Stumpy Tim
Well-known member
This. I should moan, but it's given me a decent excuse to stay at home on a Friday. What's not to like?
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Balcombe Tunnel Flooded
- Thread starter kc1
- Start date
This. I should moan, but it's given me a decent excuse to stay at home on a Friday. What's not to like?
theboybilly
Well-known member
A few houses a have been built at Henfield (The Beechings) and Star Industrial Estate at Partridge Green straddles the old track. But nothing is insurmountable and the line could be reinstated quite easily. So much of the original trackbed is still there. Of course they may have to shut the Steyning by-pass to cars but so what, we'll be running out of petrol soon enough.
Indeed, I don't mind days when the trains are completely screwed in the morning and I can just work from home. It's when they get screwed up on the way to London or when I leave work, that's when I get pissed off. Plus I'll be submitting a claim to Southern so I won't lose out today.
....and there's cricket on TV
Peter Grummit
Well-known member
This has messed up my weekend as I was going to Liverpool for work then on to Derby.
I have a lift back from Derby, just need a lift up tomorrow now! Any offers!?! Will chip in for petrol.
PG
I have a lift back from Derby, just need a lift up tomorrow now! Any offers!?! Will chip in for petrol.
PG
Gazwag
5 millionth post poster
So what is the consensus about getting from Sussex to London tomorrow to catch the booked on train from London to Derby
Beach Hut
Brighton Bhuna Boy
Probably need to leave earlier if only option is buses
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 72,370
I think a lot of people will be starting to look at working in the town where they live. It seems to now be a given that for a multitude of reasons, travel by rail fifty miles in a straight line to London is so unreliable as to be threatening people's livelihoods and business reputations. Just how many business meetings do you have to miss before people stop giving you business?
Gazwag
5 millionth post poster
Will the guard create problems with the pre booked Polegate to Victoria ticket if we leave earlier than the ticket says
Beach Hut
Brighton Bhuna Boy
Will the guard create problems with the pre booked Polegate to Victoria ticket if we leave earlier than the ticket says
Not if disrupted on Southern but East Midlands will probably not care a jot what is happening on Southern
beorhthelm
A. Virgo, Football Genius
- Jul 21, 2003
- 36,027
stop thinking of HS2 as a rail project and think of it as a political project. its about linking the north and the south. canning the project tomorrow will not free up funds that will go elsewhere in the rail network. something like BML2 has to justify itself on its own merits eitherway, which it hasn't so far. Im not against it, just its a pipedream that people waste time/hope on. improvements to the existing line is something to campaign for.
Papa Lazarou
Living in a De Zerbi wonderland
Southern just tweeted that trains are now running through the tunnel, but with a limited service for the forseeable future.
Pinkie Brown
Wir Sind das Volk
Agree. Only problem. Isn't the area around Barcombe Mills where the Lewes - Uckfield trackbed passes, prone to serious flooding?
HawkTheSeagull
New member
BML2 would have been flooded badly over Xmas and it probably would have been badly affected now. Only thing they can do with Balcombe is a complete revamp - but that would result in months of disruption.
For tomorrow, if your going to Derby - you should be more worried about the major issues affecting East Midlands Trains at Hendon - where there has been a major overhead line problem - good chance that wont be fixed by tomorrow and will affect anything North of London. Balcombe should be sorted later on today.
Yes, the whole area was underwater for several days, may well even be flooded now.
- Jul 7, 2003
- 47,641
I get that there are far too many signal failures and broken down trains, which are obviously the rail companies' fault.
But the London mainline and in particular the Balcombe tunnel were built in, what, the 19th Century? If they were constructed now, they'd be designed and probably routed in a completely different and more efficient manner, but the fact is, Network Rail are having to maintain an ancient system. They can dig all the ditches they like, but the occasional huge amount of rain in a short space of time, as seen this morning, is always going to defeat efforts to keep the line clear. There probably are solutions, but none that wouldn't require long term closures and vast expense, all of which would have commuters raging anyway.
Sometimes nature just wins, and it's nobody's fault. Is that so hard to accept?
But the London mainline and in particular the Balcombe tunnel were built in, what, the 19th Century? If they were constructed now, they'd be designed and probably routed in a completely different and more efficient manner, but the fact is, Network Rail are having to maintain an ancient system. They can dig all the ditches they like, but the occasional huge amount of rain in a short space of time, as seen this morning, is always going to defeat efforts to keep the line clear. There probably are solutions, but none that wouldn't require long term closures and vast expense, all of which would have commuters raging anyway.
Sometimes nature just wins, and it's nobody's fault. Is that so hard to accept?
It is at £5k a year for my ticket, and my livelyhood on the line. We're on 17th January, and I think I've had 8 delay repay claims in 2 weeks now.
- Jul 7, 2003
- 47,641
But that's not all flooding, surely. Broken trains, one-unders, signal failures etc.
Sure, but thats not really of any concern to me. In the same way, if my 6 month old BMW breaks down on a monthly basis, I'm not that interested in the mechanics of it, just that my new car is not working.
HawkTheSeagull
New member
BOOOO for the train companies and Network Rail for not being able to control the weather
Heavy rain on already soaking wet ground will cause flooding to happen easily and anywhere - as has been proven today with lots of flooding on the roads too. A break in wet weather is needed.
Basically, you dont give 2 shits about the cause of it - despite the moaning at the TOC and Network Rail that its delaying you. Assume you feel the same if it was a 1 under then ?
Tricky Dicky
New member
I agree with [MENTION=3462]Springal[/MENTION], I've been commuting for 25 years now, and at the start it was over 3 years before I had a single day when I couldn't get to work due to trains, now it's about once a week. The service is so much worse now, for whatever reason (and I know there are many).
- Jul 7, 2003
- 47,641
Fair enough. I get that it's a constant source of frustration. My only point is that, without a complete reconstruction of the entire line, some circumstances are unavoidable. The ground is completely saturated after recent rain, so any further rain landing on it is just running off. It's caused problems all over the place, not just on the rail network- it's been a long time since the A23 was underwater in the particular location that was affected this morning.
All the other issues we've mentioned are fair game- well, perhaps not the one-unders, as even Network Rail can't predict or prevent them- but I just think some stuff, like today, is ultimately beyond the control of either NR or Southern or FCC.
Tomorrow's broken down train, of course, will render them justifiably liable to all the abuse they get