East Coast over running engineering works

[ryan125hst]

SIMplified BI-Directional Signalling - it allows trains to run according to a more comprehensive timetable in both directions on a single line during incidents or planned works, without requiring too much faffing. All infrastructure is permanently installed, as far as I know. This is generally available on lines with limited roads in everyday and emergency use - e.g. areas where there are only two lines on a mainline which should ideally have four, where a pair of lines taken out of use would result in a complete block.

Simplified bi-directional signalling. No AWS (Automatic Warning System) on the wrong road therefore lower speeds than full bi-di.

Thanks. Presumably it doesn't require all the complications of Single Line Working as discussed a few weeks ago, and is simply a case of signalling the train onto the other line? The only problems with this being the fact that there is a lot less capacity due to the fact that only one line can be used, and the lower speed limits due to a lack of AWS (and TPWS as well?)

 

[tsr]

Thanks. Presumably it doesn't require all the complications of Single Line Working as discussed a few weeks ago, and is simply a case of signalling the train onto the other line? The only problems with this being the fact that there is a lot less capacity due to the fact that only one line can be used, and the lower speed limits due to a lack of AWS (and TPWS as well?)

No problem! To the best of my knowledge, this is true. Also, you have longer geographical distances between signals, in most cases, it seems.

 

[Tomnick]

Correct, there's no need to put Single Line Working into place (with the associated faffing about trying to find a Pilotman, Handsignalmen, LC attendants etc., getting it set up and then dealing with each train). There's often, as 455driver suggests, just one signal section in the wrong direction between each pair of crossovers, so it will be one train at a time in that direction (at a much reduced speed), but it's much easier to signal the movement (more or less normally, subject to any special instructions). In the right direction, everything can be signalled normally, so at line speed and at the usual headway, which would help to make the most of the rather limited capacity.

 

[VauxhallandI]

Ha! I saw you coming through, was waiting for the delayed GC service arrival, you were the wrong way around too!!

You were probably temporarily blinded by my smile!

What's the Hertford Loop and did I do it today?

 

[GNER 373]

You were probably temporarily blinded by my smile!

You may have been blinded back by my high vis! Haha

 

[Searle]

It's a line diverging from the ECML just after Stevenage and re joins at Alexandra Palace and runs via Hertford North. It occurs within the last half an hour or so of your journey. It appears to me that you did it on your journey

 

[VauxhallandI]

It's a line diverging from the ECML just after Stevenage and re joins at Alexandra Palace and runs via Hertford North. It occurs within the last half an hour or so of your journey. It appears to me that you did it on your journey

Thanks for the link, interesting stuff. I won't have to do that funny thing with my head and eyes trying to read signs at speed in the future!

I believe my Thunderbird was 67019 and a fine job he did too.

We did sit outside Satanage for a wee while so maybe that was something about re-joining the line from the Loop?

 

[Searle]

Thanks for the link, interesting stuff. I won't have to do that funny thing with my head and eyes trying to read signs at speed in the future!

I believe my Thunderbird was 67019 and a fine job he did too.

We did sit outside Satanage for a wee while so maybe that was something about re-joining the line from the Loop?

I think there was a service from Cambridge in front of you, terminating on platform 2 (the up fast) in front of you, so you had to wait while it terminated, before you could access platform 1 and onto the HLL.

 

[westcoaster]

In simbids on the Brighton mainline its 75 mph in the wrong direction compare to 90 in the right direction,so I don't think it's that much slower, obviously it's a different route so I don't know.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

ECML simbid between Northallerton and Newcastle limit is 50mph. Some of the sections have intermediate block sections so two trains can run wrong road

 

[Aictos]

I think there was a service from Cambridge in front of you, terminating on platform 2 (the up fast) in front of you, so you had to wait while it terminated, before you could access platform 1 and onto the HLL.

You can only access the Hertford Loop from Platforms 1/4 at Stevenage, if a service terminated in Platform 2 I failed to see how it would prevent a service from getting access via Platform 1 to the Hertford Loop.

More then likely a stopping service was using Platform 1 to call before being diverted via Hertford Loop or a service not calling at Stevenage was put in front of the OP's train at Stevenage to allow it to access the Hertford Loop first.

 

[D1009]

I believe there are local signalling instructions applying to Stevenage which authorise down passenger trains to depart from platform 2 on a subsidiary signal. When a northbound movement is in platform 2, up trains normally run slow line from Hitchin.

 

[Searle]

You can only access the Hertford Loop from Platforms 1/4 at Stevenage, if a service terminated in Platform 2 I failed to see how it would prevent a service from getting access via Platform 1 to the Hertford Loop.

More then likely a stopping service was using Platform 1 to call before being diverted via Hertford Loop or a service not calling at Stevenage was put in front of the OP's train at Stevenage to allow it to access the Hertford Loop first.

When I was at Stevenage on Sunday 3rd March, all through trains were passing through on 1/4 and there was a terminating service on Platform 2. Directly to the north of the station there's a crossover from the fasts onto the slows but not vice versa, so a terminating service from Cambridge must have changed onto the fasts, probably just south of Hitchin, in front of Johngill's train, which then had to wait behind it as it terminated on Platform 2, before crossing over to Platform 1, just north of Stevenage, if that makes sense.

I remember seeing on OTT that there was a train terminating into Stevenage about ~2 minutes before Johngill's train passed through, but obviously I can't access that now.