Animals on the track at Nailsea & Backwell

[whole diary]

[ReWind]

Delays to the morning commute from Somerset into Bristol this morning due to cows on the track at Nailsea.  A picture taken from @FGW^▸ (First Great Western);

[Timmer]

some video footage of Nailsea's latest comooooter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocZH3FFgsQE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[trainer]

I was on one of the delayed trains as Timmer was posting.  I think I was on the 07:21 from Yatton to Bristol Parkway (I went for the 07:49 to Cardiff, but left three minutes earlier on this train).  We lost so much more time that the train was terminated at Temple Meads (BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains)).

Two things I noted: a) we were kept informed; b) no-one audibly complained about the inconvenience to their travel plans.

Well done to the conductor.  Probably the fact that 90% of the pax planned to alight at BRI anyway showed that a wise decision was made to get things back together as quickly as possible.

Presumably someone will now be checking the lineside security to ensure no more cows take a fence at the railway.

[LiskeardRich]

some video footage of Nailsea's latest comooooter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocZH3FFgsQE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Shame the video didn't continue long enough for us to see if the incoming HST^▸ (High Speed Train) leathered it.....

[John R]

I think it's fair to say that the pax waiting at Nailsea were fairly understanding of the situation too. The cow was heading south and did tend to stay on the southbound track, hence the Weston train shown in the video was an hour late leaving Nailsea, whereas northbound trains were able to moove once the cow had passed. 

[JayMac]

It appears from the video that El Toro had the road, so why was the 150 also in section? 

[Timmer]

Shame the video didn't continue long enough for us to see if the incoming HST^▸ (High Speed Train) leathered it.....

The HST looked stationery to me.

[LiskeardRich]

Shame the video didn't continue long enough for us to see if the incoming HST^▸ (High Speed Train) leathered it.....

The HST looked stationery to me.

Its a lot closer to the camera at the end than it is the beginning.

[Timmer]

Its a lot closer to the camera at the end than it is the beginning.

You're right it is, I was paying too much attention to the cow to notice. Well that's my excuse.

No reports that the cow came to a sad end and it would have been allright if it stayed where it was in between the two tracks. Looks like the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) was slowing to stop at Nailsea or was proceeding under caution so the cow wouldn't have been blown of its feet by an HST passing it at high speed.

[JayMac]

I'd hazard a guess that both train's drivers had been given permission to proceed cautiously and to be prepared to stop short of any obstruction.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Animal looks up indignantly at passengers on platform, thinking "Why are all those humans staring at me: haven't any of them seen a cow before?" 

[John R]

The northbound HST^▸ (High Speed Train) had initially stopped well short of the platform, and then after a while edged up slightly, only to stop again whilst the cow passed it on the other line.  The southbound 150 had followed it into NLS at a safe distance and then stopped at the far north end of the station.

As the HST left NLS a couple of NR^» (Network Rail - home page) staff arrived and were last seen by me heading off in hot pursuit towards Yatton. It appears to have taken around a further 30 minutes before the line was cleared, so one presumes Buttercup wasn't a complete pushover.

[bobm]

Having walked in the "four foot" (with permission) it is interesting to note how well the beast manages.  It is not all that easy until you get into the swing of it.  Perhaps being ..er.. "four-footed" helps?

[LiskeardRich]

Were they serving "fresh local beef" in the travelling chef this evening?

[Chris from Nailsea]

No, that would have been a mistake.