Mayhem at Truro

[Requeststop]

Arrived at 11:30 at Truro Station to go to St Ives to find 70 or so people besieging the entrance. Why? No trains running at all. The reason? A broken down train on the Falmouth line.

Now when I say no trains running at all, I do me No trains on the Up and Down Cornish Main line. Staff could not tell us why, but it seems strange that a faulty train on the branch line should not cause the cancellation of trains on the Main line. Even people asking if trains tomorrow will be running and staff, (god bless them they do try) couldn't answer. Grateful for any reasoning as to why? Spoiled a lovely day for once down here.

 

[Dai Corner]

Arrived at 11:30 at Truro Station to go to St Ives to find 70 or so people besieging the entrance. Why? No trains running at all. The reason? A broken down train on the Falmouth line.

Now when I say no trains running at all, I do me No trains on the Up and Down Cornish Main line. Staff could not tell us why, but it seems strange that a faulty train on the branch line should not cause the cancellation of trains on the Main line. Even people asking if trains tomorrow will be running and staff, (god bless them they do try) couldn't answer. Grateful for any reasoning as to why? Spoiled a lovely day for once down here.

It was the Down sleeper on the main line that failed, apparently.

 

[hexagon789]

It was the Down sleeper on the main line that failed, apparently.

Yes, and recovered by a Castle set.

 

[Sleepy]

The combination of location of the failure and the new signalling system prevented operation of trains on Falmouth branch too.

 

[D6130]

Did the train fail between Truro and Penwhithers Junction....or even across the junction itself?

 

[kernowbususer]

Why did the rescue have to involve running to Plymouth and back to Long Rock?

 

[Requeststop]

The questions asked in posts 4-6 are what puzzled me. Why were staff telling the paying and travelling public that it was a problem on the branch line. A poster outside the station advised that tickets could be used on bus services to Falmouth U1 and U1A and to Penzance and St Ives T1 and T2? I am sure that the staff were telling us what the honestly knew. The was no indication that the problem was further down towards Penzance, and yes, why did the rescue involve the run to Plymouth and back. Nothing at Long Rock or at St Blazey to assist? If it was because of the new signalling, then something will have to be changed, and fast.

 

[merry]

Well, if the down sleeper had failed, then the stock for the branch was likely unable to run into Truro from depot/stabling (I see it comes in from Penzance), so presumably the failure blocked the junction at Truro west end. I doubt it was directly a result of new signalling, except that the recovery may have left train detection needing reset, particularly if axle counters are used. That would have taken time to achieve safely (e.g. needing technicians to attend), and could have locked pointwork in the meantime. Cornwall is big (well ok, long) and technicians rare, so it takes time to get the right boots on the ground.
As to why run to Plymouth? Well, if recovery comes from that end, and attaches to the rear, it is unlikely to be permitted to propel a loco hauled train any significant distance with passengers aboard. Thus the train has to be withdrawn in the up direction and if run around cannot be achieved earlier, noting that a lot more space is required for a sleeper train plus castle set and the combination likely does not fit in any platforms with run round along the way, then first safe opportunity would be in Plymouth.
All appears very messy but that is how the regulations work, all being designed to operate safely. If slow to recover normal working!

 

[The exile]

Looks like a typical railway communications failure. Unless the sleeper was running several hours late, by 11.30 this would no longer be a new “incident” and there should have been plenty of time to get the “facts” to Truro. “A train has failed at xyz. Unfortunately the train that works the branch line to Falmouth is stuck beyond the failed train and can’t get past, so there will be no trains to Falmouth until further notice. The next update will be at (15 minutes’ time).” [example only]. Getting this out to the travelling public is probably the most important thing that needs to be done once the safety of trains /passengers has been ensured.

 

[richw]

Why did the rescue have to involve running to Plymouth and back to Long Rock?

Because the rescue train could only get on the rear. It can’t push that distance from truro to Penzance so had to drag it somewhere it could be run round.

The sleeper failed after penwithers junction, but the following train was between the station and penwithers, blocking access from Truro to the Falmouth branch. The following train after some time was reversed into Truro.

 

[30907]

Because the rescue train could only get on the rear. It can’t push that distance from truro to Penzance so had to drag it somewhere it could be run round.

and with trains in platform back to Bodmin Parkway there was little choice!

 

[800301]

The Up sleeper will be a 5 car IET tonight

 

[Taunton]

A poster outside the station advised that tickets could be used on bus services to Falmouth U1 and U1A and to Penzance and St Ives T1 and T2? I am sure that the staff were telling us what the honestly knew.

It's strange that The Railway seems to think there is sufficient spare capacity on existing bus services (even what is left of them in rural areas) to just absorb their rail passengers. No wonder the DfT start to think the same.

 

[D Williams]

Everything is cut to the bone so a minor failure becomes a major problem. Travel by road!

 

[skyetraveller]

It's strange that The Railway seems to think there is sufficient spare capacity on existing bus services (even what is left of them in rural areas) to just absorb their rail passengers. No wonder the DfT start to think the same.

One hundred percent agree! Up here in the Scottish Highlands, every time there's a problem on the highland main line ScotRail announce that "ticket acceptance is in place on Citylink between Inverness and Glasgow/Edinburgh". Has anyone from ScotRail ever tried boarding a Citylink at Inverness in July without a ticket booked weeks in advance?

 

[richw]

One hundred percent agree! Up here in the Scottish Highlands, every time there's a problem on the highland main line ScotRail announce that "ticket acceptance is in place on Citylink between Inverness and Glasgow/Edinburgh". Has anyone from ScotRail ever tried boarding a Citylink at Inverness in July without a ticket booked weeks in advance?

Rail phones the bus company for acceptance on each assistance. Rail pays the bus company a tasty sum as soon as they say ok.
Neither bother thinking about capacity. A train with a few hundred passengers, a bus every 30 mins with 80 seats and already a number of its own passengers. It just doesn’t add up. Bus company gets sum of money even though they don’t get many train passengers on due to capacity

 

[BJames]

The Up sleeper will be a 5 car IET tonight

And Down sleeper terminating at Plymouth