Great Western Coffee Shop

The forecast is not looking good.......(link below.)
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/sw/sw_forecast_warnings.html

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/sw/sw_forecast_warnings.html?from=rss&sn=657

Friday 00:01 - Saturday 12:00

Heavy Snow


If this is the case then delays are likely.

Oddly enough, the Metcheck site - I know everyone has their favourites, this just happens to be mine based on 5 or 6 years worth of experience - shows the South West as missing the worst of it, noting instead that "The risk of low level wet snow persists across Northern Ireland, Western England and South-west England."

http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/warnings.asp

Yippee! (http://www.takeforum.com/forum/images/smiles/cldfreezing.gif) (http://www.takeforum.com/forum/images/smiles/image0112.gif) (http://www.takeforum.com/forum/images/smiles/SFfalldeep.gif)  (http://www.takeforum.com/forum/images/smiles/36_15_52.gif) (http://www.takeforum.com/forum/images/smiles/36_7_133.gif)

Saturday night/Sunday morning could be interesting for some parts of the country with the early forecast pointing to a weather system coming in from the west meeting the bitterly cold air (well cold by today's standards, it doesnt get really cold here anymore IMHO) that will be settled over the country by then. Its early days so take what I have written with a pinch of salt. The met do a great job but they change their minds like the weather!  ;)

I have to say Terminal Junkie that your seemingly endless array of smilies never cease to impress and always brighten up the pages  :)

(http://www.millan.net/minimations/smileys/thankyou.gif)

awesome, lets hope this cuases the CHAOS it did in cardiff this time last year...

I wouldn't hold hopes up on getting any though. Snow is some of the most overpredicted weather in the SW

Ticket Collector link.
http://www.theticketcollector.co.uk/wordpress/2008/01/31/severe-weather-warning-friday-1st-and-2nd-february/

Further update from a disappointed Ticket Collector (link below.)
http://www.theticketcollector.co.uk/wordpress/2008/02/03/weather-warning-what-weather/

Another Met Office special - fantastic, "Exeter St.Davids: Home of the Met Office".

And why is it that when we do get a bit of snow the country reacts like we've just plunged into a glacial period?

Got me SKI's out of the LOFT.

Where's the SNOW????

Haven't seem any >:( >:( >:( :'( :'(

Was in being brought down by Failed Great Western? ???

Could affect FGW services on Monday and into Tuesday

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/uk_forecast_warnings.html

It doesnt look good (links below.)
http://thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144125&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232510&home=yes&more_nodeId1=232470&contentPK=20095857

http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144913&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231190&home=yes&more_nodeId1=144922&contentPK=20098812

Indeed it does'nt. Worth watching the Countryfile weather forecast on BBC1 at around 11.45-11.50 for the latest on this lower pressure system thats winding itself up big time in the Atlantic.

And a Severe Flood Warning has just been issued for the Cornwall and Devon coasts by the Environment Agency (http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/flood/floodwarning/?view=Search+results&summary=Southwest&lang=_e).

M

Oh cack, I have to get home from Didcot tomorrow and theres warnings for the Portsmouth area and Southampton.

I remember July

I have to go to and from Reading tomorrow - am holding a reservation at the Reading travelodge on the off chance I get there but fail to gt back

Have a look at this Ticket Collector post regarding First Capital Connect (link below.)
http://www.theticketcollector.co.uk/wordpress/2008/03/09/fcc-cancellations-on-monday/

We don't have so many overhead lines to worry about in FGW land, more's the shame. But it wouldn't surprise me if there's a blanket 50mph limit by the morning, as that's been the trend of late when exceptionally high winds are forecast/happen.

Nothing like inclement weather conditions to cripple the UK transportation systems!

FGW and SWT will be the worst affected I reckon.

And the cancellations have begun:

First Great Western have none reported as yet.

South West Trains are showing the following:

0510 Exeter St Davids to London Waterloo - train will terminate at Salisbury, and will restart with original timings at Salisbury (so if the 0510 is late, a 2nd set of stock will depart r/t from Salisbury)
0608 Salisbury to Exeter - formed of 6 coaches (isn't it normally 3?!)
0620 Honiton to London Waterloo - train will terminate at Yeovil Jn, and restart at Salisbury
0641 Exeter St Davids to London Waterloo - train will terminate at Yeovil Jn
0720 Yeovil Jn to London Waterloo - will start from Salisbury
0725 Weymouth to Brockenhurst - cancelled throughout

Southern are showing:

0647 Brighton to London Victoria - cancelled throughout
0705 Three Bridges to Horsham - cancelled throughout
0717 Eastbourne to London Victoria - cancelled throughout
0740 Horsham to London Victoria - cancelled throughout
0733 Littlehampton to London Victoria - cancelled throughout
0806 London Victoria to Brighton - cancelled throughout
0900 London Bridge to Brighton - cancelled throughout
0936 London Victoria to Brighton - cancelled throughout

Arrive Late... sorry Arriva Trains Wales are showing nothing as of yet.

FGW website reporting the following :

Line problem between Penzance and Plymouth.

Train services between Penzance and Plymouth are being disrupted due to high winds.Delays of up to 60 minutes can be expected.

05:05 Penzance to London Paddington due 10:02
This train has been revised.It will additionally call at: Totnes.

05:24 Plymouth to London Paddington due 09:44
This train has been revised.It will no longer call at: Worle, Yatton and Nailsea & Backwell.This is due to a delay on a previous journey.

05:47 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington due 08:38
This train has been revised.It will no longer call at: Hungerford and Newbury.This is due to high winds.

Looe line closed - see http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=2012.msg15054#msg15054

Hmmm. Only 16(ish) down at Taunton and three key pick ups into Bristol are cancelled, leaving around 200 extra people to squash onto the following Pacer.   

And as if by magic, in the last 5 minutes the stops have been reinstated! Someone with power must read this forum! (But it's now shown as missing Bath and Chippenham.)

Its not looking good for Reading-Basingstoke passengers either :

07:07 Basingstoke to Reading due 07:30
This train has been cancelled.This is due to high winds.

07:07 Reading to Basingstoke due 07:31
This train has been cancelled.This is due to high winds.

07:37 Basingstoke to Reading due 08:00
This train has been cancelled.This is due to high winds.

Also :

06:51 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central due 10:40

This train will be started from Southampton Central.It will no longer call at: Portsmouth Harbour, Portsmouth & Southsea, Fratton, Cosham, Portchester, Fareham, Swanwick, Netley, Woolston and St Denys.This is due to a train fault.

BBC article link on the general weather picture.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7285859.stm

Its certainly high winds and heavy rain here in Portsmouth....

BBC Breakfast News reporting no services between Plymouth-Exeter St Davids due to flooding at Teignmouth.

05:24 Plymouth to London Paddington due 09:44
This train has been reinstated.

This one is interesting as well (but cause is stated as a train fault) :

06:48 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington due 09:14
This train has been terminated at Bristol Temple Meads.It will no longer call at: Bath Spa, Chippenham, Swindon, Didcot Parkway, Reading and London Paddington.This is due to a train fault.

Just seen pictures of a wave coming over the sea wall at Dawlish and drenching a train.....

Pretty big waves along there this morning - I was on the 7:30 from Newton Abbout (Golden Hind) which turned up at 8:20 due to trees on the line in Cornwall.  All the cross country trains are cancelled due to the waves.  Lots of good information being given out by FGW staff.....

CrossCountry trains are cancelled because Voyagers don't like water.  ;)  ;D

Was on the delayed Hind this morning too. The water is VERY close to the line at Teignmouth. Good size waves coming over the train too. Not sure when high tide is but if tide is still rising or winds get stronger I can see a fun trip home ahead!  :D

Hopefully things will be better by home time!  Very hard tide today for sure - the tidal river by the Penn Inn was really high, don't recall seeing it that high before...

They need to fit umbrellas to the voyagers!

I don't think that its been as bad as the Met and the media have had us believe it would be after all the dire warnings that appeared over the weekend. FGW haven't even bothered to put anything up on their website about the weather being bad because it isn't that bad to seriously affect them across the network though it has affected services in Cornwall.

The met office now only have severe weather warnings for the Southwest of England.

Yes there's been wind and rain and some places have had a bit of flooding and some wind damage, but nothing that you wouldn't expect to see when we have high winds coupled with a band of rain moving across the country.

As dramatic as the pictures of the sea going over the wall at Dawlish this is nothing unusual on a blustery day and trains continue to run they just get covered in salty water...something that Voyagers don't like very much!

This isn't the first time we've been told that a huge storm is coming in and its turned out to be nothing like one. If they keep crying wolf like this then eventually no one will believe them. Even though I say that I do have a lot of respect for the Met office as weather forecasting is a very difficult job.

It looks like Cardiff-Portsmouth route services are suffering from delays and are being revised as a result :

09:00 Brighton to Great Malvern due 14:36
This train will be terminated at Westbury and restarted from Bristol Temple Meads at 12:41.It will no longer call at: Trowbridge, Bradford-On-Avon, Avoncliff, Freshford, Bath Spa, Oldfield Park and Keynsham.This is due to a delay on a previous journey.

11:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour due 14:52
This train will be started from Bristol Temple Meads.It will no longer call at: Cardiff Central, Newport South Wales and Filton Abbey Wood.This is due to a delay on a previous journey.

13:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour due 16:57
This train will be started from Bristol Temple Meads.It will no longer call at: Cardiff Central, Newport South Wales and Filton Abbey Wood.This is due to high winds.

Article links.
http://thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144125&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232510&home=yes&more_nodeId1=232470&contentPK=20108218

http://thisisplymouth.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=181429&command=displayContent&sourceNode=229968&home=yes&more_nodeId1=133174&contentPK=20106412

http://thisissomerset.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=147472&command=displayContent&sourceNode=243687&home=yes&more_nodeId1=242222&contentPK=20111491

http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144913&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231190&home=yes&more_nodeId1=144922&contentPK=20110430

http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/latestheadlines/display.var.2105889.0.strong_winds_bring_down_trees.php

http://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/news_article.php?section=5&category=89&story=5807

http://www.oxfordmail.net/display.var.2105763.0.storm_brings_power_cut_and_fallen_trees.php

http://www.oxfordmail.net/display.var.2107062.0.power_restored_to_stormhit_homes.php

http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=231771&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231754&home=yes&more_nodeId1=231776&contentPK=20108244

Looks like all the Cross Country Voyagers are running fine at the moment down to Plymouth but it'll be interesting to see if they have any International Rescue trains down at Exeter "Home of the Met Office" St. Davids on standby.

Cracking response from the residents of wiltshire I see, don't think I'll write in about a small branch that had fallen across the path this morning, although a bit more shelter at Trowbridge station wouldn't go amiss.  >:( >:(

All XC services are terminating at Exeter for this evenings high tide.

http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/Timetables/TravelUpdates.aspx (http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/Timetables/TravelUpdates.aspx)

Yikes, was hoping to be on the 16:45 - although it looks fine on the national rail live depature boards at the moment....just have to wait and see what awaits us down at the station I guess!  ;D

Brixham officially the windiest place in the country today  :D

16:45 XC from Exeter straight through to Newton Abbot and beyond tonight and we even had Nigel on top form tonight - "laaaaverly beers....." - always a treat!

Top man!

Perhaps the line via Heathfield should be reopened as a diversion in such events, if they happen in the future.

Was said line double track?

No.

Well I managed to get home (only discovering that I'd left my keys in Didcot when I was on the final steps of Fratton doh) after 4 hours of travelling. Mainly down to me just missing the Basingstoke service to Reading and then being told of a phantom Bournemouth service from Reading..that never existed. But got home in the end, thanks to FGW and XC, and funny enough the 158 while not in good shape got back to Fratton two minutes early :D

Parliamentary Written Answer - 22/05/2006 :

Typical  >:(

A UK round-up on today's weather-related disruption (link below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7287516.stm

This makes sense:

2336 arrival at London Paddington from Penzance

    * Expected to arrive London Paddington at 0040.
    * This train has been delayed by a delay on a previous journey

Yet it left Penzance on time so that can't really be the reason.
And judging by the points it lost time I don't think it will be due to waiting crew.
http://www.livedepartureboards.co.uk/fgw/term.aspx?T=PADTON++&J=1279708&R=0
Any ideas?

Remember link becomes inactive once train gets to PAD

Well, it does look like something went wrong between Truro and Par - debris on the line maybe?

I dont suppose there is any chance that they could have been awaiting crew at Par? It seems to have been down 39 minutes when it left there.

Not sure, I don't think that would be a normal changeover point.

By the time it departed Liskeard it lost an hour..

Departure from:       Timetable          Actual Departure
Penzance                  1735                     On time
St Erth                     1746                     On time
Hayle                       1749                     No report
Camborne                 1759                     On time
Redruth                    1806                     No report
Truro                        1819                     1824
St Austell                  1836                     No report
Par                           1843                    1922
Bodmin Parkway          1855                     No report
Liskeard                     1908                     2002
Plymouth                    1935                     2044
Totnes                       2002                     2122
Newton Abbot             2015                     2135
Exeter St Davids          2037                     2157
Tiverton Parkway         2052                     2212
Taunton                     2106                     2226
Bristol Temple Meads    2140                     2302
Bath Spa                    2156                     2313
Chippenham                2208                      2325
Swindon                     2224                      2338
Didcot Parkway            2239                     2355
Reading                      2255                     0009

Yes, it seems to have lost over an hour by Plymouth, but kept it to about 1 hour 20 from Totnes onwards?

Please excuse my wonky table - just trying to preserve the times for future readers - as Ollie says, Remember link becomes inactive once train gets to PAD!  ;)

Thanks Chris.

To me, it does still look like the key is in the Truro-Par section. I wonder what time it left St Austell?

More weather article links, including falling trees in Truro and the suspension of the Torpoint Ferry amid flooding in Devonport.
http://thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144125&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232510&home=yes&more_nodeId1=232470&contentPK=20112681

http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/latestheadlines/display.var.2106663.0.firefighters_on_flooding_mission.php

The problem was at Par. It was held there for 35 minutes.

Timings, out of one of the many systems that link into TRUST...

Location               Expected       Actual
Penzance                      1735           1735
Long Rock TMD          PASS   1739    No report
St Erth                1744 ~ 1746    1744 ~ 1746
Hayle                  1749 ~ 1749    No report
Camborne               1758 ~ 1759    1758 ~ 1800
Redruth                1805 ~ 1806    No report
Truro                  1817 ~ 1819    1817 ~ 1824  005 LATE
Probus                 PASS   1825    No report
Burngullow Jn          PASS   1832    No report
St Austell             1835 ~ 1836    No report
Par                    1843 ~ 1843    1847 ~ 1922  039 LATE
Lostwithiel            PASS   1849    PASS   1928  039 LATE
Bodmin Parkway         1853 ~ 1855    No report
Largin                 PASS   1900    No report
St Pinnock Viaduct E.  PASS   1900    No report
Liskeard               1906 ~ 1908    2000 ~ 2002  054 LATE
St Germans             PASS   1917    PASS   2012  055 LATE
Saltash                PASS   1924    PASS   2021  057 LATE
St Budeaux Jn          PASS   1927    PASS   2028  061 LATE
Plymouth               1933 ~ 1935    2040 ~ 2044  069 LATE
Lipson Jn              PASS   1938    PASS   2048  069 LATE
Hemerdon               PASS   1943    PASS   2058  074 LATE
Ivybridge              PASS   1948    PASS   2107  079 LATE
Totnes                 2001 ~ 2002    2120 ~ 2122  080 LATE
Newton Abbot           2014 ~ 2015    2133 ~ 2135  080 LATE
Dawlish Warren         PASS   2025    PASS   2146  081 LATE
Exeter St Davids       2035 ~ 2037    2155 ~ 2157  080 LATE
Cowley Bridge Jn       PASS   2039    PASS   2200  081 LATE
Tiverton Loop          PASS   2048    PASS   2208  079 LATE
Tiverton Parkway       2051 ~ 2052    2210 ~ 2212  080 LATE
Taunton                2105 ~ 2106    2223 ~ 2226  080 LATE
Cogload Jn             PASS   2111    PASS   2230  079 LATE
Bridgwater             PASS   2115    PASS   2234  079 LATE
Uphill Jn              PASS   2123    PASS   2246  083 LATE
Worle Jn               PASS   2125    PASS   2247  081 LATE
Parson Street          PASS   2137    PASS   2256  079 LATE
Bristol West Jn        PASS   2139    PASS   2258  079 LATE
Bristol Temple Meads   2139 ~ 2140    2300 ~ 2302  082 LATE
Bristol East Jn        PASS   2144    PASS   2303  079 LATE
North Somerset Jn      PASS   2145    PASS   2304  078 LATE
Bath Spa               2154 ~ 2156    2312 ~ 2313  077 LATE
Bathampton Jn          PASS   2159    PASS   2317  078 LATE
Thingley Jn            PASS   2204    PASS   2321  076 LATE
Chippenham             2207 ~ 2208    2323 ~ 2325  077 LATE
Wootton Basset Jn      PASS   2216    PASS   2332  075 LATE
Swindon                2223 ~ 2224    2337 ~ 2338  077 LATE
Uffington              PASS   2232    PASS   2347  074 LATE
Challow                PASS   2233    PASS   2348  074 LATE
Wantage Rd             PASS   2235    PASS   2349  074 LATE
Didcot Parkway         2239 ~ 2239    2354 ~ 2355  076 LATE

Moreton Cutting        PASS   2241    PASS   2357  076 LATE
Reading West Jn        PASS   2253    PASS   0006  072 LATE
Reading                2255 ~ 2255    0007 ~ 0009  074 LATE
Twyford                PASS   2302    PASS   0014  071 LATE
Maidenhead             PASS   2308    PASS   0017  069 LATE
Slough                 PASS   2317    PASS   0020  062 LATE
Heathrow Airport Jn    PASS   2323    PASS   0023  060 LATE
Southall               PASS   2326    PASS   0024  058 LATE
Acton Wells Jn         PASS   2328    PASS   0047  079 LATE
Ladbroke Grove         PASS   2330    PASS   0052  081 LATE
London Paddington      2336           0055         079 LATE

Correction Voyagers don't like Sea Water!

With rising sea levels Dawlish will often close in the future.

IIRC when BR closed the former Southern Exeter-Plymouth line between Okehampton-Bere Alston (1968) the BRB started to repurchase parts of the sold off Heathfield-Exeter trackbed.

Strange how in 1969 two freight trains were sent via Tavistock, when Dawlish was shut.

I wonder if RETB had been around if the Southern route WOULD have stayed open!

Sea levels are rising?!  ??? ;D

More article links.
http://thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144125&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232510&home=yes&more_nodeId1=232470&contentPK=20115808

http://thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144125&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232510&home=yes&more_nodeId1=232470&contentPK=20116000

http://thisisplymouth.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=181429&command=displayContent&sourceNode=229968&home=yes&more_nodeId1=133174&contentPK=20115794

http://thisissomerset.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=147472&command=displayContent&sourceNode=242195&contentPK=20115756&folderPk=113662&pNodeId=251478

http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145365&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145191&contentPK=20115988&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144922

Thanks very much for that, Tom: much better than my rather rushed 'copy and paste' table!  :D 

Is your source of timings something that is generally available (if one knows where to look), or is it 'TOC / staff only'?  I ask because, if it can be accessed / viewed by other members of this forum, it would be an excellent resource!

Staff only I'm afraid - although there is a similar system along the lines of it that if you know where to look for it it's accessable. (fwiw, modify some URLs on live departure boards and you can get passing times for trains - use TIPLOC codes for that! (no, don't ask me what TIPLOC means)).

I purposely rewrote it to make it more readable for what it's worth.

Shame on you (http://www.takeforum.com/forum/images/smiles/ad.gif)

It stands for TIming Point LOCation - and there's a fairly comprehensive list of them here (http://deaves47.users.btopenworld.com/CRS/CRS0.htm).

Can you explain how you modify the URL? Maybe give an example with a timing point that isn't a station?

First - find a train that has a compulsory timing point - you can get these from Rules of the Route (google it).

I'm using Worting Junction. Find a train that goes through that routing point (for me, that will be the 2305 London to Poole - although only running to Southampton today).

http://www.livedepartureboards.co.uk/ldb/train.aspx?C=WOK&T=WOKING++&J=1290891&Y=D&R=0&A=0 - that is the normal URL for Woking.

In this case, I replace the "WOKING++" with WRTINGJ+. (should work out to 8 characters, blank characters should be substituted with +).

http://www.livedepartureboards.co.uk/ldb/train.aspx?C=WOK&T=WRTINGJ+&J=1290891&Y=D&R=0&A=0 - et voila. Should still work - it sometimes shows passing points, it sometimes doesn't. It depends how the system is working with reporting at that moment in time.

The first URL will go dead in 13 minutes or so, the WRTINGJ mod should go dead at around 0230.

Aha, I see. Thanks. But whilst it gives the pass time, if you click on back to departures it reverts to Woking, rather than show trains passing the timing point? Why is that?



 

Worting Junction doesn't have a CRS code so you can't have a station list for that! ;)

Thanks again, Tom, TerminalJunkie and John R - for some VERY useful information, there!

And, TerminalJunkie: just where do you find your apparently inexhaustible supply of smileys???

C.  ;D

The ironic thing is that TIPLOCs aren't really used on TRUST itself! STANMEs are used in TRUST ;D

If I told you that I'd have to kill myself... (http://www.takeforum.com/forum/images/smiles/dj.gif)













Actually, I have a free PHP BB forum at www.takeforum.com (http://www,takeforum.com) which has a nice big collection, and pull them off that.

Major speed restrictions on the ECML this morning. NatEx running to a revised timetable, 7 hours London to Edinburgh, 3 hours just to get to Doncaster.

More in the links below.
http://www.theticketcollector.co.uk/wordpress/2008/03/11/50-mph-speed-restriction-on-east-coast-mainline/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7291239.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/7291371.stm

Nearly 40 homes and a local school have been left without electricity in Backwell this morning after power cables blew down in high winds (link below.)
http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144913&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231190&home=yes&more_nodeId1=144922&contentPK=20131168

The loss of power has been caused because an electricity pole on the main A370 through the village blew down in high winds.

Crews from Western Power Distribution are currently on site and working to erect a new pole and reconnect power lines.

Shocking ;)

An old trick!