Mass disruption due to flooding - December 2012

[whole diary]

[old original]

Upto now on FGWs^▸ (First Great Western) departures each Penzance - Paddington train has been shown twice, Pz - Exeter & Tiv/Tau - Pad, but I see that the 14.00 from Penzance has been timed to run through.

[paul7575]

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.

The TV coverage of Cowley bridge seemed clear enough, that the line would probably be reopened without the signalling being repaired.  So emergency hand signalling, plus significant speed restrictions over temporarily repaired foundations and newly dropped ballast, and you couldn't expect the normal timetable to run.

Likewise with the SWT^▸ (South West Trains) route, the normal hourly timetable with all the intermediate stops will only work if trains are running at full normal linespeed. 

Paul

[TonyK]

And Logistics.

And logistics, yes. I gather the crew(s) from the work on the Tarka^▸ (Line from Barnstaple to Exeter) line were redeployed (Thisisdevon said they volunteered) to switch to this job, meaning the Tarka closure beyond Crediton is likely to be a few days longer in time. Plus there will be other consequential knock-ons, but at least we get some of the railway back.

[swrural]

My understanding is they are going to run up a couple of units to Barnstaple and then run a 'normal' shuttle from there to Crediton.  There, pax will transfer to a bus to Exeter.  Sound pretty good to me.

[TonyK]

The list just got bigger.

LIVE UPDATES: Train delays after landslip

There are delays on trains in the Bristol area after a landslip near Westerleigh. (9am)

The driver of the Gloucester to Swindon service has reported that the embankment was slipping away at Westerleigh Junction.

Network Rail engineers are on site and have confirmed an embankment slip, about 1ft from the end of the sleepers.

The line is currently blocked on one side, affecting services between Swindon and Bristol Parkway and Gloucester and Bristol Parkway.

Staff on site are assessing whether it is safe to pass trains and an earthworks engineer has been called to attend.

Two services are trapped, the Worcester ^ Weymouth service and the Derby ^ Plymouth service.

Network Rail's priority is to get these trains moved.

Cheltenham ^ Bristol services are being diverted via Lydney and Severn Tunnel and Paddington ^ South Wales services via Box. Cardiff services have been suspended.

The line heading towards London remains open.

UPDATE 9.30am

Network Rail is introducing single line working to free the two trapped trains.

Once these are clear of the section at Bristol Parkway the up line will re-open.

Impact on train services:

^ FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Cardiff services withdrawn, CrossCountry Manchester ^ Bristol services terminating at Birmingham.

^ FGW Swansea services are diverting via Box and CrossCountry Anglo-Scottish services are diverting via Lydney and Severn Tunnel.

^ FGW West local services only are running north to Gloucester via Kemble or Lydney. Road transport is being arranged for intermediate stations.

UPDATE 11.15AM

More information on First Great Western disruption can be found here.

And here are links to the departure board for Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads.

UPDATE 2.30PM

Network Rail says the line out of London is likely to be closed until next Wednesday - more to follow.

UPDATE 2.50PM

Network Rail have provided photographs of the landslip which can be viewed in our photo gallery above.

Rail services between Birmingham and the south west are still being disrupted.

Around 4,000 tonnes of material will be needed to rebuild the embankment near Westerleigh Junction in South Gloucestershire.

The Down line between Swindon and Bristol Parkway is likely to remain closed until Wednesday.

The Up line between Bristol Parkway and Swindon remains open.

Network Rail engineers said earth had moved to within 12 inches of rail sleepers at Westerleigh and had blocked services towards Bristol.

A spokesman said: ^Early estimates are that the down line will remain closed until next Wednesday.

^There is a requirement to build an access road to enable access by large plant for remedial works. The earthworks failure is seven metres high and 20 metres long and we^ll need around 4,000 tonnes of material to rebuild the embankment.^

Engineers will need to cut and lift the down line in the affected area to enable contractors to use a benching process to rebuild the embankment.

Impact on train services:

^ FGW services from London Paddington to Cardiff have been withdrawn.

^ CrossCountry Manchester ^ Bristol services are terminating at Birmingham.

^ FGW Swansea services are diverting via Box

^ CrossCountry Anglo-Scottish services are diverting via Lydney and the Severn Tunnel.

^ FGW West local services only are running north to Gloucester via Kemble or Lydney.

^ Road transport being arranged for intermediate stations.

^ CrossCountry and FGW services using the up line are going ahead as planned.

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/LIVE-UPDATES-Train-delays-landslip/story-17447182-detail/story.html has pictures.

[polymath]

As regards the Tarka^▸ (Line from Barnstaple to Exeter) Line, and the unfinished work, the suggestion was for a four day extension, which will  be dependent upon the reinstatement of the damaged track on the branch at Cowley Bridge (assuming the concentration has been on the main line). This will allow the two 66's currently sitting on the branch (one at Portsmouth Arms and one at Eggesford) to access Riverside Yard for a further ballast train, and will also release  a 143 currently (or was until recently) sitting outside Crediton.

Once all this happens then work can resume, and the bus shuttle will revert to Barnstaple to Crediton with passengers transferring to the train.

All this depends on the ability to run over the repaired branch at Cowley Bridge.

[Southern Stag]

143618 ran ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) Crediton-Exeter this afternoon, presumably having been trapped there since Wednesday.

[polymath]

Thanks for the update - now things can get moving!

[bobm]

From FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Journeycheck

Line problem: between Exeter St D... Following flooding between Exeter St Davids and Tiverton Parkway all lines have now reopened.

Impact:
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 60 mins or revised at short notice. Disruption is expected until 02:00 03/12.

Customer Advice:
The railway line has reopened between Exeter St Davids and Tiverton Parkway. Services will however run at a reduced speed between these two points.

[Ollie]

To clarify situation between Exeter and Tiverton.

Whilst the track has been repaired the signalling hasn't. So delays through this area will continue for a couple of weeks whilst Network Rail work on this.

[bobm]

I assume "delays" includes a thinning out of the service so some trains won't run through and be stopped short.

[Tim]

I assume "delays" includes a thinning out of the service so some trains won't run through and be stopped short.

that is my understanding. Some XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) services tomorrow are not planning to getting beyond Brum because of other problems. 

[Super Guard]

I assume "delays" includes a thinning out of the service so some trains won't run through and be stopped short.

Correct... 1C94 terminated at Taunton (instead of Exeter), although 1C95 ran through.

Unfortunately both lines are now closed between Exeter & Newton Abbot due to a landslide in Parsons Tunnel.

[woody]

I assume "delays" includes a thinning out of the service so some trains won't run through and be stopped short.

Correct... 1C94 terminated at Taunton (instead of Exeter), although 1C95 ran through.

Unfortunately both lines are now closed between Exeter & Newton Abbot due to a landslide in Parsons Tunnel.

This from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-20525046

Quote "Network Rail said it could be another two weeks before services were back to normal."and "About 1,000 tonnes of mud lying against a fence is also threatening the line."

[broadgage]

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.