Disruption to services caused by....

[wobblybob]

I wonder how much of the latest disruption is caused exclusively by snow. How many lines are actually blocked and impassable? In contrast, how many stations are closed and trains cancelled because staff cannot get to their work?

Perhaps we should be - more honestly - referring to disruption caused by 'rail industry reliance on road transport' or 'railway employment practices'. Just a thought.

[solario]

See's open can of worms.

Sit's back and opens popcorn......................

[Essex2Visuvesi]

I see one too!

[Beep55]

I think a lot of it comes down to the Ice on the 3rd Rail... if that bridge between the train and the power cannot be met then obv power to the train will be severed or Disrupted? I'm not a PRO on this kinda thing but only thinking about it logically... If you notice the trains around Non electrified parts of the country using Diesel power... are more or less ok unless Snow has blocked the line?

Electric trains maybe cheaper to run but if anything gets in the way from the conducting 3rd rail or overhead cables then things seems to go shite?

Cleary this country cannot handle the bad whether well... as per usual panic buying (BUY ALL THE BREAD AND MILK!!!!)... the country grinds to a standstill, it's a joke!

[Terrier]

They don't run adequately in 'ideal' conditions, so current problems re the inclement weather comes as no surprise.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Not having much of a problem here in Oz, but years ago when snow threatened or was falling we use to go out light engine and run up and down the lines to keep them open, but with todays thinking and high tech approach to everything all TOC managers crawl under there desks and do nothing
manna

[fratton]

they dont make em like they used to,,,, bring back the slam door stock at least the only thing you have stopping you from opening the doors is a frozen glove not a frozen computer chip lol,,,,

[b308]

Very very few of our part cancellations are down to staff not getting in... Unlike a large percentage of the population (including WB?!) we are used to having to get into work at antisocial times of the day or night and a bit of snow and ice does not usually stop us...

Full cancellations (where the train never ran) on our bit of the system have been few and far between, we have run late (usually caused by other TOCs, sometimes the weather conditions and one today where one of our units failed big time in the NE), but in the main we on XC have run virtually the whole booked service...

At least we have seem to have done better than other forms of transport such as road and air... and excuses I heard on the radio by wimps who didn't get into their little office job were hilarious... if those people weren't actually being serious with those excuses... Its lucky those of us who have to provide Public Transport and the Emergency Services don't give up so easily...

(As for old stock being more reliable in adverse weather... just another myth I'm afraid... )

[Campaigner]

Well I for one am glad of a few cancellations and diversions, otherwise I wouldn't have seen Gresley A4 Pacific "Bittern" today heading north from Wakefield towards Leeds at about 3pm.

[b308]

Just been looking at our alterations for today... If you are travelling XC north of Brum then they are only running hourly and nothing north of Edinburgh... Lucky its my long weekend...

[Bufferstop]

G'Day Gents
Not having much of a problem here in Oz, but years ago when snow threatened or was falling we use to go out light engine and run up and down the lines to keep them open

The Midland Metro has been forced to do this, when the overhead hasn't been brought down by vandalism and it's got working trams to use. In the days of first generation trams, some of the companies powered the lighting in their shelters from the OH supply as the constant current flow kept the wires warm enough not to freeze.

[PTmodeller]

I think a small part of the problem is the lack of locos fitted with MSPs. Plenty of big ploughs to get the line clear when it's well and truly blocked, but nothing available to keep it running when it's around 12" above railhead. Although clearly, when it comes to 3rd rail, you've had it whatever happens

[b308]

From the current Rule Book:

"If you are told that snow is deeper than 200 mm above rail level,
you must suspend the running of trains.

However, you can allow trains which have miniature snow ploughs
to continue to run normally if the snow is not deeper than 300 mm
above rail level.

If the snow is deeper than shown above, you must get authority
from the Network Rail area operations manager to allow trains to run"

It actually allows trains with MSPs to run up to 450mm deep snow... Its another cost thing, for the few days of snow we get each year, much of which doesn't affect most of the main lines its just not worth the cost of MSPs for every set.

[PTmodeller]

What units can MSPs be fitted to?

[b308]

Haven't got a clue, though most of the 15X series of units seem to have them... I know they aren't fitted to Voyagers or HSTs!

m8 may know?!