WCML disruption around Stafford Tues 21 July

Francis · 21 Jul 2026

There were signalling problems around Stafford. Trains were being diverted southbound from Crewe via Stoke and Colwich. Delays of up to two hours for some WCML southbound trains. Anyone have more details? From RTT I would guess the problem was between Stafford and Colwich.

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Welshguy1048 · 21 Jul 2026

Francis said:
There were signalling problems around Stafford. Trains were being diverted southbound from Crewe via Stoke and Colwich. Delays of up to two hours for some WCML southbound trains. Anyone have more details? From RTT I would guess the problem was between Stafford and Colwich.

@Francis

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Lines have reopened following a fault with the signalling system at Stafford.

Trains running through Stafford are returning to normal but you should expect delays of up to 60 minutes, alterations and cancellations.

Major disruption is expected until 23:00.

Dave

Russel · 21 Jul 2026

Well, I'm glad I wasn't at work today, or it would have been yet another farce trying to get home along the Trent Valley...

SCDR_WMR · 21 Jul 2026

It was rather difficult to say the least. Platform 1 stuck in the Stour direction so nothing could use the Trent. Eventually, trains were able to be routed into platform 5 but NR asked for a heavily reduced workload.

Johnnie2Sheds · 21 Jul 2026

Absolute farce.

The boss (Mrs Blue Shunter) and I went for the 11:32 off Stafford, aiming for Lichfield. The Avanti Pendolino due to leave a few minutes before, remained on Platform 1 (our platform) well after it's departure time of 11:24. Both trains then started showing "delayed" on the displays. A stone train meanwhile had pulled into platform 4 en route south. The Pendolino was called by the red signal on Platform 1 and left for Wolverhampton.

Passengers for the 11:32 were told to go to platform 4,where the stone train sat. We trooped over, to be told 10 or so minutes later, to go back to platform 1! We eventually left Stafford about 30 late via the up goods (?) line towards Queensville.

On the return, we turned up at Lichfield TV for the 15:14 back to Stafford. The booking clerk bailed at about 15:30 (his time), leaving us to an hour and a half of vague automatic announcements. At five o'clock, seemingly abandoned and getting nowhere, we elected to stump up for a taxi. He charged us a reasonable forty quid door to door. I could not face the hellhole of New Street in this heat, or some rancid all shacks bus for an hour plus, our only other alternatives. Utter, utter FARCE.

JordR · 21 Jul 2026

Absolute farce.

The boss (Mrs Blue Shunter) and I went for the 11:32 off Stafford, aiming for Lichfield. The Avanti Pendolino due to leave a few minutes before, remained on Platform 1 (our platform) well after it's departure time of 11:24. Both trains then started showing "delayed" on the displays. A stone train meanwhile had pulled into platform 4 en route south. The Pendolino was called by the red signal on Platform 1 and left for Wolverhampton.

Passengers for the 11:32 were told to go to platform 4,where the stone train sat. We trooped over, to be told 10 or so minutes later, to go back to platform 1! We eventually left Stafford about 30 late via the up goods (?) line towards Queensville.

On the return, we turned up at Lichfield TV for the 15:14 back to Stafford. The booking clerk bailed at about 15:30 (his time), leaving us to an hour and a half of vague automatic announcements. At five o'clock, seemingly abandoned and getting nowhere, we elected to stump up for a taxi. He charged us a reasonable forty quid door to door. I could not face the hellhole of New Street in this heat, or some rancid all shacks bus for an hour plus, our only other alternatives. Utter, utter FARCE.

You appear to be upset that someone went home at the end of their shift and you didn't suffer some imagined negative experiences because you actually got a taxi?

800001 · 21 Jul 2026

SCDR_WMR said:
It was rather difficult to say the least. Platform 1 stuck in the Stour direction so nothing could use the Trent. Eventually, trains were able to be routed into platform 5 but NR asked for a heavily reduced workload.

Where are you on about?

Russel · 21 Jul 2026

JordR said:
You appear to be upset that someone went home at the end of their shift and you didn't suffer some imagined negative experiences because you actually got a taxi?

It's very easy to dismiss a situation from a distance...

@Johnnie2Sheds Is probably in the same position as me and many others who have to use the Trent Valley on a regular basis and have to put up with a service that falls apart on a weekly basis.

Unobrow · 22 Jul 2026

There was a signal failure on the up Queensville curve at first, compounded not long after by axle counter failure a short time later that they had some difficulty in rectifying.

SCDR_WMR · 22 Jul 2026

800001 said:
Where are you on about?

Stafford. Apologies

Johnnie2Sheds · 22 Jul 2026

JordR said:
You appear to be upset that someone went home at the end of their shift and you didn't suffer some imagined negative experiences because you actually got a taxi?

AHH, right. I was not upset because the BO went home. He probably started early and had enough of the days proceedings and passengers.

I was annoyed at the way the railway has been stripped of any common sense or resilience. A couple of points that need adjusting because of the temp or an axle counter needing resetting and the whole job bursts. I was also annoyed at having to fork out forty quid for an unnecessary taxi ride due to the railway being run by bean counting cabbages.

You appear to be quite happy to have oldies sitting in the blazing sun with no shade, lavatory or place to get water or food for hours on end. Great service. Nice one.

Unobrow · 22 Jul 2026

Johnnie2Sheds said:
A couple of points that need adjusting because of the temp or an axle counter needing resetting and the whole job bursts.

It was a signal failure first which had nothing to do with the temperature, and the axle counter wouldn’t simply reset.

Johnnie2Sheds · 22 Jul 2026

Unobrow said:
It was a signal failure first which had nothing to do with the temperature, and the axle counter wouldn’t simply reset.

Interesting then, any idea as to what went wrong?

SCDR_WMR · 23 Jul 2026

Johnnie2Sheds said:
Interesting then, any idea as to what went wrong?

Multiple failures. Signalling failure, which was being attended by NR. Then points stuck blocking the Trent Valley. Staff were already out dealing with the signal failure and other staff would have been miles away at another depot.

Sometimes things take time, my train lost ~25 minutes stood at Rugeley TV, and then another 20 going around a freight train and crawling into P5 at Stafford. Could have been far worse.

You can say it's down to bean counting, or cost cutting or whatever. There is only so much redundancy and staffing you can have. Would you want to double the headcount of the S&C at Stafford depot to allow for times when they have multiple sites to attend simultaneously? Because that really doesn't happen all that often, and usually they can choose to prioritise which one to deal with first anyway.

WCML disruption around Stafford Tues 21 July

Francis

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Welshguy1048

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Russel

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800001

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Unobrow

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