Emergency speed restriction extended on Elizabeth line
Elizabeth line services have seen delays this morning after an existing emergency speed restriction (ESR) of 20 mph was extended.
A ESR has been implemented between Forest Gate Junction and Maryland heading towards the central London core due to a track defect and has been in place for some weeks, though its length has just been extended.
That resulted in quite a few services losing time this morning (examples can be seen on Realtimetrains) before entering the core section from Stratford to the west where trains meet those from the Abbey Wood branch.
A short delay on approach the Stratford can then extend until the end of the line as extended gaps between services appear in central London with resulting crowding. However the extended dwell times at each station should help mitigate that somewhat particularly off-peak.
Though in the peaks it can be harder to mitigate. This is something witnessed first hand last week as a seven minute gap, for example, meant some cosy trains. It doesn’t take much for crush loaded trains to appear when the five-minute regular interval extends.
Emergency and temporary speed restrictions are not unheard of across the rail network for a variety of reasons. Sourcing time and parts to repair tracks can also be difficult particularly on a busy stretch of line.
Network Rail are tasked with maintaining and repairing the impacted section of track. There is no confirmed date as yet for repairs.
