Happy Monday! (28 July 2014)

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

.....here we go again!

Services between Taunton, Bedwyn and Newbury - Monday 28th July 2014 - Update at 07:45

A problem with signalling equipment in the Newbury area is resulting in diversions and cancellations to services. Trains travelling from the West Country towards Reading and London Paddington will be diverted via an alternative route, with increased journey times.

Services that normally operate between Reading and Newbury/Bedwyn will terminate and restart at Newbury Racecourse. Road transport has been ordered, however only limited numbers are available. Network Rail engineers are on site attempting to rectify the problem. For full details of alterations to our services, please visit our journeycheck webpage.

[a-driver]

Plus earlier this morning....

"A person has been hit by a train at Keynsham. All services between Bristol and Bath may be delayed or cancelled. Updates to follow"

[bobm]

Both the routes via Keynsham and Newbury re-opened, although some TV^▸ (Thames Valley) stopping services still terminating/starting from Newbury Racecourse rather than Newbury.

[stuving]

Cheer up - it could be worse; you could be in Hove.

It's been raining heavily since 5:15 - the storm has grown but not moved since then. Lightning has taken out the DC^▸ (Direct Current) power, so even the one FGW^▸ (First Great Western) train currently in those parts can barely pick its way round the dead electric ones (1N96 currently reported arrived at Shoreham 90 minutes late).

[bobm]

Also seen unconfirmed reports that a metal footbridge and a petrol station have been struck in the Hove area.

[a-driver]

Both the routes via Keynsham and Newbury re-opened, although some TV^▸ (Thames Valley) stopping services still terminating/starting from Newbury Racecourse rather than Newbury.

It's a points failure so those trains that would normally start/terminate in the bay platform at Newbury can't access it.
The points have been locked and secured for access to the two through platforms.

[bobm]

Both the routes via Keynsham and Newbury re-opened, although some TV^▸ (Thames Valley) stopping services still terminating/starting from Newbury Racecourse rather than Newbury.

It's a points failure so those trains that would normally start/terminate in the bay platform at Newbury can't access it.
The points have been locked and secured for access to the two through platforms.

Which I assume means if there are any fast services booked to pass Bedwyn services at Newbury they won't be able to either.

[Louis94]

(1N96 currently reported arrived at Shoreham 90 minutes late).

Return workings is starting at Barnham at 0937 (and still not started), only went to Shoreham to help stranded people on the island platform at Worthing as the subway was flooded.

[BBM]

The 0653 from TWY^▸ (Twyford station) passed through a torrential storm in the West Drayton area, no problems on the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) but a few miles further north on the A40 at Uxbridge it looks like things were a lot worse:

http://www.itv.com/news/london/story/2014-07-28/flash-flooding-as-torrential-rain-sweeps-across-london/

[Electric train]

This morning I was on the 06:31 from Maidenhead there was an electrical storm with quite a lot of lightening.  The train came to halt on UM in the Taplow / Burnham area the drive announced that signals had blacked out but we would be on the move soon and we were about a 5 - 7 min delay (shame really as this was the first time in over a week the 06:31 departed Maidenhead on time)

My guess the electrical storm had caused a mains power interruption, this caused I suspect caused the diesel stand-by generator at Maidenhead to start, might even have been Slough PSB^▸ (Power Signal Box) or both.  These gen sets take once the power fails 10 seconds to start however it can take the signalling system a few minuets to reset and for the signaller to clear signals he has control of.

So today in GWland we had a system that failed but the system did what it was designed to do

[stuving]

  These gen sets take once the power fails 10 seconds to start however it can take the signalling system a few minuets to reset and for the signaller to clear signals he has control of.

Presumably the new signalling will be provided with UPSs throughout, at least to bridge the time until something bigger kicks in?

[SandTEngineer]

Both the routes via Keynsham and Newbury re-opened, although some TV^▸ (Thames Valley) stopping services still terminating/starting from Newbury Racecourse rather than Newbury.

It's a points failure so those trains that would normally start/terminate in the bay platform at Newbury can't access it.
The points have been locked and secured for access to the two through 9eplatforms.

I think it must be more serious than that as the fault was still on at 1500 when the train I was on (1406 Padd to Penzance) was signalled (or should that be not signalled  ) via the passenger loop between Newbury Racecourse and Newbury, stopping at each signal.  The points at the London end of Newbury station were all C&P in the Normal position.

[bobm]

So today in GWland we had a system that failed but the system did what it was designed to do

I suppose in a way that's what we had on Friday. The signals and points failed and the "system" says nothing moves until everyone is sure it is safe to do so.

Leaving aside the issue of communication to passengers - I'd far rather it was that way than a rush to restore services and compromise safety.

[LiskeardRich]

Since Friday, I have personally had 101 minutes of delays. Wouldn't like to see how many delay minutes Network Rail has against them.

[JayMac]

Plus earlier this morning....

"A person has been hit by a train at Keynsham. All services between Bristol and Bath may be delayed or cancelled. Updates to follow"

From The Bath Chronicle:

Body of man found on train line in Saltford Tunnel

The body of a man was discovered early this morning on the train line between Bath and Bristol in Saltford Tunnel.

British Transport Police were called to the scene at 05.33 when the body was discovered.

They are treating the death as 'non-suspicious'

The identity of the dead man is not known, and police have passed a file to the coroner's office.

An ambulance also attended the scene.

Train lines between Bath and Bristol were disrupted during the early Monday rush hour, and there were no trains between Bath and Bristol for over an hour and a half after the incident.

Lines were open by 7.30 and trains are now running as normal.

Train company First Great Western tweeted a message before 7am to say no trains were running between the two cities.

First Great Western said: "Disruption on First Great Western between Bristol Temple Meads and Bath Spa due to person hit by train at Keynsham."