Landslip at Mytholmroyd

[syorksdeano]

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/landslip-triggers-chaos-on-west-yorkshire-rail-network-1-8579600

Rail passengers in West Yorkshire are facing major disruption this evening as a result of a landslip.

The Northern operator said no services were running between Halifax and Hebden Bridge due to the incident, which is thought to have happened near Mytholmroyd station.

In a tweet, transport chiefs at Metro said the line was expected to be closed for the next few days.

Services between Leeds and Manchester Victoria and York and Blackpool North have been experiencing “severe disruption”.

Eastbound services have been terminating at Hebden Bridge, with westbound trains stopping at Halifax. Replacement road services are operating between the two stations.

A spokesman for Northern said: “We are very sorry for the delay this will cause to our customers.”

Didn't a similar incident take place a few months ago around the same place?

Sent from my SM-T555 using Tapatalk

 

[lejog]

Line reopening tomorrow. Luckily I'm on a 7.30 train to Leeds in the morning.

Northern‏Verified account @northernassist 19m19 minutes ago

UPDATE: The line will reopen on Tuesday 6 June, following an obstruction on the line #HebdenBridge - #Halifax

It seems rather less serious than the landslip south of Halifax a few months ago, which in itself was a repeat of a landslip at the same spot a few years before. That has been the subject of a lot of repair activity in recent weeks.

 

[rich r]

I left work at 17:00 seeing that the 17:21 Leeds to Selby Northern service was cancelled on the National Rail website. But by the time I got to the station at 17:10 it was waiting at the platform as usual. However there were a lot of platform alterations and cancellations of trains heading westwards.

I think Northern did a reasonable job of running services from Leeds as normally as possible given the blockage trapping things either side of it.

Doesn't make up for the wet arm I got due to the leaking window on the Class 144 this morning though.

 

[thejuggler]

I see YP rolled out the 'chaos' word again in the headline. If chaos means getting to Halifax or Hebden Bridge and then having to catch a bus it needs a new definition!

Well done for clearing the problem quickly. Looks like that stretch needs vegetation clearance works asap. I've noticed some of the this line has had 3-5m depth of trees removed over the winter.

 

[Nean]

I see YP rolled out the 'chaos' word again in the headline. If chaos means getting to Halifax or Hebden Bridge and then having to catch a bus it needs a new definition!

I refer you to the #ThingsThatLeaveBritainReeling hashtag that made the news this week! (BBC (Newsbeat) article on it... http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/40156559/thingsthatleavebritainreeling-trends-after-london-attack-in-response-to-headline)

 

[The Planner]

Shown on the NR intranet as a mini tornado ripping up the trees and not a landslip.

 

[Tractor37]

Wasn't a landslip. It was about half a dozen trees that had been uprooted. The line was open at 4am this morning. The only delay being caused by a 20mph temporary speed restriction in the up direction only.

 

[Flying Phil]

If it was the trees moving onto the track - were the trains stopped by Jenny Agutta waving some red fabric?

 

[Class 170101]

Surely instead of terminating at Halifax it would have been better to head towards Huddersfield and terminate there to enable passengers to connect into TPE services towards Manchester?

 

[Andyh82]

Surely instead of terminating at Halifax it would have been better to head towards Huddersfield and terminate there to enable passengers to connect into TPE services towards Manchester?

Is there sufficient paths into Huddersfield, either on the mainline or on the Bradley chord? Are there available platforms in Huddersfield to turn extra trains?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Is there sufficient paths into Huddersfield, either on the mainline or on the Bradley chord? Are there available platforms in Huddersfield to turn extra trains?

No and no.

More surprising was at the last weather-related issue in that area, a relatively simple diversion and reversal at Brighouse was NOT used, with services cancelled or diverted via Dewsbury instead- which also deprives Bradford of the Manchester connection.

 

[lejog]

The Leeds-Brighouse-Huddersfield service ran normally for those passengers travelling from Bradford and Halifax to Manchester.

While Northern routinely divert Calder Valley services via Brighouse and Dewsbury to Leeds (3tph in addition to the existing service during the "Sowerby Bridge" landslide) they have not, at least in recent times, diverted via Huddersfield to Victoria.

The single track Bradley Curve could be a problem, compared with Heaton Lodge as west bound trains would have to wait for a path. I'm not sure that platforms at Huddersfield would be a problem if the services ran through to Victoria, there would be no need to even stop there. But this has led me to wonder if the capacity limitations on the line are between Huddersfield and Manchester.

As TPE employees have posted here, in the case of blockages through Huddersfield, TPE do divert 2tph though Hebden Bridge in addition to the 4tph existing services. Thats with the current capacity limitations due to the appalling signalling headways between Milner Royd and Todmorden. However the signalling here is due to be replaced next year, so if anything the capacity may be increased to >6tph, at least while diversions are in place.

 

[lejog]

No and no.

More surprising was at the last weather-related issue in that area, a relatively simple diversion and reversal at Brighouse was NOT used, with services cancelled or diverted via Dewsbury instead- which also deprives Bradford of the Manchester connection.

There were connections at Brighouse for both the Blackpool and a Manchester service onto the Huddersfield-Halifax-Bradford train (and quite a few passengers did this on the service I travelled on). Absolutely no need for completely pointless reversals at Brighouse, even if it is possible.

Edit: I'm not sure why posters are surprised at the Calder Valley diversions via Dewsbury, these have also run as planned weekend diversons during engineering works in the past and even during short term problems such as "animals on the line".

 

[Crossover]

No and no.

More surprising was at the last weather-related issue in that area, a relatively simple diversion and reversal at Brighouse was NOT used, with services cancelled or diverted via Dewsbury instead- which also deprives Bradford of the Manchester connection.

Is that "simple" reversal at Brighouse actually possible? Looking at the track maps, you'd have to run wrong road from Halifax into Brighouse to end up on the Manchester bound platform at Brighouse or run wrong road from Brighouse to Hebden Bridge before you find a crossover - I would be fairly certain neither are permitted or signalled moves.

The only other alternative may to run to Brighouse and run onto Bradley Chord and reverse there, but again I'm not sure if this is possible under the signalling or if anything on Bradley Chord has to run end to end. I could image such a move may have to be made ECS (although if permitted it may be entirely under main aspects) and would congest an already busy network even more

 

[61653 HTAFC]

There were connections at Brighouse for both the Blackpool and a Manchester service onto the Huddersfield-Halifax-Bradford train (and quite a few passengers did this on the service I travelled on). Absolutely no need for completely pointless reversals at Brighouse, even if it is possible.

Edit: I'm not sure why posters are surprised at the Calder Valley diversions via Dewsbury, these have also run as planned weekend diversons during engineering works in the past and even during short term problems such as "animals on the line".

The surprise is more that it seems to have no impact on the regular services when diversions are in place via Dewsbury, yet we're told the stopper has to be withdrawn. Of course the diverted services run non-stop so that will make a difference.

Is that "simple" reversal at Brighouse actually possible? Looking at the track maps, you'd have to run wrong road from Halifax into Brighouse to end up on the Manchester bound platform at Brighouse or run wrong road from Brighouse to Hebden Bridge before you find a crossover - I would be fairly certain neither are permitted or signalled moves.

The only other alternative may to run to Brighouse and run onto Bradley Chord and reverse there, but again I'm not sure if this is possible under the signalling or if anything on Bradley Chord has to run end to end. I could image such a move may have to be made ECS (although if permitted it may be entirely under main aspects) and would congest an already busy network even more

Wasn't sure of the location of crossovers, so your explanation helps. Though to divert via Greetland would be better were it possible- even reversing at Greetland junction rather than Brighouse.

 

[Tractor37]

Is that "simple" reversal at Brighouse actually possible? Looking at the track maps, you'd have to run wrong road from Halifax into Brighouse to end up on the Manchester bound platform at Brighouse or run wrong road from Brighouse to Hebden Bridge before you find a crossover - I would be fairly certain neither are permitted or signalled moves.

The only other alternative may to run to Brighouse and run onto Bradley Chord and reverse there, but again I'm not sure if this is possible under the signalling or if anything on Bradley Chord has to run end to end. I could image such a move may have to be made ECS (although if permitted it may be entirely under main aspects) and would congest an already busy network even more

Yes you can run onto the single line from Brighouse, stopping behind the signal at the Bradley Wood Junction end (about 200 yards round the corner) for the driver and guard to change ends to run back to Brighouse/Greetland Junction and carry on either up the hill to Halifax or along to Sowerby Bridge. Trains don't have to run the full length of the Bradley branch.

 

[Crossover]

Wasn't sure of the location of crossovers, so your explanation helps. Though to divert via Greetland would be better were it possible- even reversing at Greetland junction rather than Brighouse.

Currently the same infrastructure limitations would prevent this too I think

 

[Crossover]

Yes you can run onto the single line from Brighouse, stopping behind the signal at the Bradley Wood Junction end (about 200 yards round the corner) for the driver and guard to change ends to run back to Brighouse/Greetland Junction and carry on either up the hill to Halifax or along to Sowerby Bridge. Trains don't have to run the full length of the Bradley branch.

Thanks for that. Given it would be under normal signalling arrangements, I guess this would be possible in passenger service too?

 

[Tractor37]

Yes it would Crossover