Brighton Mainline 27 December

[infobleep]

Well if a normal service is scheduled for tomorrow then surely there will be one otherwise Southern would have said other wise*. Why would it be in Southern's interest not to give out such information?

*Excluding any last minute delays tonight that is.

 

[Stats]

The advice on Twitter has been abysmal, I have seen someone I follow correct many tweets of theirs "Yes, there will be an xx17/xx47 service running tomorrow to Gatwick Airport" when there was most definitely not! Stuff like that... makes me wonder whether they're always this bad or whether the good people are on Xmas hols!

Today they have been answering anybody asking about services from Horsham to London tomorrow that it will "probably be a bus like the last few days" (referring to via Dorking). Do they not know that the main London service from Horsham is via the BML?

 

[Class377/5]

Today they have been answering anybody asking about services from Horsham to London tomorrow that it will "probably be a bus like the last few days" (referring to via Dorking). Do they not know that the main London service from Horsham is via the BML?

Likely confused Horsham starters with the longer distance services. Remember some TOCs twitter feed isn't one by them at weekends and bank holidays if at all.

 

[LBSCR Times]

The advice on Twitter has been abysmal, I have seen someone I follow correct many tweets of theirs "Yes, there will be an xx17/xx47 service running tomorrow to Gatwick Airport" when there was most definitely not! Stuff like that... makes me wonder whether they're always this bad or whether the good people are on Xmas hols!

Depends on the quality of the staff involved.
Southern's Twitter team are based in Bristol (I believe), so will only get messages, via email etc, from Southern Control. How they interpret that information depends on the knowledge of the staff concerned, and if they don't understand, whether they phone Control to enquire.

 

[DavyCrocket]

Depends on the quality of the staff involved.
Southern's Twitter team are based in Bristol (I believe), so will only get messages, via email etc, from Southern Control. How they interpret that information depends on the knowledge of the staff concerned, and if they don't understand, whether they phone Control to enquire.

They've told me before that they're based in Croydon. I know that they used to be or at least some were.

This morning the station PA (centrally controlled) was giving incorrect info - change atbThree Bridges for bus to East Grinstead - that branch not opening until much later and you actually needed Coulsdon Town. Then saying that the line from Three Bridges to Horsham would be closed for weeks!

I did report this via the twitter but no reply. Back in October I also reported station staff shutting passengers leaving a train in the doors at Gatwick. No reply from that at all - so off to the ORR next.

 

[andy19_64]

All the information we have been receiving from controland the train services manager this evening is that network rail are still saying that they are still on for a hand over at 04.00 tomorrow. Not sure if the amount of rain we have had today, (Arun Valley closed again this afternoon due to severe flooding at Christs Hospital) will affect the handover.

 

[RichardN]

How is the Arun valley line looking for tomorrow? SN twitter team expecting normal running....

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[Minstral25]

Awesome, according to Southern's home page the lines through Stoats Nest are open. Hopefully not jumping the gun, well done everyone at Network Rail for achieving on time handover and getting us to work this morning in what must have been very difficult conditions.

Obviously trains will be disrupted due to flooding and landslips but hopefully most trains will run

 

[bigdelboy]

The 05:01 Havant to Victoria is on its way ... and appears to have a chance of making Victoria unless sent up the Arun Valley by mistake This normally goes by the brighton mainline. The 05:29 from havant ... which transports the three bridges running team ... which has on occasion gone up the brighton mainline, is cancelled completely stuffing those wanting to catch it from havant/Chichester to somewhere. Interesting to see if arun valley services get transferred to brighton mainline as day progresses .....

 

[sarahj]

They've told me before that they're based in Croydon. I know that they used to be or at least some were.

This morning the station PA (centrally controlled) was giving incorrect info - change atbThree Bridges for bus to East Grinstead - that branch not opening until much later and you actually needed Coulsdon Town. Then saying that the line from Three Bridges to Horsham would be closed for weeks!

I reported that to control when I heard it at Lewes about 08.44. Never heard it again after that. From the sound of the person who had recorded it, it did not come from central control, but Brighton. (the same voice makes platform changes etc at Brighton).

 

[Class377/5]

No, I am not confusing anything. Network Rail explicity said in their publicity that the Stoats Nest Junction was to have 48 hours of testing once completed.
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/news/2...k-Airport-and-the-south-coast-this-Christmas/

Ok hasn't actually seen that but 48hrs of testing doesn't mean continously testing but 48hrs worth of testing. As proven this morning, early concerns of days of overruns was wrong.

 

[radamfi]

Just been sent through Redhill instead of Quarry Line and there looked to be a queue at Stoats Nest going the other way.

 

[Minstral25]

Our train from Redhill crossed to the fasts not at Stoats Nest but after Purley Station going north. Maybe not fully operational yet at Stoats Nest?

 

[RichardN]

Our train from Redhill crossed to the fasts not at Stoats Nest but after Purley Station going north. Maybe not fully operational yet at Stoats Nest?

Well, if the Arun valley stays closed, that will remove a major source of stoats nest northbound crossing moves

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[Minstral25]

Well, if the Arun valley stays closed, that will remove a major source of stoats nest northbound crossing moves

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Hope not - trust that Southern will find replacement trains from Redhill to Victoria (or for that matter from Horsham) rather than cancel everything. Redhill has a pretty large passenger load to Victoria.

 

[grid56126]

They've told me before that they're based in Croydon. I know that they used to be or at least some were.

This morning the station PA (centrally controlled) was giving incorrect info - change atbThree Bridges for bus to East Grinstead - that branch not opening until much later and you actually needed Coulsdon Town. Then saying that the line from Three Bridges to Horsham would be closed for weeks!

I did report this via the twitter but no reply. Back in October I also reported station staff shutting passengers leaving a train in the doors at Gatwick. No reply from that at all - so off to the ORR next.

The reason that you were advised to go to Three Bridges is because there was a huge operation in place to operate Three Bridges to East Grinstead buses as had been widely advertised. There was also a large number of Three Bridges to Dorking additional buses connecting with the trains to and from London Victoria that SHOULD have been running through. In my humble opinion you were advised correctly. The buses between REDHILL and Coulsdon were not "pushed" to through passengers as they were all stations and Coulsdon had less space / ability to deal with buses than the major operation that had been set up at East Grinstead.

You knew the choices - what is the big deal?

 

[DavyCrocket]

The reason that you were advised to go to Three Bridges is because there was a huge operation in place to operate Three Bridges to East Grinstead buses as had been widely advertised. There was also a large number of Three Bridges to Dorking additional buses connecting with the trains to and from London Victoria that SHOULD have been running through. In my humble opinion you were advised correctly. The buses between REDHILL and Coulsdon were not "pushed" to through passengers as they were all stations and Coulsdon had less space / ability to deal with buses than the major operation that had been set up at East Grinstead.

You knew the choices - what is the big deal?

I have you know that there were no trains from East Grinstead at that time of the morning so the route (as advised by NR) and by the fact that the only buses running, were to go to Coulsdon Town - including showing the driver where the station was.

There were no buses from Three Bridges to East Grinstead.


There were some buses parked up but the two advertised ones never appeared, so eventually someone decided to use the standby ones.

So in this instance the Southern station PA was incorrect.

 

[ushawk]

Just been sent through Redhill instead of Quarry Line and there looked to be a queue at Stoats Nest going the other way.

Was reports of a landslip which required a 5mph TSR - was probably diverted due to that.

 

[ushawk]

Hope not - trust that Southern will find replacement trains from Redhill to Victoria (or for that matter from Horsham) rather than cancel everything. Redhill has a pretty large passenger load to Victoria.

Trains will be diverted via Hove, delays inevitable.

1 line is open at Christs Hospital however.

 

[tsr]

Looks like all lines at Christs Hospital are now open, although that is according to NRE - not NR or Southern themselves.

Unfortunately, a 319's pantograph has struck a small part of the roof of London Blackfriars, so there are rather fewer trains heading Southbound on the Thameslink route than there should be...

 

[RichardN]

Was reports of a landslip which required a 5mph TSR - was probably diverted due to that.

It is starting to look like the steep cuttings south of stoats nest are a serious accident waiting to happen...

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[Minstral25]

It is starting to look like the steep cuttings south of stoats nest are a serious accident waiting to happen...

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Hope not as I go through them most days

We lost all Christmas services a couple of years ago for strengthening of the cuttings to stop landslips - obviously hasn't worked well or they didn't do it all

 

[ushawk]

It is starting to look like the steep cuttings south of stoats nest are a serious accident waiting to happen...

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They both had landslips on Xmas Eve but were repaired whilst the Sloats Nest work was ongoing. Its always going to be a pain to stop.

That said, I have noticed at some smaller cuttings at Balcombe and Cooksbridge, the sides have been covered with heavy duty sheeting kept in place with metal plates - i assume to prevent any future landslips. Possibly that might need to happen at Hooley (south of Sloats Nest).

Pretty sure the cuttings are chalk too, which is also difficult to sort.

 

[Southern313]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6258993.stm

This could have been a particularly nasty accident.

 

[Class377/5]

Hope not as I go through them most days

We lost all Christmas services a couple of years ago for strengthening of the cuttings to stop landslips - obviously hasn't worked well or they didn't do it all

The problem has been water logged earth becoming more liquid than solid which came through the protection designed to stop earth at that point but allow water to be drained away.

 

[Minstral25]

The problem has been water logged earth becoming more liquid than solid which came through the protection designed to stop earth at that point but allow water to be drained away.

My back garden is a bit like that at the moment. Let's hope the weather stops causing problems soon and we can get to some decent service levels - over 2 hours from Victoria tonight. Short formed and cancelled trains this morning.

The last three months through Redhill have been a particular nightmare. I've already got about £49 of delay repay since November and 4 more claims yet to come through including todays.

I guess it's similar elsewhere but the Redhill Branch seems to get the worst recovery of any Station and considering how busy the station is they must be spending a fortune in Delay Repay at the minute or perhaps Network Rail are!

 

[Stats]

Let's hope the weather stops causing problems soon and we can get to some decent service levels - over 2 hours from Victoria tonight. Short formed and cancelled trains this morning.

I assume the complete loss of signalling in the Gatwick area at about 5pm and the power cut in the neighbouring north Crawley area at about the same time was not coincidence!

 

[andy19_64]

I assume the complete loss of signalling in the Gatwick area at about 5pm and the power cut in the neighboring north Crawley area at about the same time was not coincidence!

That is correct. Apparently from what has been reported it was something that UK Power Networks were doing in the area. It took all the signalling out from Horley to Billingshurst. Three panels went down in TBASC.

 

[LBSCR Times]

Another bad day on NR's Sussex route....

Taken from Southern's website:-

Person hit by a train at West Norwood
Due to a person being struck by a train at West norwood, services are subject to delays, Alteration and cancellations.

Earlier Electrical problems at South Croydon
Services between South Croydon and East Croydon are subject to delay, alteration and possible cancellation owing to an earlier electrical problem in the South Croydon area.

Signalling Problems at Dorking
Southern services are currently starting and Terminating at Epsom until further notice. Passengers can use SouthWest Trains services between Epsom and Leatherhead. Replacement buses are operating between Leatherhead and Dorking.

Overhead Line Problems
Southern services will start and Terminate at Shepherds Bush until further notice, this is due to overhead wire problems between Wembley and Bushey. London Underground accepting between Victoria and Euston. London Midland accepting between Euston and Milton Keynes.
Ockley landslip causing disruption

Owing to a landslip in the Ockley area the line between Horsham and Dorking remains closed. Lines between Dorking and Horsham are expected to be closed from some time in reaction to a landslip at Ockley, near Dorking, Buses will be operating until further notice

 

[RichardN]

Another landslip on the quarry line today. Thinking about it, wouldn't it be better to do away with the centre ridge between the lines as this visually appears to be the biggest source of problems. You would need to demolish two overbridges or leave the chalk ridge under those sections.

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