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

[whole diary]

[SDS]

Seems the 18:18 was indeed cancelled because of a train fault.

Hazard light illuminated. Driver on phone to Turbo hotline.

Think the "fix or fail" policy comes into play. If it can't be fixed within a certain time-scale, fail the unit.

[Pb_devon]

I see on the Dawlish webcams that progress is moving apace. The new retaining wall is nearly to the top of the shipping containers with backfill close behind. No doubt this period of calm weather means that they can work continuously rather than be tide constrained.

[johoare]

Does anyone know when full service will be restored between Reading and Paddington, including the through trains on the Marlow and Henley branch lines?

[Timmer]

Unlike last weekend, there are no XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) services running via Bath down to Taunton and Exeter due to engineering work between Bristol and Trowbridge.

[stuving]

I see on the Dawlish webcams that progress is moving apace. The new retaining wall is nearly to the top of the shipping containers with backfill close behind. No doubt this period of calm weather means that they can work continuously rather than be tide constrained.

Yes, a huge amount of concrete has been poured, but not to make a new retaining wall (which I too had expected). The "embankment" (rubble fill) has been replaced by a mass of unreinforced concrete, including a wall of concrete blocks placed to act as "shuttering". Yesterday afternoon they were putting rebar mesh somewhere, though I couldn't see where.

While the weather has been a lot calmer, you can see that sand is still blowing over everything. You could see a thick layer of it on some layers of concrete as the next was poured on top. I would have though that would weaken the join, especially with no reinforcement running through.

Some of the old masonry wall is still just visible, and it may be that the plan is to rebuild that so it looks the same. That can be done later, is it is no longer structural. However, with a solid mass of concrete behind it, to which it may be tied by steel as well, it can still be stronger than before.

How the road is rebuilt may depend on how the houses are underpinned - if they are. Just backfilling the hole may be enough to hold up the road, once the houses are seen to.

[Pb_devon]

Thank you Stuving, you're quite correct.....in fact the current view shows a big pour underway, and a cage of rebar on the seaward side.  So the end result will be a gigantic "retaining wall" the width of the trackbed.

[stuving]

Ah - the rebar mat was laid yesterday, over half the width of the concrete bed. I still can't see any sign of it poking out of the seaward face to tie in a new facing. There's a scaffolding parapet that appears to have been built on the old retaining wall, while the edge of the pour is defined by a row of beat-up old blocks you'd expect to as the base of a parapet or fence. Maybe that's been lined so the concrete isn't keyed to it and it can be taken down? Maybe - you do get the impression the method has been chosen for speed, or perhaps to avoid a design phase and any pre-manufactured parts.

[BBM]

Does anyone know when full service will be restored between Reading and Paddington, including the through trains on the Marlow and Henley branch lines?

Indeed does anyone know? It all seems to have gone quiet on this. My experience from late last week (and it would appear also borne out today on Realtime Trains) is that all is well and back to normal on all lines at White Waltham apart from the UR where there are still delays of up to 10 minutes.

[johoare]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) site still showing no branch line through trains so any information anyone has on here would be very useful please.

Also.. When I was at the station earlier renewing my season ticket there was a sign outside the main station entrance mentioning that they would be running a Saturday service on 20th and 21st (so last Thu and Fru) which seems a little strange.. I didn't read it word for word so maybe I got the wrong end of the stick...

[johoare]

The National Rail site journey planner shows these through trains as running tomorrow.. Realtime trains agrees.. So maybe FGW^▸ (First Great Western) site is just not up to date or the other sites are wrong.. As usual, information is a bigger issue than the train service..

[johoare]

First Great Western site has now caught up so looks like the train service is back to normal as far as the branch lines are concerned...

[bobm]

That is good news.  I'm still getting daily texts telling me the down sleeper is cancelled....   Bt I don't get one to tell me the 07:30 from Paddington to Penzance only goes as far as Bristol.

[BBM]

I took the 0654 from Twyford today which uses the UR to Maidenhead. There were two separate sections with limits of about 20 mph, each about 0.75 to 1 mile long, with a section inbetween where the Turbo was able to accelerate for a minute or so. The train left Twyford on time and arrived about 5 minutes late at Maidenhead.

According to Realtime Trains the 0709 through train from Henley ran this morning and was delayed by about 4 minutes between Twyford and Maidenhead.

[ChrisB]

But I don't get one to tell me the 07:30 from Paddington to Penzance only goes as far as Bristol.

I'm getting concerned about this too. I need to go from DID^» (Didcot Parkway - next trains) to TAU^» (Taunton - next trains) on Saturday & would generally caqtch this train. It's still being shown in the planning system as running booked route through to PNZ, both today, tomorrow & Saturday!

They need to run an additional via Berks & Hants at least as far as EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) for those needing to be at stations TAU and southwards by 1000....

[broadgage]

We all know that nothing is going via Dawlish until the rebuilding is completed.
This is not however clear to a newcomer to the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) site.

Services to/from Cornwall are shown as operating normally.
Any particular service from Paddington to Plymouth, if not listed under cancellations or alterations, would reasonably be assumed to running normally.