Major Power Failure at Waterloo

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

Due to a signalling problem at London Waterloo some lines are blocked.

What's Going On:
Train services running to and from this station may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

What We're Doing About It:
Due to a major signalling problem we are advising customers not to attempt to travel to or from London Waterloo this morning.

Until further notice, a significantly reduced service will operate to and from London Waterloo on a very limited number of lines.

From Network Rail Twitter:

We’ve suffered a major power failure to signalling equipment at @LondonWaterloo that means fewer than half the station platforms are usable by trains.
We are advising @SW_Help customers not to travel to or from Waterloo this morning as the disruption is severe.

Our team is on site tracing the fault, which occurred before 0400, but even if it is fixed soon disruption is likely across the network for some time.
Again - please do not travel into or out of Waterloo this morning.
We will update you when there is better news.

[bradshaw]

SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) have reported a major power failure affecting signalling at Waterloo, severely restricting the services.
Interestingly the WoE services to/from Exeter are terminating/starting at Wimbledon, rather than Basingstoke as is usual in times of disruption. Presumably this also allows the access to the District line for journeys into London.

[ChrisB]

Only the Reading line platforms are available, all the others are completely closed

[broadgage]

Very poor planning if a single power failure can cause this scale of disruption.
What exactly has failed ? If the incoming supply from the DNO^▸ (Distribution Network Operator) has failed, then network rail should have a functioning emergency generator to supply signalling and other critical loads.

If the incoming supply is functioning, and the fault lies in network rail internal infrastructure, then this should have been duplicated, with two supplies to critical loads, via different routes and preferably from different substations.

Presumably the DC^▸ (Direct Current) traction supply is still available ? Did no one think of installing a backup supply to signalling, this being derived from the traction current supply.

And as a last resort, what about a hired generator ? These are available on short notice from Agreko, MEMs power and many others. They also hire cables and distribution equipment.

[bobm]

We had two topics with identical titles, barring one capital letter, started within minutes of each other so I have merged them.

[Electric train]

Very poor planning if a single power failure can cause this scale of disruption.
What exactly has failed ? If the incoming supply from the DNO^▸ (Distribution Network Operator) has failed, then network rail should have a functioning emergency generator to supply signalling and other critical loads.

If the incoming supply is functioning, and the fault lies in network rail internal infrastructure, then this should have been duplicated, with two supplies to critical loads, via different routes and preferably from different substations.

Presumably the DC^▸ (Direct Current) traction supply is still available ? Did no one think of installing a backup supply to signalling, this being derived from the traction current supply.

And as a last resort, what about a hired generator ? These are available on short notice from Agreko, MEMs power and many others. They also hire cables and distribution equipment.

The Southern Regions power supplies are generally very robust, signalling power supply points have 2 supplies available from the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) internal high Voltage distribution network which can be feed from 2 or more DNO / TNO^▸ (Transmission Network Operator) bulk supply points, in the London area a dedicated 400V DNO supply as a back up.  It's not usual to have generators because of the 3 sources of supply, generators are notoriously unreliable ie never work when you need them.

There are UPS on the power supply system these are designed and size to only cover the time it takes to change from supply to another, there are smaller ones to cover a local power outage but these are only to allow systems to transfer or shut down safely.

Like all power supply systems there are weak points which are designed out as far as posible but you can never achieve a 100%.  A small piece of equipment fire in a relay room for instance can have a major impact, this may be the relay room etc.

The power supply to signalling systems in large and complex

[Timmer]

Latest from Network Rail on Twitter:

1015 update: we've identified the fault (which is in the cabling that powers the signals controlling the Waterloo area) - our team are now working on a plan to repair the issue. Our travel advice remains in place for now and we'll keep you updated as we get more info from site.

[stuving]

The signal maps are showing the lines blocked as being all four of the SWML^▸ (South Western Mail Line) at Vauxhall, plus one of the Windsor lines further out. That leaves only two tracks usable through Queenstown Road, able to access the northern half of Waterloo.

There is a ladder crossing east of Clapham Junction that could allow trains to get to of from any track, but costing a lot in conflicts to use it. Having said that, currently* there is not a single train moving east of Clapham Junction. (*True at 10:40, but immediately after checking it several turned up.)

[stuving]

All lines now showing as clear - opened at 10:45, UIUI.

[Electric train]

Major Power Signalling System Failure at Waterloo.  It was not a power related fault, its just when there is a wide area failure everyone jumps to the conclusion it must be a power supply issue.  In this instance it was to do with signalling equipment at a key point meant the signallers lost sight of a large area of control.

So not power related

[Henry]

 Is this one of the disadvantages of having one large signalling centre ?