The Ticket Collector

Overhead problems at Liverpool Street Continue

UPDATED: We have received information that Notwork Rail hope to have fixed most of the overhead wires by the start of service on Thursday Morning. Based on Notwork Rails past guidelines we expect that to overrun into the morning peak.

Overhead wire problems on routes via Chelmsford are continuing to cause major delays on all NXEA services in and out of London Liverpool Street, and as seems to be corporate policy for National Express LIMITED OR NO INFORMATION has been distributed to its customers.

The latest problems began at 6pm last night. One train bound for Ipswich was left stranded on the track at Ingatestone, in Essex, after power lines came crashing down, leaving hundreds of passengers trapped in the blazing heat for nearly three hours.

Network Rail was forced to send staff loaded with litre bottles of water to the stranded train after the air conditioning failed.

Services are expected to be severely delayed until the end of service on Wednesday 11 June 2008 (and that’s if Notwork Rail’s estimates are on time). If you are able to, theticketcollector.co.uk suggests you don’t even attempt to travel into London tomorrow.

As of 12:00 Tuesday, First Capital Connect are accepting NXEA tickets on reasonable routes between Peterborough and London.

National Express East Anglia are operating the following reduced levels of service until further notice:

• An hourly train service will operate from Norwich to London Liverpool Street, departing from Norwich on the hour (00 minutes past each hour). Services from Lowestoft and Peterborough will continue to terminate at Ipswich for connections to alternative services to London Liverpool Street. Alternatively, customers from Peterborough can use First Capital Connect services to London Kings Cross.
• An hourly train service will operate to Norwich from London Liverpool Street, departing from London Liverpool Street at 30 minutes past each hour. Customers for Lowestoft & Peterborough should use the Norwich-bound services and change at Ipswich for onward connections. Alternatively, customers for Peterborough can use First Capital Connect services from London Kings Cross.
• An hourly train service will operate between Clacton-on-Sea and London Liverpool Street, departing from Clacton-on-Sea at 50 minutes past each hour, and from London Liverpool Street at 08 minutes past each hour.
• An hourly train service will operate between Braintree and Witham, departing from Braintree at 45 minutes past each hour, and from Witham at 15 minutes past each hour.
• An hourly train service will operate between Harwich Town and Colchester, departing from Harwich Town on the hour, and from Colchester at 15 minutes past each hour

A normal service will operate between Colchester and Colchester Town and between Colchester and Walton-On-The-Naze. A normal service will also operate on the Southend and Southminster routes.