November & December 2019
168 326, Haddenham & Thame Parkway, 9H28, 14th November 2019
Thursday 14th November 2019 was another very wet day and the line between Banbury and Leamington Spa was closed due to flooding, causing massive disruption. One of many trains affected was 1H28, the 09:12 from Birmingham Snow Hill to Marylebone, cancelled at Leamington. A VSTP working was instigated to run in its path at 10:04 from Banbury and this would normally have been allocated a headcode of 1Z28 but actually ran as 9H28! The train is seen entering Haddenham & Thame Parkway station at 10:33½ (due 10:27), worked by 168 326 + 168 321 + 168 001, a rather longer formation than usual. This was the first, and so far only, train I have photographed on the Chiltern line with a Class 9 headcode... The flooding later dispersed but was followed by what Chiltern Railways described as a "bovine incursion" - that's cows on the line to most people! Digital Image No. IGMP53623.
