I'd go along with the notion that the OP experienced Worting junction. I know it well and brace myself when we're on the flyover. There really should be an announcement, as anyone standing or walking can be thrown off balance by the rapid sideways movement.
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Reporting a rough ride as a passenger
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On Tuesday I was travelling to London with my wife and 13-month -old baby daughter. I had just picked up my daughter to walk her around a bit after a long time in her buggy when the train lurched at Worting Junction and I fell onto my wife, just managing to keep hold of our daughter.
When I used to commute into Euston there was always a terrific bounce just near Headstone Lane. I always used to anticipate it. Thought I had better say something so at Euston mentioned it to the driver. He said that he never felt anything in the cab but said he would report it.
Up front there were always known bad spots where you accepted the huge margin between comfort and safety.
Shawford on the down was always bad in the past. On a 47 it was like a ship in a rough sea and you were glad when you rolled back towards upright.
Ely to March is another where you accept that engineers are tinkering with thousands of tons of crushed mountain laid over a sponge to give the impression of being level. Sometimes it works…….
LickeyIncliner
Member
It's also the only line where I've heard the guard warning passengers that it was going to be a rough ride, and sounding genuinely concerned that standing passengers should find somewhere to sit.
I rather agree, I really cannot understand why, when Worting was remodelled only a few years ago, a relatively straight set of tracks (both the down Salisbury and Up Waterloo fast) were changed with a new design that has given us some b***dy awful kinks which at speed, produces some awful lurches.
Going back to the original post on the thread, if it isn’t mentioned already, I find X can be useful for reporting both rolling stock and track defects. I was advised by a friend while back that, after reporting and recording rough riding from a 159, it went into Salisbury that evening, was inspected and had a bearing change as a result. Sometimes the power of Social Media can be worthwhile!
andy33gmail
Member
To be fair, the ride quality varies from “fair” to “I’d be more comfortable being dragged behind it” depending on the specific train & the position (ends of unit are worse, mid carriage best)
A while back the BBC had a report on the section of line from Ely to Kings Lynn and its problems. Good old BBC, quick find a stock photo of a wonky railway. They put a photo of a very wonky single track railway with no OHLE. Why report the news when you can just make it up.
eoff
Member
I was on a North Berwick service yesterday and felt what I initially thought were bumps due to the track when leaving one of the stations. But I think it is more something mechanical, almost as if changing gears produces a clunk you can feel. (I have no idea if these trains have geared drive but it seemed like that.)
Trains halted by shrinking peat affecting tracks
Great Northern trains halted by shrinking peat affecting tracks
Buses will replace trains for late night and early services between King's Lynn and King's Cross.
www.bbc.co.uk
Trains halted by shrinking peat affecting tracks
Great Northern trains halted by shrinking peat affecting tracks
Buses will replace trains for late night and early services between King's Lynn and King's Cross.
I assume this is related to your post #38. What news did they make up?
RailwayRookie
Member
Trains halted by shrinking peat affecting tracks
Great Northern trains halted by shrinking peat affecting tracks
Buses will replace trains for late night and early services between King's Lynn and King's Cross.
I love a good anti-media post as much as the next guy, but when the picture in the linked article is credited to Network Rail, you cant really blame them for using it.
Especially when it is the exact image in Network Rails own press release about the soil moisture deficit on the Fen Line for which the BBC is reporting. (see link below)
Uneven track on the Fen Line because of peat soil shrinkage underneath – measures are in place to keep services running safely-2
Information for journalists, press, bloggers and the media about Network Rail. Contact the press office to receive news, updates, press releases, videos, pictures, and factsheets, and to arrange interviews, filming and photography
www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk
Amazing how people let their anger at the media get in the way of a simple common sense check sometimes.
Adrian1980uk
Member
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Generally I travel up and down the GEML and the ride / track quality has never been that good but never thought anything of it until travelling on the GWML and realised it's night and day the difference. I guess part of it is the difference between 100mph and 125mph standard of maintenance.
185143
Established Member
- Joined
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- 5,373
I was on the Okehampton line earlier and wow was it rough, the guard even commented on it. I was over the bogie which no doubt made it worse but for a split second at one point I thought we were coming off, it was that bad.
Was the track relaid when the line properly reopened?
Was the track relaid when the line properly reopened?
I have to say having travelled on this stretch of line up to London every week it has got considerably worse lately. What is this down to ? Everybody knows about Worting Jcn and some guards do make an announcement about the impending jolt but there appears to be two more sections where the swerve/jolt is equally as bad. 1. Pirbright Jcn and 2. West Byfleet this was noticeable over the weekend. Essentially you can’t drink a Coffee on the SWML anymore without wearing it !
185143
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I ended up drenched in lager on the Night Riviera on Friday night, we were at a bit of a cant anyway, somewhere around Chippenham IIRC. Then we begun to round a corner and the pint pot went sideways, soaked me, the wall and my phone charging port.
Not sure about that. The BBC considers itself to be a World standard news reporter. Should I really have to double check every single thing that they report for accuracy. If they do this when reporting rail stories the I assume they are just just as slap dash with everything else. Network Rail should certainly know better of course.I love a good anti-media post as much as the next guy, but when the picture in the linked article is credited to Network Rail, you cant really blame them for using it.
Especially when it is the exact image in Network Rails own press release about the soil moisture deficit on the Fen Line for which the BBC is reporting. (see link below)
Uneven track on the Fen Line because of peat soil shrinkage underneath – measures are in place to keep services running safely-2
Information for journalists, press, bloggers and the media about Network Rail. Contact the press office to receive news, updates, press releases, videos, pictures, and factsheets, and to arrange interviews, filming and photography
Amazing how people let their anger at the media get in the way of a simple common sense check sometimes.
If we can't trust the Nation's broadcaster what hope is there. Call me old fashioned but simply taking press releases and publishing it as news doesn't really cut it.
North Wales Coast between Colwyn Bay and Rhyl seemed rather rough this evening, but that may have been a trait of the 197s.
It was certainly very noticeable, but I was sat right behind the leading cab so the driver would have been aware if something wasn't right.
It was certainly very noticeable, but I was sat right behind the leading cab so the driver would have been aware if something wasn't right.
RailwayRookie
Member
That is literally the entire purpose of a press release.
The point i'm making is that while I agree with your opinions to an extent about the standard of reporting, I also feel like if you are going to get up on a soapbox about things, you should probably do a modicum of your own research into the specific situation first.
mike57
Established Member
There are two types of 'rough ride', that caused by track issues and that caused by carriage issues, things like dampers.
For many years in HST days there was a bad 'lurch' just south of Peterborough on the ECML, caught a few dining car staff out over the years.
A couple of years ago I was in a bad riding (worse than usual...) 800 on the ECML, didn't feel dangerous, just a continual wobble/vibration that was uncomfortable. On board staff suggested everyone move to other carriages, fortunately it wasn't busy.
For many years in HST days there was a bad 'lurch' just south of Peterborough on the ECML, caught a few dining car staff out over the years.
A couple of years ago I was in a bad riding (worse than usual...) 800 on the ECML, didn't feel dangerous, just a continual wobble/vibration that was uncomfortable. On board staff suggested everyone move to other carriages, fortunately it wasn't busy.
I am not doubting the purpose of a press release, the organisation publishing the release want to be shown in a good light. It is news organisations taking a release then publishing it de facto as if it is actual news. Not sure what you are banging on about when you mention getting up on a soap box then me doing research. If the news organisations are doing any research why should I. Had the published article labeled "typical drying out peat damage" without being specific then there wouldn't be a problem. Why publish, whether that is the BBC or Network Rail, a photo without saying it is merely an example is distorting the truth since the article was about the Ely to Kings Lynn line.
I once had a unit that had a slightly twisted air bag after being stabled on a curve the night before. I’d rung it through to our maintenance controller as a suspension issue as it felt significantly worse than other units over a rough section of track. I left it being attended to by a fitter who later told me they even out after a day or so.
I’ve recently had Network Rail staff accompany me in the cab over one of our worst routes for track issues. They are taking it seriously and assessing the impact of the emergency speed restrictions they’ve imposed. The problem as ever is budget!
‘Deferred maintenance’ has its own place in the railway phrase book.
To be fair, the East Coast HSTs were a law unto themselves - the replacement of the original suspension design on the Mk3s with something from Pegasus made them significantly more bouncy and less pleasant to ride in - they were later changed to a new original design from SKF when the sets moved to Neville Hill and EMR.
mike57
Established Member
I often wonder if its 'rose coloured specs' effect, but having been a regular ECML user since the mid-late 70's I still think the HST/MK3 was the most comfortable stock that I have travelled on over the years, with the current 800 stuff right at the bottom, by a good margin.
Oh no, the Mk3 is still a great coach to travel in, it’s just that the Pegasus suspension made them very jittery and bouncy. I can’t remember if it was VTEC that changed the suspension over, but I remember in the early days of LNER David Horne was asking for suppliers of Mk3 suspension kits to come forward.