Platform closure at West Ealing

[whole diary]

[BBM]

From 'My London':

https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/west-ealing-trains-paddington-cancelled-23416119

Trains from West Ealing to Paddington have been cancelled for two days over a damaged platform. The West London station was forced to shut its eastbound platform on Wednesday after concerns the platform may not be safe for commuters.

West Ealing is served by Transport for London (TfL^» (Transport for London - about)) rail trains which run to Paddington and Heathrow Airport. The TfL website says no trains going to Paddington are presently calling at the station after commuters reported similar issues on Wednesday, The closure of the platform has caused substantial disruption for commuters, some of whom took to social media to complain.

Commuter Laura Smith tweeted: “Hi, would you be able to let customers know that West Ealing station is currently closed? Knowing about this half an hour ago would have really helped me out!” Another commuter, Kiran Gupta, wrote: “Any explanation regarding TfL Rail trains to Paddington all cancelled and West Ealing station showing as closed this morning? No explanation on website just says 'good service'?!”

Adam Baxter wrote: “What’s happening at West Ealing station? All Paddington trains cancelled?” Commenting on the station closure yesterday, Labour MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) for Ealing North James Murray said the closure was due to an “unsafe structure” at the station and urged TfL to safely reopen it as soon as possible.

He said: “After seeing the closure this morning, I spoke to TfL who confirmed this was the result of a potentially dangerous situation with the retaining wall. TfL said that after they were alerted last night, an inspector visited the site and decided that no trains would stop at West Ealing on the Paddington-bound line. Once [the station] is safe, I said they must then find out how this happened.”

In his comment, Murray suggested that the platform could have been damaged as a result of building works taking place on a nearby development. According to National Rail, the platform is expected to remain closed until tomorrow (March 18) at the earliest.

Trains towards Heathrow and Great Western Rail services to and from Greenford remain unaffected, according to TfL. Transport for London has been approached for comment.

[Ralph Ayres]

No mention on TfL^» (Transport for London - about)'s website so perhaps it's now sorted. GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s Greenford shuttle uses a bay platform next to the London-bound TfL Rail one so presumably that was suspended or everyone turfed out at Drayton Green (deep joy!) for the train to carry on empty and return.

[stuving]

Trains still are not stopping at P4. No-one seems inclined to publicise the fact, not even TfL^» (Transport for London - about). In the modern manner, these calls are not officially cancelled as they have been taken out of the timetable. They are labelled VVR on RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) - which I think is new, and I can't find an explanation of it. As this is West Ealing you might think it means "VivaRail", but sadly not.

[RichT54]

A West London council has forced developers of a controversial tower block to halt building work after suspecting it damaged a nearby Tube station. Ealing Council has ordered the developers of a large tower block to stop demolition works on the site after concerns they were behind the part closure of West Ealing station earlier this week.

West Ealing station has been shut since March 16 after a retaining wall on its eastbound platform sustained damage that would make it unsafe for commuters. There have been concerns from residents and politicians that the damage at West Ealing station was linked to demolition works that had started at nearby Manor Road where a large tower block is due to be built.

Writing on Facebook on March 16 about the station's closure, Ealing North MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) James Murray wrote: “After seeing the closure this morning, I spoke to Transport for London (TfL^» (Transport for London - about)) who confirmed this was the result of a potentially dangerous situation with the retaining wall. TfL said that after they were alerted last night, an inspector visited the site and decided that no trains would stop at West Ealing on the Paddington-bound line.

"I urged TfL to make sure the station can reopen safely as soon as possible. Once it is safe, I said they must then find out how this happened. If, as seems all but certain, this is the result of building works for the Manor Road tower, I said to TfL I want to see them take firm action against the developer.”

The proposals for a part 18 and part 12-storey building containing 144 flats in Manor Road has courted controversial after Ealing Council initially refused planning permission following sustained pressure from residents. Permission was eventually granted by a government planning inspector.

The council announced it ordered the demolition works at Manor Road site to stop after it was discovered the developers had failed to hand in all the appropriate paperwork, meaning they did not have permission to begin works there. Leader of Ealing Council Peter Mason said: “Following action by Ealing Council’s building control service on Wednesday and Thursday this week (March 15 and 16), work on the demolition of buildings on the Manor Road development site has been halted.

“This follows concerns over an unsafe wall that has caused the closure of West Ealing station. Planning permission for the development at this site was initially refused by Ealing Council, but this was overturned on appeal by a government planning inspector. Planning conditions require the submission of construction management plans, among other documents, prior to commencement of works on site.

“The council has not received any discharge of these conditions to date, so work should not have commenced. Work will not be permitted to recommence until those conditions have been adequately discharged. The contractor, Henry Construction, have now confirmed they are appointing a planning consultant following the concerns raised by the council’s building control service, to ensure that they are operating in accordance with the planning conditions.

"Network Rail confirmed late yesterday that works had begun to remove the wall, and that they are working to get the station reopened as soon as possible.” Southern Grove developers, Henry Construction and Transport for London have been approached for comment.

https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/council-forces-controversial-building-works-23437671

[BBM]

National Rail has just tweeted that "Trains can now call at West Ealing station":

https://twitter.com/nationalrailenq/status/1504938118226620424

Presumably that's intended to refer to P4?

[Ralph Ayres]

Finally mentioned on Radio London's travel news this morning now that it's over! Not sure where they get their information.

(and am I the only one to find my hackles rising slightly at that MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) weighing in with a long list of what other people should be doing, things they were almost certainly going to do anyway? Cynically I wonder if he's then hoping to get some credit by association once things are sorted, despite having done nothing himself.)

[Ollie]

Live Departures still shows that West Ealing is being skipped on London bound services, so guessing they're not quite finished with their work to make it safe yet.

[stuving]

Live Departures still shows that West Ealing is being skipped on London bound services, so guessing they're not quite finished with their work to make it safe yet.

NRE^‡(resolve) now has this listed, and as going on all day. Tiger also has the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) showing them as "cancelled", though RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) has the passes as timetabled. Still showing as VVR, which appears to mean something like VSTP/Overlay.

What is puzzling is 2G02, the Greenford unit going out in the morning from Paddington. This was cancelled, with reason code XO^▸ (Crossover. Pair of points that connects two parallel rail lines. Crossovers can be either facing or trailing dependent on direction of travel) - the fuller listing on Liverail is:

19/03/22 05:04:03 Cancelled at Paddington XO [External trees, building or objects encroaching onto Network Rail infrastructure (not due to weather or vandalism)] AT ORIGIN

It went out half an hour later as 2G04, VSTP'd to start at Paddington. In this case Liverail has got itself confused, showing 2G04 twice with the original one cancelled and reinstated at West Ealing and both running with the same timings.

That reason does look like it has to be about that wall, but why lose the first service? Maybe engineering use of the bay? I don't see any added train ID for that.

[Ollie]

What is puzzling is 2G02, the Greenford unit going out in the morning from Paddington. This was cancelled, with reason code XO^▸ (Crossover. Pair of points that connects two parallel rail lines. Crossovers can be either facing or trailing dependent on direction of travel) - the fuller listing on Liverail is:

19/03/22 05:04:03 Cancelled at Paddington XO [External trees, building or objects encroaching onto Network Rail infrastructure (not due to weather or vandalism)] AT ORIGIN

It went out half an hour later as 2G04, VSTP'd to start at Paddington. In this case Liverail has got itself confused, showing 2G04 twice with the original one cancelled and reinstated at West Ealing and both running with the same timings.

That reason does look like it has to be about that wall, but why lose the first service? Maybe engineering use of the bay? I don't see any added train ID for that.

It's because the relief lines were closed, so the unit had to wait at Paddington until it would be able to access the Greenford branch.

[stuving]

As of this morning, trains are back to calling at P4 again. Strictly speaking, there was one before that - the Greenford unit going back to Paddington on Saturday night. Presumably someone twigged that it could call using only the half of P4 that was still accessible.