By Peter De Keles

Author  Bio Even real train trains get stuck in the most inaccessible areas. I thought it was just mine.

Title:	Train struck by lightning breaks down in tunnel
Publication:	Crawley Observer
Date:	06/29/11
LSOL.com Rating
Category	Real Trains
Overview	A train which was hit by lightning has broken down in the Balcombe tunnel causing havoc to the rail network. All trains in and out of Three Bridges have been suspended the Southern service struck this afternoon . One rail user reported on Twitter that they had been stuck in the tunnel for two hours. Balcombe tunnel is a railway tunnel on the Brighton Main Line through the Sussex Weald (U.K.) between Three Bridges and Balcombe. It is 1,141 yards long.
URL Link	Link to Lightning story

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Sounds familiar

Breakdowns where people are stuck on the trains for hours reminds me of the New Haven Railroad back in the dark days of Penn Central and later Conrail in the late 1960's and early 1970's. I commutted from Connecticut to New York City back then and breakdowns where we were stuck for up to 4 hours were not that uncommon. I used to pack a sandwich and can of soda, as well as lot reading material for the expected breakdowns. One year was so bad that we all got out of the trains and walked to the nearest station on three different occasions. Ah, the good old days. Stephen Auslender

Stephen Auslender - 07/01/2011 - 16:42

Been there

Like Stephen, I took the Long Island RR to Manhattan daily. From Mineola to New York was electrified and you have to get there through tunnels to Penn station. On a couple of occasions we broke down just a short distance into the tunnel, due to motor failure. Once was only a short time the second was 3 hours. I thankfully missed the Northeast blackout by an hour, but my father-in-law was stuck for 12 hours with no food water or usable restrooms. Oh yeah the good old days!!

John B Pedersen - 07/02/2011 - 05:07

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