All trains through Chester stopped

[merlodlliw]

All trains though Chester are delayed or cancelled due to signaling problems,this was reported just after 0700 this morning.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The NRE text is confusing.
No trains westbound to Hooton/Holyhead/Wrexham, but eastbound to Warrington/Crewe/Altrincham not mentioned.
Who writes these things?

from NRE:
A signalling problem at Chester means no trains can call at the station. This is affecting trains between Chester and Hooton / Holyhead / Wrexham General.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Well 2H35 0759 Chester to Manchester Piccadilly via Northwich (Northern stopper via Mid-Cheshire) only left 5 minutes late.

However, everything else has been cancelled, so it would seem that the Mid-Cheshire Line isn't affected, so maybe ATW's can divert via there instead?

 

[merlodlliw]

Agree its totally confusing to passengers, it appears the very few trains heading East starting at Chester are OK,no doubt the already well booked Parliamentary once a year via Halton Curve to Liverpool will be standing room only,which appears to have left Chester.
Chester at this time is at full capacity ,being ATWs second busiest Managed station on its entire network.

This message from NR has not a work about ATW services, or Via Wrexham.

A signalling problem at Chester means no trains can call at the station. This is affecting trains between Chester and Hooton / Holyhead / Wrexham General.
The following alterations will apply:
Merseyrail:
Buses will replace trains between Chester and Hooton
Virgin Trains:
Buses replace trains between Llandudno Junction and Chester
Virgin Trains and Arriva Trains Wales passengers may use each others services.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Looks like the east end of the station is working.
The Liverpool South Parkway parly and locals to Manchester/Crewe got away.
Looking at realtimetrains it seems the two Up VT services (0835/0935 ex Chester) are both held at Llandudno Jn and might double up there.
There's a Bristol-Blaenau Ffestiniog charter on its way, currently at Penkridge...

My suspicious brain wonders if the Saltney redoubling works are to blame.
It's at times like this when JCBs chop through signalling cables...

 

[merlodlliw]

My suspicious brain wonders if the Saltney redoubling works are to blame.
It's at times like this when JCBs chop through signalling cables...

You may well be correct,Chester PB controls the lines up to Wrexham.

 

[Welshman]

The NRE text is confusing.
No trains westbound to Hooton/Holyhead/Wrexham, but eastbound to Warrington/Crewe/Altrincham not mentioned.
Who writes these things?

Presumably the same person who, on the ATW website, advises there are buses between Chester & Rhyl, and "passengers for the North Wales Coast should travel via Crewe" [!!].

So, presumably Chester/Crewe/Shrewsbury/Machynlleth/Harlech by train, Harlech/Porthmadog by rail-replacement bus, then Express Motors to Bangor!

Interesting journey.

 

[northwichcat]

However, everything else has been cancelled, so it would seem that the Mid-Cheshire Line isn't affected, so maybe ATW's can divert via there instead?

Sometimes ATW get refused permission to divert, other times they are allowed to divert. If they're refused permission to divert the passengers divert anyway meaning the Northern services are rammed and can't keep to time.

It seems they can run Chester-Warrington-Manchester but the problem is trains out of position due to not being able to run in to Chester from Wales.

 

[T-key]

Route knowledge or lack of also plays a part, I may be wrong but I don't think Llandudno jct or Holyhead men sign via Stockport , only Chester crews.

 

[Cheshire Rover]

Virgin tweeting that services are being restored.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

By about 1100 the Birkenhead line was restored, and now the Holyhead route is apparently back. Wrexham line still shut.
Blaenau charter held for 27 min at Crewe and an hour so far at Chester.
Of three VT Up trains, the first (0717 ex Chester) got through just before the power outage, the other two were cancelled at Llandudno Jn.
The Down VT coast services are all so far terminating at Chester.

Edit:
One (possibly both) of the VT trains that terminated at Llandudno Jn has gone back as the 1201 to Holyhead and will form the afternoon Up service to Euston.
The charter has reached the Conwy Valley line an hour late.

 

[kieron]

It seems they can run Chester-Warrington-Manchester but the problem is trains out of position due to not being able to run in to Chester from Wales.

From what I can tell, trains were running between Chester and Manchester on more or less their normal timetable. I suppose being able to cope with this sort of thing is one advantage of having plenty of recovery time in Manchester.

 

[T-key]

Being reported as vandalism , the cable thieves strike again it would seem.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Being reported as vandalism , the cable thieves strike again it would seem.

Trains running via Wrexham again now, since about 1530.

 

[PHILIPE]

Sometimes ATW get refused permission to divert, other times they are allowed to divert. If they're refused permission to divert the passengers divert anyway meaning the Northern services are rammed and can't keep to time.

It seems they can run Chester-Warrington-Manchester but the problem is trains out of position due to not being able to run in to Chester from Wales.

They could be worked by trains from Manchester which get to Wales. Not to worry, problem now resolved.

 

[merlodlliw]

Story and pictures of Chester Station during the power failure in this weeks
http://nwrail.org.uk/nwnews.htm

Another problem due to the Chester power failure meant all the level crossing barriers between Saltney and Rossett were stuck down for hours,causing major problems for road traffic.