Heart of Wales - mostly closed until end of August 2020

[whole diary]

[grahame]

No sooner does one end get re-opened than the other end closes!

From National Rail

On Wednesday 12 August, a number of landslips occurred along the route between Llandrindod and Shrewsbury, blocking the line.
There is currently no estimate on when the line will reopen.

Rail replacement services running twice daily - a bus calling at major stations and a minibus to intermediate halts.

[grahame]

From Network Rail - 10 days old but line still closed and National Rail point tooth's as current news.

 

Heart of Wales line closed as extreme weather floods railway and causes significant damage

Passengers using the Heart of Wales line are encouraged to check before they travel as the railway between Shrewsbury and Llandrindod Wells has been closed owing to extensive damage caused by extreme rainfall in mid-Wales on 12 and 13 August.

Near Knighton, the railway has been damaged at various sites including across a 350m stretch where ballast has been washed away and significant debris has been washed onto the track meaning it is completely buried in some areas.

Network Rail engineers are working around the clock to inspect and repair the damage and will confirm how long the closure will last as soon as possible. 

The closure means buses will replace trains between Shrewsbury and Llandrindod Wells with passengers advised to check before they travel at National Rail Enquiries or with Transport for Wales. 

Bill Kelly, Network Rail’s Wales route director, said: “We are sorry for the disruption this has caused to passengers who use the Heart of Wales line.

“We saw extreme rainfall for a prolonged period which has caused significant damage to sections of the railway and left debris across hundreds of metres of track.

“We are already working around the clock to repair the damage as quickly as possible and we will keep everyone updated with our progress.”

Hmmm ... still no update 12 days later.   Having said which, the timetabling and the shocking reliability of both ends of the line probably means there were no passenger left to disrupt

[grahame]

Update from National Rail at 04:24 this morning.  See http://www.passenger.chat/23951

Description

Emergency services are dealing with a fire on a freight train near Llangennech which means the line between Llanelli and Llandrindod has been closed.

Additionally, due to the extreme weather conditions on Wednesday 12 August, the Heart of Wales line is also closed between Llandrindod Wells and Craven Arms until further notice.

Replacement bus info:
Buses will replace trains between Llanelli and Shrewsbury. These buses will call at Hopton Heath by request.

[infoman]

Wales seems to be having a bad time at the moment,looked earlier on today and very few trains are going to or from Holyhead due to flooding.

[grahame]

From the RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch), their initial statement.

At about 23:15 hrs on 26 August 2020, train 6A11, the 21:52 hrs freight service from Robeston to Theale, conveying 25 tank wagons, each containing up to 75.5 tonnes of diesel or gas oil, derailed on the ‘Up District’ line near Llangennech, in Carmarthenshire. The derailment and the subsequent damage to the wagons resulted in a significant spillage of fuel and a major fire. The driver, who was unhurt, reported the accident to the signaller. Subsequent examination of the site revealed that a total of 10 wagons (positioned 3rd to 12th in the train) had derailed.

The fire was tackled by the fire service, who ordered the evacuation of local residents due to concerns for their safety. Local people have reported seeing a plume of flames and smoke, and the strong smell of fuel. Our investigation will seek to identify the causes of the derailment, and how these led to the fire. It will also consider any underlying management factors.

[grahame]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)

A major rail incident which sparked a massive fire and diesel spillage could affect journeys on the line until Christmas, says the Welsh Government's deputy transport minister.

Lee Waters said the scene at Llangennech in Carmarthenshire was like "something out of a disaster movie".

The incident on the Heart of Wales line on 26 August led to 330,000 litres of diesel spilling from 10 train wagons.

Buses are now replacing services between Swansea and Shrewsbury.

It means the journey can take up to six-and-a-half hours to travel the 121 miles (194km) from Swansea.

[grahame]

From New Civil Engineer

Passengers will not be able to travel again on a section of the damaged Heart of Wales railway line until November at the earliest.

Network Rail has set out the timescales for repairs to the line - which runs from Shrewsbury to Swansea - after two major incidents within a month.

In August extreme weather caused severe damage to the railway near Llandrindod Wells forcing the line to be closed, before a freight train fire and derailment occurred at Llangennech weeks later. The storm damage repairs are expected to be finished in November, while the section near Llangennech will reopen in the New Year.

Is it my imagination, or does it take a lot longer to reopen a railway after accidents and other major events these days? 

[ellendune]

From New Civil Engineer

Passengers will not be able to travel again on a section of the damaged Heart of Wales railway line until November at the earliest.

Network Rail has set out the timescales for repairs to the line - which runs from Shrewsbury to Swansea - after two major incidents within a month.

In August extreme weather caused severe damage to the railway near Llandrindod Wells forcing the line to be closed, before a freight train fire and derailment occurred at Llangennech weeks later. The storm damage repairs are expected to be finished in November, while the section near Llangennech will reopen in the New Year.

Is it my imagination, or does it take a lot longer to reopen a railway after accidents and other major events these days? 

Two further quotes from the article might help:

Network Rail has made "significant progress" repairing the storm damage with hundreds of metres of debris cleared, and work is underway to re-instate the tracks and surrounding area. Engineers are working to stabilise the tracks and embankments while installing new culverts, which helps drain water and prevent flooding. CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) will enable improved monitoring of water levels in future storms.

IIUC the reinstatement following the flooding damage includes some improvement work to try and prevent it happening again.  Given the number of incidents on this line this summer this is probably sensible rather than closing later to do the improvements. 

Meanwhile at Llangennech, derailed wagons have been removed and now Network Rail is working with Natural Resource Wales and DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about) Cargo as they repair track and deal with any contamination caused by spilling of diesel from the freight train.

Natural Resources Wales is the Environmental regulator in Wales. Rightly they are trying to deal with the pollution. This may be increasing the time taken to reinstate the track. I am not sure that this was a concern in 1984 at Littleborough*.

On a third point withe teams already working further up the line repairing flood damage the capacity to put extra resources on clearing up after the accident may be limited as might the need to work in a Covid safe manner.

*Edit - Actually given my bit part in this event I am pretty sure it was not a concern.

[AMLAG]

YES !

[grahame]

From Network Rail Media Centre

The central section of the Heart of Wales line has today (2 November) been handed back for services to return running on Tuesday 3 November after Network Rail completed a huge recovery effort of the line after extensive storm damage at Llandrindod Wells in August

Storm Francis battered the line causing multiple landslips and washouts with an estimated 3,000 tonnes of cuttings, embankments and track being damaged while ballast, the stones that support the track, was washed away by flooding ? forcing the line to be closed. ....

Weeks after Storm Francis caused the central section to close, a freight fire and derailment at Llangennech forced the southern end of the Heart of Wales line to also close.

Work continues to recover the site ahead of that section reopening in the new year.

I should probably change the subject line for this thread from "mostly closed until end of August 2020" ... lot of hard work done, but clearly still a couple of months before trains can run through from Swansea to Shrewsbury via Llandrindod again.

[grahame]

From Network Rail ...

‘Environmental disaster averted’ as railway reopens at site of diesel freight derailment

The railway through Llangennech has reopened for the first time in six months, following one of the biggest environmental recovery efforts Network Rail has ever been involved with.

[Article Continues]

[GWR 158]

Today the line where the Llanelli train fire occurred has thankfully now re-opened. Link to the wales online article. https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/fire-train-derailment-llangennech-llanelli-19998210

[grahame]

Today the line where the Llanelli train fire occurred has thankfully now re-opened. Link to the wales online article. https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/fire-train-derailment-llangennech-llanelli-19998210

Indeed - see next thread on this board  . When I get a chance, I will merge for posterity.

[GWR 158]

Thanks 

[bobm]

When I get a chance, I will merge for posterity.

Done.