Speed Restriction between Bath and Bristol - 45minute delay

[whole diary]

[grahame]

I feel a bit like "thetrout" at the moment - with many of the trains and connections I try to make falling apart.  I arrived at Chippenham at 16:47 and the Bristol train left at 16:47 ... both stationary at the same time, but the Bristol doors were locked before the Transwilt's were unlocked. No grounds for complaint - they're not supposed to connect until ...

I learn that the train supposed to call at 17:11 to take me on to Bristol is skipping stops - none-stop Swindon to Bristol Temple Meads because of a "Speed Restriction".

16:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 17:39
16:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 17:39 will be diverted between Swindon and Bristol Temple Meads.
It will no longer call at Chippenham and Bath Spa.
This is due to a speed restriction.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 10.

So ... next train 17:46, and then a longer wait at Bristol for "The Beach" train. Was due there 18:17, now expected 19:02.  Thank goodness I'm not going on to Stan Drew's Road as the 19:02 doesn't go that far ...

It is ... rare ... for me to mention other members as I did at the start. Happy to report to you that "thetrout" is alive and kicking well ... in touch with him, even though life moves on and we've not seen him here in a while.   And from him I learn to be patient when staff dispatch a train under the nose of an arriving "connection" even though they know already that the next train is cancelled and the customers will have a long wait.  Rail travel in this mode becomes a distress purchase for many - the least bad way of travelling and not a pleasure.

P.S. I am in the waiting room at Chippenham Station ...

[Western Pathfinder]

Let's hope the WR stays open for you tonight !...

[Timmer]

Patience is indeed a good thing to have but once again the railway demonstrating a total lack providing a service to the detriment of its paying customers.

[Rob on the hill]

The speed restriction seems to be around the location of the fatal incident on Saturday - could it be related?

[AMLAG]

It could indeed be.
Perhaps someone has been out checking clearances.

[bobm]

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

Tunnel under railway closed off
A tunnel passing underneath the railway line near Bath has been closed off for "emergency repairs".

Network Rail said: "Temporary repairs will take place this afternoon so that the road can safely reopen in time for peak traffic, with engineers returning to complete structural repair work overnight."

Network Rail said the repairs were not connected to the death of a woman thought to have been on a train between Bristol and Bath.

[grahame]

The train I ended up on was on time at Bath Spa and on time at Bristol Temple Meads ... bit of a mystery as to where the speed restriction was.

Actually I simplified earlier in the thread ... I WAS in time to go on to St Andrew's Road, have a few minutes there are then go back to Clifton Down ... and indeed was ticketed for such.   Same price from Melksham as Clifton Down.

Anyway ... I walked into the enquiry office at Temple Meads and asked what I should do to get to St Andrew's Road as my original incoming train had been cancelled so I could not make the connection.  Open mouthed when the expert behind the desk took a look at my ticket and directed me to the Westbury train because my ticket said "via Bath Spa" ... I should go there and ask.

I did point out I had just done that bit, coming via Bath Spa and his colleague came over and looked it up with him, telling me my next train was in two and a half hours.  Perhaps I should amend the subject line from "45 minute delay" to "150 minute delay".

Now on the train back from Bristol Temple Meads ... nearing Oldfield Park and looking forward to an hour's wait for the party bus in Bath!

[LawrenceHillbilly]

Was on the 1630 off Swindon to Weston. At the point of the speed restriction there  was a large number of the orange army removing corrugated iron off the railings at a bridge somewhere near Twerton - presumably the “tunnel” referred to in BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) news is this bridge carrying the railway over the road. Judging by google maps it was Jews Lane.

[grahame]

Was on the 1630 off Swindon to Weston. ...

Just missed you then ... I wonder if the following train's diversion via Parkway was to give a short stoppage during which all those orange jackets could work on the track.  As far as I can tell, we went through an hour later at line speed

[Red Squirrel]

Was on the 1630 off Swindon to Weston. At the point of the speed restriction there  was a large number of the orange army removing corrugated iron off the railings at a bridge somewhere near Twerton - presumably the “tunnel” referred to in BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) news is this bridge carrying the railway over the road. Judging by google maps it was Jews Lane.

Hmm, the bridge there has a tad less than 2m headroom (the plate gives the height in fahrenheit)... I wouldn't want to cycle under it without my helmet on. Could it have been a bridge strike?

[stuving]

Was on the 1630 off Swindon to Weston. At the point of the speed restriction there  was a large number of the orange army removing corrugated iron off the railings at a bridge somewhere near Twerton - presumably the “tunnel” referred to in BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) news is this bridge carrying the railway over the road. Judging by google maps it was Jews Lane.

Hmm, the bridge there has a tad less than 2m headroom (the plate gives the height in fahrenheit)... I wouldn't want to cycle under it without my helmet on. Could it have been a bridge strike?

I can see why it was called a tunnel - it does look like one, or even a burrow (provided for the use of the local Hobbit population). Also, I guess that the gap in the Street View pictures is because it's too low for the Googlemobile to fit through it.