Storm Franklin - Further weather disruption possible

[al78]

Weather has been awful every day I’ve been off work for several weeks now. Even worse in northern parts. Totally sick of it!

On a weather forum I frequent, until earlier this month they were complaining about the benign boring weather that had characterised this winter up until then. I'm guessing they are happy now.

At my workplace the driveway barriers have failed which may have been caused by the bad weather, so we have been advised to work from home (again).

 

[Peterthegreat]

Barnsley line blocked in the northbound direction due to a tree on the line at Wombwell.

 

[al78]

I only ask because it’s not stopped being windy where I am. The weather last night and this morning was atrocious.

Between storms there has been strong westerly winds, and there may have been some enhancement of winds on the lee side of the Pennines where you are.

 

[bramling]

On a weather forum I frequent, until earlier this month they were complaining about the benign boring weather that had characterised this winter up until then. I'm guessing they are happy now.

At my workplace the driveway barriers have failed which may have been caused by the bad weather, so we have been advised to work from home (again).

I’m all for interesting weather (*), but this current run of weather is proper nasty. It’s already taken several lives, and would no doubt have taken more were it not for the warnings. I’d quite happily have boring January over this, we managed a quite agreeable four days in the Lake District last month.

I’d take “beast from the east” over this. At least the only personal impact of that was my boiler condensate pipe freezing up. I’ve already had a roof leak through electrics yesterday, though I’m hoping it was simply a valley overwhelmed during the squall where we saw biblical rainfall for those five minutes.

(* I would admit elements of the forecasting has been quite fascinating, even for someone like me who isn’t a weather geek, but who does have a vested interest in weather patterns by dint of being a taker of U.K. holidays!)

 

[55002]

ECML at a complete stand north of Newark, were at a stand south of Newark earlier for northbound trains

 

[86246]

A fallen tree has damaged the overheads and has blocked the GEML in the Colchester area.

 

[johntea]

Barnsley line blocked in the northbound direction due to a tree on the line at Wombwell.

08:04 Sheffield to Leeds looks to be arriving in Leeds almost 2 hours late! (Did the train get stopped at a point where the passengers could bail I wonder)

I was intending to catch it at 09:03 from Castleford but in the end the first service to Leeds after that was the 10:33 from Knottingley (a rather cruel combination of the weather delays and the ‘temporary’ timetables there!)

Beautiful blue sky now though!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I’m all for interesting weather, but this current run of weather is proper nasty. It’s already taken several lives, and would no doubt have taken more were it not for the warnings.

And from another thread discussing last week's storms...

Still quite surprising how little media focus this is receiving

So which is it?

 

[Walter Whigham]

ECML at a complete stand north of Newark, were at a stand south of Newark earlier for northbound trains

1S06 stranded just north of Crow Park. Should have been pulling into Berwick about now! A number of trains to its rear.

1E03 stranded at Carlton has been there for about 1h 45min.

 

[jonnyfan]

Northern services have now started to resume in the North West, it will take a while to get the service back up and running. Still line closures at Macclesfield and at Gatley, OHLE needs repairing at those locations.

 

[bramling]

From another thread...

So which is it?

It’s not mutually exclusive. Warnings were there (albeit the London red warning could probably better have come out the previous night, even if the area was broader), but the wider coverage was minimal.

It is quite probable many London-area rail operators would have taken a decision to suspend altogether had the red warning come out earlier. This would certainly have further reduced risk.

In my case I chose to defer driving to work until later in the afternoon when things had subsided and any possibility of a sting-jet had gone. Looking at the amount of debris on local roads round here, I’m satisfied that was the right call. Had I attempted to get the train to London I would have got stranded and not made it.

 

[dk1]

A fallen tree has damaged the overheads and has blocked the GEML in the Colchester area.

It was on fire but don't think its going to be a big job to clear/fix.

 

[syorksdeano]

08:04 Sheffield to Leeds looks to be arriving in Leeds almost 2 hours late! (Did the train get stopped at a point where the passengers could bail I wonder)

Tree down just before Wombwell I believe

 

[ashkeba]

1S06 stranded just north of Crow Park. Should have been pulling into Berwick about now! A number of trains to its rear.

1E03 stranded at Carlton has been there for about 1h 45min.

A 1Z99 has appeared on diagrams at Retford so maybe something needs rescue.

 

[northwichcat]

Can't see it mentioned but Northern has basically cancelled all services in the North West this morning:

Here, we had gale force winds until around 8:30am and since then the winds have got gradually lighter, there's still wind now but its down to normal strength. If there was a blanket ban across the whole of the north, I would have expected it to have started earlier and to have been finished by around the time they tweeted that.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Just had a look at Rotherham 1100ish. There's someone in orange inspecting the track at the site of Rotherham Road (between Roth Central and Parkgate). The track's no longer underwater there, but clearly was, with debris (flotsam?) between the rails, and parts of the canal towpath towards Rotherham impassable due to a humungous puddle.
It's happened before in that location, where a stream that comes from the Wentworth direction is culverted under rail and canal into the Don, and the culvert has failed to cope with the volume of water. The culvert is visible from the canal towpath by the Rawmarsh Road bridge. They'd strengthened parts of it when I looked last week, but it still couldn't cope evidently.

General view this morning:



Culvert strengthened, taken 7 Feb (from the canal side of the line, showing the bridge I took the first photo from):


Culvert this morning:

 

[Walter Whigham]

A 1Z99 has appeared on diagrams at Retford so maybe something needs rescue.

Overhead line damage reported between Newark and Retford. I suspect 1S06 may have been the primary casualty and is still where it was. Meantime, 1Z99 has passed on the up line and headed for Newark.

I also notice that 1W11 (KX-Aberdeen) has been sitting at Peterborough since 10.48. It could have been routed via the Joint Line assuming its driver has been cleared for this route. Are all LNER drivers so cleared?

 

[bramling]

Some interesting comments on NR Kent’s Twitter, stating that the railway’s forecasts for today are for more significant winds than the Met Office have forecast.

Must admit this ties in with what I’m seeing through my window. Friday was sharp but relatively short. Today is not quite as sharp, but feels like it has lasted forever, and is only very gradually subsiding. Not a nice day at all.

I’ll be surprised if the London end of the ECML holds up for the entire day, but credit to everyone so far it largely seems to be doing so.

Based on which windows are rattling in my house today, it’s also apparent that the wind is coming from a slightly different direction today. And apps confirm this - Friday was SW, today is NW, here in Hertfordshire at least.

Also credit to TFL, all lines showing a good service at this time. If the service genuinely is good then that isn’t a bad performance at all in the circumstances.

 

[800001]

Overhead line damage reported between Newark and Retford. I suspect 1S06 may have been the primary casualty and is still where it was. Meantime, 1Z99 has passed on the up line and headed for Newark.

I also notice that 1W11 (KX-Aberdeen) has been sitting at Peterborough since 10.48. It could have been routed via the Joint Line assuming its driver has been cleared for this route. Are all LNER drivers so cleared?

Initially 1S04 had Loss if air near Grantham, heavily delayed trains to rear.

After it all started moving, 1S06 has had an ADD and upon inspection a large fabric builders bag, the sort a tonne of sand would be delivered in, is wrapped around the pantograph, and side of train.
1E03 was stood due to that issue and also something was also hanging from the overheads in front of it.
1Z99 was 37518 from York, which took a Hitachi fitter to the site.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Feb 2022 ==

Overhead line damage reported between Newark and Retford. I suspect 1S06 may have been the primary casualty and is still where it was. Meantime, 1Z99 has passed on the up line and headed for Newark.

I also notice that 1W11 (KX-Aberdeen) has been sitting at Peterborough since 10.48. It could have been routed via the Joint Line assuming its driver has been cleared for this route. Are all LNER drivers so cleared?

No, only Kings cross, Leeds, Doncaster drivers sign the joint line, to best of knowledge W11 is a Newcastle driver.

 

[mtmikethom]

It was on fire but don't think its going to be a big job to clear/fix.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Feb 2022 ==

A class 37 loco has just gone through Colchester heading in that direction possibly on a rescue mission!

 

[Max]

My partner is en-route to London from Cardiff. Her train was cancelled and the one she is on is absolutely full to the brim (5 car vice 9 or 10) and losing lots of time due to the speed restrictions. 3 hours on the floor not a pleasant experience I hear! Guessing that there were lots of units out of position this morning?

 

[Trainfan344]

Currently bashing around London avoiding the worse of the disasters. Hoping the GEML sorts itself out at some point

 

[GB]

Wires down at Church Lane between Chelmsford and Ingatestone.

 

[Jimini]

My partner is en-route to London from Cardiff. Her train was cancelled and the one she is on is absolutely full to the brim (5 car vice 9 or 10) and losing lots of time due to the speed restrictions. 3 hours on the floor not a pleasant experience I hear! Guessing that there were lots of units out of position this morning?

Sounds like the one I was on too (the delayed 0948 from Paddington). Cosy five car service indeed!

 

[infobleep]

It's a good job I decided last week to stay at home and go to the cinema locally tonight, as I would have struggled to get to my destination by train in time. The journey would have been Guildford to Haywards Heath. I'd have probably been late to Redhill and missed any useful connections to Three Bridges. I would have then had to change at Three Bridges for a bus.

 

[james_the_xv]

Took a short hop from Cheltenham Spa to BHM this morning on 1M01 that was started from Gloucester instead of Cardiff. Was only 10 mins late into New Street which all things being equal isn’t any worse than normal

Was packed from Worcestershire Parkway though, but rather be in a packed 170 than a packed voyager. Doesn’t smell as bad.

 

[Big Tim]

A couple of severely delayed “full and standing” LNER services have called and departed southbound from York in the last 15 minutes. The first I’ve seen since arriving here at 1050

Nothing northbound LNER - looked like things had got moving but we now have a list of three Edinburgh and one Aberdeen service all due in before noon listed as “delayed” - assuming they are queued up with another problem again

 

[03_179]

9J51 LONDON BLACKFRIARS - HORSHAM has derailed one bogie after hitting a tree near Tulse Hill. No injuries reported.

700126

 

[800001]

A couple of severely delayed “full and standing” LNER services have called and departed southbound from York in the last 15 minutes. The first I’ve seen since arriving here at 1050

Nothing northbound LNER - looked like things had got moving but we now have a list of three Edinburgh and one Aberdeen service all due in before noon listed as “delayed” - assuming they are queued up with another problem again

Everything still at a stand at York, 1S08 leading the queue

 

[TFN]

Has the speed restriction been lifted on the GWML? The train I'm on is going a speedy 110mph.