Fatality between Tiverton Parkway and Taunton - 12 Aug 13

[whole diary]

[bobm]

I am on the 17:39 from Penzance to Paddington and we are being held at Exeter St David's after the discovery of a body on the line ahead of us.

After some 20 minutes the train manager announced we would be diverted and the next stop would be Chippenham. So I assumed we would be going via Honiton, Yeovil, Westbury and Melksham.

Shortly afterwards they had a go at dispatching the train but after much long blows on whistles we went nowhere.

Ten minutes later the train manager came back on the PA^▸ (Public Address) to say our diversion had "not been authorised".

So we are now sat waiting for the line to reopen.

[bobm]

Back to Plan A - we are now off via the Southern route after all.

Left Exeter at 21:57 - 72 minutes late. However we now have gone out of the station towards Paddington because there is no access to the Waterloo lines from the side of the station we were on. Driver needs to change ends so we can cross over to the other side and get on our way.

[grahame]

Interesting evening ...

17:39 Penzance to London Paddington due 23:44
This train is being delayed at Exeter St Davids.
This train will no longer call at Tiverton Parkway, Taunton, Bristol Temple Meads and Bath Spa.
This is due to a problem currently under investigation.
Message Received :12/08/2013 21:54

19:55 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington due 22:38
This train is being delayed at Westbury, will be further delayed at Reading and is expected to be 7 minutes late.
This train will be diverted between Westbury and Reading.
This train will call additionally at Swindon.
This train will no longer call at Pewsey and Newbury.
This is due to a problem currently under investigation.

Not sure how the Exeter issue has caused the 19:55 to be diverted like that.   Second problem?

[Brucey]

What I'm hearing is that the crew (possibly the driver) of the 19:55 from Exeter reported the body, but didn't actually hit the person.

[bobm]

I have been told that the driver of that train was the first to discover the incident and the train is now so heavily delayed the Berks & Hants line has closed for engineering work in front of it so it had to be diverted.

The flow of information on my train has been very good so far - despite the earlier confusion over the diversion. We do seem go be missing a customer host however but we have two train managers and one of them is doing free tea and coffee!

(Was typing as Brucey posted)

[bobm]

So often it has been reported on these pages that information has not been forthcoming at times of disruption - well tonight has shown how things should work.

After the initial confusion about whether the train would be diverted or not, the flow of information was good and honest.  "Yes we will be delayed but no I don't know how much by until we have got back onto our proper route near Chippenham"

"Sorry for the further delay, we are just waiting for a freight train to clear the single line through Melksham"

Staff went through the train checking where people needed to get to.

Those for stations between Exeter and Bristol were told to get on a XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) train which was going to wait at Exeter until the line re-opened. The only people I am not sure about were those going to Bath but I assume transport would have been provided from Bristol. 

Given the steady flow of information most people on the train have been good natured. Heard one or two cursing - but at the end of the day we are getting where we need to go albeit 90 to 120 minutes late while for some poor family somewhere there is going to be a knock on the door and their lives are never going to be the same again. 

[BerkshireBugsy]

Given the steady flow of information most people on the train have been good natured. Heard one or two cursing - but at the end of the day we are getting where we need to go albeit 90 to 120 minutes late while for some poor family somewhere there is going to be a knock on the door and their lives are never going to be the same again. 

Very well said BOBM

[LiskeardRich]

I noted FGW^▸ (First Great Western) put on an extra service from Plymouth to Penzance, arriving at Penzance around 0230 this morning, assuming to bring passengers who were delayed on the Paddington - Plymouth that normally connects with the service which arrives in Penzance about 0030.

From the comments in this thread sounds like they've taken onboard feedback from the 5 hour breakdown last week, regarding communication.

[bobm]

Apparently the down sleeper was also delayed leaving Paddington awaiting some of the crew from the late running 17:39 from Penzance.

[Super Guard]

Apparently the down sleeper was also delayed leaving Paddington awaiting some of the crew from the late running 17:39 from Penzance.

Was it not the crew from the 19:55 EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains)-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains), which the down sleeper TM^‡(resolve) & Driver work up?  Any PZ staff travelling up to work the down sleeper should have been on the 16:00 PZ-PAD.

[bobm]

I thought I was told by one of the on-board team that they were due to work the sleeper - which I was a little surprised by as in normal circumstances it was timed to arrive at Paddington just as the sleeper was leaving.

[John R]

And another this evening, with the Swindon to Southampton service appearing to hit somebody in the Chippenham area. Judging by the delay to the following Temple Meads service, it would have appear to have had to reverse back to Wootton Bassett, as it arrived in Temple Meads 70 late.

As ever, sympathies to all involved in another tragic incident.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From thisisthewestcountry:

Man who died after being struck by a train at Crosslands, Wellington is named

A man aged 56 died after being struck by a train between Tiverton Parkway and Taunton.

Dr Angus Nairne Gilmour-White, of Tone Hill, Tonedale, Wellington, died of multiple traumatic injuries.

His body was found by Network Rail staff on the track at Crosslands, Wellington, at 8.45pm on Monday.

They reported the incident to the British Transport Police, who attended the scene with Avon and Somerset Police, and medics from the South Western Ambulance Service.

A British Transport Police spokesman said: ^The body of a man was located with injuries consistent with having been hit by a train. He was pronounced dead at the scene. It^s unclear at this stage which train struck the man and at what time. His death is being treated as non-suspicious."

An inquest into Dr Gilmour-White^s death was opened and adjourned yesterday (Thursday).

Passengers experienced long delays before the railway line was handed back to Network Rail at 10.35pm on Monday.