Emergency exit handle activated, ECML, 4/11

[mm333]

I’m on 1456 GC Kings Cross to Bradford Interchange and we’ve been sat at New Barnet for 80 minutes.

National Rail says: “An emergency exit handle has been activated on a train. As a result, the train can't be moved until the cause of the issue is investigated, and any affected doors have been closed correctly.”

Some LNER and Thameslink services have diverted via the Hertford Loop.

 

[DR18037]

I believe its 1D18 inside Welwyn South Tunnel (Near to Welwyn North) and 1E84 has come to a stand as from what I've heard some people have detrained themselves onto the live Up Line.

A few trains I saw passing the incident site before but then the Lumo has since come to a stand nearby too so a total closure.

 

[enginedin]

I'm on the Aberdeen - Kings Cross and we've been told we're stopped because of a trespass incident, some services are being allowed to divert via the Hertford branch (kudos for the train manager for all the info)

 

[embers25]

Inverness to London is in the tunnel and they have just been told they will reverse to Knebworth at least but there are 2 trains behind

 

[mm333]

That’ll explain why the GC staff member on board was talking about trespassers.

They’ve opened the doors as we’re on the down fast platform at New Barnet so people can stretch their legs.

Update: At 1641 we’re now moving north. The 1627 GC to Bradford won’t be that far behind us now.

 

[800001]

I believe its 1D18 inside Welwyn South Tunnel (Near to Welwyn North) and 1E84 has come to a stand as from what I've heard some people have detrained themselves onto the live Up Line.

A few trains I saw passing the incident site before but then the Lumo has since come to a stand nearby too so a total closure.

1D18 was stopped due to the GSMR Call and moved off over 15 minutes ago.

Looks to be on either GTR 9S32 or Lumo 1E84.

LNER 1E13 is doing a reverse back to Stevenage then no doubt south via Hertford.

LNER initially tweeted delays due to medical situation on a train, but Lumo saying trespassers.

Edit 1643 Lumo 1E84 has now moved south.

 

[DR18037]

The above messages all add up then so it was 'Cord' pull, then pax detrained themselves causing a line block. Given the recent events on the ECML I'm sure it would be reasonable for someone to be skeptical. But if its truly serious then info will be released

 

[enginedin]

A northbound LNER Azuma has just gone past - I can't work out which one it is, but at least stuff is moving

 

[DR18037]

1D18 was stopped due to the GSMR Call and moved off over 15 minutes ago.

Looks to be on either GTR 9S32 or Lumo 1E84.

LNER 1E13 is doing a reverse back to Stevenage then no doubt south via Hertford.

LNER initially tweeted delays due to medical situation on a train, but Lumo staying trespassers.

Edit 1643 Lumo 1E84 has now moved south.

When I first saw the tweet from NRE it looked to be 1D18 which at my last check had been stodd for over an hour. so if I'm wrong I apologise but I saw I think a 1A13? Going south before the current stopped Lumo.

 

[357]

Apparently a man with mental health issues was running up and down the viaduct.

 

[DR18037]

Well it cant be too serious thats the main thing, all the in question services (1E84, 1D18, 9S32) look to be moving on the maps

Apologies this isnt in relation to 357s post I was typing at the time they posted

 

[enginedin]

A northbound LNER Azuma has just gone past - I can't work out which one it is, but at least stuff is moving

ooh, it was almost certainly 1D20 1533 London Kings Cross to Harrogate; 9S36 1414 Brighton to Cambridge has also just gone past. Looks like they both got diverted. Our train manager has said there's limited capacity on the diversion.

Another LNER has just pulled up alongside us (I don't know the jargon about up/down lines), but we've literally just started moving south again

 

[Julia]

Everything appears to be moving but Traksy is showing 1E13 on the down slow at Knebworth. I assume it can reverse at Langley Jct. rather than going north of Stevenage and reversing on the down fast, although that looks like it's going to be a long wait for a number of down trains coming off the loop.

 

[800001]

Everything appears to be moving but Traksy is showing 1E13 on the down slow at Knebworth. I assume it can reverse at Langley Jct. rather than going north of Stevenage and reversing on the down fast, although that looks like it's going to be a long wait for a number of down trains coming off the loop.

I think 1E13 will go into Stevenage and then divert via Hertford, easiest option now.

Edit 1733 - 1E13 now back in Stevenage station, and has proceeds aspect to depart south via Hertford Loop.

 

[mm333]

I like that the train manager on my service is announcing the new ETAs by reading them off RTT

 

[800001]

I like that the train manager on my service is announcing the new ETAs by reading them off RTT

Can you see that?

Or they are just using the staff app they have on the phone

 

[mm333]

Can you see that?

Or they are just using the staff app they have on the phone

The last three times they’ve announced them, each of the 8 station times given has matched the current estimated departure time on RTT (except for our destination Bradford Interchange where it’s the estimated arrival time).

If GC has a staff app, I’d be amazed if it exactly matched all 24 times given it will probably be using a different estimation algorithm.

 

[Hadders]

I’m caught up in this trying to get home to Stevenage.

Next to nothing departing Kings Cross. All the GTR peak extras have been cancelled. 17:33 LNER cancelled.

The 12-car 17:46 from St Pancras to Peterborough did operate and I failed to board it because it was so busy. First time ever that I’ve failed to get on a class 700, trust me I’ve travelled on some busy ones! It took 8 minutes to get the doors closed at STP it was so packed.

I’ve initiated my own emergency procedure and decamped to a quiet coffee shop nearby to wait for things to calm down.

 

[James90012]

The next hour looks particularly bad with nothing inbound into Kings Cross to form any GN services...

 

[Hadders]

The next hour looks particularly bad with nothing inbound into Kings Cross to form any GN services...

It looks like some Cambridge stoppers are running - they will be horrribly packed.

Break glass for emergency will be to go to Moorgate for a Hertford loop service but hopefully it won’t come to that.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Nov 2025 ==

Just seen @David Horne in his LNER fleece on the concourse at Kings Cross. Good to see him assisting.

 

[TUC]

That’ll explain why the GC staff member on board was talking about trespassers.

They’ve opened the doors as we’re on the down fast platform at New Barnet so people can stretch their legs.

Update: At 1641 we’re now moving north. The 1627 GC to Bradford won’t be that far behind us now.

It's now gone from being 51 minutes late moving on from New Barnet to 141 minutes late at Doncaster. Even allowing for congestion, that is a significant amount of further deterioration.

 

[Hadders]

On the 19:06 LNER service and the guard has just made an announcement that tickets marked Thameslink and Great Northern only are not valid.

Given how packed the train is there is no chance of a ticket check anyway.

Unbelievable really, given the major disruption. The focus should just be on getting passengers to their destination.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Nov 2025 ==

Just to emphasise the level of disruption, the last seven GTR trains between Kings Cross and Stevenage have been cancelled.

Only one Thameslink train has operated via the core towards Stevenage in the last hour, from what I can see.

 

[800001]

On the 19:06 LNER service and the guard has just made an announcement that tickets marked Thameslink and Great Northern only are not valid.

Given how packed the train is there is no chance of a ticket check anyway.

Unbelievable really, given the major disruption. The focus should just be on getting passengers to their destination.

Yet LNER are saying there customers are allowed to travel on GTR and Thameslink. Image taken from website attached.

Also attached is a tweet from Thameslink, albeit it 3 hours ago.

Travel Alerts for your Train Journey | LNER

Stay updated with the latest LNER train information and sign up for travel alerts here.

www.lner.co.uk

https://x.com/tlrailuk/status/1985731474289729755?s=46&t=JLp3J2Up_Gl_m9cQz-au6w

 

[mm333]

It's now gone from being 51 minutes late moving on from New Barnet to 141 minutes late at Doncaster. Even allowing for congestion, that is a significant amount of further deterioration.

I don’t know where RTT got its 51 minutes from as we didn’t leave until 1641, so we were 97 minutes down departing New Barnet.

This 1456 is being terminated at Wakefield Kirkgate… hang on, it’s just been announced that we are now heading through to Bradford Interchange after all. The 1627 from Kings Cross is about 30 minutes behind us, but as we’re going via Pontefract and the 1627 doesn’t, we would have only had to wait about 10 minutes at Kirkgate for the train behind.

 

[Segedunum]

On the 19:06 LNER service and the guard has just made an announcement that tickets marked Thameslink and Great Northern only are not valid.

Given how packed the train is there is no chance of a ticket check anyway.

Unbelievable really, given the major disruption. The focus should just be on getting passengers to their destination.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Nov 2025 ==

Just to emphasise the level of disruption, the last seven GTR trains between Kings Cross and Stevenage have been cancelled.

Only one Thameslink train has operated via the core towards Stevenage in the last hour, from what I can see.

As per the National Rail page, there is ticket acceptance for GTR passengers:

Alternative journey options:

You can use your ticket to travel at no extra cost on the following:

North of London:

• Alternative Thameslink trains on any reasonable route towards your destination (please note there are no connecting replacement buses between the Bedford route and the Peterborough or Cambridge routes)
• LNER services between London Kings Cross, Stevenage and Peterborough
• Greater Anglia services between:
  • London Liverpool Street and Cambridge
  • Cambridge and Ely
  • Ely and Peterborough
• CrossCountry services between Cambridge, Ely and Peterborough

 

[Hadders]

Yet LNER are saying there customers are allowed to travel on GTR and Thameslink. Image taken from website attached

That’s good to know, but that’s not what was said on the train I’m on.

 

[800001]

That’s good to know, but that’s not what was said on the train I’m on.

Sounds like a TM who can not be bothered to read the relevant emails sent from control about disruption, or has gone into auto mode and done there standard London departure announcementsz

 

[E16 Cyclist]

On the 19:06 LNER service and the guard has just made an announcement that tickets marked Thameslink and Great Northern only are not valid.

Given how packed the train is there is no chance of a ticket check anyway.

Unbelievable really, given the major disruption. The focus should just be on getting passengers to their destination.

Sounds to me more like an attempt to lessen the crowding than anything else

 

[Bald Rick]

I’m caught up in this trying to get home to Stevenage.

Next to nothing departing Kings Cross. All the GTR peak extras have been cancelled. 17:33 LNER cancelled.

The 12-car 17:46 from St Pancras to Peterborough did operate and I failed to board it because it was so busy. First time ever that I’ve failed to get on a class 700, trust me I’ve travelled on some busy ones! It took 8 minutes to get the doors closed at STP it was so packed.

I’ve initiated my own emergency procedure and decamped to a quiet coffee shop nearby to wait for things to calm down.

Ah, that explains why my train sat for a out 5 mins just outside St P Low Level

 

[Hadders]

Ah, that explains why my train sat for a out 5 mins just outside St P Low Level

Platform staff did their best, not helped by someone pulling a passcom that had to be reset.

It was looking rather cozy on that train as it departed (and I’ve been on a few where the loading indicator has been red across all 12 cars before).

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Nov 2025 ==

Sounds to me more like an attempt to lessen the crowding than anything else

I’ve seen this train more busy when there isn’t disruption.

The 19:06 is always packed as it’s a 5-car. It’ll calm down after Stevenage.