Mass disruption due to flooding - December 2012

[whole diary]

[bobm]

From enquries I have made, apparently where the full restaurant cannot be provided they are hoping to offer the Travelling Chef in its place.

[broadgage]

From enquries I have made, apparently where the full restaurant cannot be provided they are hoping to offer the Travelling Chef in its place.

rather a poor substitute IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion), but definatly better than nothing !
Anyone know how busy the 18-03 is likely to be, or how busy it was yesterday, which might be an indication.

[Ollie]

Seeing as line now also closed again at Teignmouth. Even Travelling Chef not guaranteed. With delays they can't guarantee Pullman so they would try provide Travelling Chef as better than nothing.

[Chris from Nailsea]

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

Work starts to fix railway landslip near Bristol

Work has begun to bring in more than 4,000 tonnes of earth to shore up a landslip on a rail line near Bristol.

On Wednesday, part of a bank alongside the railway at Westerleigh collapsed, meaning many services were either cancelled or diverted.

Network Rail said it had begun to build a temporary road to the site to enable it to get machinery to the landslip. A spokesman said they were currently "on track" to fix the problem by next Wednesday.

"There is a requirement to build an access road to enable access by large plant for remedial works," a spokesman said.


Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said it would be "unsafe" to run trains along the track

"Around 4,000 tonnes of material will be needed to rebuild the embankment."

On Thursday, the Secretary of State for transport, Patrick McLoughlin, visited the site to inspect the work. He told BBC Bristol: "A lot has been done in the past 20 hours but there's a lot of work still to do. Network Rail are working around the clock and against the clock to get this fixed as quickly as possible.

"Looking at the way the bank has slipped, it is very dramatic in terms of the work that's got to be done to make it safe. I know it will annoy some people having to wait so long but I don't think anybody can doubt how serious we are about maintaining safety. It would be unsafe to run on that track at the moment."

CrossCountry services travelling from Birmingham are currently being diverted via Wales and the Severn Tunnel.

First Great Western's high-speed services from London Paddington to Wales are either being cancelled or diverted through Box.

Services going from Bristol Parkway to Birmingham and Swindon are being slowed down.

[bobm]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Points West had a report on this - they obviously thought it was a good one because they played it at the top of the programme and then the start of it again later by mistake in place of one on the floods in Gloucestershire....

[bobm]

Now I'm guessing this is because the crew were displaced because of problems elsewhere as it is only one return trip and not a new calamity - but when does the reason become "due to a member of train crew being unavailable"?

From FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Journeycheck

21:50 Twyford to Henley-On-Thames due 22:02
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to flooding.
Message Received :29/11/2012 21:10   

22:06 Henley-On-Thames to Twyford due 22:18
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to flooding.
Message Received :29/11/2012 21:10

[TheLastMinute]

Network Rail have just tweeted that they hope to reopen one line at Teignmouth this evening.

TLM

[TheLastMinute]

...and have just tweeted a picture of the work. Looks like a muddy job!



TLM

[bobm]

I hope to travel tomorow (30/11/2012) on the 18-03 from Paddington to Taunton.
Experience over the last few days suggests that the service will probably run, though only as far as Exeter.

Am I likely to get a seat ?
Will the train be very busy owing to lack of other services ?
Or will it be less used on account of terminating short, and many people not traveling?

Or would I do better on a slightly earlier or later service ?
Normally I get the 18-03 in order to enjoy the restaurant, but I doubt that this will be provided in the present disruption.

Whatever meal service you get it will be better than the 19:03 - it has been cancelled....

19:03 London Paddington to Penzance due 01:02
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to an earlier train fault.
Message Received :30/11/2012 16:56

[broadgage]

On the 18-03 now.
No restaraunt
No travelling chef
15 late leaving 

[swrural]

You are on your way - what's to moan about?

[broadgage]

You are on your way - what's to moan about?

No meal
Almost no snacks, I have just purchased a muffin, believed to be the last edible on board.
No gin
No port.
Late, and getting later
First class invaded by suspected steerage customers, no ticket check as yet.
Train probably wont connect with bus at Taunton, ^60 cab fare.
Otherwise OK

[swrural]

All ticketty boo then!   

[bobm]

If Live Departures is to believe the 18:03 has continued past Exeter to Newton Abbot and has just called at Dawlish and Teignmouth.  It was oriignally cancelled at Exeter St Davids due to "a member of train crew being unavailable" but after 20 mins or so was re-instated as far as Newton Abbot.

[JayMac]

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

Devon mud-hit railway line reopens

The railway line which connects Devon and Cornwall to the rest of England has reopened after a landslip threatened the track.

Network Rail has reopened the westbound track which was closed at Teignmouth.

It said the second track along the stretch, closed for nearly a week after heavy rain, was expected to reopen by 05:00 GMT on Saturday.

It said services would be "very limited" and travellers should check which services were running.

Between 1,000 and 1,500 tonnes of mud and rock is being removed from the site between Newton Abbot and Exeter.

Investment call

Passengers had to take rail replacement buses while the lines were blocked.

There have also been about 13 other minor landslips in the same area.

Leader of Plymouth City Council, Tudor Evans, is calling for investment from the government to keep the roads and rail network open.

He is co-ordinating a letter from Cornwall, Devon and Somerset council leaders and the mayor of Torbay.

He said: "I'm not an unreasonable man, I understand we were dealing with extreme weather this time, but this isn't a new issue and flooding happens on an all-too-frequent basis."

Network Rail said it could be another two weeks before rail services were completely back to normal.