Storm Bert Saturday 23rd November

[yorksrob]

Not helped by a train breaking down at Leeds.

 

[williamn]

Just passed Alnmouth Northbound on the ECML. Very slow going.

 

[D1537]

It is geography. Storm Bert is coming in from the west (most storms do that). The West Coast Main Line is on the western and windward side of the Pennines, and it goes high up into the Lakeland Fells, including some exposed sections. On the other hand the East Coast Main Line is on the eastern and leeward side of the Pennines, sheltered from the worst of the wind, and does not go up into any exposed hill country.

The weather is pretty bad over here on the eastern side of the Pennines as well. Snowing this morning, now turned to sleet, 50mph winds.

However, I note that Avanti are running a 9Z44 from Carlisle to Edinburgh (in the path of 9S44) now and a 1Z45 to Glasgow (in the path of 1S45), however. There's also a 1T10 coming south. I suppose it would have been quite embarrassing if the Pathfinder railtour had continued on its merry way whilst Avanti were waving the white flag.

 

[Starmill]

The principle of naming storms, or just some of the individual names?

If the former, then I'd refer back to the strength of the public messaging that it provides. If the latter, then you are able to suggest your own for next season...

Sometimes people use single quotes just to add emphasis to something having an "official" title. It's subtly different to the double quotes, sometimes known jokingly as "scare quotes", as per these two sentences! I personally prefer italics for this, for example yersinia pestis or The Master Cutler. But I'll use single quotes if italics aren't possible or would look very out of place. I also use single quotes for idioms sometimes. Of course I'm not saying that's definitely how they were being used here.

 

[Warrior2852]

A number of the ECML platforms north of York are covered with snow, which in the high footfall areas has turned to quite slippery mush and ice, train and station staff both constantly warning about moving extremely carefully when on them.

 

[Starmill]

I’m afraid this year’s E storm will be Éowyn.

At least it's good to know that characters with a diacritic are allowed!

 

[skyhigh]

There's chaos at Manchester Victoria, a tree down on the line between Victoria and Rochdale

No, it's between Todmorden and Hebden Bridge.

 

[Lewisham2221]

All Conwy Valley and Heart of Wales services are cancelled all weekend due to the expected impact of the storm.

 

[parkender102]

What is wrong with this country - it's a bit of wind and rain for Christs sake! Back in the good old days the Rail Service always got you home and they didn't just throw in the towel when a bit of wind and rain came along. I've just seen one train on National Rail cancelled due to 'forecasted bad weather'! Whatever next - trains cancelled due to a 'forecasted Nuclear War with Russia'? I travelled 6 days on the Trans Siberian Railway years ago in mid winter with snow everywhere and minus 20 temperatures across an entire Continent. Other countries must look at us and just laugh.............

 

[enginedin]

I travelled 6 days on the Trans Siberian Railway years ago in mid winter with snow everywhere and minus 20 temperatures across an entire Continent. Other countries must look at us and just laugh.............

There is absolutely no comparison. It is much easier to prepare for the conditions when you have them for 3 months of year, rather than a handful of days every winter. Sure, we could procuring / maintain all the services required to the standards as if we had the same climate as Siberia / Alps, but I bet people like you would be the first people to complain we weren't getting value for money because of how infrequently there were used....

 

[xotGD]

Airedale services restarting now.

 

[D1537]

However, I note that Avanti are running a 9Z44 from Carlisle to Edinburgh (in the path of 9S44) now and a 1Z45 to Glasgow (in the path of 1S45), however. There's also a 1T10 coming south. I suppose it would have been quite embarrassing if the Pathfinder railtour had continued on its merry way whilst Avanti were waving the white flag.

These three were all cancelled. A 9T54 did run from Edinburgh however, which will form Avanti's next attempt at going north with a 1Z52 to Glasgow.

 

[zwk500]

What is wrong with this country - it's a bit of wind and rain for Christs sake! Back in the good old days the Rail Service always got you home and they didn't just throw in the towel when a bit of wind and rain came along. I've just seen one train on National Rail cancelled due to 'forecasted bad weather'! Whatever next - trains cancelled due to a 'forecasted Nuclear War with Russia'? I travelled 6 days on the Trans Siberian Railway years ago in mid winter with snow everywhere and minus 20 temperatures across an entire Continent. Other countries must look at us and just laugh.............

I wondered how long it'd take for some variant of this post to appear.

 

[Efini92]

Someone on one of my WhatsApp groups has just sent out the perennial meme that pretty much sums it up



What's wrong with TOCs these days? Just run the advertised service and let your customers make up their own minds as to whether to travel or not.

They wouldn’t be able to run the advertised service, there’s a speed restriction of 60 from Lancaster to cove level crossing.

 

[1D54]

Problems at Gobowen with the barriers having been down for the last 20 minutes. Wrexham fans have just departed in taxis for the home game.

 

[BAFRA77]

What is wrong with this country - it's a bit of wind and rain for Christs sake! Back in the good old days the Rail Service always got you home and they didn't just throw in the towel when a bit of wind and rain came along. I've just seen one train on National Rail cancelled due to 'forecasted bad weather'! Whatever next - trains cancelled due to a 'forecasted Nuclear War with Russia'? I travelled 6 days on the Trans Siberian Railway years ago in mid winter with snow everywhere and minus 20 temperatures across an entire Continent. Other countries must look at us and just laugh.............

I bet you’re one of those who moaned about leaves on the line prior to Talerddig…

 

[Deepgreen]

What is wrong with this country - it's a bit of wind and rain for Christs sake! Back in the good old days the Rail Service always got you home and they didn't just throw in the towel when a bit of wind and rain came along. I've just seen one train on National Rail cancelled due to 'forecasted bad weather'! Whatever next - trains cancelled due to a 'forecasted Nuclear War with Russia'? I travelled 6 days on the Trans Siberian Railway years ago in mid winter with snow everywhere and minus 20 temperatures across an entire Continent. Other countries must look at us and just laugh.............

What is wrong is that more and more personal responsibility is steadily being removed from individuals, meaning that more and more is piled onto organisations, with the addition of financial penalties for failure whilen trying to provide a service. Who can be surprised, then, if organisations throw in the towel more and more readily? It's hard to know where it will end. However, of course, the road network is different so people are largely able to regulate themselves, despite it being inherently far more dangerous.

The yellow slippery floor sign/cone is the classic symptom of the malaise.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Nov 2024 ==

I bet you’re one of those who moaned about leaves on the line prior to Talerddig…

That was caused by a failure of a train braking safety system, seemingly (happy to be corrected), so a different scenario.

Amusingly (almost), I note that Edinburgh's bus network was suspended owing to the snow earlier, but that the city's open-top tour buses were magically able to continue running (albeit pointlessly)...

 

[Millisle]

As far as I can see, and I am happy to be corrected, the WCML north of Carlisle has not in fact been closed at any point. Various trains have gone through, just not for the most part those with ordinary passengers on them.

 

[Horizon22]

However, of course, the road network is different so people are largely able to regulate themselves, despite it being inherently far more dangerouss.

There’s endless road collisions and strandings whenever there’s some snow and heavy winds so I hardly think that’s a great standard to meet!

The police also block roads when they become too dangerous so that is not “people regulating themselves”.

 

[Elorith]

Apologies if asked or obvious. Transpennine are advising not to travel beyond Carlisle and Avanti Preston. I assume these are their crew changeover points.

Yes. All trains have a full change at Preston in the case of Avanti.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Nov 2024 ==

The weather is pretty bad over here on the eastern side of the Pennines as well. Snowing this morning, now turned to sleet, 50mph winds.

However, I note that Avanti are running a 9Z44 from Carlisle to Edinburgh (in the path of 9S44) now and a 1Z45 to Glasgow (in the path of 1S45), however. There's also a 1T10 coming south. I suppose it would have been quite embarrassing if the Pathfinder railtour had continued on its merry way whilst Avanti were waving the white flag.

Presumably these rail tours aren't being worked by Scottish crew who won't come south at the risk of being stranded so there is that.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

A friend of mine has reported a roof collapse at York Hospital

 

[Elorith]

What is wrong with this country - it's a bit of wind and rain for Christs sake!

And what do you do when the route ends up being closed and you have hundreds if not thousands of passengers stranded in Carlisle with no possibility of recruiting enough road replacement or taxis to move them?

 

[D6130]

A friend of mine has reported a roof collapse at York Hospital

RAAC perhaps?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Nov 2024 ==

Real Time trains now reporting a large number of Calder Valley services - including Blackpool-Yorks - being cancelled due to 'severe flooding'. Anyone know where? (The flood warning sirens sounded twice in Hebden Bridge this afternoon - at 12 55 and 13 55....but the railway here is well above normal flood levels).

 

[CaptainHaddock]

And what do you do when the route ends up being closed and you have hundreds if not thousands of passengers stranded in Carlisle with no possibility of recruiting enough road replacement or taxis to move them?

A hypothetical and unlikely situation. We all know how to find a weather forecast and make our own decision as to whether or not to travel, we don't need TOCs making the decision for us by abandoning their responsibilities.

Today's weather isn't "severe", it's seasonal. Sometimes you get wind and rain in November; I think most of us know that!

 

[Scooby]

No passenger services now running between Oxenholme and Penrith for a litlle while now - flooding I think.

 

[Porty]

What is wrong is that more and more personal responsibility is steadily being removed from individuals, meaning that more and more is piled onto organisations, with the addition of financial penalties for failure whilen trying to provide a service. Who can be surprised, then, if organisations throw in the towel more and more readily? It's hard to know where it will end. However, of course, the road network is different so people are largely able to regulate themselves, despite it being inherently far more dangerous.

The yellow slippery floor sign/cone is the classic symptom of the malaise.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Nov 2024 ==


That was caused by a failure of a train braking safety system, seemingly (happy to be corrected), so a different scenario.

Amusingly (almost), I note that Edinburgh's bus network was suspended owing to the snow earlier, but that the city's open-top tour buses were magically able to continue running (albeit pointlessly)...

Not sure you're correct re Edinburgh. Certainly nothing could get up The Mound - see some interesting videos from The Edinburgh Reporter on Bluesky. Lothian services running again from about 4 pm.

 

[Mag_seven]

I think the idea that in the past "the train would always get through" during bad weather is a case of rose tinted spectacles. I recall many a weather related disruption incident in the days of BR in the 70s and 80s.

 

[Denis103]

Might be a long detour for the Pathfinder return as WCML shut, cumbrian coast shut, Flooding at Hellifield. Tour left edinburgh 38min early and currently approaching Beattock.

 

[The exile]

I think the idea that in the past "the train would always get through" during bad weather is a case of rose tinted spectacles. I recall many a weather related disruption incident in the days of BR in the 70s and 80s.

Indeed, Far North trains started to carry emergency hampers after a train got stranded in either 1978/9 or 81/82. Imagine the condemnation if Scotrail “had the irresponsibility” to send out a train that then got stranded in the snow for 12 hours or more… Inevitably the passengers would include a couple of nonagenarians without their medication and an 8 3/4 months pregnant lady (or alternatively thirteen people who turn out to be murderers).

 

[Denis103]

must be a bit of improvement on the WCML as looks like a light loco heading south and a northbound liner both on the move near tebay / shap