Track fault Baker Street (MET)

[Dstock7080]

Due to a crack on the pointwork at Baker Street junction, MET services suspended Baker Street-Aldgate from 0900 Wed 29 October.
District services suspended High Street-Edgware Road from 1115 until 1215 to facilitate H&C services reversing at Edgware Road.
After several inspections, a new part needs to be fabricated and this is expected to arrive as late as evening of 8 November.
City services will remain suspended.

 

[BJames]

Thanks for this update. I notice TfL is saying no service today and tomorrow but by the sounds of it could be a lot longer...

 

[Railguy1]

It is basically suspended between Harrow and Aldgate with token shuttle services every 30 minutes to Baker Street.

It was a miserable experience trying to use it. Wednesday I gave up and took the Chiltern to Sudbury. Today I left work late and fortunately had a short wait and the train was not so packed.

I have no idea why they cannot run more trains up to Wembley Park. It would help significantly. Maybe they are concerned about overcrowding on the Jubilee line.

 

[bluegoblin7]

The service was heavily reduced on Wednesday with largely all the Aldgate trains reversed via Neasden, but yesterday and today onwards all Uxbridge, Watford and Amersham trains should be running through, albeit with some planned cancellations and some short notice cancellations to prevent excessive blocking back - there is only so much that can be done at short notice, short of bringing in a full emergency timetable which comes with its own significant impacts and challenges.

The main limitations of running more trains to Wembley is the limited capacity and space, and less than ideal interchange, on platform 6 - it’s not particularly big, and a train load of people going up and over creates additional challenges. There are also some quirks of the track layout which impacts capacity on the ‘through’ lines - whilst this is much improved with CBTC compared to the legacy overlaps, it can’t be completely resolved.

Thanks for this update. I notice TfL is saying no service today and tomorrow but by the sounds of it could be a lot longer...

As @Dstock7080 notes, and TfL have communicated in their emails to customers, disruption is expected through to the close of traffic on the 8th November. I’m not sure what this adds - seven days is hardly “a lot longer” when a specialist, unique casting needs to be sourced and installed, with only limited opportunities to do so around other track access needs. It’s a very fine balancing act.

 

[rebmcr]

District services suspended High Street-Edgware Road from 1115 until 1215 to facilitate H&C services reversing at Edgware Road.

Presumably a queue of Westbound services backing up towards Farringdon? Is the plan outside of that one-hour period simply to 'plainline' the junction and allow through running between Edgware Road & Great Portland Street in both directions?

 

[bluegoblin7]

The District curtailment was only on Wednesday whilst there was a suspension through Baker Street on all lines to facilitate an inspection. This was repeated a few times throughout the day - H&C services either reversed and ran Inner Rail to Barking or to Hammersmith.

The errant crossing has now been temporarily plain lined in favour of the C&H and removing the TSR.

 

[rebmcr]

Inner Rail to Barking

Ah I see, from Royal Oak then via Victoria?

 

[orestad]

In times like these, I do wish Chiltern operated their Sudbury Hill Harrow/Sudbury & Harrow Road stops over the weekend. The Piccadilly along the Uxbridge branch has been getting quite a few minor or severe delays lately so that doesn’t help either if I need to get somewhere by a certain time.

 

[A60stock]

Until you build passing loops or quadruple the line at the intermediate stations between Marylebone and South Ruislip, you cannot run much more than a hourly service, which I don't think would be worth it anyway from their perspective.

Agree that a weekend service is needed. Not sure why this does not exist as it would probably boost patronage at these stations.

 

[Triumph]

The service is very infrequent as only Platforms 1 & 4 at Baker Street are being utilized for turnround. It's times like this when the option to turn back from Platform 3 could have proven advantageous and would alleviate some of the pressures, however I don't know why Platform 2 is not being used?
Last Saturday, with Rugby at Wembley the Jubilee was rammed and the Met just couldn't cope.

 

[bramling]

The service is very infrequent as only Platforms 1 & 4 at Baker Street are being utilized for turnround. It's times like this when the option to turn back from Platform 3 could have proven advantageous and would alleviate some of the pressures, however I don't know why Platform 2 is not being used?
Last Saturday, with Rugby at Wembley the Jubilee was rammed and the Met just couldn't cope.

I’m not fully versed in what’s actually going on, however it might be the case that the track issue precludes the use of platform 2. As for a train to run into platform 2 from the north, there would have to be some form of “overlap” beyond the stopping position.

Note that Seltrac doesn’t have overlaps in the traditional sense, hence why I’ve written it in inverted commas, but nonetheless there would still be a safety margin required.

Someone who actually operates the system would be able to confirm or deny for sure.

 

[notverydeep]

A timetable from a previous planned closure is being used to manage the service until the fault is fixed. During those planned works platform 2 at Baker Street was within the closure.

 

[A60stock]

Do we know what the service being run is in tph?

 

[astock5000]

Platform 2 was in use on Sunday - I boarded a Watford service from the platform that afternoon. The pattern at that time appeared to be Watford trains reversing in 2 with Uxbridge trains alternately using 1 & 4, though I didn't hang around long enough to confirm that pattern repeating.

 

[Graeme186]

Since Tuesday 04th November, I believe from the monitoring that I've been undertaking is that the service being operated throughout the day is the Saturday service that was operated on 15th June 2024 when engineering work suspended the service between Baker Street and Aldgate over the weekend 15th/16th June 2024. 29 trains are being operated as follows:
Ts 401-411 providing a 15 minute alternate Amersham/Chesham to Baker Street service calling all stations
Ts 421-427 providing a 15 minute service Watford-Harrow reversing south to north in Neasden Depot
Ts 430-444 providing a 71/2 minute service Uxbridge-Baker Street.
With 12tph operating between Harrow and Baker Street, it would appear that frequencies are evened out to provide a 5 minute service. The 8tph frequency on the Uxbridge Branch will adjust to fit round the Piccadilly Line timetable.

Presumably this same service will operate tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday. Weekend evening changeover trains 454,455 and 457 also operate.

 

[Mojo]

Platform 2 is in use and is being used, I’m at Baker St and there’s a train in it now. However the timetable, which has only been in use since Tuesday, only has trains using P1 and 4.

 

[rebmcr]

a new part needs to be fabricated and this is expected to arrive as late as evening of 8 November

Are there any updated estimates for this arrival? Either sooner than expected, or delayed?

 

[bluegoblin7]

A fix remains scheduled for Engineering Hours on 8 November. It certainly won’t be sooner.

 

[Silent]

To me Met live seems known for tracks faults. Before it was in the Neasden area.

 

[Railguy1]

Fingers crossed it’s fixed this week, although the service has been better after the amended timetable.

 

[Dstock7080]

Services resumed this morning.

 

[pdeaves]

Please could I confirm my understanding is correct?
During the closure period, no Underground station was left entirely without a service, it was only a reduced pattern, correct?

 

[Dstock7080]

Please could I confirm my understanding is correct?
During the closure period, no Underground station was left entirely without a service, it was only a reduced pattern, correct?

That is correct.
Aldgate was only served by Circle Line trains.

 

[pdeaves]

That is correct.
Aldgate was only served by Circle Line trains.

Thanks!