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

[whole diary]

[SandTEngineer]

.......for those interested in the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) 1933 planned Dawlish Avoiding Line (DAL) see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawlish_Avoiding_Line

[JayMac]

... and a news article form the Western Morning News on the Dawlish Avoiding Line:

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/ISSUE-8216-Fair-weather-railway-8217-routed-away/story-20566235-detail/story.html

Time to blow the cobwebs off that 'Great Western Railway (Additional Powers) Act 1936' perhaps? I'd love to see the detailed plans for the route that was envisaged and see how easy (or difficult) it would be to update them with a new enabling act.

Bloody Hitler's fault we didn't get the avoiding line 75 odd years ago. Git.

[chrisoates]

I wonder whether a breakwater from Langstone Rock to Coryton Cove would be feasible? You could then create a lagoon and marina for Dawlish.

A breakwater was recently built east of Exmouth - Budleigh or Sidmouth ?? - it broke the water  OK but initiated cliff erosion in front of some nice houses.
 

[JayMac]

The line between Bridgwater and Taunton was closed again late yesterday evening due to flooding. An assessment will be made in daylight later this morning.

[PhilWakely]

Hopefully, this is nothing more than a hypothetical question, but... assuming that the flooding of the railway on the Somerset levels between Castle Cary and Taunton is still bad enough to close the line on Monday, would the Paddington to Exeter services still be routed over the SR^‡(resolve) or will it be train to Cary, bus to Taunton then train to Exeter given that the Whiteball route will be available again?

[AMLAG]

If on Mon 10 Feb. Taunton station is cut off from C.Cary and B'water due floods one would generally expect Padd/Exe St D trains to run as Whiteball Blockade, ie roughly 2 hrly, via Yeovil PM/Honiton  with a shuttle train service operating between Taunton & Exeter St D.

[PhilWakely]

Just to add to the existing challenges, there has been a landslip near Crewkerne, so that route is now blocked!

[SandTEngineer]

....and London Paddington to Exeter and Far West passengers trains are now being diverted to Bristol Parkway.....

[dorsetbeachcomber]

Devon and Cornwall now totally cut off by rail from the rest of the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)!!

[JayMac]

From FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s Journey Check:

Owing to a landslip between Exeter St Davids and Yeovil Pen Mill all lines are blocked.

Impact:
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled or delayed at short notice. Disruption is expected until 23:55 08/02
.
Customer Advice:
The line is blocked at Crewkerne due to a landslip, this has now blocked the remaining route into the West of England. Customers travelling from the West of England towards London Paddington are advised to travel on replacement road transport from Exeter St David's to Bristol Parkway and change for a train service to London Paddington. Customers at London Paddington and Reading travelling towards the West of England are advised to travel to Bristol Parkway and change for road transport to Exeter St David's.

[SandTEngineer]

And now a Lightning Strike has disabled signalling equipment between Par and Truro (probably the axle counters).

And this is why trains are not running between Taunton and Bridgwater:



Those signalling apparatus cupboards won't be fixed quickly (when they can get to them that is).

We might as well give up........

[PhilWakely]

....and London Paddington to Exeter and Far West passengers trains are now being diverted to Bristol Parkway.....

Sounds laughable, but given the current circumstances, which would you prefer if you were travelling from Exeter to London...... bus to Yeovil Junction/Castle Cary or straight up the motorway to Bristol? Probably slightly quicker on the motorway. I just feel sorry for people travelling to Westbury/Newbury/Salisbury/Basingstoke/Southampton from places south of Newton Abbot!

[stebbo]

On an earlier post about no compensation payable on account of weather disruption, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) were handing out claim forms back in December when frost and ice disrupted the Cotswold Line. What counts as "weather disruption"?

[SandTEngineer]

From FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s Journey Check:

Owing to a landslip between Exeter St Davids and Yeovil Pen Mill all lines are blocked.

Impact:
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled or delayed at short notice. Disruption is expected until 23:55 08/02
.
Customer Advice:
The line is blocked at Crewkerne due to a landslip, this has now blocked the remaining route into the West of England. Customers travelling from the West of England towards London Paddington are advised to travel on replacement road transport from Exeter St David's to Bristol Parkway and change for a train service to London Paddington. Customers at London Paddington and Reading travelling towards the West of England are advised to travel to Bristol Parkway and change for road transport to Exeter St David's.

Initial reports are that it could be closed for up to a week.  Now the time to bring in the troops I think.

[Timmer]

Good job Exeter-Taunton reopens Monday but will only be a help to speed up journeys for those travelling to/from the SW if the Taunton-Bristol/Castle Cary lines are able to reopen at the same time following flooding.

Network Rail spokesman confirmed on SkyNews that they are looking at a week to repair the landslip at Crewkerme so the route via Yeovil is now out of the picture for diverted FGW^▸ (First Great Western) services for a while.