Severe weather Saturday 7th October, some ScotRail services suspended.

[1D54]

Looks like 1S39 is heading to Glasgow Central after leaving New St on time at 07:07 according to RTT.

 

[Falcon1200]

What the majority of those “bemoaning”, myself included, is decisive and extreme action being taken in areas where exceptional rail is not forecast such as Carlisle to Preston, which only seems to have been cancelled for crewing and operational convenience at the complete expense of passengers.

I do understand the concern regarding the WCML in Scotland, but we are not privy to the detail behind the decisions made by NR and the TOCs.
I presume that the reason for nothing north of Preston is that all the morning Up trains are crewed from Scotland to that point, however this kind of situation happens so often that one would expect Avanti to have a Contingency Plan for running trains to Carlisle.

 

[chiltern trev]

We are near Carlisle. At the moment is not raining, not windy, everywhere wet and blanket low cloud.

BBC Radio Cumbria advertised no WCML service, Avanti and TPE, Preston to Carlisle.

A quick look at Realtimetrains reveals:

ScotRail running Dumfries - Carlisle and an occasional Kilmarnock

TPE seem to have an hourly Carlisle - Manchester.

Avanti largely cancelled but occasional service to/from Glasgow and looks like the Avanti Edinburgh services might be nearer normal (which is every 2 hours).

But we were very disappointed to hear the WCML cancelled en block north of Preston. Appauling.

Today Carlisle United are away at Bolton with a record number of away tickets sold, 4000+.

 

[1D54]

I'm currently at Man Picc and they are saying that no TPE services are going north of Carlisle.

 

[Alanko]

Trains appear to be creeping around the central belt currently. I read of a blanket 40 mph restriction, though can't vouch for the source.

It isn't heavy rain here (centre of the central belt) but has been raining fairly consistently from late evening, yesterday, onwards. More of a 'death by a thousand cuts' than a major storm surge, perhaps.

 

[glasgowniteowl]

I have a friend in avanti control and she says a lot of factors had to be taken into account on whatvto run today,

Little or no forecast between Preston/Carlisle but there was flooding there yesterday between preston and lancaster. The ground is water logged won't take much and it would end up closed there

Ohl damage at longsight yesterday meant uncertainty when units would be available for service today

Large number of football fans travelling Carlisle to Preston better to have them not travel rather than be stuck in a greenfield site

40 mph speed restriction between Gretna junction and Glasgow basically substantially increasing journey times

Staff on rest day ban, unlikely that staff on such ban will work over their day in event of substantial delay

It's no one single factor that's lead to their decision on what to run but rather the accumulated risks

 

[chuff chuff]

Trains appear to be creeping around the central belt currently. I read of a blanket 40 mph restriction, though can't vouch for the source.

It isn't heavy rain here (centre of the central belt) but has been raining fairly consistently from late evening, yesterday, onwards. More of a 'death by a thousand cuts' than a major storm surge, perhaps.

40/20 blanket emergency speed restriction whole of Scotland pretty much.

 

[dk1]

Staff on rest day ban, unlikely that staff on such ban will work over their day in event of substantial delay

Unless Avanti currently have no RDW agreement in place all working to rule ended yesterday.

Late running does not count in an overtime ban.

 

[glasgowniteowl]

Unless Avanti currently have no RDW agreement in place all working to rule ended yesterday.

Late running does not count in an overtime ban.

No your correct it doesn't, but the goodwill to work extra is not there at the moment and as I've been told it's hard to plan for that with all the other issues

(I didn't realise the rest day ban ended yesterday I thought it was today the last day)

 

[dk1]

No your correct it doesn't, but the goodwill to work extra is not there at the moment and as I've been told it's hard to plan for that with all the other issues

(I didn't realise the rest day ban ended yesterday I thought it was today the last day)

Yes we were surprised as normally would cover the Saturday too. Possibly because it started Friday 29th September to coincide with the strike the next day. Plethora of drivers working their FDs at my TOC today.

 

[richw]

Cancleled due to heat according to real time trains. Screenshot attached

 

[1D54]

Same reason as 1S39 being cancelled between Preston and Glasgow!!

 

[Carlisle]

Large number of football fans travelling Carlisle to Preston better to have them not travel rather than be stuck in a greenfield site

Why would they likely have been stuck on a greenfield site given the heavy rain is currently & forecast to remain north of Carlisle ?

 

[dk1]

The photographs of Bowling station this morning explain the severity of the rain in Scotland today.

 

[glasgowniteowl]

Why would they likely have been stuck on a greenfield site given the heavy rain is currently & forecast to remain north of Carlisle ?

As I said in one of the other factors, severely waterlogged ground just north of Preston, won't take much rain to close the line there, there were issues there yesterday

And it's all of the issues combined not just one single risk they are considering

 

[d70g]

The photographs of Bowling station this morning explain the severity of the rain in Scotland today

Photo: Network Rail

 

[Wivenswold]

The rain will cause flooding in places but the bigger issue is the more deadly threat of landslides. This may explain why areas that are not necessarily having heavy rain are also affected. It can be perfectly dry where you are but a local river may be swollen because it's flowing from a source where it is raining heavily. Excessively high rivers eat man-made structures like railway embankments for breakfast.

 

[InOban]

There's a landslide at Cruachan which has closed the road and presumably the railway. There's currently no way of getting to Oban at all, so Citylink would have been better cancelling services because they've now got a coach stuck at Inveraray. I've lived here for nearly 50 years and this is the longest spell of persistent torrential rain I can remember.

 

[Wivenswold]

The number of flood warnings in Scotland has crept up to 35 in the last few minutes.
I'm surprised that only two of today's football matches off so far, with passengers urged not to travel it hardly helps if big events are still going ahead.

 

[Strathclyder]

Photo: Network Rail

Second time this year, or in the past year, Bowling has flooded I think. The current speed restrictions are hardly surprising in view of images like that one.

I've lived here for nearly 50 years and this is the longest spell of persistent torrential rain I can remember.

In my over 20 years living in Clydebank, I can scarcely remember a longer period of persistent heavy rain than this one in recent memory. Has been non-stop since last night.

 

[greyman42]

The number of flood warnings in Scotland has crept up to 35 in the last few minutes.
I'm surprised that only two of today's football matches off so far, with passengers urged not to travel it hardly helps if big events are still going ahead.

How many football matches in Scotland will fall into the "big event" category today? Most matches in Scotland will be attended by locals who don't travel by train.

 

[scotraildriver]

A landslip has occurred at Cruachan closing the A85 and damaging the railway. Oban is now cut off. The decision to close the West Highland line at least was the correct one. Furthermore Citylink now have a coachload of passengers stranded in Inverary. Maybe they shouldn't have run either.

 

[Caleb2010]

There’s a hell of a lot of negative posts here - How often have I read, “it’s only a bit more rain than normal!” “Network Rail have hit the panic button again!” “Leave us cut off!”

Well, would you rather your train be delayed by running into this, the picture shows Bowling Stn today (c Network Rail)

Or, another Stonehaven incident!

The government has invested very little in maintaining the infrastructure of the railway whilst our weather changes and gets worse! If you’re looking for someone to blame - look at them!

Network Rail compared to the government “have your back”

 

[glasgowniteowl]

A landslip has occurred at Cruachan closing the A85 and damaging the railway. Oban is now cut off. The decision to close the West Highland line at least was the correct one.

As I understand it, there's been multiple landslides and currently there is an emergency airlift in progress for a number of stranded motorists between them

 

[Essan]

Worth noting that it isn't just how much rain falls today - it's also how much rain has fallen over the past couple of weeks as well. If the ground is completely saturated, then even a small amount of rain can cause flash flooding and landslides.

 

[Taunton]

I'd imagine this will be the new working practice post-Stonehaven. Disappointing for those directly affected of course but always right to fall on the side of caution and safety.

To the extent that everyone is forced onto the roads at such times ...

Used to be that rail was the bad weather alternative to rely on. Now the opposite.

 

[InkyScrolls]

Embarrassing. I would be ashamed to wear a railway uniform

Hey, it's not the 'workers'' fault!

 

[mike57]

Just come through Kings Cross, and there appears to be nothing going north of Newcastle. Lovely sunny warm day in London, but looking at the rain radar I think the caution may appropriate.

 

[GusB]

I think we can safely say that Network Rail and ScotRail made the right call.

I've been keeping an eye on the SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) flood updates page and the number of warnings has now gone up to 43, with the majority of those being in Speyside and Tayside.

Flood Updates – SEPA Floodline

floodline.sepa.org.uk

Traffic Scotland is also reporting a number of trunk road closures due to flooding.

Traffic Scotland | Scotland’s trunk road traffic intelligence service

Traffic Scotland gives you the real-time information you need about Scotland’s trunk road network

www.traffic.gov.scot

It's not going to get any better, either. It has been raining constantly here since around 8pm last night and there's no sign of it easing off soon.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

There's a landslide at Cruachan which has closed the road and presumably the railway. There's currently no way of getting to Oban at all...

Sounds dreadful. Presume the alternative routes out of Oban (the A816/A83 to Lochgilphead/Inveraray and the A828 to Ballachulish/Fort Bill) are also "no go" today?