Thameslink Overrunning Engineering Works (18/19th June)

[Horizon22]

GTR have tweeted there will be a very reduced service on Monday - this was at 2300 on Sunday, so probably most people are asleep.

https://twitter.com/tlrailuk/status/1670551791287558145?

Due to engineering works not being finished on time there will be a very reduced service in operation tomorrow, 19th of June and services running across the whole network will be cancelled or delayed

This will impact services running between London and Bedford primarily

What’s gone so badly wrong? I presume there is some issue in the core section to have such an impact and the fact it will overrun is already known probably 5-6 hours beforehand?

Appears to be something on the north side according to EMR

One of the 4 lines between Luton and London St Pancras International will be closed all day. This means services on our Intercity route will be reduced.

 

[jdp30]

The line was closed between Luton and West Hampstead TL this weekend, so I'd guess it's that - Don't think it's the core.

 

[westcoaster]

Ballast train still in situ at Harpenden on the down slow. Yet to deposit it's load of ballast onto the new track.

 

[43066]

Ballast train still in situ at Harpenden on the down slow. Yet to deposit it's load of ballast onto the new track.

That’s the MML, EMR and Thameslink well and truly knackered, then!

 

[Magdalia]

This could be a consequence of the very heavy rain that fell yesterday afternoon.

I'm not a civil engineering expert but I'd guess that a deluge on exposed foundations, before the new ballast has been laid, would not be a good thing.

 

[Mattydo]

Well the Sutton loop seems to be running fine...

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Well the Sutton loop seems to be running fine...

St Albans terminating / starting services not affected, - no TLK services starting from Luton , and 2 tph from Bedford only. EMT services reduced to 4 tph.

 

[Mattydo]

St Albans terminating / starting services not affected, - no TLK services starting from Luton , and 2 tph from Bedford only. EMT services reduced to 4 tph.

Sorry, it was more an expression of disappointment .

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

This could be a consequence of the very heavy rain that fell yesterday afternoon.

I'm not a civil engineering expert but I'd guess that a deluge on exposed foundations, before the new ballast has been laid, would not be a good thing.

If they didn't have basestone down by Sunday afternoon they were already behind plan sleepers in by tea time used be our benchmark for whether you were in overrun territory or not.

 

[Bald Rick]

This could be a consequence of the very heavy rain that fell yesterday afternoon.

I'm not a civil engineering expert but I'd guess that a deluge on exposed foundations, before the new ballast has been laid, would not be a good thing.

Nothing to do with the weather. Not least because we didn’t have very heavy rain around here - a couple of hours of normal rain and that was it.

It seems to be one of those jobs where everything went wrong, ate up all the float, then ate up the time reserved for welding and stressing (effectively the emergency float). @Nicholas Lewis knows better than most how these things can go.

 

[londonbridge]

I was on a train from Brighton heading back to Croydon on Saturday, the relief driver who was due to take over at London Bridge was running late so the train was held at Purley for about fifteen minutes. The driver opened the doors for anyone who wanted to get off for a bit of fresh air or stretch their legs. I decided to detrain and bus/walk to my destination, ticket was return half of a super offpeak day return which didn’t work the barrier but the gateline attendant let me out without comment.

 

[43066]

Train still in situ as of a couple of hours ago in the down slow platform at Harpenden. No activity visible, so presumably they will finish the job tonight.

 

[Bald Rick]

Train still in situ as of a couple of hours ago in the down slow platform at Harpenden. No activity visible, so presumably they will finish the job tonight.

Yes the job was suspended in the early hours of this morning, train screwed down, back in tonight. I might go have a look!

 

[43066]

Yes the job was suspended in the early hours of this morning, train screwed down, back in tonight. I might go have a look!

Looked like a few hundred yards north of the station still to do - easily achievable within a few hours, presumably? It’s amazing how much ground those machines can cover (albeit not last night!).

 

[Bald Rick]

Looked like a few hundred yards north of the station still to do - easily achievable within a few hours, presumably? It’s amazing how much ground those machines can cover (albeit not last night!).

I‘m not directly involved, so don’t know what work is outstanding.

 

[Mugby]

The EMR Inter City services have been cut by half today, just one per hour to Sheffield and one per hour to Nottingham. As can be imagined this led to serious overcrowding and delays, I travelled from Derby to Leicester on the 1332 which ran late from Sheffield and then stood for SIX minutes at Long Eaton whilst someone tried to board with a pushchair.
Returning on the 1637 from Leicester, this had been delayed was 18 down into LEI and was absolutely rammed in the vestibules and throughout the aisles.
Can't help thinking EMR really should have tried to double up some of the peak time trains even though they were given very little notice. Etches Park was full of 222s which weren't being used this afternoon!

 

[Bald Rick]

Quite a few of the EMR peak services were 7s or 10s. Not all, admittedly.

Thameslink services were rather busy too - peak service reduced from 4 x 12 cars and 10 x 8 cars per hour to 2 x 12 cars and 4 x 8 cars. A touch cosy. Not helped by someone boarding at West Hampstead with a perfectly serviceable non folding bike - and alighting 1 mile later at Cricklewood.

 

[Mattydo]

Quite a few of the EMR peak services were 7s or 10s. Not all, admittedly.

Thameslink services were rather busy too - peak service reduced from 4 x 12 cars and 10 x 8 cars per hour to 2 x 12 cars and 4 x 8 cars. A touch cosy. Not helped by someone boarding at West Hampstead with a perfectly serviceable non folding bike - and alighting 1 mile later at Cricklewood.

Extra ironic when many cricklewood drivers will walk in from WHTL when disruption has scuppered the Sutton's. Nice walk to be fair.