Friday 8 March 2013

Piling drill burst onto Moorgate line

This unbelievable image was tweeted by @FirstCC this afternoon...



According to FCC the driver of the train in the picture, which was not in passenger service, 'did them proud' by managing to stop short of the obstruction on the line. 

Not half!

According to @NetworkRail
At 10:09, a train driver reported that water was flowing from the roof of the Moorgate Tunnel - between Old Street and Essex Road stations. Lines were immediately blocked and our response teams were sent to site.

At 11.05 our staff boarded a special empty train from Moorgate to investigate the problem. As the train approached the area at low speed, two large piling drills - which were being used above ground by a building contractor - penetrated the skin of the tunnel.

Repairs to the tunnel are ongoing but the line - which is normally closed at weekends - is expected to reopen in time for services on Monday morning.
FCC also confirmed by Twitter that the piling drills are 'not railway related'. 

It is believed that ground level drilling works at 'a private construction site' resulted in the breach to the tunnel wall.

Hopefully someone at said construction site will soon be helping the BTP with their inquiries...


UPDATE: Oh dear All Foundations, what have you done!

Silver Stump Watch - Fenchurch Street


This with a bowler tip to @AMonkster...



A noble Silver Stump defending the Fenchurch Place stairs.

Could Hatfield/Stainforth have been avoided?

The Fact Compiler's latest column in Passenger Transport published on the 1st March...



The next edition of Passenger Transport will be published on the 15th of March.