Constant late-running of Peterborough - Ipswich GA services of recent

[Intercity_225]

In the past few weeks, I've seen seemingly constant late running of Greater Anglia's Peterborough - Ipswich service. In the past 2 weeks, I've only seen one service be on time (luckily the one I was travelling on that day!). How come these delays of 10-15+ mins are suddenly happening? It's odd to me since before the past 4 weeks I very rarely saw that service over 10 minutes late, it was even unusual to see it over 5 minutes late. So, how come these delays have suddenly started appearing?

(Mods feel free to move this, I'm unsure as to whether to put it in this thread or the Trip Planning & Reports one.)

 

[berwicksfinest]

Three words ....... temporary speed restrictions

 

[Alfie1014]

Track bed dried out due to the drought lots of speed restrictions all over the Anglia network but the Fens are worst affected.

 

[Sleepy]

The very short turnaround time at Peterborough won't help with any late running.

 

[45Fox]

Three words ....... temporary speed restrictions

Track bed dried out due to the drought lots of speed restrictions all over the Anglia network but the Fens are worst affected.

Also appears to be affecting XC Stansted Airport/Cambridge to Birmingham services, which over the last couple of weeks or so keep getting to Leicester between 10 & 20 minutes late.

 

[ac6000cw]

Also, most of the other traffic along the route of those trains is long-distance stuff (Norwich-Manchester/Liverpool, Birmingham-Stansted, most of the freight) which is being affected by speed restrictions further afield and importing delays into the Peterborough-Ipswich route.

When I've been at Ely recently, with the level of delays to many trains running through there (and the congestion problems it's creating at times), the Peterborough-Ipswich trains are probably doing better than some of the others.

Yesterday was bad, with recurring signalling problems at Manea resulting in some EMR trains to/from Norwich and at least one GA Ipswich service terminating at/starting from Ely due to being heavily delayed (and the services to Kings Lynn were almost non-existent as well).

 

[IanMac]

Re yesterday's problems, there was a message on the LNER website (which I use to monitor the train service locally) blaming the "re-occurrence" of the Manea signalling issue.

At the risk of being deemed off-topic, I'd like to comment on 1R62 which runs from Norwich to Liverpool and is booked to call at Whittlesea at 08:16. The LNER website shows that this stop was cancelled today "due to a fault on the train", yet RTT shows that the train called at 08:21.

I am intrigued to know how this ambiguity arises, especially as I have in mind catching that train later this month; and I have noticed that it happens 2 or 3 times per month, and does not depend on the train length.

 

[ac6000cw]

At the risk of being deemed off-topic, I'd like to comment on 1R62 which runs from Norwich to Liverpool and is booked to call at Whittlesea at 08:16. The LNER website shows that this stop was cancelled today "due to a fault on the train", yet RTT shows that the train called at 08:21.

I am intrigued to know how this ambiguity arises, especially as I have in mind catching that train later this month; and I have noticed that it happens 2 or 3 times per month, and does not depend on the train length.

See this recent thread - https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...dlands-railway-stopping-cancellations.306180/

 

[Intercity_225]

Thanks alot everyone

 

[dk1]

Yes all operators services across the Fens are affected. Has to be expected this time of year.

 

[The Foghorn]

Sleaford to Werrington Jn is currently 60 tsr as opposed to 75 normal line speed.

 

[saismee]

When I've been at Ely recently, with the level of delays to many trains running through there (and the congestion problems it's creating at times), the Peterborough-Ipswich trains are probably doing better than some of the others. Yesterday was bad, with recurring signalling problems at Manea resulting in some EMR trains to/from Norwich and at least one GA Ipswich service terminating at/starting from Ely due to being heavily delayed (and the services to Kings Lynn were almost non-existent as well).

It has started getting a little dire. If the trains don't terminate early at Ely, they will not be available at Ipswich to form the next outbound service. Sometimes that will be a Lowestoft service, causing knock-on effects.

It's not uncommon for everything to be stepped up, so inbound Cambridge (18:01) forms Peterborough (17:49) and inbound Peterborough (17:35) forms Cambridge (18:23).

And don't forget that these late running freight trains also cause chaos on the Felixstowe line, often leading to heavy delays or cancellations.

 

[ac6000cw]

It has started getting a little dire. If the trains don't terminate early at Ely, they will not be available at Ipswich to form the next outbound service. Sometimes that will be a Lowestoft service, causing knock-on effects.

It's not uncommon for everything to be stepped up, so inbound Cambridge (18:01) forms Peterborough (17:49) and inbound Peterborough (17:35) forms Cambridge (18:23).

And don't forget that these late running freight trains also cause chaos on the Felixstowe line, often leading to heavy delays or cancellations.

I agree that if a train is already very late, terminating it early so it can pick its return working is often overall the most sensible thing to do (particularly where there are alternative services or routes that passengers can use instead e.g. EMR terminating very late trains to Norwich at Ely, where there are also GA services to Norwich).

 

[45Fox]

I agree that if a train is already very late, terminating it early so it can pick its return working is often overall the most sensible thing to do (particularly where there are alternative services or routes that passengers can use instead e.g. EMR terminating very late trains to Norwich at Ely, where there are also GA services to Norwich).

Agreed that terminating trains early to restart their return services on time can be a sensible thing, especially where alternative services exist.

In the case of EMR services to Norwich, this may be impractical if being worked by a Norwich crew on their way home.

I understand that EMR still have a small traincrew depot at Norwich that crew some of these services.

 

[berwicksfinest]

It has started getting a little dire. If the trains don't terminate early at Ely, they will not be available at Ipswich to form the next outbound service. Sometimes that will be a Lowestoft service, causing knock-on effects.

It's not uncommon for everything to be stepped up, so inbound Cambridge (18:01) forms Peterborough (17:49) and inbound Peterborough (17:35) forms Cambridge (18:23).

And don't forget that these late running freight trains also cause chaos on the Felixstowe line, often leading to heavy delays or cancellations.

Easy Now.

Yesterday on 4L45, I managed Peterborough to Felixstowe 6 late at Peterborough and Trimley 7 early, So actually I would say although the TSRs are in place they don't affect the freight as much as the passengers, plus signallers giving decent regulating it shows it is possible to run freight efficiently !!!

 

[Horizon22]

Agreed that terminating trains early to restart their return services on time can be a sensible thing, especially where alternative services exist.

In the case of EMR services to Norwich, this may be impractical if being worked by a Norwich crew on their way home.

In that case you may use the alternative tool of running fast.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Sep 2026 ==

Easy Now.

Yesterday on 4L45, I managed Peterborough to Felixstowe 6 late at Peterborough and Trimley 7 early, So actually I would say although the TSRs are in place they don't affect the freight as much as the passengers, plus signallers giving decent regulating it shows it is possible to run freight efficiently !!!

Freight often has a potential to regain right time due to the various loops it is scheduled to spend time in which can effectively be used as a buffer.

 

[LowLevel]

Easy Now.

Yesterday on 4L45, I managed Peterborough to Felixstowe 6 late at Peterborough and Trimley 7 early, So actually I would say although the TSRs are in place they don't affect the freight as much as the passengers, plus signallers giving decent regulating it shows it is possible to run freight efficiently !!!

Yeah but as soon as you get out of path or there's consecutive trains it soon snarls up.

 

[saismee]

Easy Now.

Yesterday on 4L45, I managed Peterborough to Felixstowe 6 late at Peterborough and Trimley 7 early, So actually I would say although the TSRs are in place they don't affect the freight as much as the passengers, plus signallers giving decent regulating it shows it is possible to run freight efficiently !!!

It isn't all services affected, Felixstowe has had what I would consider nearly perfect (passenger) service in the past few weeks.

But once a delay gets over 10-15 minutes it becomes two services cancelled very quickly (one each way).

The signallers do an excellent job regulating these lines, and lots of credit to them. Also credit to control for trying to maintain connections where possible.

Also, 7E at Trimley can have its own consequences depending on the time of day! One time we had a freight train break down at Trimley in the platform, and the train I was on had to skip the station on the freight line.

 

[Mike99]

From Stowmarket towards Peterborough today the 08:10 departed on time, the 10:11 terminated at Stowmarket, the 12:11 cancelled throughout due to the late arrival of a previous service, the 14:11 left Stowmarket on time. As a consequence the gap from Peterborough back to Ipswich was from 09:57 until 15:55.

 

[lordbusiness]

Not helped today by a fatality just south of Ely North junction.

 

[Mike99]

Yes your quite corrent, the section Ely to Peterborough and Norwich to Liverpool services affected as well

 

[saismee]

Not helped today by a fatality just south of Ely North junction.

The news is saying a PHBAT between Cambridge North and Thetford. Not particularly discreet when the Ipswich to Peterborough is affected and the only locations it uses between that area are Ely and Ely North Jn.

 

[dk1]

The news is saying a PHBAT between Ely and Thetford. Not particularly discreet when the Ipswich to Peterborough is affected and the only locations it uses between that area are Ely and Ely North Jn.

The location is not usually a secret. No idea why it was input like it was.

 

[saismee]

The location is not usually a secret. No idea why it was input like it was.

It's always given as a generic area when displayed publicly, though everyone always knows where it is. Instead of "Hatfield Peverel" it's usually "Between Chelmsford and Colchester", for example.

 

[dk1]

It's always given as a generic area when displayed publicly, though everyone always knows where it is. Instead of "Hatfield Peverel" it's usually "Between Chelmsford and Colchester", for example.

I cannot understand why Cambridge North to Thetford was used. There are often far more specific and individual locations used. It’s not always so generic.

 

[saismee]

I cannot understand why Cambridge North to Thetford was used. There are often far more specific and individual locations used. It’s not always so generic.

I think it comes from where service is most disrupted, so Norwich to Stansted is terminated at Thetford and Cambridge North services were unaffected. Unsure about Ely services from the Cambridge direction.