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

[whole diary]

[Southern Stag]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website stating that the problems at Maidenhead are likely to "continue to affect trackside signalling and safety equipment for some time."

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/contents/travel-advice/london-paddington-to-reading-travel-advice

[Super Guard]

Hi, I have an annual parking pass for Newton Abbot station, and I've already booked my train travel for the next 10 weeks or so from NTA^» (Newton Abbott - next trains) to PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains).  I've no desire to get bus transport from NTA to Exeter each week.  What are the chances of me being able to park in Exeter St Davids using my NTA pass whilst the disruption is ongoing?  I realise this is probably a matter for Apcoa rather than FGW^▸ (First Great Western), but I'd hope that they'd have put some sort of arrangement in place whilst the line is closed.  Any thoughts?

Not sure if this was spotted or not, but the following link says you can use your pass for Tiverton Parkway and Taunton Car Parks... other options available depending what car park pass you have.

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/contents/travel-advice/car-parking

[mathmo]

I appreciate the difficult situation, but Realtime Trains is currently showing no trains at all stopping at Langley or Iver in the morning.  I'm not sure what people who want those stations are supposed to do .  I would quite like to use the train tomorrow but I know what I will actually be doing due to the lack of information - getting in the car...

[JayMac]

Hi, I have an annual parking pass for Newton Abbot station, and I've already booked my train travel for the next 10 weeks or so from NTA^» (Newton Abbott - next trains) to PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains).  I've no desire to get bus transport from NTA to Exeter each week.  What are the chances of me being able to park in Exeter St Davids using my NTA pass whilst the disruption is ongoing?  I realise this is probably a matter for Apcoa rather than FGW^▸ (First Great Western), but I'd hope that they'd have put some sort of arrangement in place whilst the line is closed.  Any thoughts?

Not sure if this was spotted or not, but the following link says you can use your pass for Tiverton Parkway and Taunton Car Parks... other options available depending what car park pass you have.

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/contents/travel-advice/car-parking

One would like to think that this is as a result of warrej bringing this issue to the attention of APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area) and FGW. However it has come about it's another excellent decision by FGW to ameliorate an issue faced by its customers during the ongoing disruption.

There will, no doubt, be pressure on car park space, but well done FGW. Perhaps they need a slogan during the current disruption, "By hook or by crook, we'll get you there."

[NickB]

Maidenhead to Paddington service is halfhourly today. The slow trains look to have been withdrawn and we're looking at c7.24, 7.54 etc.

Cold and sad.

[patch38]

I'm on the 06:41 from SWI^» (Swindon - next trains) that now has Maidenhead as an additional stop. I'm not sure how many of the other HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) during the day will do this...

[johoare]

Maidenhead to Paddington service is halfhourly today. The slow trains look to have been withdrawn and we're looking at c7.24, 7.54 etc.

Cold and sad.

That is how it was yesterday too.. I got on the delayed 7.24 which left 7.40ish and other than it being very full and standing we got to Paddington very quickly..

[a-driver]

I appreciate the difficult situation, but Realtime Trains is currently showing no trains at all stopping at Langley or Iver in the morning.  I'm not sure what people who want those stations are supposed to do .  I would quite like to use the train tomorrow but I know what I will actually be doing due to the lack of information - getting in the car...

The FGW^▸ (First Great Western) app seems to have details of services stopping at Langley & Iver.

If travelling to Paddington I would personally take the train to Slough and pick up a fast service into Paddington.

[BBM]

I'm on the 0643 stopper from Twyford again but it left nearly 30 late today. Progress through the affected area was slower today. I was on the UR but I could only see signal numbers on the UM. We stopped alongside UM28 for a few minutes then proceeded at walking pace past UM27A to alongside UM27B where we were held again. We then proceeded slowly again to alongside UM26 where normal progress resumed. What was noticeable to me was not so much the depth of the water but the length of the area affected, probably a good two miles.

[warrej]

Hi, I have an annual parking pass for Newton Abbot station, and I've already booked my train travel for the next 10 weeks or so from NTA^» (Newton Abbott - next trains) to PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains).  I've no desire to get bus transport from NTA to Exeter each week.  What are the chances of me being able to park in Exeter St Davids using my NTA pass whilst the disruption is ongoing?  I realise this is probably a matter for Apcoa rather than FGW^▸ (First Great Western), but I'd hope that they'd have put some sort of arrangement in place whilst the line is closed.  Any thoughts?

Not sure if this was spotted or not, but the following link says you can use your pass for Tiverton Parkway and Taunton Car Parks... other options available depending what car park pass you have.

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/contents/travel-advice/car-parking

Thanks, I had an email reply from FGW yesterday evening saying I could park at Exerer St David's with my Newton Abbot pass

[warrej]

I have an advance ticket for travel tomorrow from Paddington to Exeter. Does the lifting of ticket restrictions mean that I could use that ticket today?  With the bad weather forecast for tomorrow I am considering travelling back early

[johoare]

Looks like it's getting worse.. The 6.20 from Weston-Super-Mare to Paddington has lost half hour between Ruscombe and Maidenhead on Realtime trains..

[BBM]

Looks like it's getting worse.. The 6.20 from Weston-Super-Mare to Paddington has lost half hour between Ruscombe and Maidenhead on Realtime trains..

As I mentioned above, my own journey through the affected area was much more of a stagger this morning. Maybe there are more signal (track circuiting) sections affected today? I've also noticed from my own observations (and Real Time Trains would seem to bear that out) that trains on the UM are now being held at the signal just to the west of Twyford station.

[TaplowGreen]

I'm on the 0643 stopper from Twyford again but it left nearly 30 late today. Progress through the affected area was slower today. I was on the UR but I could only see signal numbers on the UM. We stopped alongside UM28 for a few minutes then proceeded at walking pace past UM27A to alongside UM27B where we were held again. We then proceeded slowly again to alongside UM26 where normal progress resumed. What was noticeable to me was not so much the depth of the water but the length of the area affected, probably a good two miles.

Similar to me but I was going in the opposite direction towards Reading - got to Taplow for the 0625 which was cancelled and then roared through the station - 0654 was on time and 5 coaches though so not too bad - pretty empty in fact, looking at the platforms at Taplow and Maidenhead it would seem that a lot of people have given up and are either driving or working from home. Had a good look at the affected area on the way to Reading and we too were stuck for ages between Maidenhead and Twyford - according to the driver there were signal problems unrelated/in addition to to the flooding - the actual "cupboards" which are causing the problems were surrounded with sandbags (bit of a waste of time as the problem is groundwater) and there was a 2" diesel pump about 6 ft away but it wasn't in use when I went past - I'd echo the fact that it doesn't seem to be the depth of the water (looked like 1"-2" ) but the length of the area it's covering.




Edit note: Quote marks fixed. CfN.

[bobm]

I have an advance ticket for travel tomorrow from Paddington to Exeter. Does the lifting of ticket restrictions mean that I could use that ticket today?  With the bad weather forecast for tomorrow I am considering travelling back early

This note issued to staff would seem to suggest you can

Any customer holding a valid ticket for travel on today or any date up to and including Sunday 16th February may choose to use that ticket on any of these dates (at any time of day) without additional charge. This also applies to those customers who may have held over their journey from Monday 10th, Tuesday 11th or Wednesday 12th February.