Great Western Coffee Shop

Because of over-head wiring problems in the watford junction area, London Midland and Virgin trains are suffering huge amounts of disruption.  If the events earlier in the week that still have effect on the line today weren't enough, this had to happen.  All the details are on national rail enquiries website.  I can't imagine how chaotic things are, but there are easements in the form of Changing at Birmingham New street and getting Cross country services for connections at Reading, Chiltern Railways accepting tickets to Marylebone, and Cross country services to Derby or Leicester for connections to St Pancras via East Midland Trains.  Good to see other companies helping out.

WCML has been really unlucky since the start of VHF services, what with Congleton, Colwich and now this. Although "lines down" will be seen as a railway issue, rather than an external cause.

I believe that the Congleton blockage was handled quite well as a) Virgin have plans for unexpected blockages for each section and b) the additional number of trains now running means that even in times of disruption there are enough trains to get people there without too many crowded concourses.  Though that won't work if everything is on stop of course.

   

London Midland services have also mean nightmarish!

People might start wondering whether the HF timetable was too ambitious - Operation Princess anyone?