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Balcombe Tunnel Flooded
- Thread starter kc1
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #3
At Hassocks?
And on train news, there was yet another landslip at wadhurst on the Hastings line yesterday afternoon so expect more delays there.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
SouthernRailUK @SouthernRailUK 1m
Trains are not able to run between Three Bridges & Haywards heath due to flooding of the line at #Balcombe.
Trains are not able to run between Three Bridges & Haywards heath due to flooding of the line at #Balcombe.
Hotchilidog
Well-known member
- Jan 24, 2009
- 9,132
When is someone at Network Rail going to get fired over the utter woeful maintenance of the Southern Rail network infrastructure. Why is Balcombe, a notorious source elf delays for a variety of reasons left vulnerable to flooding? Total lack of planning and preventative oversight, scandalous in my opinion. Faulty track, faulty signals, faulty power supply and crap (not extreme) weather, it is a joke. I know the ToC's do not cover themselves in glory at the best of times but surely heads should start to roll at network rail now, they are not up to the job of keeping the line open properly.
Bladders
Twats everywhere
Flooded since the day it was built
Something to read whilst your stuck on the train
The tunnel was constructed by the London and Brighton Railway between 1838 and 1841, through Grinstead Clay, with five ventilation shafts.The engineer for the line was John Urpeth Rastrick; the contractor responsible for the brick-lined tunnel is not known.Ingress of water from the ground above was experienced during the construction of the tunnel, and this has remained a problem throughout its history.Rastrick described the tunnelling as very treacherous, requiring great caution on the part of the miners working it, as "it swells and effloresces as soon as exposed to the air."Between 1907 and 1909 the tunnel was partially relined with engineering brick.
Galvanised iron sheets were fitted to prevent the water falling on passengers in open carriages, but the blast from the steam locomotives and air pressure created by the passage of trains could result in the metal sheets being torn from the structure, creating a serious hazard. Thereafter drivers were warned about the hazard presented by hanging icicles.
The "railway murderer" Percy Lefroy Mapleton left the body of his victim in Balcombe tunnel in 1881.
In July 1903 plans were finalised for the boring of a second Balcombe tunnel as part of the scheme to quadruple the Brighton Main Line throughout, but these were never implemented.
In 1998/9 catchment trays were fitted under the tunnel's ventilation shafts to divert seeping ground water from the shafts into the track drainage system, with a sixth added in 2006/7. The trays consisted of steel decking, gutters and flashings which were installed under limited track possessions.The tray supports had failed by 2013, requiring the installation of additional support brackets, and the Office of Rail Regulation enforced improvements in tunnel examination procedures.
Something to read whilst your stuck on the train
The tunnel was constructed by the London and Brighton Railway between 1838 and 1841, through Grinstead Clay, with five ventilation shafts.The engineer for the line was John Urpeth Rastrick; the contractor responsible for the brick-lined tunnel is not known.Ingress of water from the ground above was experienced during the construction of the tunnel, and this has remained a problem throughout its history.Rastrick described the tunnelling as very treacherous, requiring great caution on the part of the miners working it, as "it swells and effloresces as soon as exposed to the air."Between 1907 and 1909 the tunnel was partially relined with engineering brick.
Galvanised iron sheets were fitted to prevent the water falling on passengers in open carriages, but the blast from the steam locomotives and air pressure created by the passage of trains could result in the metal sheets being torn from the structure, creating a serious hazard. Thereafter drivers were warned about the hazard presented by hanging icicles.
The "railway murderer" Percy Lefroy Mapleton left the body of his victim in Balcombe tunnel in 1881.
In July 1903 plans were finalised for the boring of a second Balcombe tunnel as part of the scheme to quadruple the Brighton Main Line throughout, but these were never implemented.
In 1998/9 catchment trays were fitted under the tunnel's ventilation shafts to divert seeping ground water from the shafts into the track drainage system, with a sixth added in 2006/7. The trays consisted of steel decking, gutters and flashings which were installed under limited track possessions.The tray supports had failed by 2013, requiring the installation of additional support brackets, and the Office of Rail Regulation enforced improvements in tunnel examination procedures.
This. Luckily I managed to turn round at Brighton but truly feel for anyone who set off early. Guess there will be a lot of missed flights today as A23 also closed at Handcross.
deletebeepbeepbeep
Well-known member
- May 12, 2009
- 21,806
How long will it take them to resolve this shall I bother setting off now or will it take all morning?
banjo
GOSBTS
worthingseagull123
Well-known member
- May 5, 2012
- 2,688
Not really Network Rails fault. I mean it has never flooded before so ty wouldnt know to put drainage ditches in and to clear exsisting ditches of obstructions.
southern clearly cannot cope in a crisis situation. been an issue for 90 mins now and still not running contingencies.
still will get more compo. becomming a nicw little earner.
southern clearly cannot cope in a crisis situation. been an issue for 90 mins now and still not running contingencies.
still will get more compo. becomming a nicw little earner.
- Thread starter
- #15
Yep, it's badly needed
Stay in bed all trains terminating at Hayward's Heath no buses as they can't get through hh in chaos now on a train home to Brighton!
Stuck at Horley going South.
Train crew have no idea whether we'll be 'terminating' at Gatwick or Three Bridges.
Got to head north later ( to Derby ! ) maybe it's worth staying this side of Balcombe - although my rail ticket is on a specific train this evening, which will mean a whole day in the london cinemas and pubs as billy no mates
Train crew have no idea whether we'll be 'terminating' at Gatwick or Three Bridges.
Got to head north later ( to Derby ! ) maybe it's worth staying this side of Balcombe - although my rail ticket is on a specific train this evening, which will mean a whole day in the london cinemas and pubs as billy no mates
Last edited:
Hotchilidog
Well-known member
- Jan 24, 2009
- 9,132
Work is already a write off, just hope things get back into service later as I have to go to London this evening.
Scoffers
Well-known member
Another WFH day for me then!
beorhthelm
A. Virgo, Football Genius
- Jul 21, 2003
- 36,026
are you going to pay for it though? given the informative history from bladders above, i wonder if a new, properly constructed tunnel in parallel is a cost effective solution, along with other fixes along the line. BML2 isnt going to address issues once in London area.