Various 'signalling problems' across the West today (27 August 2010)

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From FGW^▸ (First Great Western) 'live updates:

Line incidents

Line problem between Bath Spa and Swindon.
Train services are being disrupted due to signalling problems between Bath Spa and Swindon. Engineers are working as fast as possible to restore services to normal. Delays of up to 30 minutes can be expected.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 13:19

Line problem between London Paddington and Reading.
Train services are being disrupted due to signalling problems between London Paddington and Reading. Engineers are working as fast as possible to restore services to normal. Short notice cancellations and delays of up to 30 minutes can be expected.
First Great Western tickets are being accepted by South West Trains between London Waterloo to Reading, London Underground is also accepting First Great Western tickets via any reasonable route.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 13:45

Line problem between Swindon and Bristol Parkway.
Train services are being disrupted due to signalling problems between Swindon and Bristol Parkway. Engineers are working as fast as possible to restore services to normal. Delays of up to 30 minutes can be expected.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 13:42

[Chris from Nailsea]

An update, from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) live updates:

Service incidents

13:11 Hereford to London Paddington due 16:27
This train will be terminated at Oxford. It will no longer call at: Reading, Slough and London Paddington. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:59

13:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 15:14
This train will be terminated at Reading. It will no longer call at: London Paddington. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:51

13:45 London Paddington to Swansea due 16:43
This train will be started from Reading. It will no longer call at: London Paddington. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:19

14:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 15:40
This train has been cancelled. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:40

14:01 Oxford to London Paddington due 15:01
This train has been cancelled. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:59

14:12 London Paddington to Reading due 15:12
This train has been cancelled. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:37

14:12 London Paddington to Reading due 15:12
This train will be started from Ealing Broadway. It will no longer call at: London Paddington. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:54

14:15 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 16:22
This train has been cancelled. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:52

14:18 Reading to London Paddington due 15:16
This train will be terminated at Ealing Broadway. It will no longer call at: London Paddington. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:51

14:21 London Paddington to Moreton-In-Marsh due 15:56
This train has been started from Oxford. It will no longer call at: London Paddington, Slough and Reading. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:54

14:31 Oxford to London Paddington due 15:28
This train has been cancelled. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:59

14:42 London Paddington to Reading due 15:42
This train has been cancelled. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:37

14:42 London Paddington to Reading due 15:42
This train will be started from Ealing Broadway. It will no longer call at: London Paddington. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:54

14:48 Reading to London Paddington due 15:46
This train has been cancelled. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:38

14:48 Reading to London Paddington due 15:46
This train will be terminated at Ealing Broadway. It will no longer call at: London Paddington. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:51

14:50 London Paddington to Oxford due 15:50
This train has been cancelled. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:55

15:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 16:39
This train has been cancelled.This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:41

15:01 Oxford to London Paddington due 16:00
This train has been cancelled. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:59

15:12 London Paddington to Reading due 16:17
This train has been cancelled. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:37

15:12 London Paddington to Reading due 16:17
This train will be started from Ealing Broadway. It will no longer call at: London Paddington. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:51

15:15 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 17:22
This train has been cancelled. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:52

15:18 Reading to London Paddington due 16:16
This train has been cancelled. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:39

15:18 Reading to London Paddington due 16:17
This train will be terminated at Ealing Broadway. It will no longer call at: London Paddington. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:51

15:22 London Paddington to Oxford due 16:18
This train has been cancelled. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:55

15:42 London Paddington to Reading due 16:45
This train has been cancelled. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:37

15:45 London Paddington to Swansea due 18:48
This train will be revised. It will call additionally at: Didcot Parkway. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 15:03

15:48 Reading to London Paddington due 16:46
This train has been cancelled. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:40

[Chris from Nailsea]

Things are all going rather horribly wrong, now: cancellations are being reported on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) 'live updates' faster than I can record them here, for posterity! 

The latest crop:

15:36 Bedwyn to London Paddington due 16:57
This train will be terminated at Reading. It will no longer call at: London Paddington. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 15:10

15:42 London Paddington to Reading due 16:45
This train has been cancelled. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:37

15:45 London Paddington to Swansea due 18:48
This train will be revised. It will call additionally at: Didcot Parkway. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 15:03

15:46 Greenford to London Paddington due 16:12
This train has been cancelled. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 15:10

15:48 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 18:01
This train will be started from Swindon. It will no longer call at: London Paddington, Reading and Didcot Parkway. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 15:11

15:48 Reading to London Paddington due 16:46
This train has been cancelled. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 14:40

16:31 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington due 18:39
This train will be terminated at Swindon. It will no longer call at: Didcot Parkway, Reading and London Paddington. This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 15:11

[Chris from Nailsea]

Another update - and another line incident, now: 

Line problem between London Paddington and Greenford.

Train services are being disrupted due to signalling problems between London Paddington and Greenford. Engineers have worked as fast as possible to restore services to normal. Short notice cancellations can be expected.

London Underground are accepting First Great Western tickets via any reasonable route.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 15:10

Line problem between London Paddington and Reading.

Train services are being disrupted due to signalling problems between London Paddington and Reading. Engineers are working as fast as possible to restore services to normal. Short notice cancellations and delays of up to 90 minutes can be expected.

First Great Western tickets are being accepted by South West Trains between London Waterloo to Reading, London Underground is also accepting First Great Western tickets via any reasonable route. Ticket restrictions on First Great Western service have now been lifted.
Last Updated: 27/08/2010 15:11

[coachflyer]

Reported as points failure at Paddington with platforms 1 to 5 not useable!!!!

[Chris from Nailsea]

Two of those four 'line incidents' have now been cleared:

Line problem between Bath Spa and Swindon.

Train services are now running normally between Bath Spa and Swindon.

Last Updated: 27/08/2010 16:52


Line problem between Swindon and Bristol Parkway.

Train services are now running normally between Swindon and Bristol Parkway.

Last Updated: 27/08/2010 16:52

[devon_metro]

Reported as points failure at Paddington with platforms 1 to 5 not useable!!!!

Well it is bank holiday weekend! What did you expect!

[Electric train]

The driver of the 18:12 Padd to Henley said the problems were due to a total signal failure in the Taplow area at 13:00 this afternoon; trains are still being capped and late running

[Ollie]

Not sure where the Taplow bit came from?

Paddington area lost all signalling, due to a problem with workstation at Slough.

Gradually came back with only Platforms 1-7 (out of 14) available at Paddington, and outside only Lines 1 and 2 (out of 6?)

[johoare]

I guess that is what delayed my 7.06 pm train although we weren't really told.. I vaguely heard some intelligble announcement and think they said signalling problems.. But I can't be sure..

[JayMac]

The ripple effects are still happening with minor delays and the odd cancellation. Usual story I guess - stock and crew out of position.

[SDS]

At around 13:30 a message was radioed to us at PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) not to let any trains leave the station pending further information.

The further information came and we were told was a major signal failure between PAD and EAL^▸ (Ealing Broadway Station).

After about an hour HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) trains started to move from 1-7 but the LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) turbos were stuck still.

Were still having minor disruption now.
It doesnt really help, when we have bank holiday travellers travelling against advice, Reading festival goers and normal peak (which is bad enough on a friday) travelling.

The BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) were called several times to forcefully remove people off trains as they were that overloaded.
What I dont understand with some people is why do they try and still get in a train which is obviously full? (and by full I mean shoulder to shoulder and nose to face).

[JayMac]

Welcome to the forum SDS pad. 

You are obviously staff judging by your forum name and no doubt you had one heck of a day. I don't envy the job you have to do when things go t*ts up as they did today.

Unfortunately it's just human nature for pax to want to get on a train going their way after severe delays. Were any crowd control measures put in place by staff/BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) at PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) at the height of the delays?

[SDS]

We did try crowd control by keeping pax in the main concourse telling them that the best information was from there.

Some pax obviously thought they knew best and boarded random trains, only to be told to it was going somewhere else.

Certain trains had BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) holding a barrier at the top of the stairs to 2-7, and staff the other end. But it kinda defeats the object when pax barge through them.
No crowd control on 8-12
13/14 - hahaha is the only word for that.

No arrests despite the verbal abuse we all got, but I guess everyone is pi**ed off. Staff included, lack of info from notwork fail as per normal.