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Seems that 175110 has caused caos at Manchester Piccadilly during rush hour tonight after suffering a serious engine fire.

Hopefully they will be able to get this unit repaired with a replacement engine and back into service soon. 

Of course they  could perhaps depending on which carriage was involved insert the centre carriage into 1 of the 2 carriage 175's like they did with 175005 last year.

Hmm. Catching fire seems to be a bit of a habit for Alsthom-built DMUs, doesn't it?

 I know, although I thought it would have stopped somewhat considering the 175's have only just had an overhaul.

This is certainly going to cause some headaches for ATW

Just read on uk railforums that smoke etc came from the rear carriage just after the train had been loaded with passengers

must have caused major disruption being on platform 14 one of only two lines that go threw the station, i cant remember if 13 is bi directional but eather way would have had a huge impact

Seems a lot of trains were being turned back at Oxford Road with some passengers traveling to Crewe then getting the shuttle or VT service to Chester

Did the overhaul consist of much work below the solebar, or was it mainly an interior refurbishment?

From the Manchester Evening News (http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1464824_fire-on-train-at-manchester-piccadilly-causes-rail-delays):

No I think the units had a full refurbishment to improve reliability. I am sure it was rail magazine or modern railways which did a full article with some pics showing a 175  undergoing a overhaul.

Yes both 13 and 14 at Piccadilly at bi directional.  There is also the option of using 14a for trains coming from Oxford Road and going back there, without continuing to the Airport etc.

However, the area was closed off while emergency services dealt with the situation so no trains could run between Piccadilly and Oxford Road until it was declared safe.

quite a disruption.  I think I would have been tempted to walk between the two stations

The problem would be for people on services approaching Piccadilly from the South and East that were due to continue Northwards or Westwards. If you've come from York and planning to go to Liverpool then you find yourself on a stopped train somewhere between Stalybridge and Piccadilly so you can't alight and walk.

Did anything get pushed up via Denton and Victoria

Unlikely.  Given that only Northern Rail crews would sign that route it rules out most through services going that way.

The Wigan Wallgate to Buxton service that departs Piccadilly at 18:21 would probably have been the only service that could have usefully gone that way while platforms 13 and 14 were closed at Piccadilly.  However, when you consider:
* The Buxton passengers would have been at Deansgate, Oxford Road and Piccadilly not Victoria
* There may not have been a path or a through platform available at Victoria
* A crew change may have been required to send it that way, if the crew working the service didn't sign the Denton line
It's probably unlikely the Denton line was used.  It's more likely that service would have been terminated at Oxford Road and restarted from platforms 1-12 at Piccadilly, subject to an available unit and if no available unit then cancelled from Oxford Rd onwards.

I thought that the through services sometimes get re-routed through Manchester Victoria at weekends.

It does raise the question of knowledge of alternative routes. CrossCountry always seem to be very diligent about maintaining this knowledge - very early and very late trains sometimes follow some odd routes.

And a question about resilience, given the critical importance of those two platforms to the network in the North West.

Diverting via Victoria doesn't always mean using the Denton line.

TPE do divert via Victoria during engineering works but don't use the Denton line.  I don't think the Denton line is even cleared for 185s and 170s.

The TPE services from the Leeds direction would take to Victoria would be the same as Northern Rail's Huddersfield-Victoria stopper.  If it's an Airport service it would usually go to Salford, reverse, then go to the Airport via Piccadilly - which requires going through platforms 13 and 14 at Piccadilly.  If it's a Liverpool service it would go via Newton-le-Willows to Liverpool.

EMT and TPE services from the Sheffield direction would terminate short and have a replacement bus service.

Northern don't operate any services between Buxton/Hazel Grove and Preston/Blackpool on Sundays.  The through service they do operate is a Chester-Stockport-Southport service, which during engineering works they terminate short and run replacement bus services.

However, if engineering works occur on a Saturday or Bank Holiday affecting Stockport-Deansgate then Northern will run the services between Buxton/Hazel Grove and Preston/Blackpool via the Denton line and Victoria. 

The reason I said about it being unlikely that the Wigan-Buxton service would have used the Denton line is because it's either operated by a Picaddilly crew who don't sign the Denton line or there would be a crew change at Manchester Oxford Rd, so diverting via Victoria would cause crew problems, unless there was a spare crew at Victoria who sign both the Denton line and the Buxton line.


To make matters worse long freight trains for Trafford Park have to pass through those two platforms.  GMPTE converted the alternative route to Metrolink!

That's precisely why there are plans to have platform 15 and 16 at Piccadilly.  Although, in a speech given in Leeds Ms Villers recently went in to detail about all the funding that had been spent on the rail - billions of it in London and then said the projects earmarked for the North will cost hundreds of millions, which we may not be able to find, meaning platforms 15 and 16 at Piccadilly may be at risk.  Although, eletrification projects are safe.

Does anybody know what actually happened to the TPE trains on the day and also Norwich to Liverpool EMT services

The newspaper article posted by bignosemac gives the answer for TPE's Scarborough-Liverpool service.  Blackpool/Cumbria/Scotland to Manchester Airport services would have almost certainly terminated at Manchester Oxford Road and started their return working short. 

Other TPE services should have been able to run their full route but with delays.  Although, there was also a signalling problem near Huddersfield at the same time so some of the North TPE services may have terminated short due to running very late.

From whats been said on WNXx its sounds as if 175110 is getting a new engine etc and should be back in services around 20th november

always been against converting heavy rail to metrolink! takes away any possibility of taking freight off the roads and back onto rail

Stupid thing is you don't have to convert run dual voltage trams for passenger and heavy rail as required. It may be sensible to lower the station platforms but not necessarily if you are happy with platforms in the middle of your town as Manchester.

Go to Karlsruhr, Kassel for trams, ICEs, ICs, RE, RB,  freight trains plus even teh occsional stam special sharing teh same tracks.

But my favurite is Norhausen.

Meter gauge regular 1897/195X steam locos,  198X diesel railcars, 2002 ED trams which run over the town network under electric power.

Plus coverted standard gauge diesel locos hauling 4, loaded 100 tonne standard gauge bogie ballast hopper wagons on rollboks.

Now thats how to use a railway line.