Storm Frank: impact on West Coast and Highland Mainlines

[Millisle]

Unless I've missed a post, the TPE trains running to and from Lockerbie run to Beattock and back to crossover for their return.

Trailling crossover north of Lockerbie down platform which also gives access to the up passenger loop from the down line.

 

[mcmad]

Suspect they are using the crossover at Beattock rather than the Lockerbie one as the one at Beattock is worked direct by the signaller, the one at Lockerbie is a ground frame so would tie up an additional resource or 2.

 

[Zoidberg]

Further delay possible on West Coast Main Line repair

Then why, on earth, did Network Rail Scotland Tweet around 1730, around the same time as that article was published, that 1st Feb was still the target date?

This contradictory information does not make Network Rail Scotland look good.

 

[najaB]

Then why, on earth, did Network Rail Scotland Tweet around 1730, around the same time as that article was published, that all was on track for re-opening for passenger service on 1st Feb?

that article was originally posted around 3pm give or take as I saw it when I was still in the office.

 

[Zoidberg]

that article was originally posted around 3pm give or take as I saw it when I was still in the office.

That's worser!

Or betterer, if the Tweet gave the most up to date info.

 

[Millisle]

Phil Verster, NR Managing Director for Scotland was interviewed around 1730 on Radio Scotland this evening and amongst other things said that repair would include building a new pier to share the load with the now weakened original. He was non-commital, though one might say 'aspirational' on 1 Feb. Those who know something about bridge engineering more than me will know better than me what to think.

I'll take a stroll down the street and see what the TPE train does at Lockerbie tomorrow. The north end crossover has been used in similar circumstances before, though the current timings certainly allow for Beattock if more convenient.

 

[ainsworth74]

Mentioned another Forum the Tyne Valley Blockage could be a long job also. Already in NRE as closed until end of month.

They can't catch a break on the Tyne Valley. Last couple of days it has seemed like they've fixed a landslip or sorted out a flood only for the same thing to affect another section of the line.

 

[47271]

Ignorant Lamington question from a non engineer:

The piers project well upstream from the existing bridge alignment, and I've noticed this in the past both from trains and the A702. Was the route realigned at some point in relation to the original crossing, or are they cutwaters to prevent exactly the problem we're having now? I can't believe - in fact I've checked and can't find any evidence, maybe I'm looking in the wrong place - that the line was ever four tracked here?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Phil Verster, NR Managing Director for Scotland was interviewed around 1730 on Radio Scotland this evening and amongst other things said that repair would include building a new pier to share the load with the now weakened original. He was non-commital, though one might say 'aspirational' on 1 Feb. Those who know something about bridge engineering more than me will know better than me what to think.

Phil Verster has a pretty big job at the moment, running Scotrail and the Network Rail Alliance in Scotland.
I bet when he took the combined job six months ago he did not expect his network to be damaged in quite the way it has in the past month.

I noticed in passing that the NRE web site still erroneously has Scotrail operating to London.
At least Phil doesn't have to worry about the Caledonian Sleepers.

 

[47271]

Phil Verster has a pretty big job at the moment, running Scotrail and the Network Rail Alliance in Scotland.
I bet when he took the combined job six months ago he did not expect his network to be damaged in quite the way it has in the past month.

I noticed in passing that the NRE web site still erroneously has Scotrail operating to London.
At least Phil doesn't have to worry about the Caledonian Sleepers.

What must also be quite enlightening for Phil is that he's mending a bridge no Scotrail trains cross, in the same way as he's staffing the north terminus of the WCML - Lockerbie - which no Scotrail trains call at!

 

[ItsGrimUpNorth]

They can't catch a break on the Tyne Valley. Last couple of days it has seemed like they've fixed a landslip or sorted out a flood only for the same thing to affect another section of the line.

Looks a fairly big shift this one?

 

[Millisle]

TPE guard confirmed Beattock for crossing.
The clerk at Lockerbie said they were now hearing March or April for reopening, though unconfirmed.

 

[driver9000]

Trailling crossover north of Lockerbie down platform which also gives access to the up passenger loop from the down line.

That crossover isn't signalled. Trains are going to Beattock to reverse.

 

[QueensCurve]

Ignorant Lamington question from a non engineer:

The piers project well upstream from the existing bridge alignment, and I've noticed this in the past both from trains and the A702. Was the route realigned at some point in relation to the original crossing, or are they cutwaters to prevent exactly the problem we're having now? I can't believe - in fact I've checked and can't find any evidence, maybe I'm looking in the wrong place - that the line was ever four tracked here?

I was wondering that too.

 

[jopsuk]

it strikes me that if there's another storm of similar magnitude whilst that temporary damn is in place things will become an awful lot worse?

 

[najaB]

it strikes me that if there's another storm of similar magnitude whilst that temporary damn is in place things will become an awful lot worse?

That's a concern, but the dam is needed to be able to do the work quickly - so it's a question of balance of probabilities.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I do hope the elements give the gangs a break all the same as the huge quantitties of water in the area will quickly become problematic if more yuckyness does happen.

 

[pnepaul]

This is from the BBC Website. The are talking about a long closure!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35260766

 

[Alex C.]

I was under the impression all acceptance had stopped today for the lamington diversion, but there are still signs at Waverley advising passengers to travel on the Kings Cross services.

As an aside no problems at all using the diversion via York although the lack of information at Liverpool was poor, there was no signage for those travelling to Scotland.

 

[LeylandLen]

The clerk at Lockerbie said they were now hearing March or April for reopening, though unconfirmed.

Presumably he is local to the area and no doubt has contacts/friends with the guys working at Lamington who can probably give a more honest if private opinion of the way things are and the likely weather behaviour between now and whenever spring and better drier weather can be expected ?

 

[Blindtraveler]

Thats bad about the Tyne Valley. If WCML is going to be shut much more than Feb what about an earlier RRB from EDB?

 

[Zoidberg]

This is from the BBC Website. The are talking about a long closure!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35260766

In relation to the Hexham/Prudhoe problems, not the Lamington issue.

"Tens of thousands of tonnes of soil and earth are still moving" after a third landslip on a rail line between the north-east of England and Cumbria, engineers say.

Flooding caused 120-tonnes of rubble to block the rail line near Hexham and Corbridge early on Wednesday.

The line reopened on Thursday but closed again after a second landslide caused trees to fall on the track.

Northern Rail said it would be "closed for months" after a further landslip.

 

[amcluesent]

There may well need to be a large culvert excavated to provide a relief channel for the river Clyde to stop further undermining of the pier foundations as the outside bank erodes.

 

[Zoidberg]

It seems never ending. Network Rail Scotland has just Tweeted:

#stranraer #StormFrank damage found @ Laggansarroch viaduct twix Girvan & Stranraer, we've had to close the line - may take 3 weeks to fix
2:58pm - 9 Jan 16

And from the Sotrail website at https://www.scotrail.co.uk/#live-travel

Disruption details

Due to a bridge being damaged between Girvan and Stranraer:

Impact:

Train services between Glasgow Central and Stranraer via Kilmarnock may be terminated at and started back from Girvan. Disruption is expected until the end of the day on 30/01/16.

Additional Information:

An assessment of the damage has been carried out and the current estimate for repairs to be completed and a normal service to be restored is Sunday 31st January 2016. An update will be provided after 12.00 hours on Monday 11th January once a further assessment has been taken place.

Please note that replacement road transport will operate between Stranraer and Ayr in both directions. Replacement buses from Ayr towards Stranraer will call at Girvan, replacement buses from Stranraer towards Ayr will set down only as required at Girvan and Maybole.

Replacement taxi transport will operate from Barrhill towards Stranraer and Ayr. Taxis towards Ayr will set down if required at Girvan and Maybole.

Journey times will be extended due to the use of replacement road transport. Please use the station help points for further information.

Services that are scheduled to operate between Ayr and Girvan and also between Kilmarnock and Girvan only are not affected by this disruption and will operate as timetabled.

We apologise for the delay to your journey today. To make a claim under our Delay Repay Guarantee, visit ScotRail.co.uk/delay-repay

EDIT: And I see that this issue has its own thread at http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=125402

 

[najaB]

When was the last time there were this many serious incidents in such a short span of time?

 

[amcluesent]

During the Blitz?

 

[edwin_m]

Autumn 2000, when the network was totally chaotic due to a combination of flooding over wide areas, and over-reaction by ill-informed Railtrack management to gauge corner cracking after the Hatfield accident.

Today's problems are limited to a handful of specific routes, bad for people using those but at least everything else continues pretty much as normal.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Not sure if it has been covered earlier, but the upcoming LNE closures between Newcastle and Darlington are confirmed as going ahead in the NR Lamington press release. http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/ministers-review-west-coast-mainline-recovery-works

At the same time, it has been confirmed that work to upgrade the East Coast Mainline between Newcastle and Darlington over coming weekends in January will go ahead with Network Rail (NR) and the Train Operating Companies (TOCs) working together to help passengers make cross border journeys

VTEC will run an hourly through King's Cross-Edinburgh HST service via the Durham coast, XC/TPE will be bustituted.

 

[ChathillMan]

Not sure if it has been covered earlier, but the upcoming LNE closures between Newcastle and Darlington are confirmed as going ahead in the NR Lamington press release. http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/ministers-review-west-coast-mainline-recovery-works


VTEC will run an hourly through King's Cross-Edinburgh HST service via the Durham coast, XC/TPE will be bustituted.

I hoped for an HST but my 225 is being dragged and i'm pleased to say its pretty quiet

 

[QueensCurve]

it strikes me that if there's another storm of similar magnitude whilst that temporary damn is in place things will become an awful lot worse?

I wondered the same thing. Apparently it isn't a problem.
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Network Rail tweeted:-