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Western Route Incident Signaller issue at Henwick update 16:35

All trains stopped at Henwick (Worcester Foregate Street) due to loss of contact with the Signaller at Henwick LC

Driver of 1P65 is walking to the signal box to investigate.

More when known

Update: Local Operations Manager is on site and the Signaller is stuck in the toilet...

Can't use a mobile on duty? ;D

Whilst I suspect that is some kind of pun (If that is the case, it was awful ;D )

In-convenience for passengers on Worcester - Malvern - Hereford line after toilet break at Henwick


TRAINS travelling through Worcester had an unscheduled stop after an unfortunate signalman got stuck in the toilet.

Passengers found themselves being held up at the Henwick signal box in St John^s on Wednesday afternoon after the man who was meant to be controlling the signals made an ill-fated dash to a Victorian outdoor toilet.

The disruption was publicly announced as ^signalling problems^, but one mischievous web forum user lifted the lid on what really happened when he posted Network Rail^s official incident log.

It shows that trains were being forced to stop at Henwick after all contact was lost with the signalman.

The driver of the 15:13 Hereford to London service is then reported to have got out of his train and walked to the signalbox to see if he could sniff out the problem.

The next update simply states: ^Local operations manager is on site and the signaller is stuck in the toilet.^

Network Rail apologised for the ^unfortunate incident^.

^Much of the railway is still controlled from Victorian signal boxes, which often have outside loos,^ a spokesman said. ^Our plans to modernise the railway will see control moved to state-of-the-art regional control centres, where unfortunate incidents such as this simply wouldn^t be an issue. We apologise to anyone whose journey was delayed or disrupted.^

I have to say it may not have come from this forum. I posted the same topic over at RailUK.

Most unusual excuse for rail delays yet? Train over an hour late due to signalman trapped in toilet

He nipped away from his post to answer the call of nature but was left flushed with embarrassment when the brick outhouse^s lock jammed

(http://i3.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article1703993.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/%C2%A3%C2%A3%C2%A3The+Victorian+era+outside+toilet+at+the+Henwick+signal+box+in+Worcester.jpg)

Train passengers were held up for more than an hour when a railway signalman became trapped in an outside toilet.

The signalman nipped away from his post to answer the call of nature but was left flushed with embarrassment when the brick outhouse^s lock jammed and he was stuck inside.

The driver of the Hereford to London service heard the hapless worker^s cries for help after he was forced to stop his train because he could not make radio contact.

Colleagues eventually managed to set the signalman free by forcing the door open with a crowbar.

The 3.13pm service was delayed during the rescue near Worcester Foregate Street station.

(http://i3.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article1703992.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/%C2%A3%C2%A3%C2%A3%C2%A3General+view+of+the+Henwick+signal+box+in+Worcester.jpg)

Rail bosses gave the reason as ^signalling problems^ but rail ^enthusiasts became privy to the truth through an internet forum.

One user joked: ^Where are all the relief staff when you need ^em^

And another added: ^Too busy filling in the signalman^s log.^

Network Rail ^apologised for Wednesday^s incident and blamed the rail system^s ageing buildings.

A spokesman added: ^Much of the railway network is still controlled from Victorian signal boxes, which often have outside loos.

^Our plans to modernise will see control moved to state-of-the-art regional control centres, where unfortunate incidents such as this simply wouldn^t be an issue.^

What all this does show is how slow traditional media outlets can be. The incident was brought to my attention by bobm last Wednesday and its only today, nearly a week later, that its making the press.