Euston no trains 15/10/23

[Zontar]

Does anybody know why there is no movement out of Euston currently? Or how long it's going to last?

 

[Oxfordblues]

It's being described as a "points failure" apparently.

 

[HOOVER29]

Points failure apparently

Social media has several passengers slagging off Avanti saying it’s their fault.

 

[parkender102]

Daughter is stuck at Hemel on a Southbound Avanti Service due to arrive at 11:33 - it's now 12:22 - she has tickets for the Womens game at Arsenal

 

[SynthD]

TRAKSY.UK

Live train maps and timetables

traksy.uk

The signal by the carriage shed currently says DETS. Does that mean detonation?

 

[Zontar]

Yes protection in place

 

[The Planner]

TRAKSY.UK

Live train maps and timetables

traksy.uk

The signal by the carriage shed currently says DETS. Does that mean detonation?

Detonators, not detonation. Euston is two track until mid day anyway as part of the normal maintenance regime. If points have failed on lines B and C its a real game over situation.

 

[Boodiggy]

Detonators, not detonation. Euston is two track until mid day anyway as part of the normal maintenance regime. If points have failed on lines B and C its a real game over situation.

2 track until Monday this weekend so only lines B & C available.

It's being described as a "points failure" apparently.

It is a points failure, just south of Park St Tunnel

 

[alxndr]

Depending on the mode of failure it could take 5 minutes to resolve or hours, especially if new parts are required and have to be transported to site, plus any time required to get the team to site. Without knowing what the failure is there's no way of guessing how long it will take to resolve. If the failure is a crossover between the two lines left running (which seems possible if there's nothing in or out) then if it is something more complex it may be possible to do a manually operating and clamping the points in the required position to get trains moving for the rest of the day until after traffic at night. Depending on where the points are this may impact flexibility too much and not be a viable solution though.

Of course, there is then the time required to get trains and staff in place to start resuming the services, which I would guess will also be hampered by being limited to just the two lines.

 

[Zontar]

What are my options other than waiting, to get to Crewe?

 

[josh-j]

NRE says lines now reopened, though I expect everything will be disrupted for a while!

 

[zwk500]

What are my options other than waiting, to get to Crewe?

St Pancras to Leicester, XC to Birmingham then New Street to Crewe or St Pancras to Derby and EMR via Uttoxeter. Both will be much slower and you'd need to check ticket acceptance. If lines are now open waiting is still probably better.

 

[parkender102]

Head out to Reading from Paddington and pick up a train to Crewe changing at Didcot Parkway and Birmingham International

 

[Trainguy34]

Daughter is stuck at Hemel on a Southbound Avanti Service due to arrive at 11:33 - it's now 12:22 - she has tickets for the Womens game at Arsenal

Looks like it might be looking up for her as according to Traksy it's moving, passing through Wembley Central.
Edit: Should have 52 Mins until Kick-off (Due Arrival at Euston at 13:08)

 

[SCDR_WMR]

St Pancras to Leicester, XC to Birmingham then New Street to Crewe or St Pancras to Derby and EMR via Uttoxeter. Both will be much slower and you'd need to check ticket acceptance. If lines are now open waiting is still probably better.

I'd rather Chiltern from Marylebone then up to Crewe

 

[Zontar]

St Pancras to Leicester, XC to Birmingham then New Street to Crewe or St Pancras to Derby and EMR via Uttoxeter. Both will be much slower and you'd need to check ticket acceptance. If lines are now open waiting is still probably better.

Thanks very useful was just about to set off, but service has been reinstated

 

[zwk500]

I'd rather Chiltern from Marylebone then up to Crewe

An equally good option although a slightly longer walk from Euston (and involves the walk from Moor St to New St). If there's any work at Oxford today Chiltern may have revised/busy services though.

 

[sonic2009]

Oxford is shut today with rail replacements running to various destinations, also rail replacements Banbury - Dorridge, so that's possibly why Avanti didn't agree ticket acceptance this way.

 

[Farigiraf]

RTT & Google maps shows most long distance services still cancelled but most Overground, London Northwestern and Avanti Manchesters are now running again
The 1407 Edinburgh is going ahead

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Oxford is shut today with rail replacements running to various destinations, also rail replacements Banbury - Dorridge, so that's possibly why Avanti didn't agree ticket acceptance this way.

Ouch! What a day passengers are having eh. Hopefully it's cleared up by the time I start work haha

 

[MotCO]

If there was a maintenance team working at / near Euston, could they be taken off the job temporarily to repair the faulty points, particularly if no trains could move?

 

[SCDR_WMR]

If there was a maintenance team working at / near Euston, could they be taken off the job temporarily to repair the faulty points, particularly if no trains could move?

I'm sure there's a depot just near there anyway, but the wider question would then be would you sacrifice tomorrow morning's handback of the lines being worked on due to not being finished on time? Just to save maybe an hour of delayed trains today.

That's not to say their work is going to take them right up to the end of the planned blockage, but it could push them back enough to run over.

 

[alxndr]

If there was a maintenance team working at / near Euston, could they be taken off the job temporarily to repair the faulty points, particularly if no trains could move?

The normal order of things would be:

1. Signaller reports fault to Control
2. Control contacts S&T team responsible for that area
3. S&T team stops doing whatever they're doing and contacts the signaller to see if they will be given access to rectify the fault
4. If access is granted (which doesn't always happen if giving access would cause more disruption than the fault itself, more common where the layout allows the signaller to work around the fault, which doesn't seem possible in this instance due to the possession) S&T team attend the fault. If access isn't granted they attend pass it on to attend at a suitable time, such as after traffic at night.

If the S&T team is aware of someone else working nearer than they are (perhaps that depot has two teams out at that time and they know where the other team is working) then they may contact them and ask them to attend instead. Similarly, on-call managers might know the same and also suggest the other team attend. Control does not have oversight of where individual teams are at any one time unless they've sent them to an incident.

If there is a contract S&T team working in the area then it's unlikely that anyone would ever contact them regarding the fault as none of the people involved in the chain of getting the fault rectified knows that they are there, and as they are more typically used for new works or installations fault-finding is not something that they do on a regular basis. Message might get passed to the PICOP in charge of the possession to see if anyone is likely to have inadvertently affected the points, but realistically that's as far as it's likely to go.

 

[GordonT]

Genuine question - not meant as implied criticism of any decision-making today. In circumstances where the timescale for restoring services at Euston was indeterminate, is it better to hold Euston-bound services at or near to the start of their journey as some were, even if that is say 100+ miles away so that it is easier for pax wishing to bail and choosing not to travel if the timescale for restoration of service proves to be extremely long, OR is it better to get trains to stations as close as is reasonable to London in the hope that delays will thereby be reduced?

 

[alxndr]

Genuine question - not meant as implied criticism of any decision-making today. In circumstances where the timescale for restoring services at Euston was indeterminate, is it better to hold services at or near to the start of their journey as some were, even if that is say 100+ miles away so that it is easier for pax wishing to bale and choosing not to travel if the timescale for restoration of service proves to be extremely long, OR is it better to get trains to stations as close as is reasonable to London in the hope that delays will thereby be reduced?

The length of delays to us are indeterminate because we have limited information. Those making those decisions will be getting information from those on the ground and will be able to ascertain a likely timescale for rectification.

 

[Boodiggy]

Genuine question - not meant as implied criticism of any decision-making today. In circumstances where the timescale for restoring services at Euston was indeterminate, is it better to hold Euston-bound services at or near to the start of their journey as some were, even if that is say 100+ miles away so that it is easier for pax wishing to bale and choosing not to travel if the timescale for restoration of service proves to be extremely long, OR is it better to get trains to stations as close as is reasonable to London in the hope that delays will thereby be reduced?

Drivers in IA.
Already diverting via West Mids so amended diagrams
2 line rail until midday (and Euston until 0400 Monday) so unable to spin at MK / Watford.
Getting the service back will not be easy

 

[northwichcat]

Both will be much slower and you'd need to check ticket acceptance.

The TransPennine Express website is good at showing permitted routes out of London. If you click the i next to Off Peak Return when you've searched for Crewe to London return, it says "The following London stations are available for travel with the chosen ticket London Euston(EUS), London Marylebone(MYB), London Paddington(PAD)"

So even without any special ticket acceptance you're good to get out of London on Chiltern services from Marylebone or GWR services towards Oxford. For Manchester to London you'd have additional option of using the Midland Mainline from St Pancras. Of course, if you hold an Advance for a specific service it's different.

 

[Gaelan]

Of course, if you hold an Advance for a specific service it's different.

…and the vast majority of passengers to the north will be on advances, no?

 

[northwichcat]

Genuine question - not meant as implied criticism of any decision-making today. In circumstances where the timescale for restoring services at Euston was indeterminate, is it better to hold Euston-bound services at or near to the start of their journey as some were, even if that is say 100+ miles away so that it is easier for pax wishing to bail and choosing not to travel if the timescale for restoration of service proves to be extremely long, OR is it better to get trains to stations as close as is reasonable to London in the hope that delays will thereby be reduced?

The railways have to consider all passengers. Is it OK to hold a Manchester to London train at Stoke-on-Trent when there's people on board wanting to alight at Milton Keynes when the train would be able to reach Milton Keynes on time, but might not be able to get to London?

…and the vast majority of passengers to the north will be on advances, no?

I'd say a minority of business travellers - most companies want their employees to buy the Off Peak returns. The Anytime tickets are too expensive but trying to get people on Advances saves little money for the inconvenience caused.

For leisure travel it probably depends how risk adverse you are. For instance, if you're going to a football match and the match gets postponed you may have wasted £60 on unrefundable train tickets you don't need, instead of paying £100 on the day.

 

[contrex]

It's being described as a "points failure" apparently.

The BBCs James W Kelly is calling it a "signal points failure".