ECML disruption (08/07) inc. points failure at Doncaster & failed train near Huntingdon

[Kumquat]

And I've now been stuck on the main line southbound, north of Huntingdon, for nearly two hours. A fitter was due to arrive half an hour ago to fix the brakes of the train in front, but there must be a giant backlog of trains by now. Hardly seen any trains go north in the last hour - knock-on effects already?

The staff are very nice but know nothing further. They've given out free wee bottles of water and packs of biscuits, but still charging for everything else.

Every now and then there's a motor noise which sounds promising but I think it's just the air conditioning.

The conductor said he was looking online for more info, so I figure you lot are the place to ask!

 

[yorkie]

Anyone else caught up in the disruption from KGX this evening?

I am supposed to be on the 2100 from KGX; anyone got any updates?

 

[37201xoIM]

More fun on the ECML this evening as an Azuma has 'conked out' between Peterborough and Huntingdon....

Peterborough-Huntingdon ECML

Ah great. Anybody know which train this was? I was at KGX at about 18:30 and very little was going north (well, even less going south......) so I presume this train has been immovable for some time?

I thought that with nice Mr Baker's donkey engines the 80x were never supposed to fail and block the line...

I'd be keen for any gen as to what's happened to it.

Meanwhile I've taken refuge on a Pendo to get home to Yorkshire and am currently crawling at no great speed towards Bushey... which RTT seems to suggest virtually every down train is doing for some reason...

Edit: Reading others' subsequent posts I think I should be grateful!

 

[RobertsN]

Without wanting to deviate too much from the thread, is there any particular reason that from Connington all the way to Huntingdon it is only 3-tracked? I had a scan on Google maps and it certainly appears it was (mostly or all) 4-tracked previously (e.g. bridges, etc.). Given the amount of traffic on this section of the ECML I would have thought any of the ECML modernization/upgrade projects would have 4-tracked that section.
[Edit]: Except for the not too long section Connington south to Woodwalton.

 

[voyagerdude220]

I've taken refuge on a Pendo to get home to Yorkshire and am currently crawling at no great speed towards Bushey... which RTT seems to suggest virtually every down train is doing for some reason...

Edit: Reading others' subsequent posts I think I should be grateful!

Possibly caused by 9G38 18:16 London Euston to Wolverhampton having door issues at Watford Junction, it was stopped for around 20 minutes.

 

[Purple Train]

I thought that with nice Mr Baker's donkey engines the 80x were never supposed to fail and block the line...

Not much use if the brakes can't be released, as Kumquat says!

 

[TreacleMiller]

Anyone else caught up in the disruption from KGX this evening?

I am supposed to be on the 2100 from KGX; anyone got any updates?

You can expect significant cancelations, certainly my working has been already and staff from the north will be significantly displaced.

 

[Kumquat]

Ah great. Anybody know which train this was? I was at KGX at about 18:30 and very little was going north (well, even less going south......) so I presume this train has been immovable for some time?

I thought that with nice Mr Baker's donkey engines the 80x were never supposed to fail and block the line...

I'd be keen for any gen as to what's happened to it.

Meanwhile I've taken refuge on a Pendo to get home to Yorkshire and am currently crawling at no great speed towards Bushey... which RTT seems to suggest virtually every down train is doing for some reason...

Edit: Reading others' subsequent posts I think I should be grateful!

I'm on the 16:05 Hull Train from Doncaster which was due at KX at 17.44. And we're still north of Huntingdon where we've been since about 17.15 - we moved for about a minute at 17.30.

For the first hour there were northbound trains whooshing by every few minutes, but only one since then. There's 3 tracks at this point, so something else must be going on apart from the train with failed brakes, or trains would be going past us?

 

[Hadders]

I’m on the 1700 from EDB to SVG. Currently Sat north of York, been told to expect a significant delay.

 

[endofthetunnel]

Route had been released, track circuit still showing occupied, but signal can be passed at danger, things **should** be moving immenently.

Signals to be passed at danger been discussed with signaller now but even ignoring massive backlog of trains that invisibly causes delays.

Your updates in here seem to have been posted here as quickly as I was sending them out from Doncaster

 

[Stampy]

Ah great. Anybody know which train this was? I was at KGX at about 18:30 and very little was going north (well, even less going south......) so I presume this train has been immovable for some time?

It's the 1A37 1515 Leeds to London Kings Cross that has broken down. (Currently showing as 167 mins late)

Looks like trains from the North are "turning around" at Peterborough and forming services to the North.

And nothing heading Northbound towards Peterborough from Hitchin (at least) - so I presume, they're trying to free the (currently FIVE) trapped services..

 

[liamf656]

For the first hour there were northbound trains whooshing by every few minutes, but only one since then. There's 3 tracks at this point, so something else must be going on apart from the train with failed brakes, or trains would be going past us?

1A37 has reported dragging brakes. I'd assume the reason there are less trains heading north is because they're all stuck behind 1A37 on their inbound workings

 

[Kumquat]

It's the 1A37 1515 Leeds to London Kings Cross that has broken down. (Currently showing as 167 mins late)

Looks like trains from the North are "turning around" at Peterborough and forming services to the North.

And nothing heading Northbound towards Peterborough from Hitchin (at least) - so I presume, they're trying to free the (currently FIVE) trapped services..

Joy. I think I'm in the one just behind that. 1A37 seemed to pass one signal ten minutes ago, but no further.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Jul 2024 ==

1A37 has reported dragging brakes. I'd assume the reason there are less trains heading north is because they're all stuck behind 1A37 on their inbound workings

Can't it 'drag' its brakes as far as Huntingdon so everyone else can go round it?

EDIT: apparently it is now heading to Huntingdon at 5mph...

 

[ainsworth74]

I’m on the 1700 from EDB to SVG. Currently Sat north of York, been told to expect a significant delay.

Ah yes they appear to be stacking you up at Skelton Junction so the southbound services don't clog up the station. I suspect you'll all be stuck there until 1E22 (the 1600 from Edinburgh) departs York...

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

It did move forward one section but now stopped again.

Again its pretty poor they can't use wrong line working and its about time the industry had a task force to regenerate the skill base it once had to work around such issues. In this case they have the crossovers and to use the Dn Fast whilst other Down traffic could have used the Down Slow.

 

[37201xoIM]

1A37 has reported dragging brakes. I'd assume the reason there are less trains heading north is because they're all stuck behind 1A37 on their inbound workings

Ah, thanks for the info. But I thought the ECML has SIMBIDS - what am I missing in terms of why nothing ran bang road to pass the failed train?

Without wanting to deviate too much from the thread, is there any particular reason that from Connington all the way to Huntingdon it is only 3-tracked? I had a scan on Google maps and it certainly appears it was (mostly or all) 4-tracked previously (e.g. bridges, etc.). Given the amount of traffic on this section of the ECML I would have thought any of the ECML modernization/upgrade projects would have 4-tracked that section.
[Edit]: Except for the not too long section Connington south to Woodwalton.

Yep, it was supposed to be 4-tracked in the last control period (or was it the one before that?!), but it was descoped as the money ran out so we persuaded ourselves we didn't really need it...

 

[Trainguy34]

Anyone else caught up in the disruption from KGX this evening?

I am supposed to be on the 2100 from KGX; anyone got any updates?

Extremely unlikely to run on time considering it's due into KGX as I speak (1E21), however had been kept in Retford Platform 1 since 6:30

 

[37201xoIM]

Not much use if the brakes can't be released, as Kumquat says!

Fair point, well made!! It would seem that the rewriting of the laws of physics that gave rise to the IEP spec sadly did not cover braking systems...

 

[ainsworth74]

Ah, thanks for the info. But I thought the ECML has SIMBIDS - what am I missing in terms of why nothing ran bang road to pass the failed train?

I don't believe the ECML has SIMBIDS everywhere, and if you don't have it...

 

[zwk500]

Ah, thanks for the info. But I thought the ECML has SIMBIDS - what am I missing in terms of why nothing ran bang road to pass the failed train?

Only SIMBIDS on ECML is North of Northallerton. The section between Peterborough and Huntingdon has no signalled reversible running.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

I like the way the offending train 1515 Leeds to KX doesn't even show up in the LNER travel alerts

https://www.lner.co.uk/travel-information/travelling-now/travel-alerts/

 

[Kumquat]

What's SIMBIDs for us laymen?

https://signalmaps.co.uk/#huntingdon:1990 shows 1A37 has got through Huntingdon, but 1A95 still isn't moving.

 

[ainsworth74]

What's SIMBIDs for us laymen?

Simplified Bi-Directional Signalling - It allows you to operate bi-directionally (so a northbound track can be used by southbound trains) but in a simplified fashion (so its cheaper to install) which typically means considerably reduced capacity compared to normal and at a reduced speed. But, compared to just being stuck, is still a considerable improvement.

 

[Quebec]

1B89 just left Peterborough on the March line. Scenic route via Cambridge?

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

1A37 now on Up Slow travelling very slowly going to be long journey to somewhere for those passengers.

Following trains still being held is an inspection now required of the track?

 

[ainsworth74]

I am supposed to be on the 2100 from KGX; anyone got any updates?

Well it's now reporting 2114 but that seems heroic as the inbound isn't due until 2111. I think they'll run it (it's the first to run since the 1900 left at 1930) but I bet it's going to be significantlly delayed from Kings Cross unless there's a unit (and crew) they can pinch from somewhere

 

[gabrielhj07]

Looks like 1A95 is on the move now. Dare I ask what 1E17 could be doing in the Connington Loop?

 

[ainsworth74]

1A37 now on Up Slow travelling very slowly going to be long journey to somewhere for those passengers.

Believe it's terminating at Huntingdon.

 

[AndyPJG]

It's the 1A37 1515 Leeds to London Kings Cross that has broken down. (Currently showing as 167 mins late)

Looks like trains from the North are "turning around" at Peterborough and forming services to the North.

And nothing heading Northbound towards Peterborough from Hitchin (at least) - so I presume, they're trying to free the (currently FIVE) trapped services..

now at Huntingdon +192. Edit RTT "This service was cancelled between Huntingdon and London Kings Cross due to a problem with the brakes (MN)."

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Believe it's terminating at Huntingdon.

Argh Thameslink forward then presumably for those passengers if they can get it out the way