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

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

I would send that response to FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Customer Services and ask if that's a reasonable response in light of the 25% reduction in the fare - i.e. they are making allowances in the fares, so shouldn't their contractor be doing the same?.....

I suspect you'll achieve something!

[Network SouthEast]

I'm currently on the 0643 stopper from Twyford (0643 and 0654 fasts both cancelled). The train was held for a few minutes in the White Waltham area before proceeding slowly for about the length of one signal section. I couldn't see any sign of ground water (although it was very gloomy light) so I presume it's a track circuit issue as mentioned above. Just left Burnham 7 late.

The water is in the 4ft (the gap between the rails), which is causing the track circuit to short circuit. The water isn't as high as that at Hinksey, but is still of enough problem to cause delays whilst individual trains are talked through affected signal sections.

[ChrisB]

Just had this in an email from a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) contact....good luck Maidenhead and outer TV commuters tonight/tomorrow!

Currently we are monitoring the situation at Maidenhead where the Thames is rising rapidly. Already some of the lineside signal cabinets are partially under water and if the situation worsens as we are expecting, we will be unable to run into Paddington at all.

[ChrisB]

Here's the latest from the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) press people....

^Water levels bring disruption to Thames Valley
^Lines to Exeter reopen
^Further landslips strike Sussex



Water levels in the River Thames are at their highest for many years and are bringing disruption to certain routes in the area.

Flooding in the Datchet area and several other locations mean trains are not able to run between Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside stations. Water levels are expected to rise throughout the day and it is expected to be some time before we are able to re-open the railway line. A replacement bus service is in operation.

Meanwhile, the line from Oxford to Didcot is disrupted, but still running, with flooding at Hinksey. Network Rail engineers removed sensitive equipment from the line over the weekend, to allow for a swifter resolution when water levels drop.
Groundwater is also causing problems with equipment in the Maidenhead area, but trains are still able to run

Two of the three routes from Exeter to London - via Athelney and Crewkerne - have reopened following flooding and a landslip at the weekend, and trains are also able to run from Taunton to Exeter following the completion of engineering work at Whiteball Tunnel. The line through Bridgwater, linking Taunton to Bristol, remains closed with the flooding on the Somerset Levels.

Work to protect the damaged sea wall at Dawlish continues, with a temporary breakwater erected from rubble-filled shipping containers enabling the start of repairs to the main area of damage.

Sussex suffered a further landslip over the weekend near Stonegate adding to two slips that were already being repaired. Buses replace trains between Wadhurst and Battle until repairs can be made.

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/content/detail.aspx?ReleaseID=8155&NewsAreaId=2

You can find photos at that link too - plus a video of water bubbling up through tracks at Maidenhead - but its a large file

[eightf48544]

Does anyone know where the Maidenhead Ground Water is bubbling up? Presumme it's West of teh station in one of the cuttngs?

If it's the Taplow side my house will soon be floating!

[BBM]

Does anyone know where the Maidenhead Ground Water is bubbling up? Presumme it's West of teh station in one of the cuttngs?

Yes it is. My train this morning was brought to a stand for a few minutes on the UR just to the west of where the line runs alongside White Waltham Airfield.

Later in the journey I noticed that the playing field alongside the UR at Dolphin Jct was heavily flooded and the water was just encroaching onto railway land. No immediate cause for worry but I'd guess that NR^» (Network Rail - home page) might be keeping an eye on it.

[adc82140]

The groundwater situation round the Walthams is getting critical- the village of Waltham St Lawrence has water bubbling from the sewers jacuzzi style. I have a balancing pond next to my garden in the next village, and I've never seen it so full. Normally it's dry, and has a small pool in the bottom during winter months. It's about 4 feet deep at the moment.

A lot of the surrounding area used to be a freshwater lake, which was drained a few centuries ago. You have to wonder if it's going to make a reappearance.

[argg]

Does anyone know if, given the general conditions, tickets will be allowed on SWT^▸ (South West Trains) trains Waterloo to Reading or do we need to wait for an official announcement.

By my way of thinking, if there are fewer services which are likely to be overcrowded, those who can should use SWT (or Chiltern for that matter) - call it a pre-emptive strike

I travelled in this morning on the 07.09 stopper from Twyford...after Burnham it would be fair to say the train was FULL.  Fascinated by the human nature of those who still think they can try to squeeze in and don't understnd why the doors won't shut

[ChrisB]

Nothing I've seen yet from SWT^▸ (South West Trains). They're probably trying to keep room for their displaced pax in the Windsor area....

Two more pix I don't think we've seen. First, Somerset levels -



and secondly - what they used to do before H&S^▸ (Health and Safety) and technology got in the way....

[paul7575]

Nothing I've seen yet from SWT^▸ (South West Trains). They're probably trying to keep room for their displaced pax in the Windsor area....

Many passengers, i.e. those with ordinary 'any permitted' London Terminals to Reading tickets are valid on SWT normally anyway, they don't need advice to use Waterloo, it's always available to them.

Paul

[JayMac]

Ticket acceptance in the Thames Valley areas and as far as Worcester has been organised on other operators. Chiltern, CrossCountry, South West Trains, Transport for London, London Midland and Virgin Trains are all accepting FGW^▸ (First Great Western) passengers by reasonable alternative routes.

[Electric train]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) staff at Maidenhead this morning did an excellent job of keeping people informed as best as they could even they were working from erratic information but the main thing they were communicating

[JayMac]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have just tweeted that only Heathrow and Greenford services are leaving Paddington at the moment. Flooding in the Maidenhead area now above sleeper level and rising. Multiple track circuit failures and Network Rail are currently attempting to implement temporary block working.

[Super Guard]

Oh dear... Just seen on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Twitter...

Services are currently not running from Paddington due to signalling problems caused by flooding in the Maidenhead area.

Only services from Paddington are: Heathrow Connect. Heathrow Express and FGW services to Greenford.

Services that have already departed Paddington towards Reading will be delayed by up to 1 hour due to signal problems caused by flooding.

[BBM]

Only services from Paddington are: Heathrow Connect. Heathrow Express and FGW^▸ (First Great Western) services to Greenford.

It was mentioned right at the end of BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) London News. I managed to get the 1642 stopper from PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) which left about 13 late and arrived at TWY^▸ (Twyford station) at about 1800 after being held again at White Waltham. Just checking Real Time Trains, it seems the 1724 stopper from PAD took 31 minutes to get from MAI^▸ (Maidenhead station) to TWY. Looks like the last slow departures from PAD were the 1757 to RDG^‡(resolve) and the 1812 to HOT. At the current time, both have disappeared into the White Waltham 'twilight zone'...