Flooding between Swindon and Bristol Parkway (30/04/2012)

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

From FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Journey Check:

Owing to flooding between Swindon and Bristol Parkway all lines are closed.

Impact:

Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 50 mins or diverted between Swindon and Bristol Parkway at short notice. Disruption is expected until 23:00 30/04.

Additional Information:

Customers are advised that owing to Flooding between Bristol Parkway and Swindon, First Great Western services are unable to operate between Swindon and Bristol Parkway. Services are routed via a diversionary route. Customers are advised that their journey may be extended by up to 50 minutes. A reduced service will operate to stations to & from Newport and Cardiff. This problem is expected to last until 23:00 30th April 2012. First Great Western apologises for any inconvenience this may cause.
Customers travelling from London Paddington, Reading, Didcot Parkway & Swindon to Bristol Parkway. Train services will be calling additionally at Patchway for Road Transport to Bristol Parkway.
Customers travelling from South Wales to Bristol Parkway. Train services will call at Bristol Parkway until 10:00. After this time, services will call additionally Patchway for Road Transport to Bristol Parkway.

Message Received :30/04/2012 11:29

[JayMac]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Swindon to Bristol Parkway train line closed due to flooding

A train operator says flooding has closed the line between Swindon and Bristol Parkway, and services will be disrupted.

First Great Western (FGW^▸ (First Great Western)) says trains running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 50 minutes or diverted at short notice.

Trains to Bristol Parkway will be diverted to Patchway and passengers will be transported by road to Parkway.

Disruption is expected to last until 23:00 BST on Monday.

According to National Rail Enquiries the disruption is now expected to last until 2000 BST on Monday 30/04.

[bobm]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Points West showed aerial footage of water being pumped off the tracks at Chipping Sodbury into a nearby stream/river.

[martyjon]

The months closure of the Badminton line is to facilitate a further attempt to alleviate flooding at Chipping Sodbury.

This plan is to install new drainage on both sides of the tracks, to excavate a 5 metre deep trench and install a 1050mm pipe as a culvert before back filling and reinstating the tracks. In the former goods yard at Chipping Sodbury the plan is to rip up the northern most siding and relaying it nearer the running lines and then to extend and deepen the lagoon to give it a storm water / flood water capacity equivalent to that of 4 1/2 Olympic sized swimming pools. This will, I was told, provide sufficient capacity for that 1 in 100 year storm to which I responded to my informant that, we get at least one of those every year now !!!!

Whilst the line is closed for the above work the HOPS electrification work train will be at work 24 hours a day / 7 days a week and at the end of the months blockage we should see electrification masts at Westerleigh Junction. The Sodbury tunnel will use the same supply system set up that was installed in the Severn tunnel last year but Alderton tunnel, being only 500m in length will have traditional OHLE^▸ (Over-Head Line Equipment (electrification via catenary)).

At Bristol Parkway the fourth platform will be built and the other 3 will be extended to cater for the new 80X trains and the Hatchet Road bridge will be closed to road traffic whilst repair and reinforcement work is carried out on the structure.