Trains at a standstill at Gatwick

[Guinness Boy]

Is it any different to the chaos that can be caused by a road vehicle breaking down in the wrong place? Or a plane conking out in the middle of a runway? Or a boat coming to grief at the harbour entrance? Where ever you have a transport system you have the potential for chaos if something breaks down in the wrong place.

There are six working platforms at Gatwick with a seventh about to open. That's like three runways or lanes in each direction. How can ONE TRAIN block six lines? I'm not saying it's Southern's fault necessarily but that is really poor design isn't it?

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Ooooops, sorry, I forgot:

This wouldn't happen in Germany.

Well if you love Germany so much Herr Tubs, why don't you just go and live there?

Oh wait a minute, l forgot, you do!

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

There are six working platforms at Gatwick with a seventh about to open. That's like three runways or lanes in each direction. How can ONE TRAIN block six lines? I'm not saying it's Southern's fault necessarily but that is really poor design isn't it?

It didn't break down in the station - but at the junction to the North and blocked 4 lines, train was over 8 coaches long too - power was turned off too for a short time. Fault with the brakes apparently.

Also been a train failure at Balham - it isn't a good day today already. Southern have called a Code Black - which is code for "Everything's screwed".

 

[British Bulldog]

There are six working platforms at Gatwick with a seventh about to open. That's like three runways or lanes in each direction. How can ONE TRAIN block six lines? I'm not saying it's Southern's fault necessarily but that is really poor design isn't it?

As an example if a train was coming down the fast line to cross into platform 1 at Gatwick it's only got to break down across the junction then it locks up the whole junction stopping anything else coming in or out of Gatwick, You also have to take into account that there's electronic interlocking built into the signalling system that prevents conflicting routes being set so again if a train breaks down part way through a route that's been set through a junction you can't just override the system. Far from being a poor design it's actually the biggest safety net on the railway network and you've only got to look back at the railway's safety record before mechanical and electrical interlocking were invented to see that..

 

[butchy]

Are these problems still in place? National Rail says 90 minute delays which seems rediculous.....I assume that via Lewes is also affected due to trains running through Gatwick too on this route?

 

[Simster]

It didn't break down in the station - but at the junction to the North and blocked 4 lines, train was over 8 coaches long too - power was turned off too for a short time. Fault with the brakes apparently.

Also been a train failure at Balham - it isn't a good day today already. Southern have called a Code Black - which is code for "Everything's screwed but **** it, who cares. We'll still get our four grand a year from all coastal passengers for providing a noddy service".

Fixed. I should imagine "code black" is called every 2 weeks or so.

 

[The Large One]

Still waiting for TMLS' 'poetry' on this matter.

 

[worthingseagull123]

It is time they have their franchise withdrawn with immediate affect. They cannot justify their privilege of running our trains

 

[Deadly Danson]

It is time they have their franchise withdrawn with immediate affect. They cannot justify their privilege of running our trains

Well it won't be long before the new franchise starts - and I GUARANTEE it will make no difference. The problem is, and always has been, with the railway infrastructure not necessarily the companies. Basically too many people wishing to travel on too few tracks on too old a network. The only way this will ever be resolved is massive massive expenditure with new lines allowing much greater capacity which won't happen because there isn't the money and, even if there was, the opposition to new lines (eg Uckfield to Lewes or BML2) means we're talking decades before it would happen.
If Southern halved the amount of services they ran, the disruption would be much much less but all the trains would be full and standing - doubt you'd want that more than happens at the moment? The lines are so full at the moment that as soon as something goes wrong the whole thing crumbles like a Gordon Greer backpass.

 

[Nibble]

The size of our country and the green belt (though I'm glad we have the green belt) among many other factors mean we cannot simply build a new rail infrastructure and switch everything over when the work is complete. All improvements have to be carried out at the same time as trying to keep the system operating. The truth is the whole system is knackered and falling apart but trying to repair it and keep the whole thing running is essentially an impossible task, it will never get done. It's like trying to change the wheel on a bus while it's still moving.

I appreciate this doesn't help commuters when stuck on a train outside Gatwick for 2 hours.

 

[goldstone]

All of which highlights the stupidity of closing alternative routes such as the Bluebell, Shoreham-Horsham and Uckfield-Lewes. Even if their was no strong business case to keep the lines open at the time the trackbeds should have been protected so that they were available for reinstating in the future. I realise Shoreham-Horsham would not have avoided Gatwick, but the other two would have done.

 

[worthingseagull123]

you should have seen what Beeching wanted. Coastway East and West would have closed. No station in towns like Horsham, Luton, Bedford etc.

 

[Rich Suvner]

you should have seen what Beeching wanted. Coastway East and West would have closed. No station in towns like Horsham, Luton, Bedford etc.

rail policy decided via the wallet of the car/road industry

just imagine what would happen if our energy policy were determined by those championing finite natural resources!!

 

[Superphil]

Day off today so not my fault. I have however the dubious pleasure of travelling to London Bridge later today for drinks at the Market Porter. You all have my sympathy, but whoever gets the franchise when it's announce in May nothing will change.

It's possibly going to be a Chinese operator, so what is the state of trains in China?

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

I understand why these things happen, but why don't they have a Thunderbird* locomotive stabled at Three Bridges to rescue broken down trains, as Virgin and East Coast do? If you travel out of Euston, there's a load of Class 37s, etc, sitting in Willesden and Wembley Yards (yes, I'm a bit of a trainspotter). I gave up in the end, joined the Audis and BMWs and drove to my flat (I'm currently with my mother most days, as my father isn't well), and got the train from Clapham Junction. I got to work at 1145, but that's still £6.20 for parking at Three Bridges down the drain (unless I can claim it back).

* The locomotives Virgin Trains use are, or were named after Thunderbirds characters.

 

[Ernest]

I understand why these things happen, but why don't they have a Thunderbird* locomotive stabled at Three Bridges to rescue broken down trains, as Virgin and East Coast do? If you travel out of Euston, there's a load of Class 37s, etc, sitting in Willesden and Wembley Yards (yes, I'm a bit of a trainspotter). I gave up in the end, joined the Audis and BMWs and drove to my flat (I'm currently with my mother most days, as my father isn't well), and got the train from Clapham Junction. I got to work at 1145, but that's still £6.20 for parking at Three Bridges down the drain (unless I can claim it back).

* The locomotives Virgin Trains use are, or were named after Thunderbirds characters.

There is one stabled at Stewarts Lane depot

 

[Beach Hut]

Just between New Street and Euston, is this resolved, SR website live departures looks about normal from Victoria.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Well if you love Germany so much Herr Tubs, why don't you just go and live there?

Oh wait a minute, l forgot, you do!

And your point is?

 

[bn1&bn3 Albion]

Took me almost an hour and a half to get from Durrington to Portslade...

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Took me almost an hour and a half to get from Durrington to Portslade...

you could have almost walked it in that time... unless that's how you did it? Was this a train journey?