Broken down train at Broxbourne (10 April)

[dk1]

I was planning to go to Cambridge North but the GA website only advertised ticket acceptance on Great Northern as far as Cambridge. Was I really expected to wait for the 1tph GA Stansted Airport to Norwich, one of which was cancelled, with the last two being at 2126 and 2255?

It would’ve been fine and who is going to check your ticket between Cambridge & the North anyway?

 

[F Great Eastern]

Can someone explain what happened here?

Realtime Trains | 2S16 0957 Stratford (London) to Bishops Stortford | 11/04/2026

Real-time train running information for 2S16 0957 departure from Stratford (London) to Bishops Stortford on 11/04/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

This train appeared to open doors, close them and depart Broxbourne 6 minutes early.

Apparently this is due to broken down train blocking the line, but I thought it had been moved?

 

[CyrusWuff]

Can someone explain what happened here?

Realtime Trains | 2S16 0957 Stratford (London) to Bishops Stortford | 11/04/2026

Real-time train running information for 2S16 0957 departure from Stratford (London) to Bishops Stortford on 11/04/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

This train appeared to open doors, close them and depart Broxbourne 6 minutes early.

Apparently this is due to broken down train blocking the line, but I thought it had been moved?

The Bishops Stortford service would normally stand in Platform 4 for the following Stansted to pass it. As the failed train is in Platform 4, that can't happen so it had to depart early to avoid delaying the Stansted more than necessary.

 

[hexagon789]

Can someone explain what happened here?

Realtime Trains | 2S16 0957 Stratford (London) to Bishops Stortford | 11/04/2026

Real-time train running information for 2S16 0957 departure from Stratford (London) to Bishops Stortford on 11/04/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

This train appeared to open doors, close them and depart Broxbourne 6 minutes early.

Apparently this is due to broken down train blocking the line, but I thought it had been moved?

The failed train this thread originated from, or certainly a failed train, appears to be sat in the Platform 4 loop.

 

[800301]

Can someone explain what happened here?

Realtime Trains | 2S16 0957 Stratford (London) to Bishops Stortford | 11/04/2026

Real-time train running information for 2S16 0957 departure from Stratford (London) to Bishops Stortford on 11/04/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

This train appeared to open doors, close them and depart Broxbourne 6 minutes early.

Apparently this is due to broken down train blocking the line, but I thought it had been moved?

It's scheduled a wait in P4, but this wasn't possible, so used P3 and departed without delay to avoid delaing the stanstead

 

[saismee]

Turns out the freight train at Bury/Chippenham Jcn isn’t really broken down


It never rains & all that.

Signalling irregularity? Looks like it tried to travel through an engineering possession as far as I can see. Whoops.

 

[dk1]

Signalling irregularity? Looks like it tried to travel through an engineering possession as far as I can see. Whoops.

Very strange indeed. Will be interesting to find out what occurred.

 

[saismee]

Very strange indeed. Will be interesting to find out what occurred.

Do send me a private message if you find out please.

 

[dk1]

Do send me a private message if you find out please.

Of course. Please do likewise

 

[F Great Eastern]

Do send me a private message if you find out please.

Is the Norwich to Cambridge cancellations related?

Apparently they're due to a broken down freight train as well?

 

[Chriso]

Unfortunately it will only get worse . Renationalising the railways and giving the absolute idiots in GOV control will do nothing but destroy the railway

 

[GB]

Signalling irregularity? Looks like it tried to travel through an engineering possession as far as I can see. Whoops.

It was a simple diagram oversight, the wrong diagram and schedule was called. It happens occasionally but is normally picked up before it becomes an issue. Obviously this one slipped through.

 

[Bow Fell]

Unfortunately it will only get worse . Renationalising the railways and giving the absolute idiots in GOV control will do nothing but destroy the railway

These things happen on the railway, it’s unfortunate nationalisation or not. Like said above it’s the same management, same Ops staff, same Control staff, same frontline staff.

To say any of this is a a result of a nationalisation is complete hyperbole.

Greater Anglia before (and still is) one of the top performing operators, off days can and do happen.

 

[GordonT]

Greater Anglia before (and still is) one of the top performing operators, off days can and do happen.

It may well just be a misconception on my part but the most spectacularly prolonged disruptions at various parts of the national network, when they occur, seem to slightly favour the second half of Fridays or anytime Saturdays or Sundays.

 

[DerekC]

These things happen on the railway, it’s unfortunate nationalisation or not. Like said above it’s the same management, same Ops staff, same Control staff, same frontline staff.

To say any of this is a a result of a nationalisation is complete hyperbole.

Greater Anglia before (and still is) one of the top performing operators, off days can and do happen.

In terms of the practical response to the disruption - clearing the blockage and getting trains running again - I agree. But about things like replacement buses, paying for taxis and refunds, I am not so sure. You have to ask whether in the nationalised railway the power to commit taxpayers' money is devolved down to a level which can respond quickly and with authority on the day, or does it all have to be referred up to a level which probably works a 9-5, 5 day week and doesn't have to face the customers.

 

[Taunton]

The rescue train has broken down as well?

You've got to be kidding me.

By no means unknown with modern electronics that when a 'rescue' train is coupled up, the fault transfers down the MU connections to it.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Apr 2026 ==

It may well just be a misconception on my part but the most spectacularly prolonged disruptions at various parts of the national network, when they occur, seem to slightly favour the second half of Fridays or anytime Saturdays or Sundays.

We have commented on this before; it's that such calamitous disruptions arise outside HQ office hours, with nobody to authorise things around.

 

[saismee]

By no means unknown with modern electronics that when a 'rescue' train is coupled up, the fault transfers down the MU connections to it.

It was a locomotive.

 

[Failed Unit]

Even if they did I couldn’t see GTR revenue pro

In terms of the practical response to the disruption - clearing the blockage and getting trains running again - I agree. But about things like replacement buses, paying for taxis and refunds, I am not so sure. You have to ask whether in the nationalised railway the power to commit taxpayers' money is devolved down to a level which can respond quickly and with authority on the day, or does it all have to be referred up to a level which probably works a 9-5, 5 day week and doesn't have to face the customers.

From what I understand these were management contracts with very little scope to do much without the DfT say so. The only difference if you don’t have a private company making money for very little added value.

 

[Horizon22]

We have commented on this before; it's that such calamitous disruptions arise outside HQ office hours, with nobody to authorise things around.

Route Control Managers (RCM) for Network Rail and/or Duty Control Managers (or equivalent roles) at TOCs can authorise most things. And they are 24/7, although they might have to check with On-Call managers. So that simply isn't the case.

 

[Bow Fell]

Agreed,

The Route Control Manager (NR) / Duty Control Manager (TOC) or equivalent Controller hold such decision making authorities, whether that’s at 1500 on a Wednesday or 0300 on a Saturday morning, anything else would just be a courtesy call for Silver / Gold on call for their involvement in conference calls for example.