Victoria Line 02/10/23

[BJames]

Today was pretty rough for the Victoria Line. I arrived at Seven Sisters on the Overground at 1307 to hear a (quiet) announcement saying that there were no victoria line services from Seven Sisters, to reboard the train standing in the platform and seek alternative routes from Liverpool Street. I was lucky enough to hear this and dive back on to the train as the doors were closing, to turn around and see the crowd on the platform realise this, but it was too late and the train departed. The service status at this time was showing Part Suspended (Warren Street to Victoria) with severe delays on the rest of the line. The announcement suggested it was suspended throughout. The status also said to avoid travel due to the emergency engineering work at Oxford Circus.

I managed to travel at about half 8 albeit with around a 5 minute wait but it seemed pretty knackered most of the day. Any further information? Was the entire line actually suspended or was Seven Sisters just struggling under a weight of people? If not how were services being organised, I've never been on a Victoria Line service terminating at Warren Street but I assume the capacity for turning around here is extremely limited with no sidings around?

 

[MotCO]

I'm impressed that you are able to see a year into the future

 

[BJames]

Whoops! Corrected

I knew there was something wrong with that date when I typed it out but I couldn't quite work out what...

 

[mugam4]

Very slow crawl at around jogging pace northbound from Oxford Circus to just past Warren Street this evening

 

[Dstock7080]

Track defect discovered at 1030 between Oxford Circus and Warren Street NB 10mph (17kph) restriction implemented.
Services suspended 1150 Victoria-Warren Street to apply fix.
4 train shuttle Brixton-Victoria
9 train shuttle Warren Street-Walthamstow.
trains continued to serve Seven Sisters although there were 9-11min gaps.
Services resumed at 1435.

 

[BJames]

Thanks so much @Dstock7080 - super informative as ever. I can only assume then that the staff at Seven Sisters were saying this to try and get us back on the overground and away from the line, which as frustrating as it is, I can understand.

 

[bluegoblin7]

Equally, the information provided by DStock7080 isn’t the moment of wheel stop. With other requirements to implement the partial suspension and shuttle services there will have been periods with no trains running or with large, irregular gaps between trains.

I wouldn’t be so quick to be frustrated by the actions of station staff - particularly when the LO platforms use their staff. Any frequent user of the Seven Sisters interchange can tell you that LU will say one thing and LO are running something completely different.

 

[Cricketer8for9]

Track defect discovered at 1030 between Oxford Circus and Warren Street NB 10mph (17kph) restriction implemented.
Services suspended 1150 Victoria-Warren Street to apply fix.
4 train shuttle Brixton-Victoria
9 train shuttle Warren Street-Walthamstow.
trains continued to serve Seven Sisters although there were 9-11min gaps.
Services resumed at 1435.

Thanks. Explains my slow journey north on Monday.

 

[Recessio]

Wasn't there a speed restriction for months near Oxford Circus? Seems to be an unlucky section of track

 

[Dstock7080]

was previously southbound from Green Park

 

[Recessio]

was previously southbound from Green Park

Ah I see, thanks. Thought it was on the NB, my mistake.

 

[mugam4]

Trains continue to enter Green Park SB more slowly - is this a PSR?

 

[ctrh136]

Trains continue to enter Green Park SB more slowly - is this a PSR?

I mean that bit has lights on and feels a bit bumpy so maybe permanent? I thought it was just a track defect though.

 

[xtmw]

Trains continue to enter Green Park SB more slowly - is this a PSR?

This was discussed in another thread. A 'broken sleeper' is quoted. No idea if it is going to become permanent.

Link to thread

Stop - start Victoria Line

Anyone know what's going on with the Victoria Line at the moment? Of late travelling southbound in the morning peak the train almost always stops at least once in the tunnel between stations. Doesn't seem to happen travelling north in the evening, and it didn't used to happen before! (For info...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[trebor79]

I mean that bit has lights on and feels a bit bumpy so maybe permanent? I thought it was just a track defect though.

This was discussed in another thread. A 'broken sleeper' is quoted. No idea if it is going to become permanent.

Link to thread

Stop - start Victoria Line

Anyone know what's going on with the Victoria Line at the moment? Of late travelling southbound in the morning peak the train almost always stops at least once in the tunnel between stations. Doesn't seem to happen travelling north in the evening, and it didn't used to happen before! (For info...

www.railforums.co.uk

It's clearly something more serious/bigger than a broken sleeper. The lights are on in the tunnel and despite travelling very slowly you can feel undulations in the track. There's also a strange periodic rattling noise like a bag of loose bolts being shaken. Makes me wonder if the tunnel has got distorted somehow and the rails are being held with tie bars?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

It's clearly something more serious/bigger than a broken sleeper. The lights are on in the tunnel and despite travelling very slowly you can feel undulations in the track. There's also a strange periodic rattling noise like a bag of loose bolts being shaken. Makes me wonder if the tunnel has got distorted somehow and the rails are being held with tie bars?

Where exactly is this bit?

Is it literally at the north end of Green park station or is it more half way between Oxford circus and Green Park?


If the former - that's directly over where the Piccadilly Line is; is there any speed restriction on that as well?

If the latter - there's a buried river in the vicinity; if that's leaked there might be some ground movement?

 

[trebor79]

Where exactly is this bit?

Is it literally at the north end of Green park station or is it more half way between Oxford circus and Green Park?


If the former - that's directly over where the Piccadilly Line is; is there any speed restriction on that as well?

If the latter - there's a buried river in the vicinity; if that's leaked there might be some ground movement?

Speed restriction and lights on in the tunnel seems to be from just after leaving Oxford Circus all the way into the Green Park platform. I mean I'm not saying that there isn't a broken sleeper somewhere in that section, but it's obvious there's something much more serious than that going on.
Don't use the Piccadilly that much so unsure of the status of any restriction there, but it would be quite difficult to tell as a mere punter as the Pic always seems to be a slow trundle anyway.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Speed restriction and lights on in the tunnel seems to be from just after leaving Oxford Circus all the way into the Green Park platform. I mean I'm not saying that there isn't a broken sleeper somewhere in that section, but it's obvious there's something much more serious than that going on.

If the issue is over the whole of that length, it seems to me to suggest something to do with that river...?

 

[BJames]

Speed restriction and lights on in the tunnel seems to be from just after leaving Oxford Circus all the way into the Green Park platform. I mean I'm not saying that there isn't a broken sleeper somewhere in that section, but it's obvious there's something much more serious than that going on.
Don't use the Piccadilly that much so unsure of the status of any restriction there, but it would be quite difficult to tell as a mere punter as the Pic always seems to be a slow trundle anyway.

It's clearly something more serious/bigger than a broken sleeper. The lights are on in the tunnel and despite travelling very slowly you can feel undulations in the track. There's also a strange periodic rattling noise like a bag of loose bolts being shaken. Makes me wonder if the tunnel has got distorted somehow and the rails are being held with tie bars?

Just to pick this up again - this is still ongoing, does anyone have any more information and is there a fix planned soon? Although the delays are minimal it is causing (slight) congestion every morning. Driver a couple of days ago apologised for delay at Oxford Circus and said due to track issue and speed restriction into Green Park. It's been very consistent - slight delay at Oxford Circus, then pull off into the tunnel and immediately slow to the next signal. Wait a short time before moving off slowly all the way to Green Park.

 

[ChristopherJ]

Interesting you should mention the speed restriction at Green Park, because it's not a speed restriction...

I was up front with a Victoria Line driver quite recently (old friend) and it's 33kph through the affected section, but it's shown as a *permanent* speed restriction - not a temporary speed restriction on the target speed display.

In the peak hour it's not unusual to be blocking back as far as King's Cross because of it.

 

[trebor79]

Interesting you should mention the speed restriction at Green Park, because it's not a speed restriction...

I was up front with a Victoria Line driver quite recently (old friend) and it's 33kph through the affected section, but it's shown as a *permanent* speed restriction - not a temporary speed restriction on the target speed display.

In the peak hour it's not unusual to be blocking back as far as King's Cross because of it.

What did you observe through the windscreen?

 

[ChristopherJ]

Darkness, tunnel rings and mice. No sign of any remedy work.

 

[BJames]

Interesting you should mention the speed restriction at Green Park, because it's not a speed restriction...

I was up front with a Victoria Line driver quite recently (old friend) and it's 33kph through the affected section, but it's shown as a *permanent* speed restriction - not a temporary speed restriction on the target speed display.

In the peak hour it's not unusual to be blocking back as far as King's Cross because of it.

You're kidding..

Surely there is a plan to get this speed restriction resolved at some point, even if it's not imminent?

 

[endicomark69@g]

Have seen a couple of theories on what's going on but nothing definite, and it's been going on for so long whatever it "is" has to be significant/expensive to be causing so much accumulated delay over such a period.

 

[trebor79]

If the latter - there's a buried river in the vicinity; if that's leaked there might be some ground movement?

Have seen a couple of theories on what's going on but nothing definite, and it's been going on for so long whatever it "is" has to be significant/expensive to be causing so much accumulated delay over such a period.

Sorry to resurrect this thread, but travelled on this section again today after not using the Victoria line for many months (I avoid it as the air is absolutely filthy). I think @Peter Mugridge is thinking along the right lines. I'm sure the train leans over slightly to left for the first half or so of this slow section. That and the undulations make me think there is indeed some issue with ground movement that is in turn causing the tube to move/twist/distort. I don't know what the rattling noises are, perhaps equipment that has been clamped to the rails or tube rings to contain or monitor movements?
I guess fixing it properly would be both very expensive and very disruptive, hence the seeming decision to just live with it.

 

[LBMPSB]

I'm sure the train leans over slightly to left for the first half or so of this slow section.

Is the train traveling through a lefthand curve at slow speed? If so, because the train is travelling slower than the designed line speed, the cant in the outer rail of the curve will cause the train to lean to the left. At line speed you would not notice this.

 

[trebor79]

Is the train traveling through a lefthand curve at slow speed? If so, because the train is travelling slower than the designed line speed, the cant in the outer rail of the curve will cause the train to lean to the left. At line speed you would not notice this.

I don't think so, the leaning to the left accompanied by undulations and a rocking movement appears to be on a section of straight track. There is a gentle left hand curve just before entering the platform ay Green Park, but the train seems to be on an even keel at that point.