What does an 'operational incident' actually mean?

GWR 158

Sr. Member

Posts: 162

What does an 'operational incident' actually mean?

« on: December 24, 2021, 21:35:03 »

Merry Christmas everybody.
Just saw on RTT^» that the London Paddington-Carmarthen service is terminating at Swansea due to an operation incident. What does an operational incident actually mean? What could have gone wrong?


	Logged

grahame

Administrator
Hero Member

Posts: 43883

Re: What does an 'operational incident' actually mean?

« Reply #1 on: December 24, 2021, 22:16:43 »

Quote from: GWR^▸ 158 on December 24, 2021, 21:35:03

Also reports

Quote

This service was cancelled between Swansea and Carmarthen due to a problem at the depot (MU^▸ ).

from https://wiki.openraildata.com/index.php/Delay_Attribution_Guide

Quote

MU Depot operating problem

Something to do with having to take the whole 10 cars into Maliphant at one go? Perhaps lack of shunt staff later on when the five on to Carmarthen got back?


	Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member

broadgage

Transport Scholar
Hero Member

Posts: 5674

Re: What does an 'operational incident' actually mean?

« Reply #2 on: December 26, 2021, 17:41:42 »

I suspect that "operational incident" is often code for various various types of "own goal" that the railway do not wish to give details about because so doing would make them look [even more] silly.

Examples could include, Sending a driver without the required route knowledge to complete the journey, perhaps forgetting to arrange relief en-route.
Sending an electric train for a route not electrified throughout.
Failing to unlock the station in time for the first train, or locking it before the last train.
Forgetting to refuel a train.
Forgetting to book road transport.


	Logged

A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU^▸ is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.

jamestheredengine

Transport Scholar
Hero Member

Posts: 307

Re: What does an 'operational incident' actually mean?

« Reply #3 on: December 27, 2021, 20:43:03 »

Quote from: GWR^▸ 158 on December 24, 2021, 21:35:03

My guess would be that they've put a 9-car unit on it and still not moved the starter signal at Carmarthen about 70ft nearer the points.


	Logged

Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

Pages: [1]

« previous next »