Mass disruption due to flooding - December 2012

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

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

Somerset and Devon trains disrupted 'for up to a week'


Cables, points, signals and trackside equipment which had been under water have to be inspected and repaired if necessary

Trains between Somerset and Devon are likely to be disrupted for up to a week after signalling equipment was damaged by flood water.

Network Rail said the line could be handed back on Wednesday, but trackside cabinets were affected and need to be inspected for damage.

There will be two trains per hour each way between Tiverton Parkway and Exeter St Davids stations. Replacement bus services are in operation for other services.

Rail operator First Great Western said customers are advised not to travel unless absolutely necessary on the route because of the limited capacity.

"There's going to be further disruption, I'm afraid," a Network Rail spokesman said. "Our staff have been working overnight.... to recover the railway. The line is still closed between Exeter and Taunton due to the flooding [from] what appears to be a severe washout of ballast at Cowley Bridge junction near Exeter."

He added cables, points, signals and trackside equipment had been under water and would have to be inspected and repaired if necessary.

Buses are also running between Exeter St Davids and Axminster and trains are unable to call at Pinhoe, Whimple and Feniton stations.

"Services between London Paddington and Tiverton Parkway are running and buses are replacing train services between Tiverton Parkway and Exeter, adding at least an hour to your overall journey time," a First Great Western spokesman said.

CrossCountry Trains said buses will replace trains between Exeter and Bristol.

Additionally there will be a limited rail service between Taunton and Bristol.

[JayMac]

If the line between Tiverton and Exeter does reopen as is hoped for tommorow, will that permit of through services between Paddington and Penzance ? or are there there other closures furthur west ?

No closure of the main line but there are various speed restrictions between Exeter and Paignton/Plymouth. There has also been a landslip at Teignmouth and single line running is in operation meaning some cancellations and the use of rail replacement buses. This is ongoing as of 2030.

[phile]

From what I can see 1C92 Golden Hind 1803-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-PZ will call PAD-RDG^‡(resolve)-EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) (via Yeovil) and then as booked to PZ an hour later than originally timed.  I don't know if a Pullman will be on it though.

From Journeycheck

18:03 London Paddington to Penzance due 00:17 This train will call additionally at Westbury and Castle Cary.
This train will no longer call at Yeovil Junction.
This is due to flooding. Message Received :27/11/2012 18:27

So which way is it going I wonder?  The timings show it right time throughout.

18:03 18:03 London Paddington 
18:33 18:33 Reading 
 19:15 Westbury 
 19:29 Castle Cary 
19:49 Not Stopping Yeovil Junction 
21:19 21:19 Exeter St Davids 
21:39 21:39 Newton Abbot 
21:52 21:52 Totnes 
22:23 22:23 Plymouth 
22:48 22:48 Liskeard 
23:02 23:02 Bodmin Parkway 
23:14 23:14 Par 
23:22 23:22 St Austell 
23:40 23:40 Truro 
23:52 23:52 Redruth 
00:17 00:17 Penzance 

Via Yeovil Jn but not calling.   Retimed by hour to allow for diversion thus Right Time.

[TonyK]

2500 tonnes of rubble replaced, and the track relevelled. That is an amazingly fast bit of engineering!

[Kernow Otter]

And Logistics.

[JayMac]

Some major shoring up and making good is going to be needed here as well:

https://mobile.twitter.com/networkrail/status/273436437687439360/photo/1

Those pegs are obviously pretty tough though. The signal lamp is still illuminated!

[Kernow Otter]

Now whilst there are problems and emergency Timetables I'm NOT impressed that both the 05:43 and the  06:28 Plymouth-Penzance sevices are cancelled, the first two trains of the Day
I'm glad to see FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) are looking after their Bread & Butter Season Ticket holders! NOT
 
Surely a unit from Plymouth could have run in the path of the Down Sleeper!!!!
And is there any other Daily travellers at rush hour who have to put up with a DIFFERENT service on Monday Mornings to the Rest of the week Tues to Friday?
I sure can't see there being many Regulars on the 06:28 Plymouth-Penzance due 08:19 or 08:59 depending on the DAY of the week!

Both the down and up sleeper services are very useful trains in Cornwall, especially the down which has a regular band of commuters, a significant number travelling to work at Treliske Hospital, Truro.

If there is no stock in the right place to cover these routes, is there any reason why the seating carriages alone from the set that must be trapped down here can't be run with the 57xxx, PNZ to EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) return as per timetable ?

[grahame]

The 0520 from Bristol to Paddington took an interesting route today, travelling through Trowbridge twice! As far as Westbury as per timetable then reverse and non stop to Reading via Melksham.

Knock on effect is to have delayed the Gloucester - Southampton service calling at Melksham. That one was left waiting at Chippenham for the single line to clear.

This one though wasn't flood related but due to over running engineering works in the Bedwyn area.

According to people waiting to get on that train at Melksham, the 06:38 Southampton train got diverted via Bath ... never mind, there's another southbound train at 19:11 

[old original]

Now whilst there are problems and emergency Timetables I'm NOT impressed that both the 05:43 and the  06:28 Plymouth-Penzance sevices are cancelled, the first two trains of the Day
I'm glad to see FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) are looking after their Bread & Butter Season Ticket holders! NOT
 
Surely a unit from Plymouth could have run in the path of the Down Sleeper!!!!
And is there any other Daily travellers at rush hour who have to put up with a DIFFERENT service on Monday Mornings to the Rest of the week Tues to Friday?
I sure can't see there being many Regulars on the 06:28 Plymouth-Penzance due 08:19 or 08:59 depending on the DAY of the week!

Both the down and up sleeper services are very useful trains in Cornwall, especially the down which has a regular band of commuters, a significant number travelling to work at Treliske Hospital, Truro.

If there is no stock in the right place to cover these routes, is there any reason why the seating carriages alone from the set that must be trapped down here can't be run with the 57xxx, PNZ to EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) return as per timetable ?

It has to be noted that AFAIK^▸ (as far as I know), CrossCountry haven't attempted to run anything in Cornwall since last week, probably a staffing issue?

[JayMac]

They have the staff - I was sat next to one on a rail replacement coach yesterday. She was heading back to her depot in Plymouth after worked a service from Sheffield to Bristol.

She told me the problem is CrossCountry don't have the rolling stock in the west. Following the flooding that cut Devon and Cornwall off they only had three voyagers trapped. One of which was out of service due to battery problems that couldn't be resolved without returning to the Voyager Home Depot at Central Rivers.

[bobm]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have just updated Journeycheck to say the disruption at Cowley Bridge is expected until "02:00 on the 8th Dec".

[JayMac]

A new landslip has occurred between Bristol Parkway and Westerleigh Junction.

This is affecting the down line and is causing delays, cancellations and diversions.

[old original]

They have the staff - I was sat next to one on a rail replacement coach yesterday. She was heading back to her depot in Plymouth after worked a service from Sheffield to Bristol.

She told me the problem is CrossCountry don't have the rolling stock in the west. Following the flooding that cut Devon and Cornwall off they only had three voyagers trapped. One of which was out of service due to battery problems that couldn't be resolved without returning to the Voyager Home Depot at Central Rivers.

Strange, I know that all three of the ones that started at Penzance that morning were trapped but I would have thought there would be at least one more from a Plymouth starter

[grandsire]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have just updated Journeycheck to say the disruption at Cowley Bridge is expected until "02:00 on the 8th Dec".

I agree - it does say 8 December.  If that is correct its a huge turn round from yesterday when lines were expected to open today.  Add in the disruption at Teignmouth  and still only a two hourly service on the Honiton-Yeovil line.

[swrural]

I think the Cowley 'opening' (tomorrow I understood) is a different kettle of fish to there not being 'further disruption'.

So I think that's the answer.  Judging by what is happening at Westerleigh, for instance, it would seem quite possible that we will see more landslides even if it does not rain again (pig just flew overhead!).