Tuesday 30th September 2008 ~ Gridlock (again)

Yesterday it was Wisbech and today King's Lynn came to a standstill, with at one stage queues rumoured to be 6 miles in length towards Swaffham and Downham Market. A lorry caught fire on the eastern bypass near the Hardwick roundabout in the morning rush and the area was soon paralysed. There was then a further accident at the A17/A47 intersection at Freebridge (west of the Ouse bridge) and soon King's Lynn was gridlocked. It has been a bad seven days or so, last Fridays delay to K20 was due to an A47 accident at Necton and the reason for 20114 not making up time on L13 last night was due to yet another collision at Wendling.
In view of the chaos at Lynn this morning, it was surprising that disruption wasn't much worse and First must be quite pleased with the teamwork involved. Y8 08.29 Lynn - Peterborough with 20500 was on time, but after that there is no evidence that anything got through to Peterborough until 20507 on L12 10.29 westbound. This was 16 late going over and 9 late returning east. 20503 on J10 was on time on the 10.48 Peterborough - Lowestoft, so it is quite possible that this started at Wisbech and 20111 on the 11.18 (J11) probably did likewise. After this things gradually returned to somewhere near normal. K16 06.07 Lynn - Lowestoft was halted at Great Fransham with a broken wiper arm on 20105 and fitters had to attend, so K19 06.37 Lynn - Norwich with 20117 which then goes empty to Lowestoft came back on K16 09.25 Lowestoft - Peterborough, with 20105 then taking up K19's X2 work.

Ryan says that 20141 is now back on the road at Yarmouth and I half expected it to appear on Y21 17.25 ex Lowestoft tonight, but instead 20126 did it. Ryan also says that 20123 is expected at Yarmouth for MOT shortly, so its return to service was very brief. 20124 is also due for MOT about now and this may explain why it has not appeared since Friday.

Something strange which was not mentioned in yesterday's blog was 20351 appearing on Y8 18.48 Peterborough - Lynn instead of 20507. The profile should have done K17 11.55 ex Lowestoft and 14,18 back, but this was late and not seen. Chrissy saw 65531 leaving Lynn about 16.00 yesterday with X1 Lowestoft on the front which he thought unusual, so may be this was involved, however it looks like the final leg of K17 last night was 20105.
Not that you can rely on what a bus says on its blinds as Peter will tell you, he was following 20509 on K1 06.29 Lynn - Peterborough this morning when coming the other way on K5 06.43 Peterborough - Lowestoft was 20114 - with 41A Lowestoft on the front ! This has happened on occasions before as the coach on L13 22.37 arrival at Lynn is then rostered to do the 23.00 to Hunstanton & back and some drivers being a bit bleary eyed at 05.00 in the morning fail to notice the wrong service number when taking out the first X1 next day. K5 05.24 Lynn - Peterborough can in theory get any B10 off Lynn depot, but more often than not it is the one that has done L13 the previous day.