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Beaten by an inch of snow
Last updated at 17:24pm on 24.01.07
Go snow: a Piccadilly line Tube crawls along the tracks
The area around the London Eye is covered in a blanket of snow
Council officials try to clear the roads in Maida Vale
Rail and Tube bosses were slammed today over the London travel chaos caused by an inch of snow.
Commuters reacted angrily to delays this morning but there could be five inches more snow this evening.
Anyone who can should try to leave work early, said forecasters.
Gritters struggled to cope with virtually every road into the capital affected by crashed vehicles and traffic down to a crawl. But it was those in charge of the trains and Tubes who attracted the most criticism. They were accused of a lack of planning and failing to heed the warnings issued days before of a cold spell.
Frozen points caused delays of more than an hour to many mainline services and disrupted several Tube lines this morning.
Gerry Doherty, general secretary of transport union TSSA, said: "The large number of failed track points this morning is damning evidence that Network Rail did not take enough notice of the weather forecast. It is quite disgraceful that at the first snow the trains come to a stop."
Trouble on the Tube network was blamed on maintenance firm Metronet. A London Underground spokesman said: "This morning's problems on the Tube are a clear example of poor planning and execution of maintenance by Metronet.
"Cold weather and a threat of snow were forecast and Metronet chose not to undertake the necessary prevention work overnight.
"This includes running special trains to clear snow and ice from tracks and junctions and having extra staff available."
He added: " This echoes Metronet's failure to prepare the tracks for hot weather last summer and is completely unacceptable."
Metronet said it had not been informed of the coming bad weather until midnight.
A damning report today from the London Assembly warns that Metronet could be stripped of part of its lucrative contract for failing to do the job properly.
The Met Office issued a number of severe weather warnings today for the whole of the South-East and said there could be further snow throughout the day.
A spokesman said the "real problem" could come in Kent and Sussex tonight and early tomorrow, with freezing conditions and up to five inches of snow on higher ground.
Central London is also expected to be hit, although smaller amounts of sleet and snow are expected.
"There's a band of heavy showers which we expect to hit at around 4pm, but by 7pm they could have become quite heavy," a Met Office forecaster said. "We would warn commuters to check the forecast before setting off, and to be prepared for delays."
The continued severe weather brings the prospect of commuter services being disrupted tomorrow morning.
Network Rail said it had switched all available track maintenance workers into the area to keep as many routes open as possible.
"We are definitely hoping to provide a better service for journeys home than this morning," said a spokesman. Network Rail appeared to have been caught out by the cold snap as points failures led to services being stacked up behind one another.
A spokesman said: "It has been a frustrating and disappointing morning. Our engineers and weather teams were out in the early hours but their efforts have not produced the results we were hoping for.
"Routes are open but there are heavy delays. We can only apologise to passengers."
On the roads, motorists in Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Buckinghamshire and Hampshire were warned to beware of icy and slippery roads, particularly on higher ground.
There were dozens of accidents as cars slid into each other. The AA warned of slow moving traffic caused by snow on the M1, M4, M40, M25, M23, A2, A3, A4, A406, A1, A13 and many other routes.
The Highways Agency had 47 gritters working on the M3, A3 and M27 and a 43 more on other major routes. A spokesman said: "Many drivers are driving far too fast for the conditions and we would urge all motorists to take great care when going out."
A double-decker coach and a car crashed on the northbound M23 in Surrey just before 5am.
The motorway was closed in the direction of the A23 and all traffic was diverted onto the M25 clockwise, adding to congestion caused when a jackknifed lor ry blocked the carriageway between junctions eight and nine, Reigate and Leatherhead.
The accident caused traffic to queue into Kent, back to junction five of the M25 clockwise. The M23 northbound towards junction seven of the M25 was also congested following a twovehicle crash.
On the anti-clockwise M25, between junctions four and three in Kent for Orpington and Swanley, an overturned vehicle caused traffic delays.
In Surrey police escorted a lengthy two-lane column of London-bound traffic on the ungritted A3 at 15mph.
There was slow moving traffic at the Wisley interchange, Liphook and Coombe.
Reader views (48)
We have had so much snow this winter, I have nowhere left to push it too. We had 4 inches over night, I am not even going to bother ploughing as it is insignificant. On boxing day I shovelled four feet of snow of my roof. There are currently snow banks approaching 8 feet high. London enjoy your snow day.
- Ed Brassington, Ontario, Canada
Last night I drove from my parents house in Manchester to Kent. The journey was fine apart from a few blizzards and traffic queues until i reached the M25! I was disgusted to find that one of the busiest motorways in the UK had not been gritted or snow ploughed and there was no one from the highways agency in sight to help the many stranded people! It took over 2.5 hours to travel a 40 minute journey! I am appalled by the sheer ignorance of the highways agency with regards to the lack of gritters etc. Many other countries suffer snow, yet seem to be prepared and their world doesn't come to a stand still. Yet again the general public has been let down !
- Andrea Brimble, aylesford, kent
So its official then; Metronet employees all live in caves and so can't hear the weather forecast until somebody sends a runner with a message held in a forked-stick.
How is it that many other parts of the world cope with much worse weather on a routine basis and the UK's railways fall apart at the first sign of snow? Its rather like autumn, it catches them by surprise every year.
- Peter, Herts
this is really quite absurd. Last year in Canada we saw the highest amounts of snow in decades, over 500cm of snow fell in the southern Ontario region alone. We still did not cancel schools!
- Torontoeh?, Toronto Canada
This is amazing. While this year has been mild, New England routinely gets 50-100 inches of snow a year and life goes on. You're not alone London, the same problems always occur when the South gets a dusting, although I never understand why.
- Kevin Grogan, Simsbury, CT USA
Don't feel bad, London. I'm a former resident of North Dakota, and since moving away I see this kind of thing everywhere. Here in Virginia they just cancelled school after a light dusting. People just freak out when they're not used to snow. Hang in there!
- Scott K, Chantilly, VA
As a Canadian living in London, I really find this funny. I take the train from Victoria to Gatwick every day, and rarely do they run on time in perfect weather, today it had to skip Redhill due to the 1 inch of melting snow! It is like living in a third-world nation that speaks english.
- Duane, London,UK
Why don't they just admit it, they had delays due to lack of staff who had called in sick as they did not want to leave the comfort of their warm beds, unlike the commuters who pay their wages.
- Sue, East London
How in the world can everything grind to a halt with only one inch of snow! That's amazing to me. It takes at least a 8-10 inches before we start having problems.
- Geri, New York, NY
When in opposition John Prescott was always telling the media how the public transpost system would improve under a Labour Government. After nearly 10 years of Labour Government we are still waiting for the improvement. Perhaps someone should bottle John Prescott's 'hot air' and use it to thaw out the frozen points!
- Brian, Bristol
Part of the reason is that it snows so rarely in London, it's not worth investing in the sort of heavy-duty anti-snow equipment that you'll find in parts of the world where it snows for long periods every winter - like Stuttgart.
The other part is that the equipment we do have is poorly maintained. That should be no surprise, since just about everything on the tube is old and poorly maintained - there are decades of under-investment to deal with. It doesn't help that the companies that are supposed to be doing the maintenance under a PFI arrangement are spectacularly useless.
I'd second applying for your customer charter refund. It's the only way to put pressure on them to fix it!
- Nigel, London
How can we complain about global warming when we can't even deal with one snow storm? What happens when we reverse global warming and we have really cold winter weather for a full 3 months?
- Stan, New York
I am really at a loss as to how the good old GB grinds to a sudden halt in 1 inch of snow. I am currently in Stuttgart where the snow started falling in Tuesday morning and it has not stopped since, there is bucket loads of the stuff.
Not supprisingly, I got the quick tram this morning, people walked in from Vaihingen to the office (10km to you none converted) all with smiles on their faces.
The roads have not been gritted, no salt on the pavements and not one sinled complaint. I dare not tell them what is happening in the UK; I would be a complete laughing stock. They already extract the Micheal about the rain, no more amunition from me mate! GB get a grip (No pun intended).
- Anthony, Cheshire, Altrincham,UK
I would suggest that all commuters that were delayed for more than 15 minutes on London Underground claim a refund under tfl's customer charter.
Hit them where it hurts!
- Andy, London
I've visited London in Winter and it was beautiful. Thank goodness you Londoners don't drive big rear-wheel drive SUVs like here in Northeast Texas. On ice, they're like a Bull on ice-skates. You never know where it's going to go. Give us one icicle and people run for their houses. We just can't deal with (or drive on ice). Can we please have your GREAT train system? We really need it!
- Jamie Babineaux, Commerce, Texas USA
Sounds like Washington, DC during snow...
- Chris, Washington, DC
It snowed almost a foot Christmas day 2004 in Lake Jackson on the Texas Gulf Coast. It was so beautiful and it only snows there about once every 15 years. Since it was a holiday we just enjoyed it all day and made a huge snowman. We enjoy the rare snowfall. We took about 200 photos.
- Barbara Tiemeier, Los Angeles California
In this age of instant information and more accurate weather forecasts, there is no excuse for the people at Metronet to have been ignorant about approaching bad weather. We just suffered through a horrible ice storm, but we knew a week ahead of time that it was coming and were prepared. Shame on Metronet!
- Mark, Oklahoma City USA
I'm currently writing about the years my wife and I spent living at over 8000 feet elevation in the Rocky Mountains, where I had to shovel abput a foot of snow per week from a quarter mile of primitive road for months on end. After three years of doing this by hand, I finally rented a snowblower. And snow-clearing was just the easy part. We had to chain up to get in and out and I had to dig out everyone who drove back to our cabin and got stuck or they would simply abandon their cars in our driveway. Somehow, I can't work up too much sympathy for the average Londoner.
- T Becker, LHC, AZ, USA
I live in an area of the US that gets very little snow and then only once every two or three years. Therefore, I read of London's problems with some interest and bemusement. (I realize that no one effected was anything but frustrated, but then I don't have to negotiate snow just now.)
Because the accumulation of snow is such a rare event we are without snow removal equipment. The city and county governments do not consider that buying such machinery would be a monetarily responsible thing to do. (They are right.) Because the automobile is the preferred method of travel and public transportation is hardly considered by most Americans, you can imagine the chaos that ensues when tens of thousands of drivers, unskilled in serious winter driving, attempt to do something simple like drive to work or go to the neighborhood grocery store. If it were not so dangerous, were there not so many injuries during these events, it would be funny to watch.
You are angry with your transportation officials; we get angry with each other. Except for students in school, who get a "snow holiday", most all of us experience some degree of frstration and anger. Londoners, you have my sympathies. Been there - done that.
- Warren Walter, Arlington, TX USA
If you train was delayed this morning, then I suggest you send in a 'passenger comment' form - their wording for 'complaint' form. It will have a fax number on it, so as well as paying for your train ticket, you do not have to fork out the money for the stamp. Plus with the fax, you know it will have got there.
The train companies have to log every single complaint form that is received.
I for one, filled mine out this morning and faxed it over.
My train journey took an extra hour - double the time. I felt that for the money I pay out on a monthly basis the delays were unacceptable. Let's be realistic it was 2cm of snow and they knew about this ages ago!
So, my suggestion to everyone who was delayed is fill out a passenger comment form, send it to them and make your point!
- J Kaur, Kent
2" of snow last night, all running well in Canada's London. I lived in the 'real' London when it was the 'wrong kind of snow' that stopped the trains. It's nice to see how well the public transport system has learned and improved over the years. Oh, wait. Nevermind.
- Bob, London, Ontario, Canada
I thought the tubs ran underground? This sounds like a major disaster in the making. Those poor people in London.
- Tom, Chicago, USA
A light dusting of snow and London is in travel chaos. Let's just hope there is never a proper snowfall to worry about. How do other countries, with greater snowfall manage to cope?
- James, Berks
Stew (London), never mind the Tyne & Wear Metro, I've never heard of Tyne & Wear! Is that a village outside the M25 somewhere?
- Citybungle, London
CityBungle, I take it you've not heard of the Tyne & Wear Metro then? Runs in all weathers and almost never goes on strike. Newcastle works, London can too - you just need a Geordie in charge instead of Red Ken.
- Stew, London
Announcement at Tonbridge this morning 'we apologise for the late running of your trains this morning, this is due to insufficient adhesion'. Clearly no further explanation was necessary.
- Paul, Tonbridge, Kent
So what is new? We get this plus leaves or anything else that makes a good excuse for choas.
When it really is just incompetance!
- Peter, Herts
As far as I can see the snow has all but melted now so there shouldn't be too much disruption tonight on the trains or roads.
- Isabel, Woking, England
Hats off to SouthEastern for this morning's shambles - more than an hour from Beckenham to Victoria. Can't wait for my return journey this evening. And at just £1,100 a year, half the time standing, a bargain. Genius.
- Lol, London
Does anyone know WHY the trains were so messed up this morning? I'm genuinely asking. I don't understand why a little bit of perfectly ordinary winter weather should cause such disruption. There are two reasons this puzzles me: we used to get much more snow than this when I was a kid and yet the trains usually ran okay and took me to school (damn them!); whenever I see pictures of (eg) Russia on the telly, there's always loads of snow, yet everything there seems to work. Last week we were delayed because of a bit of wind; now snow. Would someone at the ES please speak to the train companies and find out why they're unable to cope with ordinary weather and what they're doing to ensure that it all works better next winter. After all, it's never a surprise - it gets chilly and breezy every winter.
- Suzanne, London
"Speaking as someone who spent a lot of time living in the North, I've never been able to figure out why Londoners simply cannot cope with snow. " - Stephen, Guildford"
HA nice one Stephen - err, execpt there is aren't 253 miles of tube network "up north" are there? Nothing like comparing apples with oranges, but marks for effort.
- Citybungle, London
M Sand:
I commend you on your earning capabilities. Having tea is by far the best past time, and if you get to do it and earn money, then more power to you. However, don't listen to Dan, London - dunk a digestive instead!
- Bloo, USA
Stood for 90 minutes at Clock House today waiting for a train. I've been to Berlin when the trains are all on time after 6 feet of snow so how can London be such a shambles after 1 inch?
- Alan, Beckenham
It is really pathetic what happened today with the tranports! And we are supposed to use them daily... but they never work! One day it is too cold, or too windy or too snowy or too hot and the list goes on and on.
- Federica, London
How pathetic really, chaos from only an inch of snow? You would think we would be better organised for this, what would happen if a foot of snow fell, gridlock?
- Brandon Ward, London Uk
How can Network Rail get caught out as quoted above. Its been on the weather forecast for nearly a week that it might snow and temperatures will plummet? Do they have there own clairvoiant who predicts what the weather will be? or do they have someone standing on top of their building to see what the weather's like - get them to stand at East Croydon for 40mins in the freezing cold to eventually be pushed into a sardine can to try and get to work! its a disgrace.
- Mike, Croydon,
M Sand... Nice one. Dunk a rich tea for me would you old chap!
- Dan, London
M Sand from Greenwich has the right way of thinking, good luck to you man. Why oh why work for peanuts, get stressed and have hassle to and from work? Why do we do it? To pay bills and that's it. There must be more to life. Good luck.
- Dave, Tufnell Park
The taxes we pay through going to work in all weathers, pay for you to have the luxury of staying in bed all day!
- Emma, Maidstone
Snow is amazing. I'm glad we still get to see some, even if it halts the entire city! I remember being young and having several feet of snow for my birthday (October) and I definately miss those times. We should be glad we still get to see this magical weather because, soon, it'll be too warm here to enjoy this beautiful sight.
- Hetal C, Alperton
Although massive disruption has been caused, I'd prefer that a major accident to occur on the roads or tracks. Better to be careful and get to our location in one piece I think!
- Ethel, Wembley
I used to travel to my minimum wage job through this type of weather and I really hated it. Bad trains, the lot. Today though I'm unemployed and spent a glorious morning in bed with a cup of tea watching the snow cover my fair city. And the best thing...? I'm actually earning more than I used to in benefits! Cheers!
- M Sand, Greenwich
Speaking as someone who spent a lot of time living in the North, I've never been able to figure out why Londoners simply cannot cope with snow. They take one look at it and are terrified which usually manifests itself with people driving with all fog lights turned on, at 3mph on a gritted, snow free road, 'just in case'.
Bunch of wimps!
- Stephen, Guildford
One inch of snow should not cause chaos, but then again neither should rain, leaves or "the wrong kind or sunlight". The people in charge should really be ashamed of themselves.
- Angela, Northfields
This is where Ken's plan to get London cycling falls down. In weather like this only the insane would mount up and pedal their way to work, meaning more people needing to use the transport infrastructure. When will he realise that an "integrated" transport policy including parts that don't work in adverse conditions is not a solution to London's problems?
- Jojobo, Euston
My train was delayed by over an hour today and then the circle line was suspended too. When an inch of snow can disrupt an entire city it really does highlight a travel problem doesn't it?
- Louis, Bucks
I can't believe the chaos that has been caused because of a little bit of snow. It's ridiculous, the weather had been predicted for some time to so the relevant rail companies knew to expect it. You'd think we'd just had an Alaskan snow storm the way some people are reacting - it's only an inch of snow!
- Arthur, East London
