Re Yesterday's Disruption

The SCD was used to attempt to get the traction current off due to a fault in the substation. It didn't work and exploded. Fortunatly the substation concerned was very near to the LU Power Control Room and they went in and operated the circuit breakers manually. Had it been elsewhere, a larger chunk of LUs power would have had to be cut, such as power to the substation. This would have knocked out all sorts of other kit too.

Yep I can see the whole scenario without needing a video but I can only presume that the CB was mechanically 'stuck up' probably due to a faulty trip coil if both the T/T trip circuit and the ECR telemetry trip function failed to trip it. The two circuits are quite independent of one another right up to the local CB trip circuit within the substation where they come together.

As I maintained all the Picc Line T/T equipment for more than 7 years this particular incident has gained my attention. In all that time the one place I came across that caused headaches for a few days was the Hounslow to Heathrow section where, several years ago now, I identified a problem with a local CB trip circuit although that affected only the T/T side of the substation circuitry, the ECR side continued to work normally. As I recall it took several days to resolve, the problem being on the substation portion of the T/T circuit which was beyond the scope of my remit (the substation trip termination box) and required local co-operation at the demarcation point to resolve.

One of the great disadvantages of remote control was the removal of substation testers from substations, a control room operator only being able to see what his telemetry is indicating and testers only visiting for scheduled routine maintenance or in an emergency. Of course as in everything these days it is hard to justify manned substations when faults are relatively rare.

The control room operator (ECRO) has white light indications for T/T operation and red light indications for CB trips so s/he can normally tell at a glance the state of any traction section and the corresponding T/T circuit at each substation. Thus when a T/T operation is performed the ECRO can see 'at a glance' both ends of the double end fed sections and whether the T/T operation has been fully successful, partially successful (single end tripped) or failed.

Once upon a time the tunnel lighting was a good, though not infallible, indication of removal of traction current as it would automatically result in the operation of tunnel lighting. Although it is still the case that removing traction should illuminate the tunnel lighting this cannot be relied upon as any indication of the state of the traction supply due to the arrangement of circuitry in the station tunnel lighting cubicles and the fact that a blown traction rail fuse has exactly the same effect.

I don't know, I'm no rolling stock expert, but I would've thought that there'd be some indication in the cab as to whether the traction supply was delivering current to the train or not. I realise that if so it is also not a failsafe method of determining the state of the traction but I see no reason (apart from the implications of regular test) why a certified CRID could not be carried in the cab for situations where communication with Control may have been lost due to fault or failure. Just as a motorman once collected his T/T handset and tested it before boarding his train he might just as easily collect and test a CRID at his booking on point.

That's interesting considering that LUL certainly used to hold joint emergency weekend exercises at places like South Harrow sidings to thrash out all the issues surrounding potential incidents and improve inter service/ inter department cooperation. I'd always thought that the outcome of such exercises was subsequently used in the training of operational staff.

On the engineering side I don't think anyone but ERU were generally involved although some engineering first aid staff often became volunteer casualties alongside office and other staff.


Regarding the incidents on the Jubilee and Victoria lines I know nothing of them but my immediate thought from the outset is that something has to change procedurally and it won't be easy because without spelling out my thoughts in detail I think it will boil down to having to take a very early decision to evacuate a stalled train.
That is a tin of worms as it will inevitably require near instantaneous whole line suspension, immediately tripping all traction to ensure safety, a whole heap of passenger discomfort and inconvenience as all trains not in platforms would have to be detrained.

I guess the bottom line really is determined by what is thought to be a reasonable time for someone to be stuck on board a stationary train before it begins to move or is declared static for detraining. I'm sure many have been involved in incidents that lasted more than 15, 20, and 30 minutes and I was certainly involved in incidents of longer duration than that.

One knows that line control often have a near impossible set of tasks in a major disruption but perhaps the focus needs to be shifted from thoughts of running the service to one of looking after the customers first, beginning with those affected in the first instance. One also knows that no matter how good line control decisons and actions are in the current system those making them will be damned if they do and damned if they don't.

As things stand it would be a very brave controller indeed who suspended a whole line although AFAIK such decisions are taken by the higher echelons of management nowadays.

It's all well and good if that happens but should be in conjunction with more direct feedback. After the incident it was like nothing had happened - no interview, no praise, no criticism, nothing - and I know that was the case with other drivers who had evacuations too. That should not be procedurally possible.

The journey planner is now saying the whole line is open, but suffering severe delays due to earlier emergency engineering work at Green Park. When I checked earlier it was suspended Finchley Road to Waterloo.

As I need to get from Cyprus to Paddington this evening, I'd really like to know whether my planned route of using the Jubilee between Canning Town and Baker Street is still the best one or whether I'd be better going via Tower Hill and the H&C/Circle or via Bank and Oxford Circus.

Another story about the Jubilee with a picture of a 67ts......

Yeah, but people surely can't expect a perfect service absolutely all the time, it's impossible!

It's a fact of life, if it can go wrong, it will go wrong!

No, but it seems they are now at the 'more-than-there-should-be' stage.

I suspect it's the Severn Tunnel problem again.
To remind folks, pre Railtrack, the rails were replaced every six years. Nobody knew why, you just did. So wonderful Railtrack decided to go for nine years. Within a very short time the tunnel was constantly being closed for track failures. Eventually Railtrack got the message and went back to six years. And there are no problems any more. Lesson for LU to learn post-Tubelines I suspect.