[Misc] Major Signal Failure at East Croydon

[BLOCK F]

most problems these days are Network Rail, unless its a train broken down.

Indeed, but it doesn't stop the usual suspects from having a predictable pop!

 

[mothy]

I got lucky yesterday & left london at 6.30 & was only 10 minutes late - despite getting 2 trains instead of 1 (10 years of commuting experience helped)

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

I often hear defenders of the train operating companies pointing out that the particular problems are the fault of nationalised National Rail. Could the transport experts on here please advise me if NR has in house construction and maintenance workers or is the work contracted out to privately owned firms?

Used to be subbed out to private contractors - not sure about now. I think the report into the Potters Bar derailment when 7 people died said that the company carrying out the track maintenance fell far short of the standard expected. I remember thinking at the time that some of these Contractors were in essence building contractors who had suddenly become specialist track maintenance contractors - didn't seem right to me.

 

[HH Brighton]

Indeed, but it doesn't stop the usual suspects from having a predictable pop!

They are government owned. Surely even the most ardent of Tory supporters must admit the railways are a shambles? I'm lucky my employer in London allows me to 2 days a week at home otherwise I would have given up on commuting. Its got gradually worse over the last 10 years, absolute shambles from the government and train companies.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

They are government owned. Surely even the most ardent of Tory supporters must admit the railways are a shambles? I'm lucky my employer in London allows me to 2 days a week at home otherwise I would have given up on commuting. Its got gradually worse over the last 10 years, absolute shambles from the government and train companies.

It is, but the 70’s weren’t much better at times either.

Shambles is about right


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[GT49er]

I am no railway buff, but it sounds as if Network Rail have a part to play in all of this.........lighting failure etc. and they are the Government body tasked with looking after the rail infrastructure, after all.
Can't all be put down to the train operating companies!

An awful lot of it can be put down to the bat-shit mental idea of separating the responsibility for the track and infrastructure from the responsibility of running trains!

 

[BLOCK F]

They are government owned. Surely even the most ardent of Tory supporters must admit the railways are a shambles? I'm lucky my employer in London allows me to 2 days a week at home otherwise I would have given up on commuting. Its got gradually worse over the last 10 years, absolute shambles from the government and train companies.

Wouldn't disagree, but I merely pointed out that it wasn't just the TOCs to blame.

 

[Madafwo]

A rather detailed, but not too technical, explanation of what happened yesterday is available from Network Rail on twitter.

[TWEET]1207703163358392322[/TWEET]
Now I know I'm hardly impartial but it is nice to see them putting out this information to people so if you want to you can understand why it goes wrong and what the railway does to prevent it happening again.

With regards to Gatwick they lost the domestic supply to the station which is down to UK Power Networks and although they have emergency back ups for the lighting, that ran out before it was fixed or a generator could get on site. Without lights it simply wouldn't be safe for people to be using the station.

 

[Gwylan]

A rather detailed, but not too technical, explanation of what happened yesterday is available from Network Rail on twitter.

[TWEET]1207703163358392322[/TWEET]
Now I know I'm hardly impartial but it is nice to see them putting out this information to people so if you want to you can understand why it goes wrong and what the railway does to prevent it happening again.

With regards to Gatwick they lost the domestic supply to the station which is down to UK Power Networks and although they have emergency back ups for the lighting, that ran out before it was fixed or a generator could get on site. Without lights it simply wouldn't be safe for people to be using the station.

So, both East Croydon yesterday and Gatwick today were a power supply problem - in the former case, a power surge and in the latter a power failure. It looks like UK Power Networks has a bit of explaining to do

(I do appreciate the effort from Network Rail in explaining everything, I wonder if they'd have been so keen if it had been their cock-up )

 

[East Staffs Gull]

An awful lot of it can be put down to the bat-shit mental idea of separating the responsibility for the track and infrastructure from the responsibility of running trains!

Is that not like saying that Ford should build roads, or McAlpine make cars?

 

[Lower West Stander]

View attachment 118368

I gave up and went to The Shakespeare. Finally got on a train about 8:30 after getting to Victoria at 5 o'clock.

I can’t imagine you were the only one.

That pub must be the profitable one in the country.....


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[GT49er]

Is that not like saying that Ford should build roads, or McAlpine make cars?

No. Nothing like.

 

[dazzer6666]

They are government owned. Surely even the most ardent of Tory supporters must admit the railways are a shambles? I'm lucky my employer in London allows me to 2 days a week at home otherwise I would have given up on commuting. Its got gradually worse over the last 10 years, absolute shambles from the government and train companies.

Disagree. The last year or two, since LB work was completed, have been pretty good with a much more frequent, regular, reliable and better quality service. The 90s were a total nightmare - strikes, failing rolling stock, short trains, arrogant, disinterested staff etc etc. The Southern Fail times were grim........but generally now things are better than they have ever been in my 30 years or so of commuting.

 

[Weststander]

Disagree. The last year or two, since LB work was completed, have been pretty good with a much more frequent, regular, reliable and better quality service. The 90s were a total nightmare - strikes, failing rolling stock, short trains, arrogant, disinterested staff etc etc. The Southern Fail times were grim........but generally now things are better than they have ever been in my 30 years or so of commuting.

Didn’t the network sort out a couple of infamous (many decades) bottlenecks in south London in the last year or so?

I don’t mind either way on nationalisation, but passengers also slagged off British Rail and couldn’t stand the striking staff. I worked with people who had commuted in the 70’s and 80’s, boy they hated ASLEF and the NUR, their leaders and striking staff. Very vitriolic, they talked nasty exchanges with striking or work to rule BR staff back in the day.

 

[dazzer6666]

Didn’t the network sort out a couple of infamous (many decades) bottlenecks in south London in the last year or so?

I don’t mind either way on nationalisation, but passengers also slagged off British Rail and couldn’t stand the striking staff. I worked with people who had commuted in the 70’s and 80’s, boy they hated ASLEF and the NUR, their leaders and striking staff. Very vitriolic, they talked nasty exchanges with striking or work to rule BR staff back in the day.

I don’t know.....I’m a user not an expert but things have improved dramatically since the London Bridge works were completed. Going further back, the union militant influence in the 90s - and crumbling infrastructure- led to pretty shit services. Easy to have a pop on the odd bad day like yesterday but things are infinitely better now.

 

[Weststander]

I don’t know.....I’m a user not an expert but things have improved dramatically since the London Bridge works were completed. Going further back, the union militant influence in the 90s - and crumbling infrastructure- led to pretty shit services. Easy to have a pop on the odd bad day like yesterday but things are infinitely better now.

The bottom line is that it’s a near 200 year old network, formed from 100’s old railway companies, boxed in by millions of homes and commercial premises.

The Germans and French industrialised later on, with widespread bombing helping the Germans build a nice straight lines, modern railway post 1945. The French efficiently buy up land and homes as they please for new railways, they think nothing of constructing through stunning countryside, and override the wishes of opponents.

 

[Lifelong Supporter]

Disagree. The last year or two, since LB work was completed, have been pretty good with a much more frequent, regular, reliable and better quality service. The 90s were a total nightmare - strikes, failing rolling stock, short trains, arrogant, disinterested staff etc etc. The Southern Fail times were grim........but generally now things are better than they have ever been in my 30 years or so of commuting.

Yes I retired from commuting 9 years ago and had my first experience of LB yesterday. I found the station impressive. Yes there were delays yesterday but I felt that staff were trying their best and looking to get things organised and people home. Tannoy announcements were helpful and apologetic. I left the pub opposite LB at 7 pm and was home in Mid Sussex well in time for the start of the Apprentice.

 

[Madafwo]

There are still more improvements to come, especially at East Croydon where there is talk of additional platforms and sorting out the junction highlighted in the tweet I posted earlier.

When I was a conductor I used to hate peak time services out of London as you just knew you'd get stuck north of Croydon and once one thing is delayed it just snow balls. A minute to 1 service there can lead to hours of delays across the network and then you're just chasing your tail.

I'm glad to be out of it and I do feel for people that commute on a regular basis.