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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2007 17:38:35 GMT
Yesterday was one of the worst days of service on the Northern Line I think I have seen.
It started with a signal problem at Kennington. The first hint I got of this at Colindale was a long gap between trains. At that time, I always board the first train I can anyway and change in a good place, usually avoiding changing at Camden Town because I find it can be pretty chaotic there. The train I boarded was for Morden via CX.
At Camden Town, it was announced that the train would be terminating at Moorgate. I have never seen so many people on one platform. Still, from there, my best way forward with no further Northern Line was a "must be Circle" journey to Tower Hill. This leg of the journey passed without incident, as did my onward journey on the DLR from Tower Gateway to East India. I was 30 minutes late.
As the day continued, suspensions came, went and came back again, and then there were severe delays. I decided to take a break at Old Street anyway as it was fairly busy. When I returned to Old Street, the information screen indicated "Good Service" on the Northern Line.
On arrival at the platform - almost unbelievably busy - it was clear that this wasn't true. After having to let several trains pass, even getting on and off two, I eventually got one, but it was slow and busy. I decided that my best way out of the situation would be to change to Thameslink at Kings Cross.
A lot of people had obviously had the same idea as Thameslink trains were also busy - the first too busy to board and the second only just manageable. That and a connecting bus journey finally got me home after about two and a half hours - longer than I would expect even with a break at Old Street.
There was the added complication, of course, of a one under in the Tooting area. However, I am wondering if there might have been a more efficient way of getting a reasonable kind of service back sooner. A longer and possibly wider suspension, giving time for some trains to be moved, might have helped, but this might not have been acceptable for other reasons.
Any thoughts?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2007 19:10:41 GMT
It depends on which signal failed at Kennington, and whether or not it was actually a signal failure - a track circuit failure, a points failure, or even a signal main failure are all equally possible, and would have required a great deal of work to rectify.
When central-simon shows up, he may offer details from the TfL intranets on what the precise cause of the failure was - once that is known, the source of the delays will be obvious.
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Post by setttt on Oct 17, 2007 20:39:02 GMT
I don't know what the exact nature of the fault was, but it affected more than simply one signal and required a length a cable to be replaced in the tunnel. There was a further delay in resuming through running due to an SCD becoming welded to the track.
The one under at Tooting Bec caused the suspension to be extended from Stockwell-Morden, but that was sorted before the all clear was given at Kennington (female removed alive).
The service pattern was High Barnet-Moorgate, Edgware-Charing X, Stockwell-Morden & MHE shuttle until Kennington was sorted, when it was decided to try and get back to normal timetabled working. They had almost succeeded in doing so when I left work at about 1700 (status was minor delays by then).
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2007 22:12:19 GMT
<smartAlec>I'd have avoided the meandering Circle and walked from Moorgate to the DLR at Bank...</smartAlec>
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2007 22:46:16 GMT
Well, yes, the thought did cross my mind...
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2007 22:48:02 GMT
whilst i sound unhelpful but there are certain publications at work diital or otherwise which remain for internal publication only.i must say this as the IM bods have been puttig their foot down recently, sorry
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Post by Tubeboy on Oct 17, 2007 23:31:40 GMT
Firstly it was a track circuit failure, signal failure, then a points failure, then a defective snake on a trainstop. A cable also had to be replaced.
A one under happened in the early afternoon.
Later in the day two signals failed to clear at Kennington.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2007 10:18:39 GMT
<smartAlec>I'd have avoided the meandering Circle and walked from Moorgate to the DLR at Bank...</smartAlec> I was going to suggest the same thing. Would have been much faster than the route taken. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2007 10:32:40 GMT
a defective snake on a trainstop. I've not heard of snakes on trainstops before. On the whole, it sounds like a lot more went wrong and could be classified under signalling problems... |
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Post by c5 on Oct 18, 2007 10:38:03 GMT
a defective snake on a trainstop. I've not heard of snakes on trainstops before. On the whole, it sounds like a lot more went wrong and could be classified under signalling problems... Better than snakes on a plane ;D ;D ;D ;D The Northern has had a fair few signalling issues of late! Signalling Problems are put out as the reason when LUL could be at fault, as a result of a SPAD or a Wrong Signal being Lowered and Accepted! Signalling Systems Failure is when the whole line or big chunks of it is affected. Such as the east end of the central losing site control! |
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Post by railtechnician on Oct 18, 2007 11:37:52 GMT
Firstly it was a track circuit failure, signal failure, then a points failure, then a defective snake on a trainstop. A cable also had to be replaced. A one under happened in the early afternoon. Later in the day two signals failed to clear at Kennington. What type of trainstop, HT or K? Brian |
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Tom
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Post by Tom on Oct 18, 2007 11:44:09 GMT
Firstly it was a track circuit failure, signal failure, then a points failure, then a defective snake on a trainstop. A cable also had to be replaced. Could have been any of those - but it sounds like someone high up didn't know what it was. Defective cable to 10 core box (causing track failure) defective snake (causing track failure), said track failure could also cause a points failure (if it was a tracklock track) and will cause a signal somewhere to fail. |
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Post by railtechnician on Oct 18, 2007 13:36:27 GMT
Firstly it was a track circuit failure, signal failure, then a points failure, then a defective snake on a trainstop. A cable also had to be replaced. Could have been any of those - but it sounds like someone high up didn't know what it was. Defective cable to 10 core box (causing track failure) defective snake (causing track failure), said track failure could also cause a points failure (if it was a tracklock track) and will cause a signal somewhere to fail. Interestingly I had the same thought! It is unusual for the 10 core snake and the cable to the 10 core box to both be faulty unless the box and snake have been subjected to some damage. The snakes to HT trainstops always appeared a little less robust to me as far as the moulded terminations were concerned and thus more prone to suffer from the effects of mechanical stresses. Brian |
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Tom
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Post by Tom on Oct 18, 2007 22:15:38 GMT
I don't think I ever worked on HT's - but I remember the HO snakes always seemed to be a bit more flimsy. It may well have had something to do with the lack of a proper flipper at one end.
Then again, I do remember a brand new 60' JOV failing on one job I worked on. That was a long night...!
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Tom
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Post by Tom on Oct 18, 2007 22:17:14 GMT
even a signal main failure are all equally possible, and would have required a great deal of work to rectify. If it was the AC main failing it would have been fairly obvious, so I think we can discount that theory. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2007 19:35:39 GMT
<smartAlec>I'd have avoided the meandering Circle and walked from Moorgate to the DLR at Bank...</smartAlec> See below due to being an internet tube too! lol |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2007 19:36:27 GMT
<smartAlec>I'd have avoided the meandering Circle and walked from Moorgate to the DLR at Bank...</smartAlec> Edit: deleted due to being a date tube!! |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 31, 2007 23:58:03 GMT
What on earth is a date tube? I buy my dried fruits in little plastic bags...  |
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