West Midlands network Meltdown

[Rich McLean]

It seems there are major problems throughout, due to OHLE problems. This seems to be what is happening:

Virgin Trains:
Euston - Wolves:
Services are not serving Birmingham New Street. Instead, they are going non stop via Tame Bridge Parkway and Walsall and into Wolves.

New Street - Scotland
Services running via Walsall and Rugley TV with delays

Virgin Tickets are being accepted on Chiltern and LM.

London Midland
New Street - Shrewsbury
Services in both directions are being terminated at Wolverhampton, and will not operate between Wolves and New Street.

New Street - Liverpool Lime Street
A shuttle service is currently operating between Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street. No services between New Street and Crewe. Replacement Bus between Stafford and Wolves via Penkridge. Virgin are accepting tickets between Stafford and Liverpool

Cross City
Sunday service table is now in force, with services stopping all shacks

Wallsall
1tph to Rugley (semi fast) and 1tph to Walsall (all stops) only, with Regley extension subject to cancellation

Crosscounty
Services operating with delays of up to 60 minutes or being terminated at New Street on trains to and from Manchester. Services also running via Walsall

Arriva Trains Wales
Operating with delays, with some services going via Walsall and terminated at New Street or being turned at Wolves

NXWM and Metro are accepting rail tickets on any reasonable route.


Not good for a Monday Evening Peak. Good luck to those on the ground

 

[Batman]

Just checked NRE and it looks like the Rugeley service is running hourly with nothing in the Cross City line north of Birmingham with major delays to the south of the city.

 

[Rich McLean]

Even worse that I first thought.

Not much on the XC services, I presume they are either missing wolves and going via Wallsall, or being turned at New Street and from Manchester being turned at Stafford

 

[chris89]

Got caught up in it earlier (Mid day). Gladly had time to go from Moor Street to get home.

As originally was going to change at Smethwick Galton Bridge, then onward to Kiddy.

Until all the annoucments started with trains being delayed. Other halfs train is running about 60 late (12:20 Departure for Edinburgh) and gladly due into Haymarket soon. As it left B'ham 39 late then got into Wolves 60 odd late.

Chris

 

[Old Hill Bank]

Thank the lord the plan to electrify to Kidder was scrapped in the 80s as much as going into Snow Hill can be a pain.

 

[SS4]

Days like this make me glad I use my own two legs to commute to work.

edit: Just saw this on NRES

Passengers may use CrossCountry services between Birmingham New Street and Tamwoth until further notice.

Anyone know where Tamwoth is

 

[Rich McLean]

Most Cross country services are running an hour late, with some stock running on completely different diagrams.

 

[dooton]

Why is the Cross City line so badly affected? Congestion at New Street or can't they get enough units out of soho to run a full service?

 

[Qwerty133]

Why is the Cross City line so badly affected? Congestion at New Street or can't they get enough units out of soho to run a full service?

Drivers stuck at wolves apparently.

 

[dooton]

Drivers stuck at wolves apparently.

That's odd, I would have thought they were based out of NS. And that there is only a half hourly 323 service to Wolves, surely that many cant be trapped hehe?

 

[Rich McLean]

That's odd, I would have thought they were based out of NS. And that there is only a half hourly 323 service to Wolves, surely that many cant be trapped hehe?

It's also due to Pathing issues, as some services going towards Manchester/North West and Virgin services to Wolves are having to go via Aston and Tame Bridge Parkway, which reduces the paths for X-City trains. Infact, I don't think Soho junction is available either, but I stand corrected

 

[dk1]

Would imagine a large proportion of traincrews use rail to get to/from work at New St.

 

[Ferret]

For those interested, I think one of the DRS 57s is rescuing the unit that fetched the wires down. Would be a nice photo, but probably only those that work on Soho shed will be able to get a shot!

 

[Old Hill Bank]

If you lose the primary 25kv feed to a major hub like New Street due to ole failure and have to go to second or third stage feeding arrangements you screw up a lot.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

If you search for advice on Birmingham-Liverpool services during the disruption, this is what NRE says:

Services between Birmingham New Street and Liverpool Lime Street will terminate at Crewe. A train shuttle will run between Birmingham New Street and Crewe with some services calling at Acton Bridge

Time and again they make basic errors of scope and logic.
It's the same with many engineering work notices.
Gobbledygook.

 

[Rich McLean]

The Shuttle is running between Crew and Liverpool. There are no Liv - Brum trains running between Crewe and New Street

 

[CallySleeper]

I was on 1M55 south through Wolverhampton around 16:00. Were told around Stafford of the diversion and there was quite a wait at Wolverhampton as you can see. I read above that VT were being diverted via Walsall where as we called at S&D then diverted from Smethick RS to Perry Barr and then to Stechford via Aston. There didn't appear to be much in way of traffic in the Wolverhampton area but Birmingham International was a lot busier, with more (delayed) trains.

 

[dvboy]

16:50 at New Street absolutely nothing was going to Wolverhampton. Decided to head for the tram, the platform at Snow Hill was absolutely rammed. Took a train to the Hawthorns, and in the meantime saw a tweet that no-one could get on there because they were so busy, a quick bit of journey planing and I worked out that to bus from Smethwick home would take around the same time as to bus from Stourbridge so I ended up going home via Stourbridge.

Normally you get at least the Liverpools and going via Bescot but it seemed even that wasn't happening tonight.

 

[Class172]

Depite being relatively well distanced from Birmingham, there were major delays at Worcester at around 1630 this afternoon. B'ham-bound trains were around 20 mins late whilst Hereford-bound trains were expected unto 40 mins late. Obviously there had been some problems regarding stock allocation due to the incident so my train home this afternoon was formed of an unusual combination of a class 170/5+172/3.

 

[martinsh]

What time did this start ? Was normal service this morning ?

Absolutely cannot understand why LM could not run a Wolverhampton - Liverpool service (hourly if needs be).

They have cocked it up once too many times for me.

 

[chris89]

What time did this start ? Was normal service this morning ?

Absolutely cannot understand why LM could not run a Wolverhampton - Liverpool service (hourly if needs be).

They have cocked it up once too many times for me.

Must have around 12 ish.

Was at Newstreet at around 11:30 no delays, went to get my train at 12:00 and the 11:50 to Wolvo from Euston was still waiting then said delayed.

A few minutes later, the train i was going to get (12:08 Wolves all stops) went into P3A (12:20 to Edinburgh was in 3B) and the LM service became a express. The VT service to Edinburgh left 39 ish late, by the time got through/ out of Wolves was 60 late and that went up via Aston (Other half mentioned she saw that clubs football grounds) then via Bescot Stadium.

Chris