Intercity Express Train (IET) failure, near Exeter, 13 September 2018

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

From a driver on uk.rail.....

> A guard on a train I was on the the next day said it was an air hose coupling that sheared.
 
Yes I’ve just had that confirmed - train hit something unknown followed by
huge loss of air, traced to broken pipe joint under nose of train.

[Worcester_Passenger]

Seem to remember something similar with a 180 versus a pigeon on the Cotswold line some years back. The 180 lost all air.

[broadgage]

Seem to remember something similar with a 180 versus a pigeon on the Cotswold line some years back. The 180 lost all air.

But was the pigeon alright ?

[Incider]

No point sending a fitter from Exeter. They won’t know anything about the train.

Hitachi have numerous fitters in the region, including travelling fitters, the nearest available fitter would have been sent.

I wasn't really just talking about Exeter. It was more a question of: has the change to Hiatchi staff looking after / fixing the trains (as opposed to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) staff which is the case for the HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s) meant that staff who can fix issues will now take longer to get to incidents compared to similar GWR staff for HST's? 90 minutes away seems to be quite a distance away!

There’s Hitachi maintenance staff in Bristol, Laira and possibly Long Rock.  There’s also travelling Hitachi fitters for the South West based at Exeter, Plymouth, Truro and Penzance so for minor issues it shouldn’t take any longer.
The nearest maintenance facility is obviously Bristol, so any fault requiring specialist tools may have to come from Bristol.

No specialist tools needed, one thing that was very much against getting assistance to the train in a shorter timescale was the day long closure of the M5, no matter what contingency plans you have in place - within reason- can take into account exceptional occurrences like that.

[Thatcham Crossing]

Yes I’ve just had that confirmed - train hit something unknown followed by
huge loss of air, traced to broken pipe joint under nose of train.

Might I suggest that there might be some corporate relief at Hitachi and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) that this train didn't simply break down, and that the incident was caused by an external factor, with low probability.

Not that I am saying that if they can, steps should be taken to investigate and mitigate a recurrence.

[a-driver]

From a driver on uk.rail.....

> A guard on a train I was on the the next day said it was an air hose coupling that sheared.
 
Yes I’ve just had that confirmed - train hit something unknown followed by
huge loss of air, traced to broken pipe joint under nose of train.

I find that hard to believe, I can’t see how an object would be able to access any of the pipes under the nose of the train.  Considering the delay cost runs into a 5 figure sum, one wonders wether Hitachi are trying to wriggle out of it.

[broadgage]

I am aware of at least one case in which a modern EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) was disabled after striking a goose, the impact of which broke an air connection.

So yes it is possible. If such incidents recur regularly then that suggests a need to make the relevant parts of the air system more impact resistant or easier to isolate.
If it was a very rare event, then (goose)shit happens!

[eightf48544]

               A pertinant question I was asked whther it was a design fault, air pipe not protected or bad luck.

My answer was a bit of both. Trains hit or are  hit by objects, animal or mineral, quite often so should the brake pipe have been shielded? However, was it just bad luck that this object hit the brake pipe hard enough to break it?

[bradshaw]

The train computer should be able to identify where on the journey this happened. A sweep of the track at that point should help to see if there was anything amiss.

[IndustryInsider]

A leak of that severity would probably deplete the supply very quickly.  Also of course there will be damage that should be quite easily determined as to whether it was component failure or a foreign object.  That said the waters are always muddied a little by all parties involved desperately trying to prove they weren’t at fault!

[Timmer]

That said the waters are always muddied a little by all parties involved desperately trying to prove they weren’t at fault!

That's our joined up 'Britain's rail companies working together' for you. 

[JayMac]

An update from NewsBiscuit:

NEW HIGH-SPEED TRAIN FOUND TO BE INCOMPATIBLE WITH PACE^» (Police & Criminal Evidence Act - about) OF LIFE IN DEVON

Initial investigations into the breakdown of a high-speed train just north of Exeter indicate that it should have been travelling more slowly in recognition of the speed at which the local population gets things done.

Several hundred passengers had to be rescued from the stricken Hitachi 800 and taken to the local village café where they were each expected to discuss the weather and that nice man who asks the questions on The Chase before being served a cup of tea and a slice of home-made cake.

The train operator GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) apologised for the breakdown via social media but, as Twitter is considered a bit frantic in Devon, GWR also plans to issue hand-written letters. They should reach everyone by a week next Wednesday if they can post them in the next couple of days.

Local residents weren’t surprised that the train came to a standstill, however. ‘All that rushing about, no-one needs none of that and these new high-speed trains are not right,’ explained Mrs Jan Hewlett. ‘They should learn to take their time and only when they’ve been doing things at our pace for 20 years will they be accepted around here.’

A GWR spokesman said that automatic rolling stock velocity management systems based on measurements of the local pace of life were being trialled, with trains hurtling out of London and slowing down as they approach the West Country. ‘However, we’re having a few teething troubles,’ he admitted. ‘They tend to come to a complete halt as they approach Penzance.

[Thatcham Crossing]

In amongst the slightly patronising humour, a statement of fact....

trains hurtling out of London and slowing down as they approach the West Country

[CMRail]

Trains break down? Send ‘em back.

[broadgage]

I cant speak for Devon, but here in Somersetshire we move with the times.
On the Minehead branch line was recently demonstrated a new type of train, this appears to have no locomotive nor any fireman, but proceeds under the direction of only a driver. It does however make an odd noise and may frighten horses.