East Coast Problems - Potters Bar 15/2

[MCR247]

I'm sat on the delayed 1017 East Coast from Grantham to London in Grantham on platform 4(!) and they've said there is signalling problems and a broken down train at Potters Bar and Hertford loop is a no-no because of a broken rail!

Does anyone have any more details, ie how long we will be delayed by?

I'm not complaining or anything, I'm in first class and I've got all, and the longer the delay the better if it means I can get more compensation out of EC

 

[Schnellzug]

So what's the excuse this time, Not Work Rail? "not enough Investment"?

 

[philjo]

Current FCC info (11am):

http://www.journeycheck.com/firstcapitalconnect/route

Line problem: at Potters Bar. Owing to signalling problems at Potters Bar all lines will be blocked.
Impact:
Train services running through this station may be cancelled or delayed by up to 30 mins at short notice. An estimate for the resumption of normal services will be provided as soon as the problem has been fully assessed.
Customer Advice:
Customers are being advised to allow an extra +30 minutes to their journey times. Network Rail & FCC apologize for any inconvenience suffered.
National Express East Anglia services are conveying passengers via any reasonable route until further notice. Arrangements have been made for First Capital Connect (GN) rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.
Underground services are conveying passengers via any reasonable route until further notice. Arrangements have been made for First Capital Connect (GN) rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.
Message Received :15/02/2012 10:50

Line problem: between Watton-At-Stone ...
Owing to safety checks being made between Watton-At-Stone and Hertford North trains have to run at reduced speed on southbound lines.
Impact:
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 20 mins or running non stop at short notice. Some stations between Stevenage and Alexandra Palace will not be served. An estimate for the resumption of normal services will be provided as soon as the problem has been fully assessed.
Customer Advice:
Customers are being advised to allow an extra +20 minutes to their journey times. Network Rail & FCC apologise for any inconvenience suffered.
National Express East Anglia services are conveying passengers via any reasonable route until further notice.
Message Received :15/02/2012 10:46

 

[Kryten2340]

From http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/today.html#current

A signalling problem at Potters Bar and safety checks being made at Hertford North are causing disruption between Stevenage and London Kings Cross / Moorgate.
Because of this, there are delays of up to 60 minutes between Stevenage and London Kings Cross. These delays will continue until further notice.

Ticket Information
Passengers may use First Captial Connect, East Coast, First Hull Trains and Grand Central services on all reasonable routes
First Capital Connect passengers may use Greater Anglia, London Underground and East Midlands Trains services on all reasonable routes
East Coast passengers may use East Midlands Trains, First TransPennine Express and Virgin Trains services on all reasonable routes

 

[khib70]

I'm sat on the delayed 1017 East Coast from Grantham to London in Grantham on platform 4(!) and they've said there is signalling problems and a broken down train at Potters Bar and Hertford loop is a no-no because of a broken rail!

Does anyone have any more details, ie how long we will be delayed by?

I'm not complaining or anything, I'm in first class and I've got all, and the longer the delay the better if it means I can get more compensation out of EC

Ahh, another of these delays that, according to another thread, don't happen on EC

 

[philjo]

EC website lists several southbound services which are now terminating at Peterborough or Grantham & likewise some northbound services are starting there.
- though the reason for these is given on EC website as a broken down train when FCC site says signalling problems at potters Bar & Saftey checks to lineside equipment at Watton.

 

[rdwarr]

What annoys me at times like this is that the Departures Board on the EastCoast website shows that all services from KGX are expected to depart on time. But clicking over to the Arrivals shows that nothing is getting in to Kings Cross so there can't possibly be any departures.

 

[philjo]

I see the 09:49 FCC service from Potters Bar to KX is now reported as arriving at potters Bar (at 11:15). Everything else for PBR says delayed or cancelled.

 

[Cletus]

Quote on the BBC cricket live text website:

Via SMS From Andrea: "Trapped on a train at Newark heading to London with a train stuck in a tunnel at Potters Bar plus points failure. Only the text commentary to keep me occupied."

 

[Kryten2340]

Looks like East Coast have cancelled all their southbound services for now other than the 10:15 Leeds to KX

09:15 Leeds to London Kings Cross due 11:28
Details:
This train has been terminated at Grantham.It will no longer call at: Stevenage and London Kings Cross.This is due to a broken down train.
Further Info:
East Coast apologise for the delay to your journey.
09:52 Aberdeen to London Kings Cross due 16:54
Details:
This train is being delayed at Montrose.This is due to a problem with line-side equipment.
Further Info:
East Coast apologise for the delay to your journey.
10:15 Leeds to London Kings Cross due 12:28
Details:
This train has been reinstated.
Further Info:
East Coast apologise for the delay to your journey.
10:25 Newcastle to London Kings Cross due 13:43
Details:
This train has been cancelled.This is due to a broken down train.
Further Info:
Please refer to Live Train Times on the East Coast web site, www.eastcoast.co.uk, or speak to a member of staff at the station to obtain options for your onward travel arrangements. East Coast apologise for the delay to your journey.
10:30 London Kings Cross to Newcastle due 13:43
Details:
This train will be started from Grantham.It will call additionally at: Grantham.It will no longer call at: London Kings Cross and Peterborough.This is due to a broken down train.
Further Info:
Please refer to Live Train Times on the East Coast web site, www.eastcoast.co.uk, or speak to a member of staff at the station to obtain options for your onward travel arrangements. East Coast apologise for the delay to your journey.
10:35 London Kings Cross to Leeds due 12:49
Details:
This train has been cancelled.This is due to a broken down train.
Further Info:
Please refer to Live Train Times on the East Coast web site, www.eastcoast.co.uk, or speak to a member of staff at the station to obtain options for your onward travel arrangements. East Coast apologise for the delay to your journey.
10:45 Leeds to London Kings Cross due 13:01
Details:
This train has been cancelled.This is due to a broken down train.
Further Info:
Please refer to Live Train Times on the East Coast web site, www.eastcoast.co.uk, or speak to a member of staff at the station to obtain options for your onward travel arrangements. East Coast apologise for the delay to your journey.
11:05 London Kings Cross to Leeds due 13:18
Details:
This train will be started from Peterborough.It will no longer call at: London Kings Cross.This is due to a broken down train.
Further Info:
Please refer to Live Train Times on the East Coast web site, www.eastcoast.co.uk, or speak to a member of staff at the station to obtain options for your onward travel arrangements. East Coast apologise for the delay to your journey.
11:30 London Kings Cross to Edinburgh due 16:17
Details:
This train will be started from Newcastle.It will no longer call at: London Kings Cross, Peterborough, Newark North Gate, Doncaster, York, Darlington and Durham.This is due to a broken down train.
Further Info:
East Coast apologise for the delay to your journey.

 

[scotsman]

Virgin accepting EC tickets

 

[ChrisTheRef]

1Y11 has damaged AWS equipment.

 

[Aictos]

Lines reopened at Watton at Stone, delays expected.

 

[ntg]

Saw an East Coast ICE train sitting between PB and Brookmans Park from the bus on the way to work...was wondering what was going on.

 

[MCR247]

Well, we are ow stuck outside Potters Bar.

So the 1017 got caped at Grantham, and all pax were told to board 1E05 which was now sat in P1 which therefore was now full and standing throughout the train, even in first, in fact especially in first. I decided to wait for the next one, after thinking about and then deciding against going back to Nottingham for an EMT to London. 1A19 was still sat in 4 and was now heading to Newcastle/York, as it seemed they couldn't make up their mind.

1E05 then left, within the next 20 minutes 2x 225 sets followed it south non-stop through Grantham (not together!) before the 1117 came in and I boarded that, and I'm still onboard it now outside Potters Bar!

We have now been overtaken by 2 317s since before Stevenage, unless it was the same one, but I don't remember us overtaking it again.

Stressful times!

 

[Schnellzug]

"East Coast apologise for the delay to your journey."

The new advertising slogan?

 

[jon0844]

What annoys me at times like this is that the Departures Board on the EastCoast website shows that all services from KGX are expected to depart on time. But clicking over to the Arrivals shows that nothing is getting in to Kings Cross so there can't possibly be any departures.

The same problem that I often moaned about with FCC, given services leaving aren't linked to any other service (coming in) so the computer can't show any delay until the time has passed... and even then, it will often just count up so you think it is leaving in 1 minute, then another minute.. all the time when there's no train there to leave. You can usually find this out with some simple checking, but most people don't do this and will get increasingly more angry.

It seems the only way to 'fix' the problem is to then remove services completely, which obviously then places a load of pressure on staff members who are now bombarded with questions from confused passengers.

As ever, it's the lack of accurate information that annoys people most - rather than the actual problem, which many people can accept (most of the time). I'd say that Twitter is probably the best place to get the accurate information these days.

 

[Schnellzug]

Would it be be excessively difficult to program the diagrams into the system, so that it would know which inward trains form which outward ones, I wonder?

 

[amcluesent]

Would it be be excessively difficult to program

Nope. The airlines manage incredibly complex code-share schemes where 4, 5, 6+ 'flights' are all the one aircraft, but manage to schedule it all.

The railways are in the dark ages of ICT, i.e. why can't I reserve a seat using an app?

 

[jon0844]

If services were linked, there would presumably need to be an easy way to de-link them (say a train breaks down and is replaced with another unit) but it should hardly be too difficult.

It would offer a massive improvement for people who can be misled into believing a train is on time, then be constantly told it is due shortly - until such time that it may well be officially cancelled and disappear!

 

[amcluesent]

until such time that it may well be officially cancelled and disappear!

The worst example I ever experienced of this was at KGX where they showed the EC 23:30 as being ontime with a goodly number of pax waiting. Just as the 23:22 FCC service pulled out, quite literally leaving the platform, it flipped to 'Cancelled'. Needless to say, PBO pax were not best pleased and gave the staff some 'verbals'. I remain convinced it was done on purpose by the Fat Controller to get his jollies.

 

[dk1]

Quick scan of arrivals showing services almost back to normal. Most delays now under 15 minutes.

 

[knight2004]

barely a day or week goes by without east coast problems huh? I feel sorry for those commuting with either ec or fcc

 

[jon0844]

I do seem to get almost daily text alerts of problems, mainly in the morning though and usually down to signalling problems (it has been ages since it was overhead wire related). I am quite glad I am not commuting now! (don't ask why I still get text alerts!)

Sent from my Commodore 64 using Tapatalk

 

[Class377/5]

Broken rail at Hertford, failed train at Potters Bar and points failure at Peterbough. Bad morning by all accounts.

Good job I didn't have to train it in today!

 

[amcluesent]

Glad I'm WfH as part of a trial of WfH during the Olympics, avoiding travel into KGX

 

[Schnellzug]

Does the DfT or TfL encourage you to WfH?

 

[tsr]

Does the DfT or TfL encourage you to WfH?

I wonder if the people who control the DLR could work from home...?

 

[philjo]

A few more delays last night - but only about 20 minutes or so for some services.
Around 5pm most northbound trains were switching to the slow line at Potters Bar. I saw the GC HST going through platform 4 very slowly.
I think there was a signalling problem at Hatfield though this was not being announced on the station - it was only saying there was a broken down train at Drayton park - causing all the WGC stoppers to be running up to 30 mins late & also being held outside potters Bar to let the fast services go onto the slow line.

A bit later while waiting for a Cambridge service at WGC, terminating 313s were blocking both platforms 3&4. After the train in Platform 4 left to go back to London the EC HST to Hull came crawling through platform 4 as 3 was still occupied. Not seen an EC service in platform 4 at WGC before!

 

[jon0844]

I got a text alert to say there were problems near Hatfield yesterday.