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

[whole diary]

[broadgage]

Is the railway now open right up to the Dawlish worksite ?
Not for passenger use of course, but I was wondering about delivering materials for these extensive works.

And what is the latest estimate for full resumption of passenger trains via Dawlish ?

[ChrisB]

4 April - though that might come even earlier.

[broadgage]

Impressive if so.

[JayMac]

It would appear that Network Rail are now working on the damaged sections of perimeter wall along the sea wall footpath. Evidenced from watching the new Dawlish Sea Wall webcam.

Not missed a trick either. Both Network Rail and their contractor have put advertising banners on the safety fencing so as to be seen from the independent webcam.


http://www.dawlishbeach.com/live/

[ellendune]

Just when we thought all was getting back to normal......

Journeycheck

08:20 Exeter St Davids to Taunton due 08:54 

This train will be cancelled.
 This is due to flooding.

For the latest rail travel news, why not follow us on Twitter @FGW^▸ (First Great Western).

09:20 Taunton to Exeter St Davids due 09:55 
09:33 Exeter St Davids to Taunton due 10:07 
12:20 Taunton to Exeter St Davids due 12:55 
12:33 Exeter St Davids to Taunton due 13:07 
14:20 Taunton to Exeter St Davids due 14:55 
14:33 Exeter St Davids to Taunton due 15:07 
15:20 Taunton to Exeter St Davids due 15:55 
17:33 Exeter St Davids to Taunton due 18:07 
19:20 Taunton to Exeter St Davids due 19:55 
19:33 Exeter St Davids to Taunton due 20:07 
20:20 Taunton to Exeter St Davids due 20:55 
20:23 Exeter St Davids to Taunton due 20:57

Anyone know what is going on? Seen nothing on Twitter.

[JayMac]

There's been no rain or rise in the water level at Fordgate, so one can only assume that Network Rail have taken back full possession to carry out continued repair work.

[ellendune]

There's been no rain or rise in the water level at Fordgate, so one can only assume that Network Rail have taken back full possession to carry out continued repair work.

As you say there has been no rain and this is not the Bridgewater section it is between Taunton and Exeter

[Lee]

Interestingly, the NRE^‡(resolve) live departures board at Exeter St David's is showing an 1115 service to Weston-super-Mare as running.

[JayMac]

My mistake. There appears to be amended amended shuttle services running Exeter <-> Weston-super-Mare. These are running in place of those listed cancelled services but at different times, rather than just as extensions.

Times are different, I suspect, so they connect better with Weston <-> Bristol rail services. The original shuttle service to/from Taunton were timetabled with onward/preceding replacement road transport for Bridgwater, Highbridge & Burnham and Weston-super-Mare.

I'm taking pot shot guesses mind. It's hard to disseminate from public info at the moment.

[Lee]

Reply from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) on Twitter pretty much concurs with that, bignosemac.

[ChrisB]

FRom the Torquay Herald Express

SPECIALIST fire crews are in Dawlish preparing to set off a landslide where workmen are repairing the rail network.

High volume water pumps and specialist operations crews from across the region are working with Network Rail between Teignmouth and Dawlish off Exeter Road.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service are currently working with Network Rail contractors to initiate the controlled landslip of approximately 350,000 tonnes of soil and rock above the main line railway between Teignmouth and Dawlish.

Network Rail requested their assistance on Friday because during the previous 48hrs a large area of soil and rock directly above the main line was noticed to have slumped.

Network Rail are now unable to work beneath this area due to the potential for catastrophic collapse posing a risk to workers and causing further damage to the railway infrastructure.

Fire Service specialist high volume pumping teams from Wellington, Sidmouth, and Station 60 SHQ supported by fire crews from Teignmouth and Newton Abbot have been working with Network Rail contractors and their geologist to pump water from the sea via a high volume pump 50 meters up the cliff face to the scene of operations above the landslip site.

Crews have also set into a hydrant in Teignmouth Road, Dawlish to provide further water.

The Incident Command Unit and supporting appliance from Totnes were mobilised to attend Teignmouth fire station where a command centre was set up to initiate the complex pumping operation.

Group commander Andy Rowse told the Herald Express on Saturday that crews had been at the scene overnight and the cliff face had slumped further.

He said the plan was for the loose material to be brought down over the rail line then moved by Network Rail out to sea so the line could be reinstated. It was still hoped the line could re-open on April 4.

The high volume water pump was loaded onto a Network Rail rolling stock at Dawlish Railway Station and taken along the railway line to the scene of operations.

Fire crews from Teignmouth, Middlemoor and Dawlish have been on site throughout the night pumping water into the fracture line.

A meeting was taking place on site on Saturday morning between the Fire Service, Network Rail and the geologist to assess any movement in the landslip site overnight and consider the pumping strategy for the next 24hrs.

The Fire Service say they appreciate the patience and understanding from the public with the impact this is having on traffic flow along Teignmouth Road and would urge drivers to negotiate the hose ramps slowly to avoid causing damage to vehicles and the hose.

This incident has potential to last up to seven days.

A spokesman for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said crews began assembling at 2.30pm on Friday.

The plan is to pump sea water at a high volume up the cliff and let it pour down again into area where the ground has become a hazard to workmen.

The Fire Service say the work could take up to seven days.

[Super Guard]

For those wanting to travel to Bristol and beyond, from Taunton & the West...

From tomorrow, XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) will have an hourly service in place approx :18 mins past from EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains), calling Tiverton & Taunton, beginning at 07:19 with journey times approx 1hr 5 mins to Bristol.

From Bristol, there will be normal services to Exeter leaving at 06:34 and 08:10 and then every hour at :44 mins from 08:44 calling at Taunton & Tiverton.

[ChrisB]

More on the forthcoming "Controlled Landslip"....from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)

Fire crews are pumping sea water on to the cliff at Dawlish to bring down 350,000 tonnes of potentially unstable rock and soil in a controlled landslip.

Network Rail called in firefighters to prevent a "catastrophic" collapse that could have posed a risk to workers repairing the main Devon railway line.

Storms in February washed away the sea wall and left the rail track suspended in mid air.

A geologist is working with the fire crews and Network Rail's contractors.

Dawlish rail track The rail track at Dawlish was left hanging in mid air after massive waves destroyed the sea wall in February
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue (DSFRS^▸ (Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service)) said crews were brought in after a large area - about 30m (100ft) - of soil and rock directly above the main line at Teignmouth Road appeared to have "slumped".

"Network Rail are now unable to work beneath this area due to the potential for catastrophic collapse posing a risk to workers and causing further damage to the railway infrastructure," DSFRS said.

Crews worked through the night to pump water into the fracture line about 50m (165ft) up the cliff face.

The high volume pump had to be loaded on to Network Rail rolling stock at Dawlish Railway Station and taken along the line to the scene.

Group manager Andy Rowse said: "They've been experiencing landslides for many years along this area of the railway line, so I suppose with the recent weather it wasn't unexpected."

He said the controlled landslide was away from the main section of repair work, which was continuing.

Exclusion zone
 
Network Rail said it was "unlikely" to impact on the reopening of the railway, which is due on 4 April.

It said land next to the railway was found to have "slipped" after stormy weather of 14 February.

"To safely clear the failing land mass, high pressure water - a similar technique used in clay mining - has been deployed to saturate the land and create a controlled erosion," a statement said.

"This will enable the cliff material to be taken down in a planned and controlled manner to minimise damage to the infrastructure."

Network Rail added that while the "saturation process" was being carried out, an exclusion zone had been set up and work underneath the landslip had been halted "as a precaution".

[bobm]

Meanwhile a positive spin on a rail story in the Teignmouth Post

Resorts enjoying a rail boom

Friday, 14 March 2014

THE trains may not be running through Teignmouth and Dawlish at the moment, but when they are, more and more people are jumping on board.

In the past nine years, passenger numbers have almost doubled to nearly 600,000 a year at Teignmouth, which mayor Cllr June Green described as ^phenomenal^.

^This is more than Torquay or Paignton ^ and Dawlish also has more than Torquay.

^Passenger growth from both stations has been significantly above the national average. From both towns there were almost 1.1 million in the past year.

[broadgage]

What are they going to do if the expected controlled landslip does not happen ?
After applying all that water the unstable area will be even more unstable, but if it does not fall in a reasonable time ?
Are there plans to use explosives, as in some mining operations, or to send for the military to bomb or shell the area.