Cathedrals Express 22nd Dec

On the Network Rail site (16.14):-

• Trains are suspended between Rainham and Teynham
• after an earlier incident near Sittingbourne.

 

a landslip at wadhurst has caused problems, saw a couple of southeastern services from and to hastings/charing cross come from/to tonbridge at redhill.

 

From National Rail Enquires

A person has been hit by a train near Sittingbourne, this is causing delays of up to 60 minutes and the following changes will apply:

• Trains are suspended between Rainham and Teynham
• Buses are running between Gillingham and Faversham
• Buses are replacing trains between Sheerness-on-Sea and Sittingbourne

 

From Southern Eastern website Owing to a person hit by a train at Sittingbourne country-bound lines are blocked.

Cathedrals Express is last shown as departing Canterbury East at 17:06 according to Real Time Trains.

 

I saw the tour at Tonbridge. It had barely stopped before it left again, obviously trying to make up lost time.

 

Couple of clips of the train at Farningham Road and Paddock Wood

 

Sittingbourne 43 minutes late.

 

Rochester and Nutfield

 

At Redhill, the train stood for 30 minutes (having been pretty much on time all the way until then), but the cause is still not known to me. The planned diversion of Hastings to Charing Cross trains surely cannot have caused any delay, as there was only one up and one down working in the period from 1345 to 1430 that I was at a bridge about half a mile from Redhill towards Nutfield. The line was clear for 90% of that time, so signalling capacity certainly wasn't an issue. Interestingly, when the two 'fives' appeared, they were working hard and 47850 at the rear was doing nothing - surprising, given the delay, but pleasing for us photographers!
Regarding the Nutfield trespassers - throw the book at them! The misinformation from 'the authorities' was either deliberate or sloppy fact-finding (I suspect the latter) - but had there been previous issues with trespass on the way down from London. I wonder, which were reported at Redhill - the train had been on time up 'til then from its start at Newington.

 

Doesn't help that half the time people like BTP and other staff are not always kept up to date with what's going on.

I can well see why they were twitchy about these pillocks what with the juice rail and all, hopefully a ticking off from Police will stop any repeat.

 

Was stood overlooking Sole Street Bank waiting to do sound but the 47 on the back was doing most of the work. Earlier in the day the departure from Headcorn was rather nice and diesel was doing nothing.
South Darenth.

SouthDarenth by KING COBRA 92, on Flickr

 

Great shot nevertheless. Given that the train was on time here, why was the 47 working, when, running over 30 minutes down leaving Redhill, it was doing nothing? Logic??

 

I think you may have misunderstood my post which could have been worded better. The 47 was dead as a dodo here and leaving Headcorn. It was the evening ascent of Sole Street that saw the 47 giving an almighty shove.

 

Ah - I see. Incidentally, does anyone know the reason for the Redhill delay yet?

 

I was in the car park by Redhill station, it can only of been held due the trespass incident. They arrived give or take on time, waited, then the Tonbridge-Redhill train arrived, still they didn't go, then a diverted South Eastern went, then the Tonbridge train, then another diverted one! At one point they whistled and I thought they were off but didn't. Then finally, well after the line must have cleared they went!

 

If trains were being diverted, there's a good chance they were held to allow service trains to go ahead. Wouldn't be the first time it's happened. At the end of the day unless someone posts the real reason for the delay, it's all guesswork on our part, including your views on the trespass.

 

It certainly wasn't a service trains/line capacity issue - as I said earlier, for the 45 minutes I was waiting between Redhill and Nutfield only four service trains passed (two each way, of which one was diverted and one scheduled), and the line was clear (greens) for 90% of the time.

 

Photos from Redhill and video from there and Nutfield on the return...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alts1985/11519536896/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alts1985/11519199585/in/photostream/