Mass disruption due to flooding - December 2012

[whole diary]

[Super Guard]

Hey, folks ... there are times when we have to travel on a particular day / to be somewhere at a particular time.   We don't know the particulars of why Miss McBrains had to travel today, and we shouldn't approach the limit of what's acceptable in terms of getting personal on the forum when we don't know, nor should we pry by asking.  The journey to Cheltenham may be for Christmas with family ... or it could be for a hospital admission tomorrow. And I hope the critics would be comfortable with their criticism if that were the case!

I'm sorry Graham, but clearly the poster is referring to Christmas.

In my view, FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s advice not to travel is hardly practical, given the date.

I know people are going to travel contrary to FGW's advice given the time of year, and I have no issue with those who are travelling (and by the sounds of it the Miss McBrains is making her journey - and I hope she makes it to Cheltenham safely), however whatever the reason for travelling, I do not think it is right to be criticising FGW's efforts to get people from A to B, when they have clearly said.. "Do Not Travel".

I'm sorry if my natural defensiveness for my industry offends anyone, we really are trying to get people to their destinations, but by saying "DNT" it is clear that if you decide to travel, it may not be pretty.

[TerminalJunkie]

Worrying notice that North Devon and Looe branch lines may be closed until 29 December, which suggests damage must be very severe.  No bus replacements to Barnstaple possible either. 

I've read on Twitter that all the main roads out of Barnstaple are currently closed.

The photo below is the River Taw near Bishops Tawton. The railway line is somewhere under there...

[macbrains]

Thanks to all posters for their replies to my comments - all points of view equally valid, no doubt, to the individual posters themselves.

rgds
Rob

[John R]

Hey, folks ... there are times when we have to travel on a particular day / to be somewhere at a particular time.   We don't know the particulars of why Miss McBrains had to travel today, and we shouldn't approach the limit of what's acceptable in terms of getting personal on the forum when we don't know, nor should we pry by asking.  [/i]

I don't believe I did pry. I simply challenged whether it really was the only day, or (which seemed much more likely given the context of the threads on which MacBrains had discussed the subject of Miss MacBrains no 2's journey), the day chosen to be the most convenient for Miss MacBrains to travel home to her family for Christmas.

The point here is that people often believe a journey on a particular day is essential. But, in the words often of the police who urge motorists "not to drive unless your journey is really essential" (which as an aside should remind us that it is not only public transport that has to suffer the vagaries of the weather) sometimes we have to recognise the difference between desirable or convenient, and essential.  That was my challenge, and I'm slightly surprised the moderators consider it to be "approaching the limit of what's acceptable" on the forum.

[TonyK]

Thanks to all posters for their replies to my comments - all points of view equally valid, no doubt, to the individual posters themselves.

rgds
Rob

I sympathise. To have a family member who would normally celebrate Christmas within the family stuck elsewhere is not nice. We all make the effort at this time of year, if never at any other time, and that is right. I understand, however, that these are exceptional circumstances on the railways (or at least I hope they are!), and that the employees of the various TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) are doing their level best against Cnutian odds to get everybody home. There will undoubtedly be some who wish they hadn't made it home this Christmas, only to find it flooded, and it hasn't stopped raining yet. To macbrains, I say that I hope your daughter makes it home to celebrate the season with her loving family. To Super Guard, I say thank you for your tireless efforts, and I hope you can get her home.

To StuartStIves, I say that when I passed near there earlier, it looked nothing like as bad as that picture. Ye gods!

To all, I say be sensible, be sensitive to others' feelings, and have the best Christmas you can. It probably can't rain until September.

[grahame]

Interesting call for me as "duty moderator".   I wasn't suggesting that anyone had pryed at all - just pointing out that was somewhere we shouldn't go.

Having made plans, there is a natural desire to stick to them rather than change a whole stack of other plans built on th etimings given, perhaps allowing an hour or two for delays.  And that may - as you suggest, John R, have emotional elements.  Or it may not.  

I abandoned the train during the chaos into and out of Paddington last week; in one direction, it really didn't matter whether I was on time or not, but in the other direction being an hour late would have resulted in me breaking my contract, and with course delegates from all over the world so *my* push back would have resulted in up to a dozen other pushbacks.  It was an unusually tight particular week. You may say "catch an earlier train" - err - the earlier train is 10 hours earlier, and I also need my sleep to fulfill my contract.  Each person / situation differs.

However and whether the young lady travelled, I hope all have a good Christmas.   Thank you to those in the industry who have to be out to help those who require to travel even in extreme weather (or in extreme equipment failure times).  Believe you me, even many of us with grumpy faces on that train that takes 80 minutes to Reading have a great sympathy.

Edit to correct typo

[TonyK]

Greate Poste, Grahame! As in many years past, gangs of PW^▸ (Permanent Way) workers will be foregoing the turkey over the festive season, to do the planned works that make our railway a success. Except that this year, they may find themselves doing God's Wonderful Railway just to keep some sort of service ticking over.

God bless us all, each and every one!

[bobm]

Good luck with your journey, Bob ... and keep us posted with the situation on the ground.  Saturday is usually the quietest day on the forum, but I expect we'll be busier that usual today - much of it being guests searching for updates.

Well I made it to South Devon but sadly not by train.  On checking live departures both my planned trains were heavily delayed and, of course, would not have got me past Taunton.

Managed to get a lift and despite some heavy rain just before the Somerset border there was little traffic on the road. One thing I did notice was a large number of Taunton taxis and minibuses heading towards Exeter and again a few more once we got on the A38 after Exeter. Whether they were displaced rail passengers I don't know.

Would certainly have preferred to go by train and do some work on the way down but it wasn't to be and I've got the work to do now!

Plan to go into Exeter later today so might get a better idea how things are in daylight. At least the rain has stopped for now.

[SandTEngineer]

Cowley Bridge published on twitter.......
https://twitter.com/MikeYearworth/status/282805566185799681/photo/1/large

[BBM]

One more photo from Twitter of Cowley Bridge this morning:
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/A-yZ74PCYAADelw.jpg

[Worcester_Passenger]

Both of those are excellent - they explain very clearly why there aren't any trains.

Why isn't there anything similar on the National Rail website?

[Maxwell P]

A colleague's pic of Cowley Bridge

[Steve Bray]

I didn't fully follow the reasons behind the closure of Plymouth airport, but that could have seen a lot of extra passengers over the last few months due to all the floods in recent days and months.

[Southern Stag]

Exeter-Tiverton/Barnstaple closed until at least the 28th December.

[SandTEngineer]

I wonder why FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are not running via Yeovil and Castle Cary?  This route is sometimes used for autumn diversions etc. and I have been that way several times in the past.  I did notice one Up train went that way late yesterday (Saturday 22nd December).