ECML disruption: Darlington - Edinburgh due to various issues(10/08)

[800001]

LNER stating they have disruption as no route between Berwick and Darlington, due to over running engineering works between Berwick and Newcastle, and due to urgent bridge repairs between Newcastle and Darlington.

Does anyone have any info on which bridge suddenly requires urgent repairs.

Travel Alerts for your Train Journey | LNER

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www.lner.co.uk

All lines are blocked between Darlington and Newcastle due to urgent repairs to a bridge. All lines are blocked between Newcastle and Berwick-Upon-Tweed due to engineering works not being finished on time. Services running through these stations may be delayed or cancelled at short notice. Disruption is expected until 12:00.

You can use your existing tickets on the following services at no extra cost:

• CrossCountry between Sheffield, Doncaster, Leeds, and York
• East Midlands Railway between London St Pancras, Leicester and Sheffield
• Greater Anglia between Cambridge and Peterborough
• Great Northern and Thameslink between Kings Cross and Stevenage, Peterborough

 

[Class15]

Based on signalling maps it looks like it could be Plawsworth Viaduct.

 

[800001]

And now NR tweeting a signal fault at Reston preventing trains running between Edinburgh and Berwick.
So basically Edinburgh to Darlington is not running.

https://x.com/networkrailscot/status/1954468024376791277?s=46&t=JLp3J2Up_Gl_m9cQz-au6w

We’re responding to a signalling fault near Reston on the East Coast Main Line (between Edinburgh Waverley and Berwick-upon-Tweed. The problem is preventing services from running in either direction.

 

[Intercity_225]

1S05 and 1Y16 both diverted via the coast. I wouldn't be surprised if 1S08 is routed that way aswell.

Realtime Trains | 1Y16 0755 Newcastle to London Kings Cross | 10/08/2025

Real-time train running information for 1Y16 0755 departure from Newcastle to London Kings Cross on 10/08/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 1S05 0830 Leeds to Edinburgh | 10/08/2025

Real-time train running information for 1S05 0830 departure from Leeds to Edinburgh on 10/08/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[800001]

1S05 and 1Y16 both diverted via the coast. I wouldn't be surprised if 1S08 is routed that way aswell.

Realtime Trains | 1Y16 0755 Newcastle to London Kings Cross | 10/08/2025

Real-time train running information for 1Y16 0755 departure from Newcastle to London Kings Cross on 10/08/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 1S05 0830 Leeds to Edinburgh | 10/08/2025

Real-time train running information for 1S05 0830 departure from Leeds to Edinburgh on 10/08/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

1S08 terminating York.

 

[Intercity_225]

1S08 terminating York.

Ah, thanks for the update

 

[Sakuradori]

Does anyone have any info on which bridge suddenly requires urgent repairs.

Believe it's the Hermitage Overline Bridge ECM5-217

 

[GuyGibsonVC]

LNER stating they have disruption as no route between Berwick and Darlington, due to over running engineering works between Berwick and Newcastle, and due to urgent bridge repairs between Newcastle and Darlington.

Does anyone have any info on which bridge suddenly requires urgent repairs.

It is the road bridge just north of Chester Moor Viaduct.

Combined that with with the overrunning rerailing at Berwick, a points failure at Grantshouses and it is looking at little bit shabby in the North this morning.

 

[realemil]

LNER have now posted a do not travel message for the entire network

https://x.com/LNER/status/1954480135005941946?t=eWAhY26D86_MicSSXgBw8Q&s=19

We are advising customers DO NOT TRAVEL today between #LondonKingsCross and #Edinburgh.

For the latest updates visit: https://lner.co.uk/travel-information/travel-updates/

Tickets dated for today can be used on another LNER service, up to and including Tuesday 12 August 2025.

 

[800Travel]

Anyone have a photo of the damaged bridge that was struck? Sounds quite severe! Thanks

 

[ainsworth74]

Oh goody, I'd love to defer my travel but don't really have an option to at the moment

 

[Tram203]

What advice is being given to, or alternative travel arrangements made for, passengers who have already started their journeys?

 

[yorkie]

What advice is being given to, or alternative travel arrangements made for, passengers who have already started their journeys?

If you need to travel, then you need to travel, but the more people who can defer their journeys, the more capacity is available for those who can't.

Where are you/they travelling from/to and when?

I'm going to be at King's Cross in about 4-5 hours time so I will see what's running at that point. It may be a case of travelling via Manchester or Sheffield, but I'm hoping there will be enough trains running on the ECML by then to avoid that.

 

[800001]

What advice is being given to, or alternative travel arrangements made for, passengers who have already started their journeys?

Attempting busses for the shut parts

 

[harz99]

There don't appear to be any trains running north beyond Northallerton to Darlington despite what NR are intimating in their posts. LNER appear to be running sporadically York to Kings Cross, Cross Country similarly York to points south, Transpennine services running to/from Redcar and nothing north to Darlington or beyond. So apart from the odd LNER able to run via Durham Coast, GC with a change at Sunderland, or TPEX with a change at Thornaby, getting to Newcastle or beyond is RRB if available.

 

[sigma421]

Attempting to get from Leeds to Dundee. To be honest, if I’d known about the problems in Scotland before getting on a rail replacement bus from York to Newcastle, I’d have probably gone back to Leeds and resolved to try again tomorrow. Buses at York were pretty well managed but very unsure about what I’m going to find at Newcastle.

 

[bravesirrobin]

I’m travelling Brighton to Edinburgh today. Was booked on the 1300 from Kings X which is cancelled, so hoping to get the 1400 instead.

 

[800001]

Looking on signal maps, up main possibly reopened at Chester le Street?
And T3 removed from signal berths.

Edit Lumo 1S91 is now approaching Durham heading north, so looks like Darlington to Newcastle section is now reopen.

Further edit looks like single line working on the up main. From Durham to Ouston Crossovers.

 

[GuyGibsonVC]

Anyone have a photo of the damaged bridge that was struck? Sounds quite severe! Thanks

I've seen a few - It is falling concrete from underneath the bridge. There was work with scaffolding and some other bits of concrete were a bit precarious, so further checks needed. Also additional checks on the track and OLE to see if the bits that did fall caused any damage. Looks like the they will be looking to run SIMBIDS (Simplified Bi-Directional Signalling) on one road if they can.

Overrunning works at Berwick were handed back at around 1020 and they are looking to clamp the points at Grantshouses if they can't get them fixed.

 

[NorthOxonian]

There don't appear to be any trains running north beyond Northallerton to Darlington despite what NR are intimating in their posts. LNER appear to be running sporadically York to Kings Cross, Cross Country similarly York to points south, Transpennine services running to/from Redcar and nothing north to Darlington or beyond. So apart from the odd LNER able to run via Durham Coast, GC with a change at Sunderland, or TPEX with a change at Thornaby, getting to Newcastle or beyond is RRB if available.

Also GC very pointedly weren't doing ticket acceptance on the service I was on earlier (I had initially planned to go Newcastle - Darlington - Hawes (bus) - Leeds but when I arrived at Newcastle to see everything cancelled bought a cheap advance down the Durham Coast and a GC ticket to Northallerton; this was before the Do Not Travel but I was/am on TPE anyhow).

On the other hand Northern allowed anyone on with a vaguely sensible ticket - even things like someone with a Newcastle to Scarborough advance travelling to Whitby and changing for a bus.

 

[800001]

Also GC very pointedly weren't doing ticket acceptance on the service I was on earlier (I had initially planned to go Newcastle - Darlington - Hawes (bus) - Leeds but when I arrived at Newcastle to see everything cancelled bought a cheap advance down the Durham Coast and a GC ticket to Northallerton; this was before the Do Not Travel but I was/am on TPE anyhow). On the other hand Northern allowed anyone on with a vaguely sensible ticket - even things like someone with a Newcastle to Scarborough advance travelling to Whitby and changing for a bus.

Such conflicting information being tweeted by lner. Tweet attached below with images of tweet.

Telling customers Avanti were accepting tickets, then telling the next tweeter that they were not. This is when people were already on a northern service from Newcastle to Carlisle.

https://x.com/lenastweets/status/1954482447128961127?s=46&t=JLp3J2Up_Gl_m9cQz-au6w

 

[Segedunum]

1N09 0922 Kings Cross-Newcastle has successfully run wrong-line through the Chester-le-Street area and isn't far off Newcastle.

 

[transportphoto]

Such conflicting information being tweeted by lner. Tweet attached below with images of tweet.

Telling customers Avanti were accepting tickets, then telling the next tweeter that they were not. This is when people were already on a northern service from Newcastle to Carlisle.

I believe Avanti withdrew acceptance circa 11:00.

 

[800001]

I believe Avanti withdrew acceptance circa 11:00.

Either way, the tweeters sit next to the people who arrange ticket acceptance.

It really is not hard to get the correct information out to people.

 

[Haywain]

Telling customers Avanti were accepting tickets, then telling the next tweeter that they were not.

And acknowledging that the tweet saying acceptance was in place was an error.

 

[Tram203]

All of this are we or aren't we accepting this ticket or that ticket really does stink of bureaucratic crap on the part of the railway.

Just. Get. People. Moving.

 

[800001]

All of this are we or aren't we accepting this ticket or that ticket really does stink of bureaucratic crap on the part of the railway.

Just. Get. People. Moving.

Especially when the tickets money ultimately ends up in the same place! (Excluding open access).

 

[sigma421]

Made it to Newcastle, 3 hours after leaving York on a bus. It’s a mess here. No information beyond the automated announcements, which aren’t that helpful as several trains have been terminated after reaching Newcastle. No sign of buses north and nobody sharing general information (the info boards are talking about bank holiday blockades)

 

[800001]

Made it to Newcastle, 3 hours after leaving York on a bus. It’s a mess here. No information beyond the automated announcements, which aren’t that helpful as several trains have been terminated after reaching Newcastle. No sign of buses north and nobody sharing general information (the info boards are talking about bank holiday blockades)

I can see 5 departures to Edinburgh in the next 30 minutes, all displayed on the CIS screens?
Unless it is those that have/are terminated?

 

[sigma421]

I can see 5 departures to Edinburgh in the next 30 minutes, all displayed on the CIS screens?
Unless it is those that have/are terminated?

Last one to make it here was on the screen until it fell off. I more just meant people standing around on platforms without any overall input on the situation a likely next steps.