Dealing with a major fault

I have become very fond of the Cowlairs sim, and I rather like the perverse faults which it throws my way such as track circuit failures which conspire with how critical points may have been set at the time to deny access to or from half the station or more.

In these situations one of the rewarding challenges is working out ways to keep some sort of service running under the degraded situation, and in particular attempt to avoid a long line of Class 1 trains backing up down the line and the days service falling into complete chaos.

One way I work around is to run the Anniesland shuttle services too and from Springburn, as the Blue trains from platform 3 and 4 give punters an alternative route to the City centre via the low level station, and do the same with the Cumbernauld and Falkirk Grahamstown services if inbound train forms a service out on the same route. This then allows me to use the remaining platforms for the 1Rxx and occasional 1Yxx, 1Axx / 1Txx services using the bidirectional working wherever possible to keep as many of the moves as Signaled moves as possible, an fitting in the 2Nxx services where I can.

I worked on the principles that :
The 1Yxx services are running on long single line sections, so any delay can quickly escallate and delay services in teh other direction, so getting a 1Y away as close to time as possible is a very good idea.

1Rxx are a key part of the timetable and the service, and with 4 per hour will quickly start backing up, and as they tend to be heavily patronised that would lead to huge numbers of disgruntled punters.

1Txx/ 1Axx have a degree of turnround time which I would use as a buffer, there is a bit moer margin befoer a late arriving 1Txx becomes a late departing 1Axx.

My curiosity is now engaged. How do such failures get handled in real life ?

rowan in post 87082 said:

I have become very fond of the Cowlairs sim, and I rather like the perverse faults which it throws my way such as track circuit failures which conspire with how critical points may have been set at the time to deny access to or from half the station or more.

In these situations one of the rewarding challenges is working out ways to keep some sort of service running under the degraded situation, and in particular attempt to avoid a long line of Class 1 trains backing up down the line and the days service falling into complete chaos.

One way I work around is to run the Anniesland shuttle services too and from Springburn, as the Blue trains from platform 3 and 4 give punters an alternative route to the City centre via the low level station, and do the same with the Cumbernauld and Falkirk Grahamstown services if inbound train forms a service out on the same route. This then allows me to use the remaining platforms for the 1Rxx and occasional 1Yxx, 1Axx / 1Txx services using the bidirectional working wherever possible to keep as many of the moves as Signaled moves as possible, an fitting in the 2Nxx services where I can.

I worked on the principles that :
The 1Yxx services are running on long single line sections, so any delay can quickly escallate and delay services in teh other direction, so getting a 1Y away as close to time as possible is a very good idea.

1Rxx are a key part of the timetable and the service, and with 4 per hour will quickly start backing up, and as they tend to be heavily patronised that would lead to huge numbers of disgruntled punters.

1Txx/ 1Axx have a degree of turnround time which I would use as a buffer, there is a bit moer margin befoer a late arriving 1Txx becomes a late departing 1Axx.

My curiosity is now engaged. How do such failures get handled in real life ?

They throw their hands in the air and say it's all too much, cancel all the trains, tell there will be a bus service but not when and go off the bothy for a cup of tea.

Peter