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

[whole diary]

[Jason]

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

I boarded the 17:22 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) to Hereford @ ~17:45, departed ~17:50. The service made good time to the Maidenhead area but it's taken around an hour now to get to the vicinity of White Waltham Airfield and we're currently stationary.

[Electric train]

I feel the water levels are only going to get worse over night

[stuving]

I feel the water levels are only going to get worse over night

The latest forecast for the Thames at Reading, including rain that's expected, is that it will not go higher than it is now. That's roughly where it was a month ago, and just below its 2003 peak.

The levels from Mapledurham to Sonning have not moved for 24 hours, either. Does that mean the level should peak soon downstream?

[The Tall Controller]

I have heard reports if some low loaders in Laira this morning. We're a couple of HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) delivered as I noticed a couple more on the network. Probably a good thing too as one powercar caught fire today along with a coach on another set having a door window broken.

[BBM]

I feel the water levels are only going to get worse over night

The latest forecast for the Thames at Reading, including rain that's expected, is that it will not go higher than it is now. That's roughly where it was a month ago, and just below its 2003 peak.

The levels from Mapledurham to Sonning have not moved for 24 hours, either. Does that mean the level should peak soon downstream?

Isn't the issue at White Waltham down to groundwater? I don't know if that's related to river levels.

[JayMac]

I have heard reports if some low loaders in Laira this morning. We're a couple of HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) delivered as I noticed a couple more on the network. Probably a good thing too as one powercar caught fire today along with a coach on another set having a door window broken.

They certainly seemed to be either loading or unloading a power car at Laira during Dave's visit, as seen on the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) main evening news.

[johoare]

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

I agree with this... The station Manager (or someone who's jacket suggested he was such) was out on the platform assisting/giving information etc... That doesn't always happen

[stuving]

Isn't the issue at White Waltham down to groundwater? I don't know if that's related to river levels.

If it's true groundwater, of course that's not closely linked to the river level. If there's even a small tributary stream of the Thames nearby, maybe it is.

If it is groundwater, there are things that can be done, and perhaps quite quickly. Essentially that means drilling holes near or under the track, and sucking the water out. That would probably need to use surrounding land, though.

[bobm]

Came out of Paddington on tonight's 21:45 to Weston-super-Mare (would normally be Exeter).

We left spot on time with the train manager warning us that we would be delayed in the Maidenhead area.

Sure enough we were as we crossed to the relief lines and then slowly traversed the flooded section.  We reached Reading 30 minutes late and lost a bit more time on the way to Didcot Parkway.

Couldn't really see the state of the tracks in the dark but it doesn't look good for the morning apparently.

[thetrout]

...and I'm going to London tomorrow...

Attending a conference in Central London around 19:00... I booked the 15:13 into Paddington... I think that's enough 'contingency planning' time

bobm your train stopped around Swindon for a very long time too. Around 23:55 it was just approaching Chippenham It sat around Wootton Bassett for a while where there was a freight on the Up Line. Eventually however the Weston-Super-Mare crossed over to the Down Line and started slowly heading towards my neck of the woods

Would anyone like some footage or pictures when I travel tomorrow? today?

Edit: Day or travel error... tt

[Ollie]

A summary of what we plan to run today can be seen here: www.fgw.co.uk/traveladvice

[thetrout]

Thanks Ollie

Although this is an interesting point from the article

In recognition of the disruption expected, and to allow customers to postpone their journeys until later in the week, ticket restrictions have been lifted across the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) network until Friday.

With my emphasis in bold. From a layman passenger point of view; what does that actually mean? For example:

• I have a Super Off-Peak Ticket from Frome to London Paddington valid via NEWBURY - Can I use this on the 06:45 via Bath Spa?
• I have a First Advance booked on the 15:13 from Bath Spa - Southend Victoria - Can I use this on the 13:43 if I wanted to?
• I have an First Anytime Single from Bedminster - Brighton dated for the 10th February 2014. Can I use this for travel on the 13th February 2014 (After the 2 Day Grace)?
• I have a Standard Anytime Single from Reading to London Paddington - Can I sit in First Class free of excess?

I think the correct answers are:

• Yes - But an excess to the ANY PERMITTED Super Off-Peak Single may be charged
• Yes - Although taking a service at 06:43 when your booked train is 15:13 might be frowned upon
• Yes - That's an expensive ticket at the best of times and FGW have advised changing plans if it can be helped; maybe change the date TODAY as the ^10 Admin Fees are currently being waived
• No - You're welcome to pay the excess before boarding however

Now I would be particularly interested in the answers to all of those from the horses mouth. Because with such vague wording, I'm rather embarrassed to say that my brain cannot come to terms with what that actually means either. Although my guesswork above may be in the right direction.

I'm not trying to be awkward as I know that FGW has provided all that information in good faith. But providing information is one thing. Making sure the audience it's aimed at understands that information is quite another!

[JayMac]

The message says ticket restrictions are lifted. To me that means both route and time restrictions. I don't think it very likely that a TM^‡(resolve) will be issuing excess fares for being off route or travelling peak with off peak tickets.

I very much doubt however that you can travel in 1st Class with a Standard Class ticket.

I believe FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are allowing people with Advance Purchase tickets to travel on any FGW service on the day the ticket is valid.

The ^10 Admin fee is being waived if you return a ticket for a refund due to not using it because of disruption. A new ticket should still be purchased. I wouldn't suggest travelling with an out-of-date ticket as that hasn't specifically been allowed for. http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/About-Us/Customer-services/Refunds

[thetrout]

Blowing your trumpet is all very well and good. But having meetings about getting work done is not always the best way to go about things. During those meetings who is doing the urgent work that needs to be done?

So, how do you decide what work you're going to do unless you have some meetings?  The alternative is that David Cameron (or somebody else) decides alone without the benefit of specialist advisors, on the basis of a knee jerk reaction, and it's of no benefit whatsoever. Which I suspect is what happened with the deployment of army resource last week, which on arrival, found that it wasn't able to help.

Sorry, I really didn't word that very well at all...

What I was trying to get at was having a meeting in London about a situation tens of miles away isn't ideal practice. The meeting might have been better held in or very close by the affected area. Of course the Government have their reasons. But I am certainly conscious of events in history where someone "in situ" has provided information to someone who isn't, things have been lost in translation and gone seriously wrong.

[thetrout]

The MET Office Forecast for the week ahead... Wednesday looks like a bit of a concern...

MET Office Website