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

[whole diary]

[Super Guard]

Taunton to Bridgwater to reopen on Monday 10 March 2014 as stated on the WNXX^▸ (Stored Unserviceable, Mainline Locos HQ All Classes) forum:

Fordgate reopens Monday with a 30 ESR^▸ (Emergency Speed Restriction ) maybe lifted to 50 ESR on Thursday
Talking by one on the Down and TBW^▸ (Temporary Block Working) on the Up
Talking of long section axle counters in two weeks pending longer term resignalling to fully restore the route

Good news, finally!

[ellendune]

From JourneyCheck

NOTE - Following extensive remedial work and testing by Network Rail it is anticipated that a very LIMITED train service will be able to be implemented between Bridgwater and Taunton from Monday 10th March; this will be confirmed in due course. The existing pattern of train service revisions / replacement road transport that has applied to First Great Western services in the area for the past few weeks will continue to operate until such time as the route is fully operational.

[bobm]

Nothing on the Cross Country site yet, but perhaps the first trains through will be their long distance services to Exeter which are currently diverting via Westbury.

[grahame]

Nothing on the Cross Country site yet, but perhaps the first trains through will be their long distance services to Exeter which are currently diverting via Westbury.

Yep, sounds like it ...

From JourneyCheck

NOTE - Following extensive remedial work and testing by Network Rail it is anticipated that a very LIMITED train service will be able to be implemented between Bridgwater and Taunton from Monday 10th March; this will be confirmed in due course. The existing pattern of train service revisions / replacement road transport that has applied to First Great Western services in the area for the past few weeks will continue to operate until such time as the route is fully operational.

... or is that comment written that way just because it's FGW^▸ (First Great Western) flavoured JourneyCheck?

[SandTEngineer]

I thought the train service was very limited anyway, one XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) and one FGW^▸ (First Great Western) service each way per hour with the odd extra service added in certain hours 

[grahame]

I thought the train service was very limited anyway, one XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) and one FGW^▸ (First Great Western) service each way per hour with the odd extra service added in certain hours 

But define "limited"  ... there are lines where 2 trains per hour each way ain't possible, and that would be the case if it was single line, 30 m.p.h., with pilotman for the initial days.  I don't know if that's the case here ...

[SandTEngineer]

I thought the train service was very limited anyway, one XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) and one FGW^▸ (First Great Western) service each way per hour with the odd extra service added in certain hours 

But define "limited"  ... there are lines where 2 trains per hour each way ain't possible, and that would be the case if it was single line, 30 m.p.h., with pilotman for the initial days.  I don't know if that's the case here ...

Well then.  The affected stretch is double track and about 1km long.  Two signal sections affected on the Up Line and one signal section affected on the Down Line.  Signalling power is derived from the Bridgwater end so a temporary supply will be required at the Cogload junction end (could be a temporary generator).   I have seen much worse in my time in the signal engineering industry and we managed to keep things going by all sorts of clever ideas.  Nothing so clever needed here except for a few temporary axle counters and a bit of tweaking to the signalling wiring and controls.

[grahame]

Ok - fair enough.  Are we sure that 2 lines will be open?  At one point, there was concern about washouts / embankment damage and had there been just one line back in operation with the other needing repair, there could have been an awkward single line section with an extra issue of lack of sidings / reversing please at Bridgwater

[Super Guard]

From FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/contents/travel-advice/important-information-about-services-to-and-from-south-west

From tomorrow, Monday 10 March, the railway will reopen between Taunton and Bristol Temple Meads.

This follows weekend repair work by Network Rail and the installation of temporary signalling.

Due to severe damage to track and signals a reduced service will operate. Journey times will be extended by around 30 minutes. As repair work continues it maybe necessary to make short notice changes to the timetable.

Please check carefully before travel using JourneyCheck.

A two hourly shuttle train service will operate between Taunton and Weston-Super-Mare, calling at Bridgwater and Highbridge. Services will depart Taunton at:

Taunton  Bridgwater  Highbridge   Weston-S-Mare
0634   0706   0714 0727
1014   1042   1050 1102
1212   1242 1250 1302
1412   1442   1450 1502
1612   1642 1650   1702
1812   18421850   1907
2012   2045   2054   2105

Services will depart from Weston-Super-Mare at:

Weston-S-Mare Highbridge   Bridgwater   Taunton
0733   0745   0755 0825
1105   1117   1127 1151
1305   1317 1327 1351
1505   1517   1527 1551
1705   1717 1727   1751
1910   1923 1932   2003
2108   2123   2131   2104

Coach services will continue to support the reduced timetable.

CrossCountry trains will also operate between Exeter St Davids and Bristol Temple Meads, calling at Taunton, Bridgwater and Highbridge.

[SandTEngineer]

....and the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) times form the XC website:

Monday 10 - Friday 14 March 2014 from Bristol Temple Meads to Exeter St Davids at 06.40, 09.45, 10.46, 13.05, 14.46, 16.02, 17.45, 19.45; and from Exeter St Davids to Bristol Temple Meads at 09.23, 12.23, 13.24, 15.23, 17.23, 18.25, 20.20.

Combined with the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) shuttle from WSM to Taunton I make that almost an hourly service in both directions (with a few slightly longer gaps and a very long three hour gap in the morning peak).  The XC website is not clear though on arrival times at the destinations or indeed if they are through services to the (far) North and therefore some of the trains might still be diverted via Westbury and be Exeter to Bristol shuttles only.

[ironstone11]

The main rebuild is not quite as the article describes - for a start the blocks are a different shape. I only ever saw one tie-bar per block from the outer to the inner wall - diameter unknown. It took it as there to hold them in place during the pour, and I never saw any other steel ties going into the wall (which is not to say there weren't any).

I think the article in Rail Engineer predates the construction as far as the block shape is concerned. The article did also state that the ties were 36mm, which looks about right.  I stand corrected on the use of more than one tie per block.

Interlocking? They have a groove all round them, but you'd need to put a key in to provide any location, and that's not going to be at all strong.

Yes I agree, they don't interlock - I saw no attempt to put keys in the grooves. Held against the bulk concrete by the ties they are most unlikely to move.

Which fixings do most to hold the L-sections depends on what load they are there to resist. If they are to hold the ballast and track, the inner ones are fine.
So does that mean they are not meant to take loading from the sea side? And would fixing one to the top block really help, if it's not fixed to the one below? I suspect the holes fall close to the inner edge of the blocks, which would make drilling them a bad idea, rather than their being too hard. New concrete may be softer, but if you are using a cutting technique that's not likely to help (it might even make it trickier).

I agree the fixing to the top layer of blocks is probably not a good idea as pressure from the sea side would apply an upward force to the blocks on their sides, which since they are not tied down would not be a good idea. 

Even so, it looks most likely that the original sea wall will be rebuilt on the outside of the concrete blocks so offering even more protection to the new section supporting the railway. It will look an awful mess from the sea if the original wall is not rebuilt. In any case the exposed ends of the original wall will be very venerable to further damage.

NR^» (Network Rail - home page) will get the line up and running by the scheduled date, but they have many months of work ahead of them to finish the job.

[bobm]

This morning's XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise))'s 09:45 from Bristol Temple Meads to Exeter St David's (06:00 ex Leeds) is running via Fordgate with extra calls at Highbridge & Burnham and Bridgwater. Will then stand at Taunton for around an hour before leaving at its booked time based on the diversion via Westbury.

Edit to add: In the end the train wasn't held at Taunton and now set to be 20 minutes early into Exeter.

[ironstone11]

Interestingly they don't seem to be using the outer (sea side) pair of holes on the L shaped pieces. Structurally these are the better ones to use assuming most of the pressure comes from the sea. I wonder if they found the blocks too hard to drill? Probably very hard and with lots of reinforcing.

Which fixings do most to hold the L-sections depends on what load they are there to resist. If they are to hold the ballast and track, the inner ones are fine.

So does that mean they are not meant to take loading from the sea side? And would fixing one to the top block really help, if it's not fixed to the one below? I suspect the holes fall close to the inner edge of the blocks, which would make drilling them a bad idea, rather than their being too hard. New concrete may be softer, but if you are using a cutting technique that's not likely to help (it might even make it trickier).

The fixings are now being  put in the row of holes nearest the sea.

[Lee]

Army shell nearly took out another section of the main line to the West Country last Wednesday - http://www.railnetwork.info/article.php?article_id=5730

[Eliza]

My first posting so hopefully on the right board.

Would anyone like to hazard a guess as to whether the direct service from Taunton to Bath Spa will be running by Wednesday 26 March? I had planned to catch a London-bound train, the 09.05 from Taunton, arriving Bath at 10.11, but that is cancelled presently.

Is my best bet to go from Taunton to Bath via Westbury, catching the 09.21 from Taunton (train bound for Paddington), connecting with the 10.10 departure from Westbury (Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central). Both trains have individual reservable seats, which is the attraction, as my husband is not very mobile.

I couldn't work out if the alternative CrossCountry services, Taunton-Bath via Bristol Temple Meads, would require us to catch the replacement bus service from Taunton to Bristol stations.