WCML Disruption near Long Buckby, 16/08/26

[Tetragon213]

No trains are going northbound from Northampton, due to... reasons.

No concrete information has been given thus far. One moment staff are saying it's trespassers. The next it's a track fault. Then we're told the track circuits have failed. They've played musical trains with us, booting us off 1Y37 for rail replacement buses, then telling us to reboard to go to Milton Keynes Central for another service. 1Y39 has just caught us up into Platform 2 at Northampton.

Conflicting information about ticket acceptance being given.

Just another day of typical West Coast misery.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Aug 2026 ==

Update: 1Y37 became 1T34 back to Euston, many unhappy pax returning to MKC for trains back north. Stuck outside Milton Keynes Central currently for... reasons.

1T36 formed from 1Y39 has caught up to us it seems.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Aug 2026 ==

More musical trains.

Bumped everyone back to MKC.

2 cancellations

8 (yes EIGHT) southbound services and not a single north round service in that time, in spite of a brand spanking new Aventra being sat almost mockingly in Platform 2 the whole time.

Finally on the next Birmingham bound service.

Runs through Northampton again.

To say I am displeased with the absolutely shocking performance of the railway today is an understatement.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Aug 2026 ==

And now to compound the pain. The 1906 is now cancelled at Northampton again. Absolute farce from LNWR

 

[800001]

No trains are going northbound from Northampton, due to... reasons.

No concrete information has been given thus far. One moment staff are saying it's trespassers. The next it's a track fault. Then we're told the track circuits have failed. They've played musical trains with us, booting us off 1Y37 for rail replacement buses, then telling us to reboard to go to Milton Keynes Central for another service. 1Y39 has just caught us up into Platform 2 at Northampton.

Conflicting information about ticket acceptance being given.

Just another day of typical West Coast misery.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Aug 2026 ==

Update: 1Y37 became 1T34 back to Euston, many unhappy pax returning to MKC for trains back north. Stuck outside Milton Keynes Central currently for... reasons.

1T36 formed from 1Y39 has caught up to us it seems.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Aug 2026 ==

More musical trains.

Bumped everyone back to MKC.

2 cancellations

8 (yes EIGHT) southbound services and not a single north round service in that time, in spite of a brand spanking new Aventra being sat almost mockingly in Platform 2 the whole time.

Finally on the next Birmingham bound service.

Runs through Northampton again.

To say I am displeased with the absolutely shocking performance of the railway today is an understatement.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Aug 2026 ==

And now to compound the pain. The 1906 is now cancelled at Northampton again. Absolute farce from LNWR

From 'X' posted at 1710 then several times with updates by LNWR, there was an inspection of the track between Northampton and Rugby.

London Northwestern Railway (@LNRailway) on X

#LNRNew -Track inspection between Northampton & Rugby ⚠️ Due to this, services through these stations face delays & alterations Updates to follow

x.com

Track inspection between Northampton & Rugby

⚠️ Due to this, services through these stations face delays & alterations

Updates to follow

 

[Tetragon213]

From 'X' posted at 1710 then several times with updates by LNWR, there was an inspection of the track between Northampton and Rugby.

It's an absolute farce down here on the ground.

No staff, hardly any information, and we've been mocked with multiple ECS moves going northbound.

4 hours of delay due to a single "safety inspection" is positively ridiculous.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Aug 2026 ==

Absolute genius move by LNWR, on a service which was already crowded earlier on and left hundreds of people stranded at Northampton, they've brought in a 12 car service which is also crowded, and decided to detach and terminate the rear 4 coaches.

The end result, as expected, is XC levels of overcrowding. Bravo to LNWR, round of applause!

A formal written complaint letter to both LNWR and my MP await...

 

[Russel]

Not many weeks go by without the WCML falling apart...

 

[Tetragon213]

From leaving Euston at 1556 exp arr. 1813, we finally arrive in Birmingham New Street at 2236, for a grand total of 4hrs and 23 minutes late on a 2hr20 minute journey.

Between the horrendous delays, complete and abject failure in communicating what was going on, forcing passengers to play multiple rounds of musical chairs and musical trains, cancelling the 1906 knowing that pax from the first service were already on it, and then failing to provide any water despite the excessive delays in breach of PRO, it's difficult to say that today was anything but an absolutely farcical performance from all involved today at LNWR.

 

[DaventryRabbit]

Was caught up in this as well. 1756 shown as terminating NMP, so no worries, catch the 1745 Crewe (leaves 1806) to MKC to await the next BHM. 20 odd late, reach NMP and caped due to no guard. 2010 caped as well, 2040 shown as P4. 12 car set, several hundred pax waiting. Driver shows up, says he's taking it empty to depot! 2040 now showing as due 2116 on P2. RTT was tying itself up in knots, showing this as in P4 when there was nothing there!
Eventually 1Y51 leaves 2131, followed closely by the 2131 itself, which was almost empty!
Not the railways finest hour. I was lucky in that I wasn't too fussed about it all, but plenty were!

 

[Class 466]

Not many weeks go by without the WCML falling apart...

Days… not weeks

 

[D6130]

I suspect that there will be a lot more track inspections over the next few weeks following the Lewes and Wickford derailments, as a lot more drivers will be reporting rough riding.

 

[dodecahedron67]

Was onboard 1H71 (1632 Euston - Manchester via Crewe) and were told there were trespassers by Hanslope Jn and then a brief loss of OHLE power around the Weedon area too

 

[DarloRich]

sounds like standard LNWR stuff. Water off a ducks back sadly these days. LNWR just don't seem to get things like communication right or make sure staff are visible on the ground when there is a fan / brown stuff interaction. It is retreat to minimum safe distance at the first opportunity.

They are good at getting buses sorted out at MKC but I find at other locations there are often problems. Bletchley has also improved as they seem to have some proactive staff who make announcements and get out in the platforms to help which they never used to! it will never catch on

Although @Tetragon213 seems to have experienced a particularly bad example!

 

[Merle Haggard]

sounds like standard LNWR stuff. Water off a ducks back sadly these days. LNWR just don't seem to get things like communication right or make sure staff are visible on the ground when there is a fan / brown stuff interaction. It is retreat to minimum safe distance at the first opportunity.

They are good at getting buses sorted out at MKC but I find at other locations there are often problems. Bletchley has also improved as they seem to have some proactive staff who make announcements and get out in the platforms to help which they never used to! it will never catch on

Although @Tetragon213 seems to have experienced a particularly bad example!

When I arrive at Northampton station I can easily deduce if things are going well or not.
When all's honky-dorey there's a group of staff around the working barriers, and a close group of three or so more staff around the information desk.
When there's something wrong, the ticket barriers are open and absolutely no staff are visible.

Another interesting feature is when train services are cancelled at short notice they are not shown at all on LNw station departure boards - certainly from experience at Northampton and Milton Keynes. Oddly, on arriving (eventually) at Rugby those trains are correctly shown as 'cancelled' on the station screens; presumably because it's an Avanti-run station.

I wonder whether the LNw attitude towards passengers at, say Stafford - where they have competition from Avanti - is any better than at Northampton, where they enjoy a monopoly now.

 

[DarloRich]

When I arrive at Northampton station I can easily deduce if things are going well or not.
When all's honky-dorey there's a group of staff around the working barriers, and a close group of three or so more staff around the information desk.
When there's something wrong, the ticket barriers are open and absolutely no staff are visible.

Yes - that is the standard indicator of LNWR service problems

 

[Tilting007]

No trains are going northbound from Northampton, due to... reasons.

No concrete information has been given thus far. One moment staff are saying it's trespassers. The next it's a track fault. Then we're told the track circuits have failed. They've played musical trains with us, booting us off 1Y37 for rail replacement buses, then telling us to reboard to go to Milton Keynes Central for another service. 1Y39 has just caught us up into Platform 2 at Northampton.

Conflicting information about ticket acceptance being given.

Just another day of typical West Coast misery.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Aug 2026 ==

Update: 1Y37 became 1T34 back to Euston, many unhappy pax returning to MKC for trains back north. Stuck outside Milton Keynes Central currently for... reasons.

1T36 formed from 1Y39 has caught up to us it seems.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Aug 2026 ==

More musical trains.

Bumped everyone back to MKC.

2 cancellations

8 (yes EIGHT) southbound services and not a single north round service in that time, in spite of a brand spanking new Aventra being sat almost mockingly in Platform 2 the whole time.

Finally on the next Birmingham bound service.

Runs through Northampton again.

To say I am displeased with the absolutely shocking performance of the railway today is an understatement.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Aug 2026 ==

And now to compound the pain. The 1906 is now cancelled at Northampton again. Absolute farce from LNWR

The reason there were no trains between Rugby and Northampton was due to a rough ride report with the driver stating the rail was distorted. This meant no trains could pass over until inspected by track maintenance staff. They attended and said some dips need packed.

There was a person on a bridge at Hsnslope affecting all lines with severe congestion due to trains being caution. The OLE then tripped due the number of trains in section.

There was then a failed LNR unit at Denbigh (MK) that meant MKC was very busy with only one up line.

 

[Tetragon213]

When I arrive at Northampton station I can easily deduce if things are going well or not.
When all's honky-dorey there's a group of staff around the working barriers, and a close group of three or so more staff around the information desk.
When there's something wrong, the ticket barriers are open and absolutely no staff are visible.

This was just one of many things that made that day such an ordeal. It was complete pandemonium at both Northampton and Milton Keynes Central. Almost no staff at Northampton, which meant almost no information as to what in the everloving #### was going on. Meanwhile, staff at Milton Keynes lost control of the situation real fast. I saw several fast services roar through with the drivers blaring horns all the way, as pax were too close to the edge on the overcrowded platforms and staff were either overwhelmed and couldn't, or simply gave up on trying to, control the situation.

I wonder whether the LNw attitude towards passengers at, say Stafford - where they have competition from Avanti - is any better than at Northampton, where they enjoy a monopoly now.

I would hope they controlled the situation better at Stafford than they did at Northampton last night. What happened last night was just unacceptably poor. Between the poor communications, absence of any staff presence, lack of control on the platforms, and an over 4 hour delay, it shows a distinct lack of customer care or respect for the passenger.