East Coast

[trainfanatic]

The EC website again today has a litany of train/signalling/operating incidents etc causing delay and cancellation to numerous services.

You can usually find similar instances most days, and the problems just don't seem to be getting any better.

Surely in this day and age the technology (and spare parts) exist to permit (almost) trouble free running.

I must admit that even I now am getting very reluctant to travel on the ECML but have no options as there is no alternative.

Passengers who use EC services must be getting fed up to the back teeth with these delays and although caught in a situation where there few alternative choices must be diverting their thoughts to other means of getting to their desinations on time.

Exactly what is causing all these problems and how can they be resolved?

 

[amcluesent]

Yep. On the 17:19 out of KGX and it's been at walking pace pretty much since we left. Plus the wifi is as much use as a chocolate teapot.

 

[Marton]

Passengers who use EC services must be getting fed up to the back teeth with these delays and although caught in a situation where there few alternative choices must be diverting their thoughts to other means of getting to their desinations on time.

I think that is a bit OTT. I use the ECML most weeks and it is usually OK, but there seem to be 3 main problems:

1. The wind
2. Overhead wires coming down when there isn't wind
3. York to Doncaster - seems to be frequent signal failure or emergency engineering work

We all know about 1 and 2, but what is the problem south of York?

One other question, why are the HSTs now more frequent on the NE/Edinburgh services?

They are noisy and can be cold when, as seems normal, the door windows are left open
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... the wifi is as much use as a chocolate teapot.

Nothing new there then?

 

[DaveNewcastle]

I think that is a bit OTT. I use the ECML most weeks and it is usually OK, . . . . .

I agree.

I can only recall being affected by one serious delay in the past few months, and that was months ago now. I've had one tight connection and one rush to a meeting, but nothing approaching "there [sic] few alternative choices must be diverting their thoughts to other means of getting to their desinations on time".

All I can agree with is that I share your wish for some of the 'emergency engineering works' to be dealt with on a more strategic and preventative manner, but as some of those works are in response to cable thefts and some to land and drainage issues, then they're likely to remain matters for ad hoc response.

 

[LexyBoy]

2. Overhead wires coming down when there isn't wind

Is it held up with kites? I know it was done on the cheap, but still...

 

[Marton]

Is it held up with kites? I know it was done on the cheap, but still...

That's what i have been told happens - one line has a problem and all the others are out of action because the 2, 3 or 4 lines share the same suspension cross wire.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Well number 3... York Doncaster often sees vandalism and cable theft so that could explain that.

 

[amcluesent]

All gone pear-shaped this afternoon, now stuck northbound between Huntingdon and Peterbourough. Seemingly alternate passing of a broken down train, so both directions are disrupted. The class 66 sent from PBO his having probems dragging the broken train...

Update just on the bridge south of PBO waiting for a platform, didnt pass any train so must have been dragged away. 60 mins down...

 

[trainfanatic]

Keep us posted Amcluesent....my Missus is on her way from Dundee to Grantham so maybe she will miss it....


But, see what I mean about the ECML? Problems somewhere just about evert day...

 

[LE Greys]

Well number 3... York Doncaster often sees vandalism and cable theft so that could explain that.

It was York-Darlington last night, I was stuck there for three hours, alongside 30 oil tankers hauled by a 60. Probably cable theft once again.
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One other question, why are the HSTs now more frequent on the NE/Edinburgh services?

They are noisy and can be cold when, as seems normal, the door windows are left open

Anything going to/from Aberdeen or Inverness requires one and they are officially based at Craigentinny. They also aren't half as noisy as they once were, unfortunately.

 

[wensley]

It was York-Darlington last night, I was stuck there for three hours, alongside 30 oil tankers hauled by a 60. Probably cable theft once again.
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Anything going to/from Aberdeen or Inverness requires one and they are officially based at Craigentinny. They also aren't half as noisy as they once were, unfortunately.

Last night's incident was a complete loss of signalling at Tollerton/Skelton. I'm informed all aspects went out, signals showing no light at all! T'was indeed chaos

Failure of 1S15 KGX-INV causing chaos this afternoon, said train was at a stand south of Peterborough for over 190mins, on hte move at Darlington 204L after 1Z99 assisted forward, loco came from Doncaster

 

[amcluesent]

Two incidents of peeps hit by trains today (23rd Feb) on ECML, huge disruption in Grantham tonight, not so bad at Morpeth this morning

 

[Aictos]

Two incidents of peeps hit by trains today (23rd Feb) on ECML, huge disruption in Grantham tonight, not so bad at Morpeth this morning

Wasn't helped by a East Coast being given priority between Newark Northgate and Grantham over the Doncaster Thunderbird going to assist the troubled East Coast at Grantham but I guess the powers to be had their reasons....

I thought only two trains had priority over all other services, Thunderbirds and the Royal Train?

 

[tsr]

I thought only two trains had priority over all other services, Thunderbirds and the Royal Train?

Officially, perhaps.

However, any train that is visibly empty (or nearly empty) will always overtake a train that is full to the brim, and yet, despite this train being nearly empty, it will not have picked up any passengers at any station that the full train calls at. A practical example would be a Gatwick Express train, which will invariably overtake any other Southern train in the event of Brighton Main Line disruption.

 

[Aictos]

That just seems petty though, surely a stopping order could be used on the nearly empty train to act as a crowd buster to assist the full and standing service?

 

[OxtedL]

When things get really bad, they stop the GatExs at Clapham and/or Croydon.

 

[tsr]

That just seems petty though, surely a stopping order could be used on the nearly empty train to act as a crowd buster to assist the full and standing service?

I was being a bit sarcastic (my fault if it didn't seem that way!). You are, of course, right, as often the less-well-used services are stopped at key locations where they might not normally call.
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When things get really bad, they stop the GatExs at Clapham and/or Croydon.

I've also known them to stop at Redhill - once or twice - which is majorly convenient for me. You are 100% correct. I believe the last time this happened was during the recent Balcombe Tunnel overrunning engineering works disaster. Someone correct me if it's happened since then!

 

[OxtedL]

I think I've seen a GatEx (maybe it was just a 442, this wasn't that recent) through Norwood from the Crystal Palace direction before, which would have been useful to me at the time... :roll:

Anway...
Interestingly, as a result of the Grantham incident, Nottingham to Skegness services are not stopping at Grantham and are cashing in about 20 minutes early arrival at the next station as a result...