Wednesday 1 December 2010

WCML Upgrade suffers whiteout

Our man on the Pendolino reports...

Conductors on WCML Glasgow to London route have been told to announce over the intercom that:

"trains are not allowed to travel at over 100mph because of adverse weather conditions."

Why?

If this is an engineering or design problem, we should know.

Or is it just another 'wrong kind of snow' excuse for general slackness and lateness?

My 13.53 from Preston is over an hour late yet barely a flake has fallen on entire journey...

UPDATE: This from a Mr Tony Miles...

Ice thrown up is breaking outer skin of windows.

I gather 100mph avoids it being thrown up as much in the first place.

I think all 125mph trains are restricted to 100mph when this happens & 'tilt mode' is deactivated on Pendos.


Sensible really.

UPDATE: This from Sunny South...

You will find that NR have written into the rule book that speed restrictions apply in any case where disc-braked stock and drifting snow are concerned, so VWC are merely being good boys & girls and looking after both rules & regs and keeping Joe Public informed.

Yours watching
South Eastern self-destruct with growing concern...