And again problems.....

[whole diary]

[adc82140]

It wasn't good this morning- the 07:30 from Farnborough North to Guildford finally turned up at 08:20. The CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) at Farnborough has broken, so no-one had the faintest idea if or when a train would run. I rang FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s information line at 07:35 to be told that the train was running pretty much to time. Utter rubbish. At 08:20 all two carriages of the 07:30 arrived (we've had a carriage dropped since the timetable change so it's now full and standing by North Camp). People were left behind at Farnborough, North Camp and Ash. It's anyone's guess what had happened to the 08:00 in the mean time. 

This evening the 17:09 from Guildford was a mere 20 minutes late.

Leaf fall season is over. What is going on???

[bobm]

The new look disruptions page on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website was talking about signalling problems at Dorking West.  Several trains to Gatwick were turned short at Redhill and a Reading to Redhill was turned at Guildford.

[Steve Bray]

I caught the 1125 from Deepdene to Redhill, which was running 7 minutes late, and returned from Redhill at 1614 which was 3 minutes late. Due to a person being hit by a train at South Croydon, Southern passengers were being directed on to the North Downs services between Redhill and Dorking/Guildford to continue their journeys to London. With also a major signalling failure at Waterloo this morning, it's not been a great day on SWT^▸ (South West Trains) or Southern, or parts of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) today.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Leaf fall season is over. What is going on???

Hmm. The stormy weather last night and early this morning certainly brought down a fair few of the remaining leaves from trees - and swirled around those already on the ground. 

[Jonathan H]

At 08:20 all two carriages of the 07:30 arrived (we've had a carriage dropped since the timetable change so it's now full and standing by North Camp).

Leaf fall season is over. What is going on???

The use of a 3 coach unit on the 0531 GTW-RDG^‡(resolve) / 0704 RDG-RDH / 0833 RDH-RDG etc diagram is a leaf fall measure as I understand it so it is back to a 2 coach until next Autumn. I assume that somewhere else on the network passengers are pleased to have their 3 coach unit back after the Autumn.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From one of my many impeccable sources:

FCC^▸ (First Capital Connect):
Following a person hit by a train earlier at East Croydon all lines have now reopened.
Impact:
Train services running through this station may be cancelled or delayed by up to 45 mins at short notice.
Customer Advice:
Customers are advised journey times may be extended by up to 45 minutes. First Capital Connect apologise for the inconvenience this will cause.
TfL^» (Transport for London - about) London Bus services are conveying passengers via any reasonable route until further notice.
London Underground services are conveying passengers via any reasonable route until further notice.
Croydon Tramlink services are conveying passengers via any reasonable route until further notice.
East Midlands Trains, London Midland, Southern and South Eastern services are conveying passengers via any reasonable route until further notice.

SWT^▸ (South West Trains):
Owing to signalling problems at New Malden fewer trains are able to run on south-bound lines.
Impact:
Train services running through this station may be delayed by up to 30 mins at short notice. Disruption is expected until 23:59 13/12.
Customer Advice:
Trains are currently running slow from clapham Junction through to Surbiton. London Underground will allow South West Trains customers to use their services towards Wimbledon

Conductors please make announcements to passengers: Apologising for the disruption caused and the severe delays to pasenger journeys due to a person hit by a train earlier at South Croydon and emergency services called to an incident at Brighton earlier.

Hope this helps to explain what happened. 

[BerkshireBugsy]

I caught the 1125 from Deepdene to Redhill, which was running 7 minutes late, and returned from Redhill at 1614 which was 3 minutes late. Due to a person being hit by a train at South Croydon, Southern passengers were being directed on to the North Downs services between Redhill and Dorking/Guildford to continue their journeys to London. With also a major signalling failure at Waterloo this morning, it's not been a great day on SWT^▸ (South West Trains) or Southern, or parts of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) today.

So the rerouting of pax onto to the FGW services explains why the 1618 from reigate to reading was packed - I did wonder !

[eightf48544]

When are the conductotr rail or wires going to be installed.

It would probably make sense to do wires to connect with LSWR^▸ (London South Western Railway) rewire proposal and Reading Basingstoke.

Does anyone know if there were ever plans for a Redhill flyover to connect Tonbridge Line to Guidlford lne.  Think there must be in connection with 1955 modernisation plan and the completion of the freight route from Bletchley to Kent, avoiding the West London line.

[paul7575]

When you look at the mileages on that route already installed third rail, and the relative complexity of the Guildford, Redhill and Gatwick areas, I'd always assumed it would be odd if they didn't use third rail throughout - but who knows now that RSSB^▸ (Rail Safety and Standards Board) are producing serious reports about progressively changing the third rail to OHLE.  A number of third rail areas such as down to Weymouth are up for renewal shortly - and they reckon there is a financial case to do renewals with OHLE starting at the outlying areas and working inwards towards London.

Yes - there are plans for a freight diversion at Redhill, but IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly) only to the extent that NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have been trying to have the required land reserved in the local authorities plans - to prevent building on the proposed route.  I believe the land west of the mainline in the Reigate direction is not in railway ownership.

Paul

[paul7575]

Leaf fall season is over. What is going on???

Might be over where you are but it isn't down on the coast.  NR^» (Network Rail - home page) are still operating RHTTs^▸ (Rail Head Treatment Train) out of Eastleigh this week...

Paul

[IndustryInsider]

And a train overshot Cholsey the day before yesterday due to wheelslip.  Windy and wet weather like we've had the last couple of days can cause problems with leaf fall from early October and can go on as long as early January if there's not been too much strong wind in the early part of autumn.  Hence the RHTT^▸ (Rail Head Treatment Train) trains still running.

[Pedros]

I got caught out good and proper yesterday. I was travelling back from Crawley (15:59) and our train to London stopped at Three Bridges due to the person hit at South Croydon.  Nothing moving at all, anywhere.  We were held there for quite some time (they were announcing that buses were being drafted in to take people to London) I finally decided to get off and get a taxi from Three Bridges to Gatwick Airport, and pick up the service to Reading.  I managed to get the 17:03 from Gatwick and all seemed to be going OK (just 6mins late at Guildford)  However, we left Blackwater and about 50yrds down the line we were stopped at a signal.  Waited about 10mins when guard said that there were signal problems between Blackwater and Wokingham, a train in front is proceeding down the line and checking that it is OK for us to proceed (whether that is the truth or not I don't know)  We finally started moving again and crept along at a very slow pace. Finally got to Reading at about 19.00 (I'd given up caring by that stage)  No idea what time I got home to Swindon, but the beer upon walking through the door barely touched the sides.