The Planner
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 15 Apr 2008
- Messages
- 19,652
Inevitable? How is it going to cause an accident?
-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Lineside fire Stratford 10th July 26
- Thread starter Nicholas Lewis
- Start date
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Obscured signals? Compromised infrastructure?
Not saying it's likely, but it's hard to argue that the risk isn't there, vegetation is out of control.
The Planner
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 15 Apr 2008
- Messages
- 19,652
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.
eastdyke
Established Member
Ipswich - Cambridge could be very cosy today.
It is one of the biggest race-days of the year at Newmarket [July Cup].
A number of trains would be full and standing without any passengers on diversion .....
It is one of the biggest race-days of the year at Newmarket [July Cup].
A number of trains would be full and standing without any passengers on diversion .....
It's not hyperbole to suggest the current level of vegetation poses a risk of incident.
I'm not saying a high risk at all, but it can't be dismissed entirely.
Some trains are now running through to London from the GEML on the electric lines at Stratford. the 0800 Norwich to London Liverpool Street is supposed to run through, but no guarantees. Looks like it is going to be an hourly service at best.
One of the problems is that during very hot weather vegetation droops, in the last 3 weeks I have had to bend to avoid bashing into branches, which before this heatwave started I could walk under normally. That is why your train was scraping the vegetation more than normally. Which makes NR job difficult is that during the last inspection, the vegetation probably wasn't an urgent issue.
devon_belle
Member
On my local there's been some quite prodigious vegetation cutback, but they tend to leave all the green matter to dry out by the lineside. It's now getting rather brown in places and several times I've thought it's a fire risk from errant 3rd rail sparks. As far as I know it's not been a problem so far.
I'd love to know how they decide which routes to do, as my comparatively quiet line has had multiple rounds of vegetation cutbacks in some areas over the last year or two, whereas certain parts of the line and other nearby lines (and more important areas) are still completely overrun throughout. I suppose some sections must have greater risks to adhesion and earthworks than others, but in my mind that risk would also scale with the intensity of the service.
I'd love to know how they decide which routes to do, as my comparatively quiet line has had multiple rounds of vegetation cutbacks in some areas over the last year or two, whereas certain parts of the line and other nearby lines (and more important areas) are still completely overrun throughout. I suppose some sections must have greater risks to adhesion and earthworks than others, but in my mind that risk would also scale with the intensity of the service.
You could've taken the Elizabeth line to Romford then Overground to Upminster.
Not necessarily drooping in the heat, I think it is just that trees grow (outwards)! Also sycamores especially grow huge heavy bunches of seeds near the ends of their branches.
(But I have noticed it just with foliage after rain, when the weight goes up too...)
First westbound Elizabeth line train left Stratford just after 08:00. NLL services restarted about the same time. If signal maps are to be believed there are still around 10 GA trains on the Main Lines and the on route to Tottenham Hale to be removed. GA state that service restrictions will remain in place until
Monday morning.
Were Elizabeth line running to Romford? Or was the OHL off? Were the platforms full of stranded trains?
No nothing was moving in either direction.
NSEWonderer
Established Member
Not if they're booking off which actually happened. Hence several trains, some till about.
357
Established Member
- Joined
- 12 Nov 2018
- Messages
- 2,282
They can ask, but at this time of year and with the current weather and sporting events it can be hard to find anyone to agree to come in.
According to TfL, the Elizabeth line was running between Ilford and Shenfield.
They do get reported and they do eventually get sorted; but the lack of any planned vegetation management means that the problem is only going to get worse and more frequent.
There's also the OLE to consider. In a couple of places on the WCML, trees in the ballast in the ten-foot have grown as high as the OLE. That's another problem waiting to happen.
Then there's the forests growing in the structure of our bridges and viaducts.
Post #46 nothing running apparently
Last edited:
150219
Member
- Joined
- 24 Nov 2009
- Messages
- 471
It is planned. Perhaps not to the standard or intervals that some desire, but it is most certainly planned.
Totally obscured signals do get sorted immediately and encroaching vegetation at signals is resolved as soon as practicable.
I'm not denying here that there's an degree of risk here, as fallen trees have been a factor in serious events. But branches fouling the running lines do get pruned back too.
Wrapped up in changes in working practices through safety and prioritising elsewhere doesn't mean it's any less planned.
That said, I've experienced more damage through fly-tipping and vandalism on the railway than I have through vegetation.
I do however agree that lineside vegetation is observed more and more over the last decade and possibly longer than that.
GraphitProjekt
Member
C2C is also closed between Fenchurch St & Barking until 0600 Monday due to a signalling fault but also says:
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
Can anyone elaborate on how a lineside fire in Stratford took out an unspecified power supply, causing a telecoms system to shut down, resulting in a loss of signalling on a different line?
From the post above in the link it states the following, so they are linking it to Stratford..
Linked according to NRES. See post #27.
Agreed, another example of short term thinking shafting us.
Oh yes, apologies, I missed that.
GraphitProjekt
Member
So is there some kind of major signalling supply point located near enough to the fire to be affected and which is responsible for quite a large area of equipment