Train Network

[Carl Spackler]

Is there anyone on here who can explain what it is that knackers the train network so badly?

 

I'd have thought the one thing that might work in the serious winter conditions might be a train given it runs on rails but the trains seem to be even more badly affected than the roads.

 

I've heard of points freezing and signals not working and at the moment (as has been the case nearly all week) just about every service is affected see http://www.journeycheck.com/firstscotrail/

 

Is it that the network isn't maintained as well as it could be (given investment) or was never designed to deal with the cold in the first place. I find it hard to believe a solution can't be engineered.

 

I'm not having a go at the railways employees here, I'm just genuinely interested to know what it is that breaks and if it can't be built to work when the temperatures plummet..

[blairdin]

BTTT

 

I'm just home after standing for over an hour at Camelon Station watching train after train get cancelled for the second day in a row. Being a glutton for punishment, took myself across town to Falkirk High for some more of the same.

 

According to the Scotrail website, trains are running, but when you get to a station, they're not. My work think I'm taking the piss!

 

Apparently the problem is trains breaking down on the Edinburgh to Glasgow line.

 

Have we got any railway workers out there. I'm not having a go, but I'm curious. What specifically is it about Scotrail trains that stops them running in this?

[Cairneyhill Jambo]

BTTT

 

I'm just home after standing for over an hour at Camelon Station watching train after train get cancelled for the second day in a row. Being a glutton for punishment, took myself across town to Falkirk High for some more of the same.

 

According to the Scotrail website, trains are running, but when you get to a station, they're not. My work think I'm taking the piss!

 

Apparently the problem is trains breaking down on the Edinburgh to Glasgow line.

 

Have we got any railway workers out there. I'm not having a go, but I'm curious. What specifically is it about Scotrail trains that stops them running in this?

 

Its the brakes freezing on thats the problem. The train drivers can't do anything about it apparently.

[Homme]

Its the brakes freezing on thats the problem. The train drivers can't do anything about it apparently.

 

This is what is happening in the main today. Breaks are freezing up as soon as they go unused for a short period. It is far too dangerous. There have been staion overshoot after station overshoot all week.

 

I work on the railways, not out on the tracks or trains as such though. (I'm a structures engineer)

 

I think like the councils, the guys are trying their best to clear the lines but there is just so much to be done.

[blairdin]

Its the brakes freezing on thats the problem. The train drivers can't do anything about it apparently.

 

 

This is what is happening in the main today. Breaks are freezing up as soon as they go unused for a short period. It is far too dangerous. There have been staion overshoot after station overshoot all week.

 

I work on the railways, not out on the tracks or trains as such though. (I'm a structures engineer)

 

I think like the councils, the guys are trying their best to clear the lines but there is just so much to be done.

 

Thanks guys. That makes sense. If we're in for a long winter of this horrendous cold, I hope the braking systems can be modified.

 

I certainly don't blame the drivers, the Conductors, the guys from Network rail trying to keep the points clear, I appreciate trying to keep these machines running in this is tough.

 

I do have issues with the people who update the Scotrail journeycheck website. I live literally 7 mins walk from my station, so I don't understand why the websites says a train is running, only to get to the station and find nothing at all is.

[John Findlay]

In the railways favour they have been the last to go down so to speak. Both Edinburgh and Glasgow airports have been closed more than once in the last ten days. The motorways. Well just watch the news all about them and the stupidity of the human being.

 

Scotrail(for whom I work for} have tried to maintain a 30 miute service between Edinburgh and Glasgow both ways. An hourly service between Edinburgh and Dunblane both ways and an hourly service between Edinburgh/Glasgow and Aberdeen. I am nearly forty eight years old and this is the coldest I can remember it being since the winter of 78/79. We dont get it right all the time but we have been doing our best. But, unfortunately when mother nature decides to go to war she is always the winner.

 

 

 

John

[speedbump]

Air pressure systems failing.

[Homme]

Thanks guys. That makes sense. If we're in for a long winter of this horrendous cold, I hope the braking systems can be modified.

 

I certainly don't blame the drivers, the Conductors, the guys from Network rail trying to keep the points clear, I appreciate trying to keep these machines running in this is tough.

 

I do have issues with the people who update the Scotrail journeycheck website. I live literally 7 mins walk from my station, so I don't understand why the websites says a train is running, only to get to the station and find nothing at all is.

 

Agreed. I don't get the train to work (i will when Airdrie to Bathgate Rail Link opens though) but a few of the guys in here (Network Rail) are totally miffed at Scotrail's information that they have been given out. It must be very difficult for them though because whenever there is an opportunity to run a train, they are doing so. Its just the feedback of info that is proving a problem.

[blairdin]

In the railways favour they have been the last to go down so to speak. Both Edinburgh and Glasgow airports have been closed more than once in the last ten days. The motorways. Well just watch the news all about them and the stupidity of the human being.

 

Scotrail(for whom I work for} have tried to maintain a 30 miute service between Edinburgh and Glasgow both ways. An hourly service between Edinburgh and Dunblane both ways and an hourly service between Edinburgh/Glasgow and Aberdeen. I am nearly forty eight years old and this is the coldest I can remember it being since the winter of 78/79. We dont get it right all the time but we have been doing our best. But, unfortunately when mother nature decides to go to war she is always the winner.

 

 

 

John

 

I don't dispute any of that John, and appreciate the reply. To be honest, I was hoping you'd pop up here. In many ways. Scotrail come out of the last few weeks with credit for that.

 

What's frustrating is if you check the Scotrail website, it will say the reduced service you mention is operating but when you get to a station you learn it isn't for the technical (and understandable) reasons other posters have mentioned. How hard can it be to update the website or get a message out through news bulletins that services are suspended to save passengers going to stations. It's not so bad for me, but there were people at Camelon this morning who struggled along some dangerous roads from outlying towns/villages after satisfying themselves the reduced service was operating. That's poor.

[John Findlay]

I don't dispute any of that John, and appreciate the reply. To be honest, I was hoping you'd pop up here. In many ways. Scotrail come out of the last few weeks with credit for that.

 

What's frustrating is if you check the Scotrail website, it will say the reduced service you mention is operating but when you get to a station you learn it isn't for the technical (and understandable) reasons other posters have mentioned. How hard can it be to update the website or get a message out through news bulletins that services are suspended to save passengers going to stations. It's not so bad for me, but there were people at Camelon this morning who struggled along some dangerous roads from outlying towns/villages after satisfying themselves the reduced service was operating. That's poor.

 

 

Fully appreciate what you are saying. The fact people sruggled along dangerous roads would be a very good indication in my eyes that to travel would be a non-starter. As the police and Scotrail have been saying only traveel if it is absolutely necessary. You try telling the female of the species that going from Edinburgh to Glasgow christmas shopping is not absolutely necessary. They look at you as if you have just stuck a red hot poker up their rectum. What can you buy in Glasgow that you cant buy in a shop in Edinburgh?

 

 

 

John

[Debut 4]

Tried to get a train from South Gyle to Lochgelly. No chance. Trains are being cancelled on a whim and i wasn`t hanging about to wait until they put one on.

 

Faaack thaaat.

[heartsfc_fan]

Fully appreciate what you are saying. The fact people sruggled along dangerous roads would be a very good indication in my eyes that to travel would be a non-starter. As the police and Scotrail have been saying only traveel if it is absolutely necessary. You try telling the female of the species that going from Edinburgh to Glasgow christmas shopping is not absolutely necessary. They look at you as if you have just stuck a red hot poker up their rectum. What can you buy in Glasgow that you cant buy in a shop in Edinburgh?

 

John

 

I think Primark is the usual excuse

[Debut 4]

I think Primark is the usual excuse

Or a few fake CD`s fae the Barra`s big man an aw that, nat know?

[blairdin]

Fully appreciate what you are saying. The fact people sruggled along dangerous roads would be a very good indication in my eyes that to travel would be a non-starter. As the police and Scotrail have been saying only traveel if it is absolutely necessary. You try telling the female of the species that going from Edinburgh to Glasgow christmas shopping is not absolutely necessary. They look at you as if you have just stuck a red hot poker up their rectum. What can you buy in Glasgow that you cant buy in a shop in Edinburgh?

 

 

 

John

 

Girls will be girls...

 

I've highlighted the bit in bold. I guess the reason alot of us travel to the stations is our employers deem us not getting to work as unacceptable. Out of touch with the official advice out there.

 

Appreciate your posts on this thread John, cheers.

[Nudster]

Another one of the problems going is that because of the reduced service ( ie glasgow to edin ) when a train can make it along, it is so full by the time it leaves Glasgow / Edin that no-one else can get on along the way...

 

Nobody's fault really, but just a bit of a mare when you think you can get a train but to be told that you can't get on..

 

doesn't effect me personally but must surely be a bit frustrating..

[blairdin]

Another one of the problems going is that because of the reduced service ( ie glasgow to edin ) when a train can make it along, it is so full by the time it leaves Glasgow / Edin that no-one else can get on along the way...

 

Nobody's fault really, but just a bit of a mare when you think you can get a train but to be told that you can't get on..

 

doesn't effect me personally but must surely be a bit frustrating..

 

That's been a bit of a problem coming home at night even without bad weather (I get on at Edinburgh Park so trains are often full by the time they get out). So far it's no worse than normal.

 

If this cold snap is a blip, won't be a problem. If the weather is going to stay as nasty as this for the majority of winter then the reduced train capacity will cause problems.

[Carl Spackler]

So to get back to the original point ( and thanks to Blairdin for resurrecting, I didn't want to as I really don't want to been seen as having a go at the railways, I like them ) it's the brakes on the trains that are the problem. Is there anything else? And can a solution be engineered? And if it can how long could/would it take to make the necessary upgrades to the trains, carriages and infrastructure?

 

I appreciate this is quite a big question! I suppose what I'm asking is do other countries already have a solution that we could possibly adopt?

[Sheriff Fatman]

Another problem is the range of temperature that the infrastructure has been engineered to cope with. When you get extremes at either end of the temperature in the UK then the infrastructure struggles to cope. An argument that was often put to me in my Railway days was that <name of country> can cope with this temperature, why can't we. Yes they can at that end of the temperature range, but they couldn't at the other end. Rail infrastructure is designed to deal with a certain range, and it would be prohibitively expensive to widen that range to cope with extreme temperatures at either end that only occur once every couple of years.

[davemclaren]

Another problem is the range of temperature that the infrastructure has been engineered to cope with. When you get extremes at either end of the temperature in the UK then the infrastructure struggles to cope. An argument that was often put to me in my Railway days was that <name of country> can cope with this temperature, why can't we. Yes they can at that end of the temperature range, but they couldn't at the other end. Rail infrastructure is designed to deal with a certain range, and it would be prohibitively expensive to widen that range to cope with extreme temperatures at either end that only occur once every couple of years.

 

 

Not overly convinced by that argument as there are many European countries that get hotter summers and colder winters than we do. However, I would accept that the infrastructure here might be built within narrower parameters reflecting our normal temperate climate.

[Sheriff Fatman]

Not overly convinced by that argument as there are many European countries that get hotter summers and colder winters than we do. However, I would accept that the infrastructure here might be built within narrower parameters reflecting our normal temperate climate.

 

Yes there are few, most will be higher or lower but not both, and they take that into account when they build their railways. However they will still have times when the temperature is higher or lower than they plan for.

[Koolkeith]

I don't see why they couldn't have the Edinburgh glasgow train stopping at Edinburgh park every hour, since it goes past.

[weaversknowe jambo]

Agreed. I don't get the train to work (i will when Airdrie to Bathgate Rail Link opens though) but a few of the guys in here (Network Rail) are totally miffed at Scotrail's information that they have been given out. It must be very difficult for them though because whenever there is an opportunity to run a train, they are doing so. Its just the feedback of info that is proving a problem.

 

You think, the Bathgate line has not been running for over a week now..

[Homme]

You think, the Bathgate line has not been running for over a week now..

 

Correct. But the Bathgate line at present is not considered priority, and rightly so. When the new line opens (supposed to be this sunday!) it becomes the secondary route between Edinburgh and Glasgow and this will see more effort made to get services to run.

[Bert Le Clos]

The reason I've heard is always to do with the low temperature affecting the air pressure?

 

I would assume the breaks work using pressure, so is this the same reason as the breaks freezing?

[Walter Kidd]

I appreciate all the hard work put in by the grafters. What I don't appreciate is the absolute cretins who are running their internet service.