Latest news with #NorthernLine
Irish Times
14-05-2025
- Irish Times
Latest power failure on London's Tube network fuels passenger paranoia
For Halloween, I might dress up as the Northern line. This most erratic, unruly, unreliable of London Underground lines frightens the life out of any city commuter forced to rely on its sprawling black tentacles. You never know what you'll get. On Monday evening as I prepared to leave the Palace of Westminster for home in southwest London, I checked the Transport for London (TfL) app to see what merry japes the Northern line had in store. Checking ahead for disruption on the line is an integral part of the experience. 'Northern line part suspended between Stockwell and Morden.' This meant, of course, that I couldn't use the Tube to travel south to my local area, which is served only by that portion of the line that had been suspended. So began the wearying task of working out a different route home. This once would have been a stressful chore but now it is just bland routine. READ MORE Somewhat masochistically, I suspect I may even secretly enjoy figuring out the logistical challenges. Monday evening's route recalculation, however, was complicated by the fact that the entire Tube network in central London had been plunged into chaos by a massive power cut. A bus or a taxi home was out of the question as London's streets would be clogged for hours. Britons, like many others, watched on agog last month at the rolling blackouts that afflicted Spain and Portugal, and thanked their lucky stars that it wasn't them. Yet the frequency of the power failures that have recently affected London's extensive but ailing transportation network have become almost as disruptive for city life here. The catastrophic nature of the rush-hour faults and the similarity of some of the fires that have caused them – not just on the Tube, but also near airports such as Heathrow – have also left many Londoners wondering if a campaign of transport sabotage may be behind it all. Authorities such as TfL, London Fire Brigade and the National Grid, however, insist they are just unfortunate accidents. I had been blissfully unaware of the full extent of Monday's major incident until I logged into the TfL app to check the availability of my route home. I had spent the day around Whitehall, moving about on foot and ignoring all news alerts about travel disruption. Beneath my feet was chaos. Piecing together explanations from TfL, National Grid and London Fire Brigade, it seems that something caused a power surge on the system on Monday afternoon. This sparked a fire at a substation in Maida Vale, an affluent district in northwest London. This was the second such fire at the same substation in two weeks, which has fed suspicions on social media of sabotage. That fire also came five weeks after a separate substation fire shut down Heathrow , grounding 1,300 flights. Monday's fire burned through critical cables in Maida Vale and power dropped across the network, but most critically in central London. Platforms went dark in many stations, which had to revert to emergency lighting. At various times, up to 20 Tube stations were evacuated and shut, including critical hubs such as Piccadilly Circus, Tottenham Court Road and Waterloo. Some trains were also stuck for a short period in Tube tunnels. The fault knocked out the entire Bakerloo line, which cuts through Maida Vale on its way to central London, the Jubilee line, Waterloo & City line and a huge section of the Elizabeth line that links many Tube stations to the main hub of Paddington. It also shut down tracts of the Northern line. Simultaneously, parts of the London Overground network were affected by separate trackside fires that delayed trains, fuelling the paranoia of some commuters that it was all orchestrated by some malicious power. The authorities, however, have stuck to their line that it was just bad luck. The last thing they want is more panic in London about the city's transportation network. Hackles were already up after an IT fault crippled Stansted Airport on Sunday morning. For once, the travel gods were with me on Monday evening as I tried to figure out how to get home. One of the few parts of the network that had been completely unaffected, the westbound portion of the District line, took me from Westminster to Victoria Station. From there, I squeezed on to a National Rail above-ground commuter train heading south out of London. It took barely 15 minutes to get me to a station that was not my normal one, but close enough. I strolled home in the evening sun feeling pretty pleased with myself, as I considered whether to switch to this remarkably easy above-ground route on a more regular basis. But I realised I had actually grown fond of the craziness of the Northern line, the Tube route that sometimes feels like a scene of chaos painted on a triptych by Hieronymus Bosch – all legs and arms, triumph and despair, copulation and death. The truth is: I'd probably miss it.
Express Tribune
21-04-2025
- Express Tribune
Commuters face disruptions, delays over Sydney Harbour bridge closure
Listen to article A major police operation on the Sydney Harbour Bridge triggered widespread transport disruptions on Monday afternoon, with rail services suspended and multiple traffic lanes closed, disrupting thousands of commuters during peak travel hours. Train services on the T1 North Shore Line between Wynyard and North Sydney were brought to a halt due to the incident. Commuters were urged to make alternative travel arrangements, including switching to Metro services where possible. The police operation also caused significant disruptions to other rail lines, including the T1 Western Line, T9 Northern Line, T2 Leppington & Inner West Line, T3 Liverpool & Inner West Line, T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line, T6 Lidcombe & Bankstown Line, and the T8 Airport & South Line. Additional delays were reported on the South Coast Line and Southern Highlands Line. Traffic was similarly affected, with two northbound lanes and one southbound lane on the Harbour Bridge closed temporarily. Motorists were advised to plan for extra travel time and remain cautious, as emergency services and traffic crews were on-site to manage the situation. The disruptions coincided with the build-up to the West Tigers vs. Parramatta Eels NRL game, adding further strain to the city's transport network as fans made their way to the stadium. By 4:00 p.m., all lanes on the Harbour Bridge had reopened, and train services between Wynyard and North Sydney had resumed. However, authorities continued to warn commuters to allow extra time, stay updated through announcements and displays, and remain aware that travel alerts and service changes may occur at short notice.
Perth Now
21-04-2025
- Perth Now
Chaos as Sydney trains halted
A police operation on the Sydney Harbour Bridge has heavily impacted the rail system, with passengers advised to make other travel arrangements or consider a Metro service instead. The delays come as crowds flock to the West Tigers versus Parramatta Eels game on Monday afternoon. T1 North Shore Line trains are not running between Wynyard and North Sydney, and passengers are advised to make alternative travel arrangements. Those impacted by this can catch a Metro service instead. Trains are also delayed on the T1 Western Line, T9 Northern Line, T2 Leppington & Inner West Line, T3 Liverpool & Inner West Line, T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line, T6 Lidcombe & Bankstown Line and T8 Airport & South Line. Trains are shut down between Wynyard and North Sydney due to a police operation on the Sydney Harbour Bridge NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia Two northbound lanes and one southbound lane are also closed across the Harbour Bridge due to the police operation. Drivers are advised to plan for plenty of extra travel time as heavy travel remains. Traffic crews and emergency services are also on the road. T7 Olympic Park Line, T8 Airport & South Line, T9 Northern Line, South Coast Line and Southern Highlands Line are also impacted with delays according Travel alerts on Transport Stops may change at short notice so passengers are advised to allow extra travel time, listen to announcements and check information displays for service updates. Emergency and traffic crews are also on site.
News.com.au
21-04-2025
- News.com.au
Sydney trains halted after Harbour Bridge incident sparking delays ahead of Tigers Eels NRL game
A police operation on the Sydney Harbour Bridge has heavily impacted the rail system, with passengers advised to make other travel arrangements or consider a Metro service instead. The delays come as crowds flock to the West Tigers versus Parramatta Eels game on Monday afternoon. T1 North Shore Line trains are not running between Wynyard and North Sydney, and passengers are advised to make alternative travel arrangements. Those impacted by this can catch a Metro service instead. Trains are also delayed on the T1 Western Line, T9 Northern Line, T2 Leppington & Inner West Line, T3 Liverpool & Inner West Line, T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line, T6 Lidcombe & Bankstown Line and T8 Airport & South Line. Two northbound lanes and one southbound lane are also closed across the Harbour Bridge due to the police operation. Drivers are advised to plan for plenty of extra travel time as heavy travel remains. Traffic crews and emergency services are also on the road. T7 Olympic Park Line, T8 Airport & South Line, T9 Northern Line, South Coast Line and Southern Highlands Line are also impacted with delays according Travel alerts on Transport Stops may change at short notice so passengers are advised to allow extra travel time, listen to announcements and check information displays for service updates. Emergency and traffic crews are also on site.
