MML shut, hst on fire(leagrave)

[westcoaster]

heard the MML is shut and power off, due to a hst on fire:cry: in the leagrave area, anyone got any further info?

from fcc

Line problem in the Luton area.
Train services between Bedford and Brighton are being disrupted due to emergency services dealing with a prior incident in the Luton area.Short notice alterations, cancellations and delays of up to 90 minutes can be expected.
All services at a stand - overhead lines down

43044 has been said is the power car in question

 

[EM2]

All I can add is that it was absolute mayhem at St. P. Nothing in or out (EMT or FCC) until about 03.30

 

[walklingleac]

I was that soldier! Arrived at St P. at 21:15, told trains were delayed due to power outage. Sat on EMT until 00:30, transferred to FCC train which departed at 00:45 on an all stations trip to St Albans, where we were told to expect buses to Luton. In the event power was restored and the train ran right through to bedford but didn't arrive until 04:10! I make that 7.5 hours...

 

[whoshotjimmi]

Latest News

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/8022008.stm

 

[jon0844]

In the event power was restored and the train ran right through to bedford but didn't arrive until 04:10! I make that 7.5 hours...

Ouch! I wonder what you'll get in compensation for that, should you consider it even worth claiming.

 

[222001]

Latest News

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/8022008.stm

Doesn't sound like a HST when the it says the "fire was at the end of carriage six". If it was the power car then it would be the 8th carriage. Also whats a tractor unit (see the first line) .

 

[gordonthemoron]

judging by the time, wouldn't it have been the 20:30 EMT Meridian to Nottingham? or possibly FCC as 60 seems a very low number of passengers for MML, even at that time of night?

 

[222001]

judging by the time, wouldn't it have been the 20:30 EMT Meridian to Nottingham? or possibly FCC as 60 seems a very low number of passengers for MML, even at that time of night?

That's down as a 5 car Meridian though. I think the 20:00 to Corby is a 7 car Meridian which would explain the low passenger numbers too. But I think that is too early.

 

[Jordy]

The report makes no sense!

The train was halted at nearby Leagrave Bridge and fire crews tackled the blaze in the rear of the sixth carriage.
Passengers were kept in the front three units and when the flames were out the train returned to Luton.

Units or carriages? Make your mind up!

Reliable source says HST, 43044 with 43072, 072 being the one on fire!

 

[222001]

The report makes no sense!



Units or carriages? Make your mind up!

Reliable source says HST, 43044 with 43072, 072 being the one on fire!

Did this spread to the carriages then? The report makes it sound like that. Anyone know where it was going?

 

[mackenzie_blu]

Service 1B78 1928 Nottingham to St Pancras had flames coming from the rear power car, this was reported around 2055 and came to a standstill south of leagrave 2mins later.

OHLE power was lost between Sandrudge and Sundon at 2058. This trapped four FCC services (2V18, 2O20, 1T50 & 2T62).

The fire was out around 2125.

Around 10pm 1B78 was moved to Luton station. 30mins later Fire Brigade handed back the lines and 1D74 was cautioned from Luton and found the contact wire on the overheads were down at Sundon.

At 0230 the OHLE between Sundon and Sandridge was re-energized with the fast lines blocked.

Cue the describled choas at St Pancras and across the MML with FCC services still affected

 

[gordonthemoron]

So this quote from the BBC article above is a load of rubish?

The rear engine compartment of a train with 60 passengers on board was seen on fire as it passed through Luton station in Bedfordshire.

 

[mackenzie_blu]

So this quote from the BBC article above is a load of rubish?

Yes, the unit was stopped south of Leagrave ending south so it never went through Luton till after the fire was out.

 

[222001]

To be honest I think that has to be one of the worst BBC articles I have ever seen! They don't know how long a HST is for a start. Unless it was a short one, then a fire in the 6th carriage would make sense.

How much damage was there?

 

[mackenzie_blu]

I dont have any information on that just the basics that Ive outlines and a list of cancelled trains. It was still affecting services when I went into work this morning.

For anyone travelling it showed how tight things are for FCC with two Brighton cancelled together as they struggle with no spare trains after an incident at Streatham.

 

[westcoaster]

what happened at streatham not heard nowt?

i suspect this fire might have had something to do with the ohle damage as well, there is about a 50-75m gap with no wire as it was not replaced last night, only diesels on the up fast for now with a 40mph restriction through the affected area.

 

[EM2]

what happened at streatham not heard nowt?

Failed train, I think.

 

[asylumxl]

This really reeked havoc today, with many trains being severely delayed.

 

[37401]

The report makes no sense!



Units or carriages? Make your mind up!

Reliable source says HST, 43044 with 43072, 072 being the one on fire!

from my own knowlage 43072 hasn`t had much of a good life when i cabbed it the engine wouldnt start and now this oh dear

 

[EM2]

This really reeked havoc today, with many trains being severely delayed.

At what time? 'Cos I was working at St P between 7am and 3pm, and apart from the two Brightons mentioned above, there was only one Sevenoaks cancelled and a Bromley South 23 down.
There was nothing else more than five down.

 

[Edvid]

Now I know why there were a few EMT trains passing through LTN on the Slow lines this morning. Even so the 0708 departure to STP was only delayed by about 5 minutes and still came in on platform 3.

 

[asylumxl]

Yeh, I found them passing through on the slow lines very strange too. I was standing waiting for my train, and I heard "Stand back from the edge of platform (can't remember number, either way it wasn't 4 or 5), a fast train is approaching." and saw a 222 coming through lol

 

[73110]

I have only ever driven two HST's in the past and I am sure they have alarms in the engine room for fires and an emergency handle that has to be pulled out that will set off the fire extinguisers.

Anyhow. I am still trying to work out what exactly happened. Reports say there were calls to the fire brigade as the train shot through Leagrave. His last stop on that journey was Market Harborough at 2012. He was then fast to London St Pancs so he must have been doing line speed.

If he stopped before Luton then his alarm must have gone off in the cab as I don't think there would be enough time for the public to make a phone call as it passed thorugh Leagrave, get through, report the fire then the fire service call West Hampstead to stop the train which would have meant putting back on the the driver between Leagrave and Luton.

As he would have been slowing down to go through Luton at around 100mph this all doesn't tie in so I reckon he stopped his train himself and hit the extingiushers so I reckon he knew about the problem well before Leagrave. He stopped by the sounds of it deliberately by a bridge and not in either station.

Anyhow, no-one was hurt and it all ended well. Shame about the shoddy reporting though..... :roll:

 

[mackenzie_blu]

what happened at streatham not heard nowt?

2V53 with unit 319363 some how managed to lose two shoes which ended up under the unit and the conductor rail was displaced by 15 pots and approx 30 customers evac by foot to Streatham Common. Police, Fire and a MOM were on site along with 4 FCC staff from the core.

Reported that the conductor rail took over an hour to fix and 319363 ended up at Gatwick sidings on friday night.

At what time? 'Cos I was working at St P between 7am and 3pm, and apart from the two Brightons mentioned above, there was only one Sevenoaks cancelled and a Bromley South 23 down.
There was nothing else more than five down.

I was at Blackfriars between 0600 and 1300 and there was mutiple late running inculding a Sevenoaks (following the late Bromley South unit) that was late. Delays were varied through the morning peak. Most if it wasn't major but things got better as the morning went on.

 

[westcoaster]

The inital report was from an fcc driver of excessive smoke coming from the rear power car, followed by anoter report from a north bound emt driver of flames coming from the rear power car, train was stopped north of leagrave ( junction sig pressumably) for the blues and twos to attend. This is I assume where the ohle was damaged.

 

[Sir_Clagalot]

The Fire bottles on an HST will only discharge below 6mph, by which time if the fire is bad then it will be toast...

 

[xc170]

Anyone know how much damage was caused?

 

[EM2]

Anyone know how much damage was caused?

No idea but it kind of leads into a question I was going to ask.
i) Who pays for the repairs, EMT or the RoSCo?
ii) Is stock insured against fire?
iii) Who, if anyone, would make the decision to either repair or scrap it?

 

[adc82140]

iii) Who, if anyone, would make the decision to either repair or scrap it?

I guess the decision to scrap would not be taken lightly- if your car is written off it's because it's seen to be cheaper to replace than repair. As you can't go down to the dealership and buy another HST power car, and there are absolutely none in reserve, then this wouldn't apply. We've all seen the state that 43101 (now 43301) was in when dumped at Brush for all those years, it was pretty much a rebuild to get her back up and running, but the decision was made to do so. I think the same would apply to the damaged PC- as long as there's been no damage to the structural integrity, then I guess the decision would be made to rebuild.

But leading on from your first question, who pays for the consequential damage to the OHLE, and the inevitable compensation claims from the passengers, both on EMT and FCC?

 

[222001]

Anyone know how much damage was caused?

The fire must have been quite bad if it damaged the overhead lines. The heat from the flames must have reached up there. I predict it will not be written off but it will need a major overhaul.