Stafford Signalling Failure

[rdeez]

Couldn't see a topic on this yet, hopefully haven't missed one!

All signalling controlled by SD5 North of Stafford has failed due to what staff described as an "equipment explosion" this morning. Trains heading north are being hand signalled, London Midland services from Birmingham to Liverpool are terminating at Stafford .

The staff I spoke to reckoned it might take days to repair! Must be a significant failure if that's the case...

 

[The Planner]

All goes next year and into Rugby ROC, obviously took "life expired" a bit too literally!

 

[rdeez]

All goes next year and into Rugby ROC, obviously took "life expired" a bit too literally!

This equipment will self destruct in 10 seconds...

 

[Roverman]

Flooded out?

 

[brick60000]

Ah, I thought the line from Stafford seemed a bit quiet!

 

[nj_mills]

any ideas what this will be like in the morning?

 

[ushawk]

any ideas what this will be like in the morning?

45 minute delays and buses on standby currently.

 

[trainophile]

I'm sure this is the stupidest question ever on this forum, but I've got to ask...

How come London Midland trains were/are being terminated at Stafford, while Virgin through trains that don't actually stop at Stafford appear to be running as normal? (That's to say I haven't seen anything from Virgin on Twitter about problems, although I may have just missed it.)

Pretty sure the VT I intended to get from Birmingham NS to Wigan NW yesterday (a) goes through Stafford, and (b) was unaffected? (In fact I didn't get it, due to earlier disruption elsewhere, so never made it to BHM!)

Feel free to have a laugh if this is a ridiculous question with an obvious answer!

 

[joeykins82]

The information being displayed last night while I was on my way home from Northampton to London was that the cause of the disruption was overhead wire or electrical supply problems.

 

[sprinterguy]

I'm sure this is the stupidest question ever on this forum, but I've got to ask...

How come London Midland trains were/are being terminated at Stafford, while Virgin through trains that don't actually stop at Stafford appear to be running as normal? (That's to say I haven't seen anything from Virgin on Twitter about problems, although I may have just missed it.)

Pretty sure the VT I intended to get from Birmingham NS to Wigan NW yesterday (a) goes through Stafford, and (b) was unaffected? (In fact I didn't get it, due to earlier disruption elsewhere, so never made it to BHM!)

Feel free to have a laugh if this is a ridiculous question with an obvious answer!

Limited number of paths available while temporary block working was in place North of Stafford. Priority was given to Virgins' Wigan and Liverpool services and Crosscountrys' half-hourly Manchester service. The rest of Virgins' services (and LMs' London to Crewe service) were diverted by way of Colwich Junction and Stoke.

 

[rdeez]

I'm sure this is the stupidest question ever on this forum, but I've got to ask...

How come London Midland trains were/are being terminated at Stafford, while Virgin through trains that don't actually stop at Stafford appear to be running as normal? (That's to say I haven't seen anything from Virgin on Twitter about problems, although I may have just missed it.)

Pretty sure the VT I intended to get from Birmingham NS to Wigan NW yesterday (a) goes through Stafford, and (b) was unaffected? (In fact I didn't get it, due to earlier disruption elsewhere, so never made it to BHM!)

Feel free to have a laugh if this is a ridiculous question with an obvious answer!

Doesn't seem like a stupid question at all! I can only assume that the LM Liverpool services were terminated at Stafford to reduce the Northbound traffic through the station as capacity was already significantly reduced, and as Virgin already serve Liverpool from Stafford, it was decided that it would be more sensible for those travelling to Liverpool from Birmingham / Wolverhampton to change on to a Virgin service at Stafford instead.

 

[trainophile]

Thanks both . The thing about this forum is that there's so many experts in the industry on board, that sometimes things that are blindingly obvious to them completely escape the humble passenger .

Glad I wasn't a complete idiot this time!

 

[thenorthern]

I was at Crewe last night and I think the staff said that Virgin were given permission to ignore signals between Stafford and Crewe but because of pathing congestion London Midland were forced to terminate at Crewe and Stafford.

Anyone know what was the disruption today though, a couple of people I work with were disrupted getting into Stoke this morning.

 

[pablo]

My Voyager, this morning, was sent up slow from Crewe and crossed over after Stafford. Only a few minutes late into Euston but I saw four stranded freights around Stafford and no Pendolinos. Euston half full, or half empty.

 

[krus_aragon]

The first down train on the North Wales coast (Virgin, ex-Birmingham) was at least an hour late because of this snarl-up. Had I known, I'd have had a lie in...

 

[thenorthern]

Does anyone know what the equipment explosion was caused by and what has been affected inside the box?

 

[rdeez]

Does anyone know what the equipment explosion was caused by and what has been affected inside the box?

Apparently some kind of power surge, but what equipment was affected and how nobody seems to know.

 

[Whistler40145]

I was at Stafford yesterday morning, travelling on the 11:33 CrossCountry service to Manchester Piccadilly, which eventually departed at 12:17.

We departed Stafford and just to the South of Norton Bridge Station on the Up side, S&T Engineers were very busy working in several line side cabinets.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[The Snap]

Two LOCs blew up due to a power surge...not pretty, I've seen the photos!

Total loss of power yesterday morning at 8am ish. Up slow was the only open line until about 3pm today, with the down slow being released to traffic shortly afterwards. Not sure on the situation now, but there is an all-line block tonight throughout the Stafford area to sort it out.

 

[thenorthern]

Two LOCs blew up due to a power surge...not pretty, I've seen the photos!

Total loss of power yesterday morning at 8am ish. Up slow was the only open line until about 3pm today, with the down slow being released to traffic shortly afterwards. Not sure on the situation now, but there is an all-line block tonight throughout the Stafford area to sort it out.

This may seem like a strange question but whats a LOC? Also do you have any photos of the incident? Cheers by the way.

 

[LouJ]

Blockade runs from 2200 tonight to 0600 Tuesday. Need to replace four signals at Stafford station which were very sick after the surge. LM And XC trains to Birmingham may be hourly at first before resuming half hourly frequency.

 

[carriageline]

From what I have heard, a signal was zapped by the overheads (how that happened I'm not sure) putting 25kv through the signalling equipment.

LOCs are location cabinets, house all the equipment and gubbins for the signalling equipment. One line open, at least one working under Temporary Block working (no, drivers didn't just get told to "ignore the signals"...)

 

[rdeez]

From what I have heard, a signal was zapped by the overheads (how that happened I'm not sure) putting 25kv through the signalling equipment.

LOCs are location cabinets, house all the equipment and gubbins for the signalling equipment

hock: Well, that would explain why the repairs are taking a while. Must have blown out pretty much all of it!

 

[fowler9]

Was at South Parkway around 6 ish this evening, the LM trains were running hourly, the one due at 17:59 to Lime Street was over 30 minutes late.

 

[Whistler40145]

I expect the Sleepers are being routed Colwich Junction to Crewe via Stoke on Trent & Alsager & vice versa?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Crossover]

Would temporary block working be where a number of blocks are combined together into one, effectively, where there are working signals either end to protect the line?

If so, does the driver have to stop at each intermediate signal and gain authority to pass?

 

[Tomnick]

Broadly speaking, yes - the 'entry' signal will be maintained at Danger and each driver will be given a numbered ticket stating which signals can be ignored (no need to stop at them!) and at which signal he should stop, give up his ticket and await further instructions. It avoids a lot of delay that'd otherwise be caused by having to talk trains past a number of affected signals.

 

[carriageline]

It's just a shame that these things can take so long to be put in place!! Normally (Stafford is exceptional circumstances of course!) the fault can be fixed, and trains passing each individual signal at danger, before TBW is put into action.

 

[Tomnick]

That's what I don't understand about the SWT alliance's various proposals to get some form of emergency working in whilst TBW's being arranged - if detection etc is available, what's wrong with talking past signals one at a time to keep the job moving? All this talk of dictating tickets to drivers and even 'line of sight' driving seems rather a backward step to me.

 

[carriageline]

That's what I don't understand about the SWT alliance's various proposals to get some form of emergency working in whilst TBW's being arranged - if detection etc is available, what's wrong with talking past signals one at a time to keep the job moving? All this talk of dictating tickets to drivers and even 'line of sight' driving seems rather a backward step to me.

I believe there it's a bit more than a proposal down that way now, and it's more of a recognised trial? I think the documents regarding it are on the RGS site if you are interested in it.

It is a strange step as you say. I suppose if it saves on delay minutes, and gets trains on the move, then that will prick a lot of ears up!! Is the SWT area exceptionally plagued with signalling problems, so much so that they NEED to implement TBW a lot of the time? I would say no, and there is a few places where they regularly have the panel light up like a Christmas tree with faults!