Weather disruption caused in 2014, and how to prevent it happening again - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

Video from Network Rail showing the flooding near Bridgwater:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9X-FT1MXrQ

[JayMac]

Secretary of State Patrick McLoughlin's thoughts on the damage at Dawlish and what happens going forward:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/10626141/UK-weather-Transport-Secretary-Patrick-McLoughlin-visits-Dawlish.html

[JayMac]

The latest from First Great Western:

Important information about services to and from South West

PLEASE NOTE: We have announced details of discounted fares for journeys affected by the closure at Dawlish. Find out more here.

Due to further severe weather and flooding Network Rail has informed us that all direct lines to the South West are closed until further notice.

Flooding at Athelney and between Taunton and Bridgwater means that all mainline routes to the south west from London are closed. The diversionary route via Yeovil is also closed at Crewkerne because of a landslip and is expected to remain shut for up to a week.

Services from London Paddington to Devon and Cornwall via Newbury cannot proceed beyond Castle Cary. Customers to Devon and Cornwall who would normally travel via Newbury and Exeter are generally advised to catch a South Wales service to Bristol Parkway where a rail replacement bus service will take them onwards.

Journey times will be significantly extended; by approximately 120 minutes to Exeter and 180 minutes to Plymouth.

• Services to Somerset, Devon and Cornwall via Bristol Temple Meads will terminate at Weston-super-Mare, with a very limited service extending to Bridgwater from Weston-super-Mare
• Rail replacement bus services will operate from Bridgwater to Taunton
• Trains will run between Penzance and Plymouth, and Newton Abbot, but with some service changes - passengers should check journey times carefully before travelling
• All Cornish branch lines will run as normal (subject to weather conditions)

Following substantial damage to the rail infrastructure at Dawlish, First Great Western is anticipating continued significant disruption to train services.

Network Rail has informed us that this damage will take at least six weeks to rectify ^ depending on the results of further inspection and any additional damage that may be caused by this weekend^s adverse weather. Normal train services will not be able to run between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot while this work takes place.

Direct coaches run:

• to and from Plymouth and Exeter St Davids
• to and from Exeter St Davids, Newton Abbot/Totnes
• to and from Plymouth and Bristol Parkway
• to and from Exeter St Davids and Bristol Parkway
• to and from Bridgwater and Taunton
• From Castle Cary to Taunton and Exeter St Davids from Monday onwards, linked into departures from Paddington between 1506 and 1945.

Coaches calling at intermediate stations run:

• to and from Exeter St Davids calling at Exeter St Thomas, Starcross, Dawlish Warren, Dawlish, Teignmouth and Newton Abbot

Night Riviera sleeper
The Night Riviera sleeper service is suspended until further notice.

Pullman Dining Service
The Pullman Dining services are suspended until further notice.

[Pb_devon]

It's interesting that NR^» (Network Rail - home page) appear to be using the length of cut track to protect the exposed bank (post #159). Maybe to bind the sprayed concrete (spelt correctly this time ),

[chuffed]

Just wondering how many more times my joke about the  spayed concrete will be reproduced........
Good thinking and work by FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to recycle the rails and sleepers to help stabilise the bank and ingenious to use redundant shipping containers filled with rocks  facing the sea.

[SandTEngineer]

Interesting that an empty HST^▸ (High Speed Train) ventured from Exeter St.Davids to Yeovil Pen Mill this morning:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O69847/2014/02/09/advanced

A return trip is also scheduled later:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O69848/2014/02/09/advanced

[TJ]

Are any pictures available of the flooding in the Atheleney area? Is this as bad as the the damage near Bridgwater?

TJ

[eightf48544]

and ingenious to use redundant shipping containers filled with rocks  facing the sea.

Shipping containers seem to have many uses. After the earthquakes in Christchurch New Zealand they were/are being used as a retaining wall at the foot of clifffs that fell  during the quake leaving several houses perched over the edge and also as a temporary shopping complex in the ce

New Zealand also used old steam locos to strengthen river banks where the railway was close to the water.

Just goes to show how creative engineers can be if not hampered by the "bean counters".

[didcotdean]

The Abingdon Road in Oxford was closed to traffic this morning - often the prelude to rail flooding at Redbridge. No trains today though because of planned engineering.

[Ollie]

Interesting that an empty HST^▸ (High Speed Train) ventured from Exeter St.Davids to Yeovil Pen Mill this morning:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O69847/2014/02/09/advanced

A return trip is also scheduled later:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O69848/2014/02/09/advanced

Route proving train. Line will be opened with a 5mph speed restriction.

[Timmer]

News from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and SWT^▸ (South West Trains) regarding resumption of services operating between Exeter and Yeovil:

FGW (Journey Check)
The line has now re-opened at Crewkerne following a landslip, however disruption will remain for the next few hours and services remain cancelled. The first train service to operate towards the West of England is the 16:28 London Paddington to Exeter St David s. The first train service from Exeter St David s will be the 19:26 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington.

SWT (website)
Direct train services between Exeter and Waterloo will resume early this afternoon, with the first service planned to run at 12.25 from Exeter St Davids to London Waterloo. This follows extensive checks carried out across the landslip site at Crewkerne earlier this morning which has demonstrated that it is possible to re-open the line with trains running at a reduced speed.

Engineering teams will remain on site throughout Sunday and will be working overnight to make additional repairs. There may be some alterations to the train service on the morning of Monday 10 February to allow these works to be fully completed.

Train Services
The first train from Exeter St David's towards London Waterloo will be the 12:25 Exeter St David's departure.
The first train from London Waterloo that will run through to Exeter will be the 10:15 London Waterloo departure which is already on route.

[Ollie]

SWT^▸ (South West Trains) now back to terminating at Salisbury due to loss of signalling at Gillingham!

[Timmer]

SWT^▸ (South West Trains) now back to terminating at Salisbury due to loss of signalling at Gillingham!

You couldn't make this up, unbelievable.

[Umberleigh]

The debate - much like the storm - rages on:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26068375

[SandTEngineer]

Looks like SWT^▸ (South West Trains) are attempting to run from Salisbury, via Westbury to Yeovil then Exeter St.Davids