Major disruption at Manchester Piccadilly

[trainophile]

Signalling problems. Everything at a halt apparently.

 

[northwichcat]

Many services cancelled, others are turning around at Stockport. Some spent over 40 minutes sat stationary between Stockport and Manchester earlier.

 

[Trainfan344]

Would this be why there were coaches outside stoke-on-trent just?

 

[Starmill]

National Rail Enquiries:

A signalling problem at Manchester Piccadilly is causing disruption to all trains through the station and the following changes will apply:
Trains are currently unable to run between Manchester Piccadilly and / Stockport / Manchester Airport
A limited amount of buses are running between Manchester Piccadilly and Stoke-on-Trent / Manchester Airport
Buses have also been requested at Wilmslow, Macclesfield, Stockport and Crewe
Journey times may be extended by up to 90 minutes

Alternative travel options
CrossCountry passengers may use:
Virgin Trains services between Birmingham New Street and Preston
First TransPennine Express services between Preston and Manchester
London Midland services between Crewe and Birmingham New Street
Virgin Trains services between Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester

Virgin Trains passengers may use:
CrossCountry services between Preston and and Birmingham New Street and between Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester
East Midlands Trains services between London St Pancras International and Sheffield

Arriva Trains Wales passengers towards the South of Wales should travel via Chester and Shrewsbury
Twitter hashtag: #ManchesterPiccadilly

 

[trainophile]

Better give my Southport to Hereford via MAN a miss then and head for Chester. Presumably there won't be any issues with my Advance ticket.

I'm booked on the 1430 ex MAN but can't assume Northern would get me there even if things are getting back to normal.

 

[tsr]

NRE have just tweeted that the affected lines have all reopened in the last few minutes.

 

[northwichcat]

Better give my Southport to Hereford via MAN a miss then and head for Chester. Presumably there won't be any issues with my Advance ticket.

I'm booked on the 1430 ex MAN but can't assume Northern would get me there even if things are getting back to normal.

Presumably your ticket says something along the lines of ATW+Connections so Merseyrail inspectors shouldn't ask to see your reservations and ATW are currently saying to travel via Chester if you're going towards South Wales - see starmill's post.

 

[trainophile]

NRE have just tweeted that the affected lines have all reopened in the last few minutes.

Was just about to leave for Chester. Thanks for this, back to plan A. No doubt there'll be knock-on delays and general confusion for a while though.

Edit... Yep (up to) 90 minute delays. Think I'll still go Chester and plead ignorance.

 

[tsr]

Signalling problems. Everything at a halt apparently.

I have just been advised that there was a loss of signalling in the Slade Lane area. I haven't been given any reason for this.

 

[northwichcat]

Was just about to leave for Chester. Thanks for this, back to plan A. No doubt there'll be knock-on delays and general confusion for a while though.

Edit... Yep (up to) 90 minute delays. Think I'll still go Chester and plead ignorance.

11:30 Piccadilly-Carmarthen is showing as 'on time' but also no timings report i.e. it's not on time but the length of delay is not yet known.

 

[trainophile]

NRE is still showing that passengers for South Wales (assume includes Hereford!) should travel via Chester so I'm on a Merseyrail train. Guys on the gate at SOP were fine about it - hope ATW don't change their tune now it's too late!

 

[High Dyke]

11:30 Piccadilly-Carmarthen is showing as 'on time' but also no timings report i.e. it's not on time but the length of delay is not yet known.

Just checked at work for you. Train departed Man Picc 5 late (11:35); arrived Crewe (12:08)

 

[trainophile]

Just checked at work for you. Train departed Man Picc 5 late (11:35); arrived Crewe (12:08)

Oh dear looks like I've made the wrong call. Ah well, Chester makes a change.

 

[pinguini]

I have just been advised that there was a loss of signalling in the Slade Lane area. I haven't been given any reason for this.

Lightning had hit some lineside equipment causing the signals to all go to red

 

[rebmcr]

Lightning had hit some lineside equipment causing the signals to all go to red

Are you sure that was this incident? That's what happened in the same location a few months ago, and... well... there's a saying.

 

[richardio123]

Lightning had hit some lineside equipment causing the signals to all go to red

It wasn't raining though.. I was at piccadilly when it happened :?

 

[trainophile]

As this thread is still going, I'll just add that the ATW guard was fine about me being on the 'wrong' train (for my Advance ticket) from Chester. Despite the comparatively short notice of the disruption, joined-up thinking seemed to be in operation yesterday .

I even got back 20 minutes early!

 

[transmanche]

It wasn't raining though.. I was at piccadilly when it happened :?

Apparently you can have lightning storms without rain...

As a friend of mine in Melbourne told me a couple of weeks ago:

"After 2 days of above 40 degrees last night we got the most amazing thunderstorm, with lightning putting on an impressive show. It lasted for over 3 hours but without a single drop of rain. Truly eerie, but amazing to watch."​

 

[tsr]

Apparently you can have lightning storms without rain...

As a friend of mine in Melbourne told me a couple of weeks ago:

"After 2 days of above 40 degrees last night we got the most amazing thunderstorm, with lightning putting on an impressive show. It lasted for over 3 hours but without a single drop of rain. Truly eerie, but amazing to watch."​

Yep, very possible. There is a good reason for the origin of the phrase "bolt from the blue"! That said, I haven't been able to look up any records for any lightning strikes in the area, so perhaps someone could give me a little detail on the weather & especially cloud conditions around Slade Lane at that time.

 

[Bayum]

Apparently you can have lightning storms without rain...

As a friend of mine in Melbourne told me a couple of weeks ago:

"After 2 days of above 40 degrees last night we got the most amazing thunderstorm, with lightning putting on an impressive show. It lasted for over 3 hours but without a single drop of rain. Truly eerie, but amazing to watch."​

Yep. It's part of the problem in the United States where they can have a very high heat index causing a 'dry thunderstorm'. The lightning strikes can then go on to cause wildfires

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Are you sure that was this incident? That's what happened in the same location a few months ago, and... well... there's a saying.

Lightning is more likely than not to strike twice because it seeks the easiest path to earth ( which is not neccesarily the tallest object around either - the relative conductivity of the objects plays a part ); if something is providing this path it is very likely to be repeatedly struck.