That’s two journeys in a row that have been cocked up – I’m sitting at Manor Road waiting for the next train, thanks to Merseyrail being unable to run the 11:56 because of “operating difficulties”. What are those then, finding a train that works, perhaps?
Yet again, the point of using the Merseyrail ‘Twitter’ feed to keep people updated of problems on the trains proves pointless.
There were issues with the signals at Hamilton Square this evening, apparently, and this caused problems for all Wirral line trains. I was lucky, I got home only a few minutes late, but my other-half got stuck in the resulting chaos, poor lass.
There was an announcement on Twitter at about 16:40 ish that a West Kirby train was cancelled, but nothing more ’til the announcement that services were running normally again, at 18:53. It would not be apparent to a traveller that there was a problem likely to affect all services (although those familiar with the service might have put two and two together), so why not make a clear announcement?
And, while I’m on the subject of tonights delays, why tell all West Kirby-bound passengers to ’board the next New Brighton train’, and then tip them off at an overcrowded Birkenhead North? Where you stand waiting for your train, which is invariably going to be horribly crowded when its three carraiges do turn up, surely isn’t an issue. Why crowd everyone onto the outdoor platform at Birkenhead?
I don’t know, the logic of the system defeats me sometimes.
“We are well used to dealing with crowds at underground stations.”
This is from a Merseyrail spokesperson, Rudi Boersma, referring to the chaos at James Street yesterday. You can read about the incident here.
7.10am this morning …
“Due to an incident in the meols area, services on the West Kirby line are suspended between West Kirby and Bidston. A rail replacement bus service should shortly be operating.”
UPDATE: Merseyrail can’t be blamed for this one, by the looks of things someone managed to not see the train coming when they were attempting to use the crossing near Manor Road station, between the station and Meols.
There is an article here.
And thanks to Keith Lumley of Network Rail for his comment below, clarifying the cause of the disruption. A very unfortunate incident indeed.
It must be winter again, because having made us sweat our way through a mild autumn, Merseyrail turned off the heating on the train this morning.
Thanks Merseyrail for a good start to my Monday morning, travelling to work on a freezing cold train.
Thank the Gods I’m away for the rest of the week, in my own car, without a yellow and black train in sight 
Comments Off
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/foxypar4/2533571894/
In an incident almost as bizarre as the recent adverse weather excuses used by Merseyrail …
A bird dropping a piece of bread onto outdoor machinery has been blamed for a technical fault at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) this week which saw significant overheating in sections of the mighty particle-punisher’s subterranean 27-km supercooled magnetic doughnut. (source)
Thanks to PopSci.com and El Reg for the story.
Comments Off
Click Liverpools "viloent doger"
While violence against Merseyrail staff is not to be condoned, in any circumstances, I’m not sure that Click Liverpool’s violence against the English language isn’t worse!
The article is here, although they may hopefully edit the headline to save their embarrassment.
Comments Off
