspected'. And call in to who? The railway provides no obvious route to do so (with the sole exception, it appears, nowadays of notices affixed to structures about what to do if you see a Bridge Bash). The passenger's relationship is with the TOC. Do you have any confidence that if I say something at the ticket office counter there is the slightest chance of it going through to the Per Way team in a different organisation?

My view on this is that there are hundreds of trains that pass New Cross Gate every day, all driven by members of rail staff, I'd like to assume one of them had reported it.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Last year I reported, in person at Network Rail's Waterloo desk, a fallen tree that was heavily thumping the sides of trains leaving Epsom towards Waterloo.

It was a further three months before it was cut back.

 

[Class15]

Platforms 9 and 10 are back open.

10A, 11 and 12 are not, and neither is the Channelsea Curve.

Remember people saying the Primrose Hill fire was problematic for freight train as the diversionary route via Gospel Oak wasn’t ideal, I bet the powers that be wish it was there again now! No freight trains can run from Felixstowe via London, or from London Gateway/Tilbury to the ECML directly.

 

[speedy1]

Is it for passengers to "call it in"?

Oh I'd love to also play maintenance inspector but I'm too busy being my own ticket agent, trying not to get PF'd or prosecuted, being the police and looking out for anything suspicious, enforcing rules such as no bags on seats, and being my own customer services in case of disruption. I'm ever so sorry!

 

[zwk500]

Platforms 9 and 10 are back open.

10A, 11 and 12 are not, and neither is the Channelsea Curve.

Remember people saying the Primrose Hill fire was problematic for freight train as the diversionary route via Gospel Oak wasn’t ideal, I bet the powers that be wish it was there again now! No freight trains can run from Felixstowe via London, or from London Gateway/Tilbury to the ECML directly.

Trains from London Gateway to the ECML are being VSTP'd to run round in Wembley Yard travelling via the GOBLin. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H37556/2026-07-13/detailed

 

[GraphitProjekt]

No such option for Felixstowe freight though. Are they trying to send it all northwards? I'd be surprised if there's space in the timetable for any more freight going that way through Ely or Leicester.

 

[zwk500]

No such option for Felixstowe freight though. Are they trying to send it all northwards? I'd be surprised if there's space in the timetable for any more freight going that way through Ely or Leicester.

A handful of VSTPs are visible at ELY today, with a 4Z22 via Ely apparently replacing 4M22 which is normally booked via London: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:92513/2026-07-13/detailed#allox_id=0

 

[saismee]

There's currently a 4M20 going between Thetford towards Peterborough. I can't find a schedule for it. Is this related to the closure? Presumably it would've come from Felixstowe, but how?

 

[GB]

4M20 is a Heavy Hall service from Norwich

 

[Harpo]

If only a direct GEML to T&H link had been built by the Victorians. It’s proved to be impossible subsequently.

 

[HChip]

4Z88 replaces 4S88 that normally goes via Stratford up to Coatbridge and is going via Ely instead.

 

[saismee]

4M20 is a Heavy Hall service from Norwich

Thank you.

If only a direct GEML to T&H link had been built by the Victorians. It’s proved to be impossible subsequently.

T&H?

 

[Bald Rick]

Is it for passengers to "call it in"? Especially where they see things which (in this case) are there week after week, when they should patently have been 'maintained and inspected'. And call in to who? The railway provides no obvious route to do so (with the sole exception, it appears, nowadays of notices affixed to structures about what to do if you see a Bridge Bash). The passenger's relationship is with the TOC. Do you have any confidence that if I say something at the ticket office counter there is the slightest chance of it going through to the Per Way team in a different organisation?

I wouldn’t expect passengers to call something like this in, but I was wondering if you had done as you clearly ’know your onions’ as the saying goes.

Anyone can call in things that look like they are unsafe or a potential problem to the NR helpline (03457 114141), and many issues are picked up this way; the details are all on the ‘contact us’ part of the NR website and linked on the home page. I have been on the receiving end of a few such issues highlighted, and yes they have been acted on where appropriate.

With the best will in the world, although lines are inspected (at varying frequencies depending on use), some things develop quickly, or might not be seen to be an issue on inspecton, but are under traffic.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Jul 2026 ==

T&H?

Tottenham & Hampstead.

The correct name for the line that is often referred to as the ‘GOB’.

 

[Howardh]

Very smokey from a fire or fires on the Pennines crossing from Huddersfield back to Manchester - particularly short of Stalybridge. Hoping those don't reach the lines, and of course property and wildlife.

 

[josh-j]

Very smokey from a fire or fires on the Pennines crossing from Huddersfield back to Manchester - particularly short of Stalybridge. Hoping those don't reach the lines, and of course property and wildlife.

Im pretty sure the current fires are far from the railway, at Dovestones and over towards Glossop (but on the hills not by the town). Though depending on the wind not necessarily fun to travel through the smoke! I remember a few years ago a fire in the area made the train journey quite the experience around Stalybridge, thick smoke and haze, orange sun.