Major Disruption At London Euston (1st - 3rd Dec 2017)

[SpacePhoenix]

A bad evening at London Euston

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/177766.aspx

Overhead wire problems between London Euston and Watford Junction are causing major disruption to journeys between these stations.

Services may be cancelled or delayed by up to 60 minutes.

Disruption is expected to continue until 20:00.

Southern have suspended their services between Wembley Central and Milton Keynes Central.

Advice for London Midland customers:

You may use your tickets on Virgin Trains services via any reasonable route.

Advice for Virgin Trains customers:

You may use your tickets on Chiltern Railways and London Midland services via any reasonable route.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Southern have suspended their services between Wembley Central and Milton Keynes Central.

If there's an excuse not to bother running the WLL, they'll use it. Though turning back at Wembley is unusual - are they *actually* doing that?

 

[tsr]

The OHLE problem is on the Fast lines between Wembley Central and Harrow & Wealdstone. Virgin’s 9G29 has (according to the current info) brought down the wires. Apparently there is debris all over the DC Lines too.

1A39 is held at Harrow, currently detraining, and it was being considered that it might be able to be very carefully used to rescue passengers off 9G29. Unfortunately the debris on the Up Fast makes that unlikely. If not, a rescue loco is en route.

 

[uww11x]

#VTUPDATE Chiltern Railways and London Midland are conveying passengers via any reasonable route until further notice

 

[tsr]

If there's an excuse not to bother running the WLL, they'll use it. Though turning back at Wembley is unusual - are they *actually* doing that?

I get a bit sick of this sentiment really. The Southern services mainly exist as something half way between semi-fasts and all-stations services, and as the WCML is now a two-track railway, it is not likely for it to be feasible for them to also run on the Slows.

When other services shut down, Southern are known by some of their WCML regular pax as a bit of a lifesaver. However, in this instance, other trains are cramming into a bit of a bottleneck on a Friday evening peak. Trying to organise the scrum around a little 5-coach nearly-all-stations Metro service is not a fantastic idea. GTR and NR will come to a mutual agreement and suspend services (as far north as possible) if need be.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

According to RTT, VT seem to be getting through on the Slow lines, losing 20-30 minutes or so before getting back on the Fasts at Bourne End.
Delays and cancellations at Euston building up though.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Trying to organise the scrum around a little 5-coach nearly-all-stations Metro service is not a fantastic idea

Point of order - the main evening peak one (1710 off East Croydon) is 8-car, as I *think* is the one before it, and they are very well loaded these days. There are quieter trains out of Euston in the evening peak.

I do understand your point in this case, but in general SN seriously neglects this route. While it's improved a bit now the driver dispute is over, the reliability of the 1710 and 1810 over the last few months on the days I have used it (2 days every 2 weeks at present) is well *under* 50%.

 

[tsr]

9G29 is now apparently to have an attempted side-to-side evacuation onto 1A39...

According to RTT, VT seem to be getting through on the Slow lines, losing 20-30 minutes or so before getting back on the Fasts at Bourne End.
Delays at Euston building up though.

Correct on all points.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

9G29 is now apparently to have an attempted side-to-side evacuation onto 1A39...

Would that be done by the passengers climbing down fron 9G29 then climbing up into 5A39 or would some sort of ramp be placed between the two trains?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Would that be done by the passengers climbing down fron 9G29 then climbing up into 5A39 or would some sort of ramp be placed between the two trains?

Depends but I think it can be done with a ramp if the doors are properly lined up. Sure I saw a photo of it once.

 

[Starmill]

It's called transboardment. I have a photo of it somewhere I'll try and find it.

It doesn't seem the most likely thing to happen in this instance though.

 

[Darandio]

Happened at the Malton incident a few years ago.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-27306152

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yep, that's the actual picture I was thinking of.

 

[a_c_skinner]

My wife is travelling to Oxenholme and with great gumption is now on a Manchester train (1H39) which is now at Wembley and apparently stopped. There is no point asking her which line she is on!

Edit - now passing Harrow & Wealdstone 14L. I'll not complain about a long connection in Manchester ever again

 

[Mag_seven]

According to RTT, VT seem to be getting through on the Slow lines, losing 20-30 minutes or so before getting back on the Fasts at Bourne End

Once again the decision to remove (permanently?) Watford North Junction is coming back to bite.

(incidentally looks like a rescue loco has just passed Watford Jn heading south "bang road" on the Down Fast)

 

[AM9]

My wife is travelling to Oxenholme and with great gumption is now on a Manchester train (1H39) which is now at Wembley and apparently stopped. There is no point asking her which line she is on!

Edit - now passing Harrow & Wealdstone 14L. I'll not complain about a long connection in Manchester ever again

1H39 is headfing towards Bushey on the down slow.

Edit: Just crossing over onto the down fast at Bourne End Junction now.

 

[a_c_skinner]

Thanks. I'll keep on with RTT, at least I can tell her what to do in Manchester.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Once again the decision to remove (permanently?) Watford North Junction is coming back to bite.

(incidentally looks like a rescue loco has just passed Watford Jn heading south "bang road" on the Down Fast)

On Google Earth, approx where was the old Watford North Junction located?

 

[Lrd]

Point of order - the main evening peak one (1710 off East Croydon) is 8-car, as I *think* is the one before it, and they are very well loaded these days. There are quieter trains out of Euston in the evening peak.

I do understand your point in this case, but in general SN seriously neglects this route. While it's improved a bit now the driver dispute is over, the reliability of the 1710 and 1810 over the last few months on the days I have used it (2 days every 2 weeks at present) is well *under* 50%.

I'm wondering if ticket acceptance will be the same when Govia lose the London Midland franchise. At the moment they are pretty quick at accepting cross London transfers when Southern aren't in the mood to run the WLL.

 

[Lrd]

On Google Earth, approx where was the old Watford North Junction located?

North of Watford

I believe it was just north of the station before the tunnels.

 

[AM9]

North of Watford

I believe it was just north of the station before the tunnels.

Yes about half way between St Albans Road bridge and where the slows swing away to the northeast.

 

[tsr]

Train-to-train evacuation has begun. Judging by the cold and dark conditions on the stranded train, and the passenger numbers, hopefully it will be fairly quick.

 

[jfisher21]

Booked on the 1930 from New Street - Euston. Looks like the inbound is 30 late at watford junction, but has a 45 minute turnround at new street so hopefully it will be ok ....

 

[Mag_seven]

On Google Earth, approx where was the old Watford North Junction located?

As other posters have stated, literally just north of the station. The crossovers there allowed trains to cross from the Down Slow to the Down Fast (which would have been useful tonight) and from the Up Fast to the Down Slow. The crossovers at the south end (which still exist), allow the opposite i.e. Up Slow to Up Fast and Down Fast to Down Slow.

 

[tsr]

Train-to-train evacuation was successfully completed around 15mins ago. I can't say the rescue train (5A39, from train 1A39) is making much progress away from the site, but that is only to be expected with the volume of staff working on the track, overhead line debris, and the overall service disruption.

 

[tsr]

5A39 (with passengers) is now returning wrong-road down the Up Fast towards Watford. Upon arriving at the appropriate shunt signal south of Watford Junction, I believe it is expected to pick up the 9G29 headcode, cross to the Down Slow and resume at least part of 9G29's original calling pattern.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

1Z99 has been in Watford Junction station for a while, is that the Thunderbird loco waiting to drag 5G29 away?

 

[tsr]

1Z99 has been in Watford Junction station for a while, is that the Thunderbird loco waiting to drag 5G29 away?

Yes, but the pantograph on 5G29 needs further expert attention before the unit can be dragged.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm wondering if ticket acceptance will be the same when Govia lose the London Midland franchise. At the moment they are pretty quick at accepting cross London transfers when Southern aren't in the mood to run the WLL.

If it means not running it will cost them a load of money[1] so they have to be a bit better at it, that will be no bad thing.

[1] It will either way, as it'll either be pay for travel via London or pay for 1hr Delay Repay for everyone on board on routed tickets.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Got the 1638 Berko - Watford Southern - gamely kept going - but switching moves fast to slow lines slowed us down - freight shoved into Kings Langley and other loops. DC now running through I believe after debris cleared off the lines. 20L on the Abbey - but no issue (the isolation on the main line takes the branch out !)

The train to train transfer boards is an intiative I am proud to have pioneered back in 1996 after a shameful incident (caused by a displaced registration arm at Roade) - where a 321 was stranded with passengers on board for over 2 hours one Sunday PM - we developed this with other partners and it has been used a good number of times. That joint enquiry into that mishap was one of the best I ever called - pleased to see the concept and equipment still in use.