Animals on the line at Hackney Wick disruption and cancellations (15/2/25)

[sad1e]

On my way to spot at Stratford and
Most services on the nnl are heavily delayed or cancelled due to this. all the trains are cancelled at west Hampstead currently.
Arent there normally sufficient fencing and measures to prevent this on most railway lines.

 

[Class15]

Great. Need to travel West Brompton - Gospel Oak in the next couple of hours. Hopefully they’ll turn back at Camden Road or Gospel Oak.

 

[sad1e]

Great. Need to travel West Brompton - Gospel Oak in the next couple of hours. Hopefully they’ll turn back at Camden Road or Gospel Oak.

They seem to be mostly terminating at willesden Jct with a few going through to Highbury

The service situation is that most trains west of Willesden jct are cancelled or delayed (see attachment of west Hampstead departure board)

Overheard a member of overground staff talking about it being a swan

 

[Class15]

Currently on 2L33 at Finchley Road. Absolute mess of a journey though with a pointless signal stop near Olympia with nothing in front.

 

[alex397]

Most services on the nnl seem heavily delayed or cancelled due to this, isn't there normally sufficient fencing and measures to prevent this.

Unless the railway gets covered in a barbed wire cage, animals will always find a way in. Especially those of the winged variety - swans for example.
Does anyone know what sort of animals they are?

 

[Business Bob]

It was a Swan. 2N75 came round the corner from Lea Jn and believed they had hit it while it was in the 4ft of the UP NLL. It was somewhere under the cab when the train had come to a stand. After drawing forward into Hackney Wick, the Swan was still seen to be alive and injured but managed to limp into the 6ft where it stayed. Trains behind started turning at Dalston while some of the services were thinned out at Willesden and Camden.

 

[sad1e]

It was a Swan. 2N75 came round the corner from Lea Jn and believed they had hit it while it was in the 4ft of the UP NLL. It was somewhere under the cab when the train had come to a stand. After drawing forward into Hackney Wick, the Swan was still seen to be alive and injured but managed to limp into the 6ft where it stayed. Trains behind started turning at Dalston while some of the services were thinned out at Willesden and Camden.

Any ideas if the swan got rescued or did it recover and remove itself from the line.

 

[Towers]

Ludicrous that the 21st century railway still has nonsense rules about bl**dy swans being somehow special!

 

[Russel]

Ludicrous that the 21st century railway still has nonsense rules about bl**dy swans being somehow special!

My thoughts exactly!

I've been on a 195 that hit an animal on the Windermere branch with quite a thump, slowed down briefly then carried on as normal!

 

[norbitonflyer]

Ludicrous that the 21st century railway still has nonsense rules about bl**dy swans being somehow special!

I don't think its rules, but simply the nature of swans, that make them a particular problem.

Swans are big enough to cause significant damage to the underside of a train if they are run over. And, unlike similarly sized quadrupeds, they cannot walk far or fast on land. Most stranded swans are there because they have mistaken a wet surface for a river or lake, landed badly, and are unable to fly away (as they can only launch themselves into the air from water).

 

[Towers]

I don't think its rules, but simply the nature of swans, that make them a particular problem.

Swans are big enough to cause significant damage to the underside of a train if they are run over. And, unlike similarly sized quadrupeds, they cannot walk far or fast on land. Most stranded swans are there because they have mistaken a wet surface for a river or lake, landed badly, and are unable to fly away (as they can only launch themselves into the air from water).

I believe the requirement is that trains are stopped if said animal is in the fourfoot?

 

[RUK]

Ludicrous that the 21st century railway still has nonsense rules about bl**dy swans being somehow special!

It’s not just the railway - all swans are owned by the Crown, so the monarch and the Royal Family are the only ones who have the right to eat swans, or I guess other people at their invitation, and I guess only the Royal Household/people on the monarch’s behalf, have the right to catch swans for eating.

 

[800001]

Currently on 2L33 at Finchley Road. Absolute mess of a journey though with a pointless signal stop near Olympia with nothing in front.

Maybe signaller was dealing with other issues? Eg swan and drivers? Maybe forgot? Maybe slightly delayed on clearing signal?

 

[Class15]

Maybe signaller was dealing with other issues? Eg swan and drivers? Maybe forgot? Maybe slightly delayed on clearing signal?

I was under the assumption that the North and West London lines were controlled by Automatic Route Setting (ARS).

 

[trebor79]

Ludicrous that the 21st century railway still has nonsense rules about bl**dy swans being somehow special!

Agree

I don't think its rules, but simply the nature of swans, that make them a particular problem.

Swans are big enough to cause significant damage to the underside of a train if they are run over. And, unlike similarly sized quadrupeds, they cannot walk far or fast on land. Most stranded swans are there because they have mistaken a wet surface for a river or lake, landed badly, and are unable to fly away (as they can only launch themselves into the air from water).

Aren't swans special in law? I've been on a train that hit a muntjack deer at 90mph. Lots of banging and clattering from underneath, guard said "it was just a deer, I checked from the back cab". Train didn't even slow down.

I believe the requirement is that trains are stopped if said animal is in the fourfoot?

See above.

 

[zuriblue]

Ludicrous that the 21st century railway still has nonsense rules about bl**dy swans being somehow special!

Not just the UK though. I was on an NS service out to Schiphol which slowed to a walking pace because of a swan in the four foot. Eventually it took the hint and we were able to continue.

 

[800001]

I was under the assumption that the North and West London lines were controlled by Automatic Route Setting (ARS).

A lot of lines can be controlled by ARS, but they can also be controlled manually.
Up to the signaller on that panel how it is operated.

 

[sjoh]

...no luck catching them swans then?

 

[RailwayRookie]

On the Swan front..
A reason I was once told before is also that Swans can't just go 'up' to get out of the way. They need a reasonably straight and uninterrupted path to take flight.
Having a Swan at about window height during take off is also less than ideal for the train and driver.

 

[43066]

I believe the requirement is that trains are stopped if said animal is in the fourfoot?

The last swan I encountered in the four foot was when I was approaching it at 110mph… It didn’t end well for the swan, needless to say, and not much point in reporting it .

On the Swan front..
A reason I was once told before is also that Swans can't just go 'up' to get out of the way. They need a reasonably straight and uninterrupted path to take flight.
Having a Swan at about window height during take off is also less than ideal for the train and driver.

This is a valid point. They do seem to “hang around” more than other animals. Then as you say there’s the risk of them lifting off and striking the front of the train which there isn’t with land animals of a similar size such as Muntjacs.

Can’t say I like swans. Arrogant looking things!

 

[sjoh]

The last swan I encountered in the four foot was when I was approaching it at 110mph… It didn’t end well for the swan, needless to say, and not much point in reporting it .

I believe the last prosecution under the Protection of Swans Act 1592 was in 1992 so hopefully you're safe on that front...

 

[Pinus contorta]

It's the hissing that gets me. It reminds me of Day of the Triffids.

 

[baz962]

I believe the last prosecution under the Protection of Swans Act 1592 was in 1992 so hopefully you're safe on that front...

To be fair 43066 is pretty arrogant looking. If I had to guess who took the innocent swans life , it would be them. I shall now be blackmailing them or I might give old Charlie a call at Buck house

 

[sad1e]

It was a Swan. 2N75 came round the corner from Lea Jn and believed they had hit it while it was in the 4ft of the UP NLL. It was somewhere under the cab when the train had come to a stand. After drawing forward into Hackney Wick, the Swan was still seen to be alive and injured but managed to limp into the 6ft where it stayed. Trains behind started turning at Dalston while some of the services were thinned out at Willesden and Camden.

That swan was very lucky to just have been clipped by a 378 and not any of the variety of freight on the NLL

 

[Ediswan]

It’s not just the railway - all swans are owned by the Crown, so the monarch and the Royal Family are the only ones who have the right to eat swans, or I guess other people at their invitation, and I guess only the Royal Household/people on the monarch’s behalf, have the right to catch swans for eating.

That is a simplification:
https://www.royal.uk/swans

The young cygnets are ringed with individual identification numbers that denote their ownership if they belong to the Vintners or the Dyers livery companies; they cygnets’ ownership is determined by their parentage. However, all Crown birds are left unmarked. The King retains the right to claim ownership of any unmarked mute swan swimming in open waters, but this right is mainly exercised on certain stretches of the River Thames.

 

[43066]

I believe the last prosecution under the Protection of Swans Act 1592 was in 1992 so hopefully you're safe on that front...

Good to know. Sadly I’ve hit more than one. I have been cautioned for them too a few times.

To be fair 43066 is pretty arrogant looking. If I had to guess who took the innocent swans life , it would be them. I shall now be blackmailing them or I might give old Charlie a call at Buck house

If I know you’re on the train behind, I’ll be sure to stop and follow the full procedure next time.

 

[Class15]

That swan was very lucky to just have been clipped by a 378 and not any of the variety of freight on the NLL

It was lucky that there was a block on the GEML, therefore meaning that the stretch through Hackney Wick was without its usual container traffic to/from Felixstowe. A class 90 or 66 would probably have finished the swan off!

 

[Towers]

...no luck catching them swans then?

It’s just the one swan actually…

 

[Steve Harris]

Aren't swans special in law?

Yes. They belong to the crown. May I suggest all those people on here moaning about said Swan write to His Maj at Buckingham Palace. (And good luck with that, considering he's known to like nature and wildlife).

 

[Deepgreen]

Whatever one's thoughts about swans as creatures, the point is that they need a long clear run to take off. I can't imagine how this one managed to land where it did (and perhaps it injured itself doing so), but it may have been in poor light. The catenary will be an impediment, apart from all the track level obstructions. The issue which hasn't been mentioned is the PR aspect of hitting swans, especially by running trains knowingly past/over them on the track, quite apart from the Crown ownership issue.