Storm Isha may affect your journey in parts of England, Scotland and Wales on Sunday 21 and Monday 22 January

[55002]

I flew into Heathrow at around 15:00 this afternoon, windy yes, but no holding and straight down onto runway.
Have seen on FB there was a few (not many) go-arounds.

You will see your arrival on BigJetTV YouTube channel, he was live streaming all afternoon, had over 21000 people watching at one point!

 

[Watershed]

For those complaining about TOCs closing down early should have a look at some of the airlines trying to continue to run services. The number of planes being diverted on shorthaul flights or returning to their origin is crazy often after holding for quite some time.

The key difference is that they are still attempting to run a reduced service, rather than throwing in the towel as the TOCs have done. And they have an established procedure for letting passengers claim back their costs rather than claiming that they are on their own.

 

[glasgowniteowl]

What is the current advice on travelling tomorrow? I have an important meeting in Glasgow that I need to attend.

Flooding on Wcml, trees blocking Ecml, I wouldn't expect anything to run till late morning at earliest, highly likely they won't even venture to prove routes till daylight, even then wind forecast is still bad till afternoon

 

[D1537]

The key difference is that they are still attempting to run a reduced service, rather than throwing in the towel as the TOCs have done. And they have an established procedure for letting passengers claim back their costs rather than claiming that they are on their own.

Yet some TOCs are still running services, often over the same lines as those that have jacked it in. For example WMT are running Euston to Northampton and Northampton to Brum. Avanti? Nowt.

 

[Rhinojerry]

What is the current advice on travelling tomorrow? I have an important meeting in Glasgow that I need to attend.

Looks like all Avanti services are cancelled now,i guess rolling stock will be out of position tomorrow.
Good luck.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

What is the current advice on travelling tomorrow? I have an important meeting in Glasgow that I need to attend.

Travelling from Yorkshire? Is the meeting in Glasgow that important? If so, how early do you have to be there for?

 

[JonathanH]

Yet some TOCs are still running services, often over the same lines as those that have jacked it in. Looking at Avanti in particular there...

If a long distance train gets stuck, people are going to be further away from where they need to be than if a local train gets stuck.

 

[Horizon22]

What is the current advice on travelling tomorrow? I have an important meeting in Glasgow that I need to attend.

LNER advice is:

Following the extreme weather warning for Storm Isha, we are experiencing high winds and heavy rainfall across England and Scotland today, Sunday 21st and is expected to continue on Monday 22nd January.

In reaction to the deteriorating weather conditons in Scotland, we have been advised that the railway in Scotland is closed to all trains. As a result, there is no LNER service north of Newcastle until 12:00 on Monday 22 January at the earliest. Please check before you travel.

Avanti advice is

Due to the severe weather forecast with Storm Isha, speed restrictions are in place across all our routes on Sunday 21 January. We’re also operating a reduced timetable – with the last trains of the day to/from Euston departing around 16:00. As a result, we strongly advise customers do not attempt to travel on Sunday 21 January.

Customers making journeys between London and Scotland should not travel north of Preston after 12:00 and are strongly advised to complete journeys south of Preston by 18:00.

Tickets dated Sunday 21 January will be valid on Monday 22 January or Tuesday 23 January. Alternatively, customers can get a fee-free refund through their point of purchase.

Due to the severe weather forecast with Storm Isha, our services to and from Glasgow and Edinburgh may be subject to changes and delays until midday on Monday 22 January due to speed restrictions in place in Scotland.

So don't expect much or a fair bit of disruption until midday at earliest. Sounds you should try and rearrange virtually if you can.

 

[Dan G]

Seen a Tenerife to Dublin ended up diverting to Bordeaux!

An Easyjet has just made a second go-around at Gatwick. A Vueling has been holding for an hour after going around.

What is the current advice on travelling tomorrow? I have an important meeting in Glasgow that I need to attend.

Zoom

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Just had a tortuously slow journey from London Victoria to Three Bridges, a service routed via Hackbridge, Epsom and Horsham due to planned engineering works.
Announcement just now at TBD telling those passengers hoping to get a train to London that there are no further trains via Horsham tonight due to a fallen tree.
All are being directed to use the (planned) rail replacement buses to East Grinstead for a train to London.

 

[JonathanH]

Travelling from West Yorkshire? And is the meeting in Glasgow that important?

The person travelling from West Yorkshire to Glasgow could try getting a coach, but my guess is that anyone already in Scotland may equally struggle to reach any meeting.

 

[68000]

Patch the meeting in Glasgow and do it over video or phone link

 

[D1537]

If a long distance train gets stuck, people are going to be further away from where they need to be than if a local train gets stuck.

True, but XC are still managing to run long-distance trains, including the Plymouth-Newcastle axis, and Manchester to Reading/Southampton. WMT are still running on the entire Euston-Brum-Liverpool axis. LNER are still running London to Newcastle (and were to Edinburgh until a tree fell on the line). Why Avanti can't at least manage some of their service, I don't know.

 

[Sleepy]

GA Overhead line damage Wivenhoe, Ilford scaffolding poles hit & object stuck under a train, object on overheads Northumberland Park, C2C overhead line issue Leigh-on-Sea. 2W32 Ipswich to Cambridge has hit a tree at Kennett with damage to cab.

 

[Watershed]

Yet some TOCs are still running services, often over the same lines as those that have jacked it in. For example WMT are running Euston to Northampton and Northampton to Brum. Avanti? Nowt.

Quite. Goes to show it's not really a matter of it being impossible to run services; it's an active decision.

 

[Horizon22]

Quite. Goes to show it's not really a matter of it being impossible to run services; it's an active decision.

Yes its an active decision, but for a myriad of practical and operational reasons (of which they are too many to list) it is often a sensible one to make. For instance, just one of these reasons might be Avanti running a shuttle might just dump a load of passengers at a smaller station.

 

[Undiscovered]

Why Avanti can't at least manage some of their service, I don't know.

I would speculate that it's due to relations between staff and management being poor, and running trains at less than half their capable speed will have a huge affect on journey times which, rightly, some may not wish to do.
Additionally, late end times may affect Hidden, and book on times for tomorrow, or be in breach of meal and rest break regs.

 

[poffle]

Tree down between Honor Oak Park and Forest Hill in south London. On 20:22 from London Bridge to East Grinstead which was instructed to proceed slowly. Driver reported the track we were on was clear.

Train then proceeded at a lower than normal speed limit because of storm. ( Until a passenger triggered the emergency stop.)

Just to add to the fun the train stopped just north of Oxted because if an obstruction on the track.

Crew had to dismount and driver reported they moved a large branch off the line.

( I presume with third rail there is a whole safety process where the signallers depower the line and anyone going on track then has to prove that the third rail is safe and then ground it in some way so it isn't accidentally powered up.)

Now on rail replacement bus from East Grinstead. ( It's a double decker but no charge for the front seats upstairs! )

 

[HullRailMan]

And, or course, if your flight is diverted the airline will feed, water and accommodate you until they can get you to your destination. Unlike rail companies, airlines don’t generally shrug their shoulders and say “we told you not to try travelling” while washing their hands of you.

 

[norbitonflyer]

The key difference is that they are still attempting to run a reduced service, rather than throwing in the towel as the TOCs have done. And they have an established procedure for letting passengers claim back their costs rather than claiming that they are on their own.

The key diffrerenvce is that a train can stop en route, which is not an option for an aircraft - once it has taken off, it has to land somewhere.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Just to add to the fun the train stopped just north of Oxted because if an obstruction on the track.

Crew had to dismount and driver reported they moved a large branch off the line.

Good to see

( I presume with third rail there is a whole safety process where the signallers depower the line and anyone going on track then has to prove that the third rail is safe and then ground it in some way so it isn't accidentally powered up.)

Now on rail replacement bus from East Grinstead. ( It's a double decker but no charge for the front seats upstairs! )

Watch out for low hanging trees!

 

[Watershed]

The key diffrerenvce is that a train can stop en route, which is not an option for an aircraft - once it has taken off, it has to land somewhere.

That's true but planes have been continuing to depart towards airports that remain open, despite the disruption.

 

[renegademaster]

Tramlink seems to be very resilient to stuff like this. I had to get a ride all the way back from St Albans back during the worst storm of 2021 because Thameslink stopped running (and basically every other train service) but the trams still chugged along

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Yet some TOCs are still running services, often over the same lines as those that have jacked it in. For example WMT are running Euston to Northampton and Northampton to Brum. Avanti? Nowt.

And Brum to Crewe/Crewe Liverpool.

Yes its an active decision, but for a myriad of practical and operational reasons (of which they are too many to list) it is often a sensible one to make. For instance, just one of these reasons might be Avanti running a shuttle might just dump a load of passengers at a smaller station.

They were running Crewe-Liverpool shuttles this weekend to connect with London services there. Which they have since stopped for no reason as there is no speed restrictions on that section and LNR are running.

 

[Horizon22]

That's true but planes have been continuing to depart towards airports that remain open, despite the disruption.

Yes and trains have to run on rails... having the sky as your routing infrastructure is quite handy!

And Brum to Crewe/Crewe Liverpool.


They were running Crewe-Liverpool shuttles this weekend to connect with London services there. Which they have since stopped for no reason as there is no speed restrictions on that section and LNR are running.

I would suggest however that "no reason" is untrue and although it might not appear outwardly obvious, there will be a (few) reasons.

 

[D1537]

I would speculate that it's due to relations between staff and management being poor, and running trains at less than half their capable speed will have a huge affect on journey times which, rightly, some may not wish to do.
Additionally, late end times may affect Hidden, and book on times for tomorrow, or be in breach of meal and rest break regs.

Although other TOCs are certainly not running at 50mph. The 20:00 King's Cross-Newcastle only dropped 7 minutes to York, and a TPE Liverpool-Newcastle has just arrived at its destination on time, having done York-Newcastle with two stops in 68 minutes.

 

[Wivenswold]

There have yet to be any satisfactory comparisons to the challenges our railways face in high winds.

 

[nlogax]

I'm supposed to be on a flight to London tomorrow late morning. Am resigned to it almost certainly not happening..

 

[Russel]

The key difference is that they are still attempting to run a reduced service, rather than throwing in the towel as the TOCs have done. And they have an established procedure for letting passengers claim back their costs rather than claiming that they are on their own.

We do seem to be heading towards a fair weather railway it seems.

Maybe we need a national program of vegetation management involving removing as many lineside trees as possible...

 

[HaxbyTraveller]

If it's not safe to run the service, then it's not safe to run. Why endanger people when it's not worth the risk?

Well ... my father (80 at the time) had to walk home 7 miles in the snow after all public transport and taxis decided not to run. He felt he had no choice as his wife was at home recuperating from a heart attack. Not sure how that wasn't endangering people. Still, he made it and everybody was very impressed