Passenger train using freight lines at Ely

[arb]

I saw this happening (via OpenTrainTimes) yesterday evening - and thought it was quite a cunning workaround to whatever problems were happening at the time. I've never seen it done before, so I was curious as to how often it is used as a workaround?

I was on a northbound train (this one on RealTimeTrains) which was held at Waterbeach due to signalling problems at Ely. After a while I opened up OpenTrainTimes to try and figure out what was happening. Platforms 1 and 3 were empty, but there was a train showing in platform 2. The train ahead of me (this one), which I assume would normally use platform 1, had apparently been routed via the freight lines: I saw it at signal 287, then 295, then it reversed back into platform 3. I assume that whatever the problem was, it was preventing access to the platforms from the south, but not the north. I geekily admit to being quite disappointed when my own train went straight into platform 1 as normal and didn't have to use the same workaround

 

[ac6000cw]

I've never seen it done before, so I was curious as to how often it is used as a workaround?

I've not seen it done either with a normal scheduled passenger train, but AFAIK the loops are cleared for passenger use - enthusiast railtours get routed via them occasionally as 'rare mileage'.

and thought it was quite a cunning workaround to whatever problems were happening at the time.

To make Ely work when things aren't going to plan often seems to involve a degree of cunning by the signaller and full use of the bi-directional running lines between Dock Junction and North Junction!

 

[dk1]

I was cheated out of all the fun. Just got stopped at the signal before Ely Dock Jcn, warned it might revert to danger as I approach/pass, and examine the line between the two main to main crossovers. Delayed 5 minutes but right time again by Thetford.

 

[mtmikethom]

I was at Ely at the time and there were signalling problems, the cross country service did go via the Up goods loop then went back into P3, the 1718 Kings Cross Service was stuck in the Down loop/siding where it had been since it previous working (1442 ex Kings Cross)

 

[MikeWM]

Fairly sure I've been on down trains a number of times that have used the down goods loop en route to platform 1, but that's not quite as interesting as the scenario described here

There do seem to have been an awful lot of signalling issues at Ely in the last year or two, they're far more frequent than they were pre-2020. Is this related to the Cambridge signalling renewal project?

 

[dk1]

I was at Ely at the time and there were signalling problems, the cross country service did go via the Up goods loop then went back into P3, the 1718 Kings Cross Service was stuck in the Down loop/siding where it had been since it previous working (1442 ex Kings Cross)

Want that because of driver shortages? GN tweeted out warning passengers about a 2-3 hour gap in afternoon services through to King's Lynn on Friday morning.

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

Want that because of driver shortages? GN tweeted out warning passengers about a 2-3 hour gap in afternoon services through to King's Lynn on Friday morning.

Whenever I see GTR have driver shortages I'm always glad to live in the ga area

 

[dk1]

Whenever I see GTR have driver shortages I'm always glad to live in the ga area

Considering they are on higher pay we excel with traincrew recourse.

 

[mtmikethom]

Want that because of driver shortages? GN tweeted out warning passengers about a 2-3 hour gap in afternoon services through to King's Lynn on Friday morning.

Considering they are on higher pay we excel with traincrew recourse.

The 1442 ex Kings Cross & its return working only ran to Ely all week, i think there was also a morning peak trip cut as well

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

That's gn that has driver shortages. Ga doesn't

 

[MikeWM]

Whenever I see GTR have driver shortages I'm always glad to live in the ga area

One of the (many) reasons I chose to move to Ely some years back was to get a variety of options of TOCs and a mix of diesel and electric services, to Cambridge at least, in the hope of minimising disruption.

IIRC, we're just 4 or 5 months away from the 10 year anniversary of GTR promising to sort out their driver shortages issue with the 'largest program of driver recruitment ever'. That's gone well then!

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

One of the (many) reasons I chose to move to Ely some years back was to get a variety of options of TOCs and a mix of diesel and electric services, to Cambridge at least, in the hope of minimising disruption.

IIRC, we're just 4 or 5 months away from the 10 year anniversary of GTR promising to sort out their driver shortages issue with the 'largest program of driver recruitment ever'. That's gone well then!

You've got gtr (driver shortages), xc (generally unreliable), emr (always late) and ga (actually good)

 

[MikeWM]

You've got gtr (driver shortages), xc (generally unreliable), emr (always late) and ga (actually good)

Hard to argue with that