Today has not been a good day for travellers on the railway network today with the West Coast Mainline effectively shut down in two major areas resulting in train crews and trains being out of place nationally.
The cause of the incidents at Shap between Preston and Carlisle and Hemel Hempstead between Rugby and London were both down to freight containers being blown off freight trains. Network Rail expect the line between Preston and Carlisle to be shut until Monday morning. The screenshot below is just a short snapshot of the train situation today with trains late up to two hours and more and cancelled.
Virgin Trains are advising people not to travel unless necessary today and tomorrow there will be continued disruption possible as buses are being run between Preston and Glasgow. However, Virgin Trains say that other operators are accepting tickets for those people booked on their trains.
There are further details and a video available on the BBC News website which also details a shocking destruction of a container crane at the Port of Felixstowe when a ship became loose from its moorings. Other problems on the network today are:
- Signalling problems between Poole and Weymouth (TOC: South West Trains)
- Landslip between Helensburgh Upper and Garelochhead (TOC: First ScotRail)
- Obstruction on the line between St. Albans Abbey and Watford Junction (TOC: London Midland)
- Broken down train between Porth and Treherbert (TOC: Arriva Trains Wales)
- Overhead wire problems between Audley End and Cambridge (TOC: National Express East Anglia)
- Overhead wire problems at Peterborough (TOC: CrossCountry, East Midlands Trains, First Capital Connect, Grand Central, Hull Trains, National Express East Coast)
- Tree on the line situated at North Walsham which is situated between Norwich and Sheringham (TOC: National Express East Anglia)
- Problem with a river bridge between Oulton Broad South and Lowestoft (TOC: National Express East Anglia)
- Tree on the line at Chandlers Ford which is situated between Romsey and Eastleigh (TOC: South West Trains)
This has not been a good day for the railway network in Britain but we have to say that when National Rail Enquiries detail issues as big as the effective closure of the West Coast Mainline as simply an “obstruction on the line” it is just so woefully inadequate.
One of the major complaints from passengers today was the usual: complete lack of information. Information is the key to restoring public trust but it is sadly not paramount to the operators of the railway network in times of crisis it seems.
