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More ECML woes

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marks87

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Any chance of HST diversions via Tyne Valley to get an EC service to Scotland working again before then?
It depends on how long that takes to clear, but I'd imagine it's possible once it is.
 
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khib70

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Ah yes, so am I to assume that just because somebody is travelling with children, they should be able to spout off on twitter and demonstrate a complete lack of intelligence without being criticised?! I think it's pretty safe to say you belong in the same category as the twitter poster.:roll:
And you've just endorsed my original point. A complete lack of knowledge of railway infrastructure issues, diversionary routes etc and "a complete lack of intelligence" are not the same thing.

Travelling with children can be stressful, and people are less rational when stressed. They are likely to say things which are a bit unfair, or forget to memorise the 400 pages of Victorian railway byelaws governing their every move.

But God forbid the paying customer should be seen to criticise TOCs/NR/rail staff in any way
 

Ferret

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And you've just endorsed my original point. A complete lack of knowledge of railway infrastructure issues, diversionary routes etc and "a complete lack of intelligence" are not the same thing.

I'm afraid in this case it is. It clearly doesn't occur to this person or you that if it was possible to run trains, then they'd be running.:roll: So, speaking of endorsing original points, I detect the sound of somebody being hoist by their own petard.

But God forbid the paying customer should be seen to criticise TOCs/NR/rail staff in any way

When the criticism is justified, then fire away. When it's cricticism because things completely out of anyone's control aren't going your way and you want to behave like a spoilt child then it's entrely fair of me to point out that really are showing a lack of intelligence. Still, I did wonder how long it would be before that old chestnut about criticising staff was wheeled out. Yet again, you've proved my point completely.:roll:
 

Max

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Can we keep it civil please? At the end of the day, people can say what they like on Twitter, but they must be prepared for criticism if their facts are wrong. On the flip side, khib70 makes a reasonable point that people travelling with children are likely to be more stressed and not thinking as straight when they express their views. I'm not saying it's right, but it's certainly more understandable.

Ultimately, these disruptions are completely out of the TOCs' control so it is probably a tad unreasonable to blame staff. It seems like they were doing their best in difficult circumstances.
 

khib70

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Can we keep it civil please? At the end of the day, people can say what they like on Twitter, but they must be prepared for criticism if their facts are wrong. On the flip side, khib70 makes a reasonable point that people travelling with children are likely to be more stressed and not thinking as straight when they express their views. I'm not saying it's right, but it's certainly more understandable.

Ultimately, these disruptions are completely out of the TOCs' control so it is probably a tad unreasonable to blame staff. It seems like they were doing their best in difficult circumstances.

Point taken and fair enough. To be fair neither myself or the woman on Twitter were actually criticising staff, so I shouldn't have mentioned it.
 

Max

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Point taken and fair enough. To be fair neither myself or the woman on Twitter were actually criticising staff, so I shouldn't have mentioned it.

You are probably correct! :) Unfortunately I can't comment properly on that as I cannot access Twitter from the computer I'm working on.
 

Ferret

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Can we keep it civil please? At the end of the day, people can say what they like on Twitter, but they must be prepared for criticism if their facts are wrong. On the flip side, khib70 makes a reasonable point that people travelling with children are likely to be more stressed and not thinking as straight when they express their views. I'm not saying it's right, but it's certainly more understandable.

Ultimately, these disruptions are completely out of the TOCs' control so it is probably a tad unreasonable to blame staff. It seems like they were doing their best in difficult circumstances.

The chap running the NR twitter feed was indeed doing a marvellous job.

The point about travelling with children is a valid one until you think about it for a second. Spouting off on twitter like that demonstrates to your children how not to do things, thus perpetuating the problem. Yes, it's bad no trains are running but making a buffoon of yourself on twitter does nothing to solve the lack of ability to run a service.

 

DaveNewcastle

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Ultimately, these disruptions are completely out of the TOCs' control so it is probably a tad unreasonable to blame staff. It seems like they were doing their best in difficult circumstances.

Okay, I'm sure that's right.

So can we blame 'the government' for the bad weather and all the consequential disruption, then?
 

Max

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The chap running the NR twitter feed was indeed doing a marvellous job.

The point about travelling with children is a valid one until you think about it for a second. Spouting off on twitter like that demonstrates to your children how not to do things, thus perpetuating the problem. Yes, it's bad no trains are running but making a buffoon of yourself on twitter does nothing to solve the lack of ability to run a service.


Also a reasonable point. Twitter can be quite a useful way of communicating with TOCs, but in this case a service couldn't physically be provided so nothing more could have been done.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
So can we blame 'the government' for the bad weather and all the consequential disruption, then?

:lol: I'm sure some would try!
 

SWTCommuter

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Is it relevant the woman on Twitter appears to be the Honorable Member for Washington and Sunderland West?
 

marks87

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Is it relevant the woman on Twitter appears to be the Honorable Member for Washington and Sunderland West?
That's not who wrote the Tweet. The, er, Tweeter (Twit?) just mentioned said MP to draw their attention to it.
 

khib70

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Is it relevant the woman on Twitter appears to be the Honorable Member for Washington and Sunderland West?
Just noticed that. And the Shadow Minister for Children and Families! In which case it's quite reasonable to expect a more measured response.

Sorry Ferret!:oops:
 

philjo

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The Twitter feed displaying on the NRE page for the ECML disruption says that they hope to have one line reopened this afternoon.
 

michael769

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It is not correct to claim that the disruption is outwith the ToC's control. It would be perfectly possible to construct a railway that was impervious to such conditions. However to do so would be incredibly costly.

A more accurate assertion would be that the disruption occurred because the taxpayer and rail travellers are unwilling and/or unable to pay the costs needed by ToCs and Network rail to bring our railway network to a adequate standard where it is resilient in the face of extreme weather.

I use the term adequate because, despite the severity of the conditions such conditions are now happing several times a year and as a result it is no longer accurate to describe them as "extreme" or "unusual" - yesterday is I am afraid the reality of a British summer in the 21st century and the sooner we all accept this and start to make the necessary adjustments and investment to cope the better!
 

Failed Unit

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How many sets are north of Edinburgh. Yorkshire rider said about 3x Mk4 on another thread. I am guess there are 2x HSTs. I suspect unless the divert some via Carlisle there will be a big lack of sets in Scotland for start of service.

Normally we have 5x HST including ones in Aberdeen & Inverness and 5x Mk4 including the one in Glasgow.

I will be amazed if the line is reopen before Monday when you look at the damage. Big credit to network rail if they do.
 

michael769

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I will be amazed if the line is reopen before Monday when you look at the damage. Big credit to network rail if they do.

I have seen them pull off such feats before - their ability to recover is quite remarkable IMO.
 

Mainliner

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... despite the severity of the conditions such conditions are now happing several times a year...

Er, don't think so - don't know where you are based, but I saw it in North Tyneside yesterday, and it was the worst I've seen since a similar occasion in the late 1960s in Bradford. Not at all surprised there were landslips and flooding - it suddenly went dark in the middle of the afternoon, the street lights came on and the rain was monsoon-like - streets became rivers in seconds.
 

Failed Unit

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I have seen them pull off such feats before - their ability to recover is quite remarkable IMO.

It often surprises me, it is not as if they have people and machines sitting around waiting for such events. The co-ordination involved is excellent. Tebay was fixed very quickly and look significant.
 

ainsworth74

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It often surprises me, it is not as if they have people and machines sitting around waiting for such events. The co-ordination involved is excellent. Tebay was fixed very quickly and look significant.

And yet I would bet that there will be nary a word of this remarkable achievement in the media. Instead all the focus will be on the poor parents and children that were stranded by the big bad railway.
 

PaxVobiscum

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I wouldn't like to appear unsympathetic but surely there must be some parents who are still capable of looking at weather forecasts before they travel, evaluating risk and preparing for the unexpected (spare clothes/food/drink/extra toys squirrelled away)? It not as if they have been marooned for a week.

If I had a signature, it would probably be "Expected the unexpected."
 

jopsuk

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the line is apparently open- or at the very least, one track, with an hourly service each way!
 

sonic2009

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jopsuk

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When there's track capacity for more than one train an hour I'd imagine. With limited track capacity it makes sense to only allow the EC trains through, rather than burning capacity allowing a 4-car Voyager- any idea if this is all HST or if the power is on allowing 91s?
 

ainsworth74

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Reports elsewhere on the forum suggest that it's HSTs for the time being and the power should be restored later allowing 91s to run.
 

Failed Unit

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Reports elsewhere on the forum suggest that it's HSTs for the time being and the power should be restored later allowing 91s to run.

The trains currently running would be HST anyway. But if they only had 2 HSTs north of Newcastle then they will now both be elsewhere. One heading to London and the other on its way to Aberdeen.
 

142094

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Well yesterday is one I'll not forget. I and most people I spoke to have never seen such conditions before - when you look at the super cell storms in the US, it was exactly the same yesterday. Nearly everything out of Newcastle was cancelled, so top marks to all the staff that have worked through the night to get some services running.

Tyne and Wear Metro was blocked due to floods and landslips in many areas, and staff were having to hand work points where the power had failed to get services running this morning.
 

michael769

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Er, don't think so

2000- Malton, Keighly, Liverpool, Yalding, Tonbridge, Bevendon, Lewes, Uckfield
2002 - Glasgow
2003 - Yalding
2004 - Bostcastle
2005 - Eden, Kent, Derwent, Greta, Cocker and Carlisle
2009 - Sheffield, Carlisle, Cork, Cokermouth
2010 - Cornwall
2012 - North West Wales, Manchester, Carlisle, Cumbria, Newcastle

And that is just what 1 5 minute google search turned up I am sure it misses many more.
 
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