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

[whole diary]

[SDS]

1C92 18:03 Paddington to Exeter SD has struck a tree shortly after departure from Castle Cary. Train has been damaged - fitter on route. 1C92 120 minutes late.
1A96 19:54 Exeter SD to Paddington also delayed 43 late Castle Cary.

[broadgage]

.......and on the same Cornwall Railway Society site this ongoing diary of events at Dawlish: http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/a-dawlish-diary.html

I wonder how those containers are standing up to the storm tonight.  Its the worse winds down in the Far West since the 1987 storm (and I thought that was bad enough)

Early reports on another website state that the temporary sea defences of shipping containers at Dawlish have been breached. Can not give a source but will presumably soon be confirmed or denied on publicly available news sources.

[Umberleigh]

.......and on the same Cornwall Railway Society site this ongoing diary of events at Dawlish: http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/a-dawlish-diary.html

I wonder how those containers are standing up to the storm tonight.  Its the worse winds down in the Far West since the 1987 storm (and I thought that was bad enough)

Early reports on another website state that the temporary sea defences of shipping containers at Dawlish have been breached. Can not give a source but will presumably soon be confirmed or denied on publicly available news sources.

Given the situation in Penzance nothing would surprise me. My thoughts with the householders behind the line (and the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) staff tomorrow).

[bobm]

1C92 18:03 Paddington to Exeter SD has struck a tree shortly after departure from Castle Cary. Train has been damaged - fitter on route. 1C92 120 minutes late.
1A96 19:54 Exeter SD to Paddington also delayed 43 late Castle Cary.

Reported at least one window of Coach F of the 18:03 damaged/broken.

[SDS]

Looking on Tyrell. I think its prob easier to say what IS running considering all the CSL 2 Code blacks and reds.

[JayMac]

Maidenhead-Marlow and Exeter-Exmouth lines both closed due to fallen trees. Also a fallen tree between Dorchester West and Weymouth.

[JayMac]

As of 4am this morning there will be no trains between Plymouth and Penzance, including all Cornish branches and the Gunnislake line, due to poor weather conditions. There is no replacement road transport. This is likely to remain the case until daylight inspections of the infrastructure have been carried out by Network Rail. Estimate of the resumption of services is 1200 noon.

In Devon, the Exmouth branch remains closed due to a fallen tree, and Newton Abbot - Paignton is closed due to flooding. Again, due to poor weather conditions there is no replacement road transport for the start of service this morning.

[grahame]

In the interest of completing the public transport picture, National Express are reporting

Update: All our services are currently running, for the latest real-time service updates please follow @nxupdates on Twitter. We've also added extra services in the South West to help with the rail disruption.

[a-driver]

IF Network Rail do decide to completely close the line for two weeks then FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could use the Reading works diversions via Banbury for Bristol/South Wales services and WoE services into Waterloo. I admit not easy to do during normal weekday running competing for track space with Chiltern and SWT^▸ (South West Trains) but neither will busing thousands of passengers between Reading and Paddington.

The total closure of the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) I would suggest will not happen, there would have to be a major increase in threat, the wrath of the Home Sec and all the other local MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post - a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London, depending on context)'s including Dave from West Oxfordshire would know no bounds not to mention that of the passengers.

More likely are early shut downs in the evening and a late starts in the morning and weekends to allow Network Rail to move assets, some of the track has already been raise according to insider.

What may happen is the re-signalling to Thames Valley Regional Control Centre and abolition of Slough PSB^▸ (Power Signal Box) might get accelerated or even just extending the Didcot area East pasted the affected area, even this will take several months

I agree - the closure of the GWML would cause utter chaos, the M4 has been even more horrendous over the last few days, it would never be allowed.......would it? 

The line isnt closing.  Network Rail will temporarily remove the defective signals and this Sunday they will make the affected sections one long 50 mph section.  This reduces the capacity of the route but will allow 40% of the timetable to run.  Trains will therefore not have to stop at Red signals and get instructions from the signaller.  This is a new system of working called 'Extended Temporary Block Working'
It will take 8 weeks t completely repair the signalling system.

[TaplowGreen]

IF Network Rail do decide to completely close the line for two weeks then FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could use the Reading works diversions via Banbury for Bristol/South Wales services and WoE services into Waterloo. I admit not easy to do during normal weekday running competing for track space with Chiltern and SWT^▸ (South West Trains) but neither will busing thousands of passengers between Reading and Paddington.

The total closure of the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) I would suggest will not happen, there would have to be a major increase in threat, the wrath of the Home Sec and all the other local MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post - a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London, depending on context)'s including Dave from West Oxfordshire would know no bounds not to mention that of the passengers.

More likely are early shut downs in the evening and a late starts in the morning and weekends to allow Network Rail to move assets, some of the track has already been raise according to insider.

What may happen is the re-signalling to Thames Valley Regional Control Centre and abolition of Slough PSB^▸ (Power Signal Box) might get accelerated or even just extending the Didcot area East pasted the affected area, even this will take several months

I agree - the closure of the GWML would cause utter chaos, the M4 has been even more horrendous over the last few days, it would never be allowed.......would it? 

The line isnt closing.  Network Rail will temporarily remove the defective signals and this Sunday they will make the affected sections one long 50 mph section.  This reduces the capacity of the route but will allow 40% of the timetable to run.  Trains will therefore not have to stop at Red signals and get instructions from the signaller.  This is a new system of working called 'Extended Temporary Block Working'
It will take 8 weeks t completely repair the signalling system.

Sounds like a good plan, and 40% is better than the current 20% I guess? Let's hope it all works 

[phile]

Sometimes, I think that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Journey Check can be misleading due to the manner of posting incidents.      Today, as an example, it states that trains may be cancelled or delayed between Plymouth and Penzance and carrying on into the detail reports that the route is closed (or similar wording).    This is just an one example as it occurs all the time.   So, if a line is closed, how can a train be delayed if there aren't any. 

[Electric train]

Sometimes, I think that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Journey Check can be misleading due to the manner of posting incidents.      Today, as an example, it states that trains may be cancelled or delayed between Plymouth and Penzance and carrying on into the detail reports that the route is closed (or similar wording).    This is just an one example as it occurs all the time.   So, if a line is closed, how can a train be delayed if there aren't any. 

The world or railway politics I am afraid.  The TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) will present their train as available to run if Network Rail cannot provide the time tabled slot as far a the TOC is concerned its delayed until Network Rail say cancel it at which stage the TOC gets compensation from Network Rail if the TOC cancels it they still have to pay for the train path.

Privatisation was meant to make things cheaper to operate 

[thetrout]

Completely off topic but just touching on what Electric Train has said.

Take my favourite train, the 23:20 Bristol Temple Meads - Frome. Once the train terminates at Frome, It runs Empty Coaching Stock back to Westbury to be cleaned etc.

Now assuming I am the only passenger on this service (not that uncommon) the train runs to Frome. So that's often a 3+ Carriage Train (sometimes 7 or , 1 Driver and 1 Guard just to take thetrout back to Frome

Now lets assume everyone has gotten off at or before Westbury and the train is now empty... What happens? FGW^▸ (First Great Western) run the empty train to Frome, terminate it and conclude with the empty coaching stock manoeuvre back to Westbury

Why? Because if the service is terminated at Westbury, that's classed as a Cancellation in the eyes of Network Rail and FGW get invoiced for the cancellation of the service...

So what about the waste of fuel, wear on the tracks/points, wear and tear on the trains themselves etc etc...

I wonder how many other niche services like this exist just to save on the cancellation fees instead of using common sense and saving fuel, wear & tear on the track and trains...

[Umberleigh]

.......and on the same Cornwall Railway Society site this ongoing diary of events at Dawlish: http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/a-dawlish-diary.html

I wonder how those containers are standing up to the storm tonight.  Its the worse winds down in the Far West since the 1987 storm (and I thought that was bad enough)

Early reports on another website state that the temporary sea defences of shipping containers at Dawlish have been breached. Can not give a source but will presumably soon be confirmed or denied on publicly available news sources.

There are images on Rail Forum that strongly suggest the wall has been breached beyond the containers at the Down end. Also on Network Rail's site. You can see a track panel suspended in the air. The containers themselves look battered but have held.

[thetrout]

[url]http://www.networkrail.co.uk/timetables-and-travel/storm-damage/dawlish/[url]