MML blocked by lineside fire (12/04/17).

[Kettledrum]

My journey home from St Pancras to East Midlands parkway was affected by the line side fire at Hendon.

From a customer point of view, I was delighted that the train companies got me home albeit a long way round via Kings Cross - Grantham - Nottingham - East Midlands parkway

From a customer service point of view, there are things East Midlands trains in particular could have done differently.

The worst was that I got off the Grantham to Nottingham train only to see the platform despatcher sending the train to Leicester (via East Midlands parkway) only seconds later 20 yards away further up the same platform......so an extra 40 minute delay for me in addition to the earlier delays.

Couldn't it have waited 5 minutes to take passengers like me for Beeston, EM Parkway and Loughboro who had already had a lousy journey?????

The best customer service was from the driver and guard of the 18.55? EMT Grantham to Nottingham 2 coach train.

EMT passengers had alighted from two Virgin HSTs at Grantham in the proceeding 30 minutes. The platform was full, yet the guard managed to safely get all the passengers onto the 2 coach train, leaving no-one behind.

Passengers grumbled when they saw the train was only 2 coaches, thinking why wasn't EMT laying on an additional train for all the inconvenienced passengers? - or even a longer train? - or a shuttle service to minimise delays for passengers? Despite these grumbles, this particular train crew did a brilliant job.

I wonder whether the train companies have a post event evaluation to reflect on how well they coped - and what they could do differently next time to reduce the customer inconvenience?

 

[bb21]

Unfortunately dispatchers do not have access to all the information to decide whether delaying one train will cause further knock-on delays, so unless by prior arrangement, or through specific local practice for certain services, dispatchers are not normally allowed to hold a train for another late-running service, unless it is the last one of the day.

 

[Kettledrum]

Unfortunately dispatchers do not have access to all the information to decide whether delaying one train will cause further knock-on delays, so unless by prior arrangement, or through specific local practice for certain services, dispatchers are not normally allowed to hold a train for another late-running service, unless it is the last one of the day.

This clearly wasn't a normal situation.

With passengers, drivers and trains stranded in the wrong place, EMT control had in effect introduced an emergency timetable with the many mainline trains cancelled completely, and those that were running only running as far south as Luton and stopping at every single station on the line.

It won't be the first time the main line into St Pancras gets put out of action, so any learning that can be incorporated into a future emergency plan should be taken.

The plan of getting passengers back to Nottingham via Grantham worked, albeit with delays and discomfort.

There was no plan for East Midlands Parkway, Beeston, or Loughboro passengers (no announcements, nothing on the website, no advice from staff).

It could be improved for next time with a little initiative and ingenuity.

 

[bb21]

This clearly wasn't a normal situation.

... which means it is even more unpredictable what may be in the way and what services may be further delayed.

It won't be the first time the main line into St Pancras gets put out of action, so any learning that can be incorporated into a future emergency plan should be taken.

The plan of getting passengers back to Nottingham via Grantham worked, albeit with delays and discomfort.

That is quite true. It may be worth sending in a complaint regarding this issue, so that it can be brought to their attention. It may simply have been a case that they were overlooked.

There was no plan for East Midlands Parkway, Beeston, or Loughboro passengers (no announcements, nothing on the website, no advice from staff).

It could be improved for next time with a little initiative and ingenuity.

Did anyone onboard seek any advice or even bring it to the crew's attention? IME EMT are quite good at holding a connection where possible, and I have seen numerous occasions when trains made special stops or were delayed for an incoming connection on request from customers, but all such decisions these days tend to need authorisation from control, not made on an ad hoc basis by dispatchers.

 

[edwin_m]

The dispatcher couldn't take that sort of action on their own initiative, and probably rightly so. But someone in a control/management role ought to have seen the situation developing and instructed the dispatcher to hold the train for a couple of minutes unless that would cause a huge problem down the line.

 

[bb21]

The dispatcher couldn't take that sort of action on their own initiative, and probably rightly so. But someone in a control/management role ought to have seen the situation developing and instructed the dispatcher to hold the train for a couple of minutes unless that would cause a huge problem down the line.

They ought to, but unfortunately control these days tend to be tightly staffed, and they will have a million and one things on their minds, so may overlook things.

 

[Kettledrum]

...



Did anyone onboard seek any advice or even bring it to the crew's attention? IME EMT are quite good at holding a connection where possible, and I have seen numerous occasions when trains made special stops or were delayed for an incoming connection on request from customers, but all such decisions these days tend to need authorisation from control, not made on an ad hoc basis by dispatchers.

The two coach train that picked the platform full of passengers up at Grantham was packed. After doing such a brilliant job squeezing in all the passengers, the guard stayed in the rear cab (probably because there was no room for him to get out!).

Given the chaotic situation, asking for further advice was simply not possible.

I suspect had control realised that some passengers needed to get on to East Midlands Parkway, Loughboro and Beeston, they would have held the train to Leicester, but it probably got overlooked in all the confusion.