05.01.15
Engineering overruns and delays continue as commuters return to work
Network Rail suffered from further engineering work over-runs this morning as commuters took to the tracks to get back to work.
Yesterday the company warned customers on CrossCountry and First Great Western services to expect an over-run on planned work between Weston-super-Mare and Bristol Temple Meads.
Buses replaced trains between the two stations, with delays to journey times of around an hour. The works were finally completed by 7.30am, with normal service resumed by 8.15am.
In addition passengers at London Bridge station, where significant engineering work took place over the Christmas period, also faced delays of up to 30 minutes on all services due to signalling problems.
Another signalling problem at Merstham in Surrey prevented trains towards London from stopping at Redhill, Merstham or Coulsdon South. This affected passengers travelling on Southern and Thameslink services.
This morning’s delays and engineering over-runs are just the latest problems in a black Christmas for Network Rail. No services could operate out of King’s Cross on Saturday 27 December due to over-running works, with passengers advised to start and finish their journeys at Finsbury Park station in North London instead. However, that station was closed temporarily because of overcrowding.
King's Cross station reopened on 28 December following the completion of late-running improvement work north of the station.
In addition to the problems at King’s Cross, people hoping to travel from Reading to London Paddington also faced delays and cancellations after Christmas.
The Office of Rail Regulation said it would open a formal probe into why the maintenance work had not been completed in time, as well as the quality of information provided to passengers and any compensation owed.
Network Rail is due to publish the results of its own investigation into the problems later this week, and the company’s chief executive, Mark Carne, is due to appear before the House of Commons Transport Committee next week to explain the difficulties.
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