Monday May 18th 2009 ~ Paralysis

37569 about to depart from Wisbech at 15.00. The previous eastbound service had departed 64 minutes earlier with 20131. (Photo by Rob Brooks)

Rob Brooks captured 20103 on K18 at Wisbech this afternoon as normality resumed.

The chaos caused when one person decides to commit suicide on a busy road was illustrated today. Although officially described as an accident involving a pedestrian, it would appear to have been a deliberate act. The location was the Norwich Southern bypass and partial road closure meant that the X1 service was brought to a standstill. Des says "Today I operated the 08.55 ex Lowestoft (K14, 37572). Normal arrival time in King's Lynn should be 12.07 - Actual arrival time 13.42! - It took two hours eight minutes to get from Acle (09.57) to Norwich (12.05).

At King's Lynn the deadlock took a while to filter through and up until the 10.45 departure to Peterborough (L11 07.15 from Lowestoft) the service had run to time. L11 left with 37570 but then there was a long gap until the next arrival from the coast at about 12.45. In the interim Lynn supplied two B10M coaches to run in the path of L12 at 11.15 (20109) and Y13 at 11.45 (20131). Subsequent westbound services are due at Walpole Highway at 12.33, 13.03, 13.33 and 14.03. Instead a classic Bruce vigil saw just 37569 passing here at 13.09 (65 minutes after 20131) and the next service was 37572 at 14.13. After this the service resumed its regular intervals with 20103 on K18 running slightly late. In other words two services never went through to Peterborough. Diagrams 12 - 17 were restarted eastbound in their correct timings from Lynn commencing with L12 at 14.02 to Lowestoft when 20109 was replaced by a Gemini as was 20131 on the following turn. 37572 was seen entering Wisbech at 15.59 now running as K17 10 minutes late, or if you prefer K14 which started out with Des a mere 100 minutes late !

Before the chaos ensued there had been an early surprise with Y6 05.50 from Yarmouth changing vehicles at Lynn, not sure what came in (20107 possibly), but 20351 replaced it. Another B7 20352 spent overnight on the coast but returned this evening on the second part of L9 which had begun the day with 37566. 20353 did K3, while 37564 unusually did K5.

One other B10M to report is 20104 on K4. Going back to yesterday and Des says of 20104 : " I operated it out of Yarmouth on the 08.30 departure. No choice really, it was allocated and I put it into service. I rarely question the allocated vehicle".

37563 can be added to the list of B9s with the new Pepsi advert. Rob Brooks (who says incidentally he hates the Bob Books advert as it sounds too much like his name !) sent a comprehensive report today and says 20103 arrived Wisbech at 14.49 departing at 14.52 (just 4 minutes late) on K18. He also reports 37569 heading east at 15.00 in the path of K15 (see above).

Jamie Robinson travelled on 20131 from Peterborough and on arrival at Wisbech the driver requested his assistance to reposition his mirrors ! So all in all a pretty bad day, but congrats to 'First' for making the best of a bad job.