KingsX to Cambridge line - Power Problems (17/01)

[An_Engineer]

Currently sat on a train somewhere in the Letchworth area, and we are currently stuck due to not enough power so they're trying to run just single train at a time through the section

This is not the first time this had happened recently, specifically in this area (I think the same happened last week). Any ideas of what could be? Something national grid side, not enough supply? Or rail side? I'm a mech-engineer, all this electricity stuff is black magic to me

 

[MikeWM]

The problem seems to have spread to the entire branch between Hitchin and Cambridge, if eg. this Thameslink service is anything to judge by

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:W23293/2025-01-17/detailed

39L at Letchworth, 57L Baldock, 63L Royston, 75L Meldreth, 87L Foxton, and still isn't at Cambridge 30+ minutes after leaving Foxton.

Or is this a different problem, a slow breakdown maybe?


Edit : It's now got through Shepreth Branch, 107L.

 

[Stampy]

Most of the Southern part of the ECML has been "up the swannee" this week - what with Power and Signalling problems....

 

[Viper]

That sounds like a power capacity issue, which is probably linked to something on the NR infrastructure restricting the available power rather than National Grid capacity.

 

[62484GlenLyon]

during previous snarl-ups on the Hitchin to Cambridge line I have been delayed by Cambridge prioritising GA and XC trains over GN and TL trains. The train that MikeWM refers to (1T14) is in contrast to experience a little earlier. I was on 1T12 08.12 Kings Cross to Ely (Cambridge today) which only lost 4 minutes between Royston and Cambridge, when it was eventually able to get through.

During the time 1T14 was admiring the Cambridgeshire countryside there were GTR trains blocking two of the through platforms at Cambridge, according to OTT, so keeping GA and XC running would seem logical in today's circumstances.

 

[sp2113]

What may have happened is that a feeder station may have been disconnected either by a fault on NR side or NG side. The adjacent feeder stations will feed up to the faulted feeder station and as a result will feed a greater area which leads to undervoltages.