Ivybridge: Rail Users Group, services and cancellations (merged topics)

[whole diary]

[matt473]

Probably this has led to a lot of rolling stock being displaced meaning there are not enough hst's in London to fulfill all requirements so certain services have to be cut back. I think they are probably making the best of a bad situation and canelling to the Cardiff-Paddington to reduce affects elsehwere across the networkas Cardiff can still be served by thehourly Swansea service

[ChrisB]

Indeed, this fatality has blocked the entire Plymouth HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) stock at Plymouth, causing shortages across HST services. Cutting the Cardiff's releases a number of HSTs for use elsewhere.

[old original]

It happened at about 05.00 this morning so nothing could leave Cornwall/Plymouth/Laira eastbound until about 09.30 hence a shortage of sets elsewhere

[James Vertigan]

According to BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Radio Devon it happened at Ivybridge.

[Phil]

I saw an empty HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) rolling through Reading towards Paddington (running wrong-way on the track in the central reservation which stone trains usually use) around 2pm today. It had the Plymouth-Paddington stickers on the windows so I'd imagine it would have been one of the incorrectly placed trains heading back to a depot somewhere.

[devon_metro]

Looks pretty bad. Thoughts with the Cross Country driver and anybody else involved.

[The SprinterMeister]

According to BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Radio Devon it happened at Ivybridge.

According to BBC Radio Devon it happened at Ivybridge.

The circumstances of the incident meant that it took a very long time before the line was fully re-opened in both directions. As the HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units))'s run over a wide range of routes during the days work it was sadly inevitable that a lot of disruption to long distance FGW^▸ (First Great Western) services occurred.

[RailCornwall]

Just shows what a chronic shortage of servicable rolling stock there is in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom). (observation not a complaint)

[John R]

Seemed to cause chaos this morning with knock on effects felt all over the network.

At one point a Swansea Paddington train was showing as being diverted via Temple Meads to pick up pax stranded by the cancellation of the 8am, though I'm not sure this happened. The 8.30am and 9am were cancelled as well I'm informed, so one of my colleagues took 2 1/2 hours to get from Yatton to Swindon.   

[vacman]

a body was found as is being treated as suspicious, rumour is that body parts were found in a plastic bin bag.

[Chris from Nailsea]

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

The body of a man has been found by a police helicopter crew flying over a town in Devon.

It was discovered by officers on board the Devon and Cornwall Police helicopter while it was over Ivybridge.

Police said the body was seen from the Exeter-based aircraft while it was over the Langham Levels area of the town at about 16:00 GMT on Saturday.

British Transport Police are investigating the case, as the man's body was found close to a railway line.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Plymouth Herald:

Police suspend hunt for man after body found near railway line

The body of a man has been discovered near a railway line, British Transport Police have confirmed.

It is not yet known if the body is that of Plymouth man Keith Thompson, who vanished four weeks ago.

​But following the discovery on Saturday, Devon and Cornwall Police officers yesterday postponed a planned operation as part of their enquiries into the 56-year-old's disappearance.

"Officers are now working to determine the identity of the deceased and the circumstances surrounding the death, which is currently being treated as unexplained," said a spokesperson for British Transport Police (BTP^▸ (British Transport Police)) who are leading the investigation.

Devon and Cornwall Police were initially called to the scene at Langham Levels, Ivybridge, on Saturday afternoon, along with forensics officers. At about 4.10pm the Force notified BTP about the find.

The body was first seen by a police helicopter crew flying over the town.

"BTP officers attended, alongside colleagues from Devon and Cornwall Police and discovered a body, believed to be that of a man, on the embankment at Langham Levels," said the spokesperson.

As The Herald reported on Saturday, officers were yesterday due to visit train stations between Truro and Torquay armed with missing person posters in the hope of jogging the memories of rail passengers who may have seen missing city man Keith.

The operation is part of continued efforts to search for the Vi-Spring production operative, whose last confirmed sighting was on Sunday November 13 as he headed to the city-bound platform at Newton Abbot railway station.

He is described as white, of medium build and around 5ft 8ins tall with short grey hair and glasses.

Keith was last seen wearing a red and black Adidas jacket and a pink or faded red T-shirt.

Police believe he may also have been carrying a dark blue Tesco bag for life and a green Co-operative carrier bag.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call the police on 101 quoting log number 294 of November 18.

And BTP are appealing for people with details about Saturday's discovery to contact them on 0800 40 50 40.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From thisisplymouth:

Body found on railway line was missing Plymouth man Keith Thompson

A body found on railway lines near Ivybridge was that of missing Plymouth man Keith Thompson, it has been revealed.

Plymouth coroner^s office and police confirmed the remains found on December 10 close to the line at Langham Levels near Ivybridge was than of the 56-year-old St Budeaux man. The coroner^s office said the initial cause of death has been given as ^multiple injuries^.

Mr Thompson was last seen 4pm on Sunday November 13 when he was captured on CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele-Vision) leaving Newton Abbot railway station.

Police launched an intensive hunt for the Vi-Spring production operative across Plymouth and surrounding areas, even calling upon the aid of the specialist Dartmoor Search and Rescue team.

However, the search was called off following the discovery of the body on the line.

The body was first seen by a police helicopter crew flying over the town. Local officers and British Transport Police were both called upon to investigate.

The Herald understands rail police employed DNA testing to determine the identity of the body but to no avail due to the degradation of the remains.

Further tests, including checks against dental records, were also carried out to confirm the deceased^s identity.

A British Transport Police (BTP^▸ (British Transport Police)) spokesman said: ^We can confirm that the man whose body was discovered close to the line at Langham Levels, near Ivybridge in Devon, on December 10 has been formally identified as Keith Thompson, aged 56 of Higher St Budeaux, Plymouth.

^Mr Thompson had been reported to police as a missing person by his family on 13 November 2011. Although currently being treated as unexplained, there do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding Mr Thompson^s death. BTP officers will be preparing a file for the Coroner.^

The coroner^s office said the inquest had been opened and adjourned.