The Ticket Collector

50 MPH speed restriction on East Coast Mainline

Notwork Rail have issued a 50MPH Emergency Speed Restriction for all trains between Stevenage and Berwick, and Between Stevenage and Royston as from 0900 to 1500hrs”A blanket 50mph ESR will be imposed from Stevenage north to Peterborough and from Stevenage north to Royston on Wednesday 12th March from 09.00 to 15.00hrs. National Express East Coast and First Hull Trains will be further affected by the restriction which runs as far as Berwick. ”

The following trains have currently been confirmed as Cancelled on Wednesday 12 March.

09.15 Kings Cross to Cambridge
10.15 Cambridge to Kings Cross
10.15 Kings Cross to Cambridge
11.15 Kings Cross to Cambridge
11.15 Cambridge to Kings Cross
12.15 Kings Cross to Cambridge
12.15 Cambridge to Kings Cross
13.15 Kings Cross to Cambridge
13.15 Cambridge to Kings Cross
14.15 Kings Cross to Cambridge
14.15 Cambridge to Kings Cross

Very bad day for NXEC

NXEC have had a really bad day today. At the last count they have had 5 separate trains fail.

• Broken down train near Leeds - trains were delayed on other routes as well because this train was stopping trains from leaving a depot near Leeds.
• We were receiving reports of a fatality near St Neots. However this later was confirmed as another NXEC broken down train.
• Later on that morning there was a “fault with a train” near to Glasgow. This again was a broken down NXEC service.
• Around lunchtime another NXEC broken down train was stuck at Huntingdon. Services were disrupted and terminated short at Huntingdon.
• Just at the start of the peak another “fault with a train” developed on a train at Hornsey . This again was an NXEC service.

Just what the hell are National Express playing at is anyone’s guess! Perhaps its the first stage of NX’s cost cutting? They cant claim bad luck, as since when do 5 services fail in one day?

Yes trains fail and you may even have two failure’s in one day, but to have 5 in one day shows how bad the maintenance is getting. There was never this many failures in one day when GNER was around.

If you count up all the delays which National Express have caused and tot up all the fines they will have to pay to Notwork Rail and the other train operators for the trains messing up, it is going to be a lot of money.
Don’t forget that NXEC will also have to pay compensation to their customers and pay for the compensation given by other operator’s because of their failures.

NXEC HST broken down at Sandy

Update: Normal Services have resumed.

We are currently receiving reports that an NXEC HST train has caught fire between Hitchin and Sandy. This has now been confirmed as a MTU engine fire

There were several NXEC cancellations due to this:
10:35 London Kings Cross to Leeds due 12:54
11:10 London Kings Cross to Leeds due 13:41
11:35 London Kings Cross to Leeds due 13:55
12:40 Leeds to London Kings Cross due 15:05
13:40 Leeds to London Kings Cross due 15:58

10:30 London Kings Cross to Aberdeen due 17:38
11:30 London Kings Cross to Newcastle due 14:47
Both started from Peterborough

NXEC takes down the wires at Biggleswade AGAIN.

What was it NX promised when they took over GNER? A new era in train travel?

Well they certainly exceeded expectations today!!

Shortly after 12pm this afternoon reports came through of several sections of the overhead wires on the ECML tripping out.

Another train was sent to investigate and reported that the wires had come down and were wrapped around an NXEC pantograph.

The Notwork Rail overhead line team gave an ETA of 1 hour to arrive to check the lines. Shortly after this the slow lines in both directions were reopened to diesel traffic at 20mph.

NX as per normal decided in their infinite wisdom that everything was hunky dory and perfect until at 13:10 they finally added a message to their website. Though what that message was is anyone’s guess as it was just blank. At 13:15 the blank message turned into something of sense.
At the time of writing this entry the website is still showing the same message timed at 13:15. Nice to see that the people at NXEC know how to update the site.
NX also refused to add extra stops on their diesel services, stating that they would run to the timetable as normal.

Buses were ordered by FCC to take passengers between Stevenage, Hitchin and Peterborough. Services towards Cambridge were not affected at first. However after a while due to the trains being in the wrong places and NXEC trains hogging up the lines other operators services were delayed and then cancelled.

Eventually the go ahead was given to allow electric trains back on the slow lines at a maximum “coasting” speed of 40mph.

Services still had huge delays, due to their being only one line working instead of two and again due to the fact that NXEC trains were hogging up the lines.

Credit must be given to First Hull Trains for having the decency to stop at the little stations on the ECML such as Arlesey when they did not have to and could have run straight through these stations. NXEC could have so easily stopped at these stations but more then likely would have stated “that they would run to the timetable as normal.”

Compensation will be paid out as below.
First Capital Connect Claim Form

• Customers delayed on First Capital Connect services between 30 and 59 minutes will receive compensation of at least 50% of the cost of a single ticket or at least 50% of the cost of either portion of a return ticket (by ‘portion’ we mean either the outward or the return part of a return ticket).
• Customers delayed on First Capital Connect services over 60 will receive compensation of at least 100% of the cost of a single ticket or at least 100% of the cost of either portion of a return ticket (by ‘portion’ we mean either the outward or the return part of a return ticket).
• FCC Claim Form

NXEC Claim Form

• Customers delayed on National Express East Coast services between 30 and 59 minutes will receive compensation of at least 50% of the cost of a single ticket or at least 50% of the cost of either portion of a return ticket (by ‘portion’ we mean either the outward or the return part of a return ticket).
• Customers delayed on National Express East Coast services between 60 and 119 minutes will receive compensation of at least 100% of the cost of a single ticket or at least 100% of the cost of either portion of a return ticket (by ‘portion’ we mean either the outward or the return part of a return ticket).
• Customers delayed on National Express East Coast services for 120 minutes or longer will receive compensation of at least 100% of the cost of a single ticket or at least 100% of the cost of a return ticket (i.e. both ways, not just one way).
• NXEC Claim Form
  

Overhead wire problems at Thirsk

Services got back to normal later on Wednesday 13th.

Due to overhead wire problems at Thirsk (between Newcastle and York) servics have been suspended for the rest of the day.

The lines will remain closed until approximately 06:00 on Wednesday 13 February. On Wednesday, only three out of four lines will be available, so some alterations and delays can still be expected.

Train services are currently operating as follows:
National Express East Coast:
Train services are currently suspended between Darlington and York in both directions, with replacement bus services in operation. Some services from Edinburgh towards London may terminate at Newcastle to ease congestion at Darlington.

CrossCountry:
CrossCountry services to and from Edinburgh and Glasgow are currently suspended between Darlington and York in both directions, with replacement bus services in operation.
CrossCountry services that normally start from and terminate at Newcastle are currently starting from and terminating at Derby. Customers travelling to/from Newcastle should use alternative CrossCountry services between Derby and York, replacement bus services between York and Darlington, and alternative services between Darlington and Newcastle.

First TransPennine Express:
Train services are currently suspended between Darlington and York in both directions, and also between Middlesbrough and York in both directions, with replacement bus services in operation.

Grand Central:
The 16:50 London Kings Cross to Sunderland service will terminate at York. Customers should use bus services between York and Middlesbrough, and Northern Rail services between Middlesbrough and Sunderland.
The 06:46 Sunderland to London Kings Cross service on Wednesday morning is expected to be operating, but may be subject to a late start from Sunderland.

Customers using bus services between York and Darlington / Middlesbrough should allow at least an extra 60 minutes for their journey.

Alternative routes and easements:
Customers travelling between London and Scotland in either direction are advised to travel using Virgin Trains services between London Euston and Glasgow Central.

Customers travelling on CrossCountry services between Southern & South West England and Scotland via Newcastle are advised to change at Birmingham New Street to connect with Virgin Train services to Glasgow Central.

First ScotRail will accept National Express East Coast and CrossCountry customers between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh.

Customers may also use East Midlands Trains services between London St Pancras and Sheffield.