ECML blocked at St. Neots? (19/10)

[londonmidland]

Currently in communication with someone who is stuck outside St. Neots station, in a queue of trains which are all at a stand at red signals. Their guard says there is overhead wire damaged, however on NRE it is stating there is a fault with the signalling system, so still a bit of clarification needed.

As you can see on the screenshots below, of the area around St. Neots station, there is a queue of trains either side of the station, with all signals at red.

 

[yorkie]

Currently in communication with someone who is stuck outside St. Neots station, in a queue of trains which are all at a stand at red signals. Their guard says there is overhead wire damaged, however on NRE it is stating there is a fault with the signalling system, so still a bit of clarification needed.

As you can see on the screenshots below, of the area around St. Neots station, there is a queue of trains either side of the station, with all signals at red.

I was on the 1202 from York which went slow through St Neots. I just assumed it was a temporary speed restriction or something.

 

[LowLevel]

Signalling problems with trains being talked past 2 signals in each direction. Should be moving eventually but may be a wait.

 

[class 9]

Incident started st 1450, S&T not due on site till 1640..... nearly 2 hrs!!

 

[BahrainLad]

I am at King’s Cross and everything is cancelled. Major signal failure at St Neots. No backup working.

 

[TreacleMiller]

St Neots signalling failure. Both directions and I think all lines.

The third major signalling failure in two weeks.

 

[liamf656]

EMR are taking passengers but only to stations in Yorkshire and the South. Tyneside and Scotland passengers advised to stick to the ECML

Not a good day considering the WCML was closed earlier too!

 

[dk1]

Peterborough lost all signalling Monday afternoon too.

Does York now control St.Neots area too?

 

[BahrainLad]

Well our 1748 up to Doncaster was cancelled along with everything else so we are heading back home and will try tomorrow. Somewhat staggering to think that a signal failure can completely **** the entire line for hours on end but that’s Britain 2023 for you I guess.

 

[transportphoto]

Does York now control St.Neots area too?

If it was formerly controlled by Huntingdon, yes. Huntingdon moved to York at the same time as Peterborough panel.

 

[dk1]

If it was formerly controlled by Huntingdon, yes. Huntingdon moved to York at the same time as Peterborough panel.

Thank you.

 

[mlb54]

Looks like it’s all fixed now, the damage is done for the day though.

 

[Itsmeganyhxo]

No update from driver but we’re moving!

 

[uglymonkey]

Thameslink through London Bridge to St Pan is also a nightmare ( my Cambridge train was running 1 hour late)
Signalling near Haywards Heath was told.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Signalling south of Peterborough seems to be constant now. Multiple times per week.

 

[Strat-tastic]

Currently in communication with someone who is stuck outside St. Neots station, in a queue of trains which are all at a stand at red signals. Their guard says there is overhead wire damaged, however on NRE it is stating there is a fault with the signalling system, so still a bit of clarification needed.

As you can see on the screenshots below, of the area around St. Neots station, there is a queue of trains either side of the station, with all signals at red.

Is that Open Train Times? I don't get signal aspects on that map

 

[londonmidland]

Is that Open Train Times? I don't get signal aspects on that map

It is indeed.

 

[johnr57]

Might be the wrong place to put this but …..

Booked first advance on the 1900 to Edinburgh. Train rammed absolutely no chance of getting on .

If I book a hotel and stay until tomorrow, can I recover my hotel cost from LNER ? I cannot stand through health reasons to Edinburgh. Any advice appreciated pretty fed up her at Kgx

And as it looks at the moment won’t get in any other service north tonight

Customer service somewhat lacking in providing sound advice of any nature , best so far to get to
Newcastle and then taxi!

 

[MadCommuter]

Might be the wrong place to put this but …..

Booked first advance on the 1900 to Edinburgh. Train rammed absolutely no chance of getting on .

If I book a hotel and stay until tomorrow, can I recover my hotel cost from LNER ? I cannot stand through health reasons to Edinburgh. Any advice appreciated pretty fed up her at Kgx

And as it looks at the moment won’t get in any other service north tonight

Customer service somewhat lacking in providing sound advice of any nature , best so far to get to
Newcastle and then taxi!

I'm afraid I can't help regarding the hotel but Network Rail Scotland have imposed a 40mph speed restriction between the border and Innerwick (near Dunbar). This won't help service recovery.

 

[Robski_]

Was stuck on 9J48 which was instructed to hold at Knebworth, ended up being rescued by the slow Cambridge train. A lack of information about that Cambridge train meant that a significant number of passengers went to try to catch the 301 bus to Stevenage, which I imagine left pretty full.

I have not had a single day in the last two weeks where Thameslink could get me to and from London on time. Granted today is a NR problem, but their driver shortage situation is now very dire - yesterday, the morning rush hour on the Peterborough route was effectively cancelled "due to a shortage of train crew". And that's without an overtime ban!

 

[TrainGeekUK]

Thameslink through London Bridge to St Pan is also a nightmare ( my Cambridge train was running 1 hour late)
Signalling near Haywards Heath was told.

Southern reporting the issue will not be resolved until 0615 tomorrow morning at Haywards Heath.

Something to do with defective insulation… any more knowledgable people on here know what that is and why it’s caused disruption down here?

https://www.southernrailway.com/travel-information/plan-your-journey/service-updates?uq=638333411958380000#INC38AA642F44AC4EDFA08575BFD2F8F482

Not a good day for travel.

 

[Stampy]

Peterborough lost all signalling Monday afternoon too.

Does York now control St.Neots area too?

Did the Tea Lady tread on the 3-pin plug for the St Neots Panel again....???

 

[johnr57]

Fir your information from my daughters efforts on the thing called x, y or z , formally twitter

Sadly had to intervene between disgruntled pax and LNER staff , 6ft 5 has its advantages at times

 

[John Webb]

Southern reporting the issue will not be resolved until 0615 tomorrow morning at Haywards Heath.

Something to do with defective insulation… any more knowledgable people on here know what that is and why it’s caused disruption down here?

https://www.southernrailway.com/travel-information/plan-your-journey/service-updates?uq=638333411958380000#INC38AA642F44AC4EDFA08575BFD2F8F482

Not a good day for travel.

Yes - down the page you link to above it says:

The required work involves changing defective insulation between track circuits, which are electrical devices which detect and monitor the passage of trains, as part of the signalling system. The railway is divided into different track circuit sections, in order to allow multiple trains to run on each route at a time. When the insulation fails, the signalling system cannot determine which section of track is being occupied by a train, so drivers have to stop and gain verbal permission to continue, usually at much slower speeds.

The insulation is between the ends of rails to separate the individual track circuits from each other. If this insulation fails the track circuits interfere with each other and signals are held at a Red aspect as a 'fail-safe' part of their design. Such joints these days are made in a factory with two short lengths of rail. To replace a defective joint it has to be cut out of the existing track and the new one fitted into place by welding the track ends to the existing track to form the replacement. This needs a line blockage and time to perform the operation.

 

[Eastern Farmer]

Is this also affecting something at Retford as I looked at the train time website (can’t remember the the exact name) and before they got to st Neots even yesterday they were losing about 10 mins at Retford. Would this be related to this and Monday or is there something separate going on there too?

Thanks in advance.

 

[AntonyL]

I was on the 1e17 joining it at York...it was already 76 down then due to the weather...then we got stuck just before Peterborough due to the signalling issue. The TM told us that they were only allowed to have 2 trains moving through the area at a time...that took about another half hour or so...then we were held for about 40 mins outside KGX because all the trains were delayed and the platforms were full...train ended up pulling in 147 late...I must say the TM was doing his best to be cheerful and keep people's spirits up, while reminding them how to claim at the end of the journey...not Lner's best day but the staff did their best...

 

[Julia]

Was out late in London and noticed things not looking good at 9pm - multiple 9Jxx (Horsham - Peterborough) services showing as not having set off well after they should have done; cancellation notifications came through very late, so having got to Finsbury Park at 22.10 I was offered the option of waiting 45 minutes for a Cambridge train then taxi from Hitchin, or take my chances and wait for the 00.55 which "might run".

Of course the taxi queue was about 100 deep, and we discovered Hitchin taxi drivers are a law unto themselves as to whether they feel like going out of town, and whether they would accept the chits that the one harrassed Thameslink chap was handing out. Still, an hour's wait there was still better than the last train (which did in fairness run, 15 down, but my chances of a taxi home from St Neots at 0212 were slim!)

 

[LickeyIncliner]

I was on the 1e17 joining it at York...it was already 76 down then due to the weather...then we got stuck just before Peterborough due to the signalling issue. The TM told us that they were only allowed to have 2 trains moving through the area at a time...that took about another half hour or so...then we were held for about 40 mins outside KGX because all the trains were delayed and the platforms were full...train ended up pulling in 147 late...I must say the TM was doing his best to be cheerful and keep people's spirits up, while reminding them how to claim at the end of the journey...not Lner's best day but the staff did their best...

I was on 1E17 from Edinburgh to York and entirely agree that LNER staff were doing their best. Given the array of cancellations on the board at Waverley when I got there - and that there was no platform for 1E17 just five minutes before departure - I was pleasantly surprised that I got to my destination only 90 minutes late.

I do feel that the in-journey notifications from the LNER app could be improved. Having it tell me around Newcastle that my connection from York would depart one minute late, when I had only 10 minutes for that connection and the incoming train was already an hour late, is just irritating. It could surely be set up to say "Your train is expected to arrive York at .... and your next connection to XYZ will be at ...".

 

[LAX54]

Incident started st 1450, S&T not due on site till 1640..... nearly 2 hrs!!

I suppose they cannot be in half a dozen places all at once, plus trying to get anywhere by road......

 

[Strat-tastic]

It is indeed.

Do you have any idea why I don't get them?