This morning was a nightmare having got stuck in the problems between Didcot and Reading.
The situation this morning highlights just how incompetent Network Rail are. Getting towards the height of passenger traffic you have TWO freight trains virtually following each other. One failed on the West Curve and because the freight train was too long to fit on the curve it blocked the main lines between Reading and Didcot. This begs the question as to why Network Rail allow freight trains that are too long to run on the network, perhaps they don't even know the length of these freight trains that operate.
At the moment, these are the biggest causes of delays around Reading Station. If your train has to queue to get in Reading Station, or stops between Reading and Tilehurst its is generally because either a freight train has been given priority or the freight train that is on the curve is too long and the rear of the train is blocking the mainlines.
No amount of investment is going to stop this happening. It is purely down to poor planning and management by Network Rail for which they need to sort urgently.
Just to prove my point. I can pretty much guarantee you that 2M50 1557 from Paddington to Banbury will be late as it is everyday because Network Rail insist on running a freight train conveying Ford cars right in front of it.
Realtime information for 2M50 is here
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C42491/2014/08/20/advanced......... and the freight train, 6X44 is the one that will delay it
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H37025/2014/08/20/advanced. Watch!!!
At the moment, in the evenings we go down to a two track railway between Didcot and Paddington. Despite these engineering works being planned well in advanced our 90 to 125mph passenger trains are having to share the one line towards London with 50mph freight trains. You can guarantee services between 21:00 and 01:00 will be heavily delayed. The schedules and the times for these don't exist and in some cases, clash with our passenger trains.
If you were to remove freight services or even significantly reduce the number of freight services running through the area you would massively increase punctuality and reliability. Reliability would increase because freight services cause significant damage to the track for which the freight operators DO NOT fully cover the cost of.
A report out by the
ORR» suggests that freight traffic costs ^280-^400 million each year through increased wear and tare on the track. The freight companies only pay around 21% of this cost with the rest being paid by.... yes, you've got it. Passengers and the taxpayer!
(the report by the ORR is here
http://orr.gov.uk/news-and-media/press-releases/2013/rail-freight-charges-to-better-reflect-costs-and-give-industry-clarity-to-plan-for-the-future-orr)
Having said that,
FGW▸ could have helped themselves this morning if they had local managers at each depot working 24 hours a day. As it was, most local managers were only just starting work when this kicked off and as a result walked straight into chaos. You need to have managers with good local knowledge of their particular area who can make proper informed decisions and be able to liaise directly, face to face, with members of traincrew not someone sitting in
HQ▸ somewhere trying to contact all parties. When you have local traincrew managers you get an interaction with traincrew which often results in traincrew suggesting better ways of doing things.
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