Is the GWML(SWL) fit for purpose?

[whole diary]

[simonw]

The severe disruptions to the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line)(SWL^▸ (South Wales Line)) last July and now implies that GWML is not fit for purpose with repeated flooding at

Chipping Sodbury
Wotton Basset
Severn Tunnel

areas. This is exasperated by repeated signal failures, almost a weekly event somewhere.

Are Network Rail planning to address these repeated failures?

I know that Network Rail are planning to invest a lot of money this area, but 18 months ago the Chipping Sodbury area of the GWML(SWL) was shutdown for a week over the summer (More like 10+ days with NR^» (Network Rail - home page) inevitable overruns) and still we get Signal Failures and flooding problems in the area.

 

[dog box]

In fact you are probably right.......but it cant be anything to do with Network rail........i know lets blame FGW^▸ (First Great Western)!?!

[Tim]

I won't worry too much about whether blame gets put on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) or NR^» (Network Rail - home page).  If FGW get constant bad-publicity about thinsg of NR's fault, First Group are big enough and ugly enough (they even have the delightful Alistair Campbell as PR^▸ (Public Relations) consultant) to look after themselves and to pile the pressure onto NR if they wanted to.

[swlines]

Age old infrastructure, you can't really sort that unless you get a week long blockade - in which case everyone will be moaning about the blockade. Sure it may overrun, but an overrun is better than continued failures is it not?

[simonw]

I appreciate that the track and signals and old and need repair.

My gripe is that even the bits they repair (Chipping Sodbury - Aug 2006) have flooded twice in the past 7 months and had several signal failures.

Surely a main line rail network should be flood resistant.

[Mookiemoo]

Age old infrastructure, you can't really sort that unless you get a week long blockade - in which case everyone will be moaning about the blockade. Sure it may overrun, but an overrun is better than continued failures is it not?

To be honest, if they turned around and said that for X number of days a line is going to be completely shut but there would be significant improvements afterwards, most people would accept that.

the criteria would be:

1. They have to give several months notice
2. They have to say what the improvement will be
3. There has to be an improvement afterwards

If they did it at quiet times (summer holiday) or post December 24th then I reckon it could be done if managed properly

[swlines]

To be honest, if they turned around and said that for X number of days a line is going to be completely shut but there would be significant improvements afterwards, most people would accept that.

the criteria would be:

1. They have to give several months notice

First Great Western seem to be rather incompetent in giving any notice for engineering works ... even though a lot of works can be booked months (if not a year) in advance!

2. They have to say what the improvement will be

So, if a weekend blockade is for preparatory work for a week long blockade, that would be satisfactory or not?

3. There has to be an improvement afterwards

Yes, there should be, however certainly with new track, slewing of track, tamping, signalling modifications there will always be teething problems in the form of TSRs^▸ (Temporary Speed Restriction) and failures while they tweak it.

[smokey]

To be honest, if they turned around and said that for X number of days a line is going to be completely shut but there would be significant improvements afterwards, most people would accept that.

the criteria would be:

1. They have to give several months notice

First Great Western seem to be rather incompetent in giving any notice for engineering works ... even though a lot of works can be booked months (if not a year) in advance!





I hate myself for saying this, (praise for FGW^▸ (First Great Western)), but before FGW took over Wessex they (FGW) were the best TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) going for printing weekend admended Timetables, there was always information to hand about Weekend engineering about 3 or 4 weeks ahead of such work.

Now on Monday it's hard to know whats happening the next weekend.

[Timmer]

I hate myself for saying this, (praise for FGW^▸ (First Great Western)), but before FGW took over Wessex they (FGW) were the best TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) going for printing weekend admended Timetables, there was always information to hand about Weekend engineering about 3 or 4 weeks ahead of such work.

Now on Monday it's hard to know whats happening the next weekend.

Indeed FGW were the best and about the only TOC for providing printed amended timetables for EVERY weekend which was a huge credit to them. Though I don't think you need to go to those lengths as good as it was, all you need to do is what FGW used to do before publishing weekly weekend timetables and that was publish several weekend timetables over the winter period to reflect the changes in engineering work as most work takes place over a period of around 2 months or so. Times don't change that much week in week out over the period so this could easily be done.

Now they publish what I call a bulk standard weekend timetable which I don't think has run in its entirity for a single weekend so far and is unlikely to do so, particularly over the ex IC^▸ (Inter City) routes as there is always engineering work going on somewhere along the route.

[simonw]

I posted this question over a week ago, a few days after the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line)/SWL^▸ (South Wales Line) lines first suffered from flooding.

I believe we are now at day 8(?) of flooding/standing water at Chipping Sodbury, with a reduced and severely delayed service from BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains) to Swindon, affecting passengers from Wales and North Bristol on journeys past Swindon to Reading/London.

How can this be?

Is Chipping Sodbury below sea level? - NO
Is it near a major flooding river? - NO

If anyone could explain what is happening, I'd appreciate it!

[swlines]

Poor drainage is likely.

[simonw]

I have an update from one of FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s Customer Representatives ...

I'm sure that FGW can explain it better than me, but Chipping Sodbury tunnel has always been prone to flooding as (so I recall) there is a spring in the tunnel that is very hard to drain, as the only way to drain it would risk flooding a local village.  The tunnel has its own private water supply!

The tunnel used to flood for several days several times each autumn/winter. One year it was completely closed for a couple of weeks.

About 3 years ago a lot of work was done to improve the tunnel and to make it less prone to flooding.  The line was closed for several weeks for the works to be done.  That worked OK till this year, when the amount of rain we've had is so much that the tunnel is flooded again.

It is not often I'm lost for words, but a spring in a tunnel!

[smokey]

I have an update from one of FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s Customer Representatives ...

I'm sure that FGW can explain it better than me, but Chipping Sodbury tunnel has always been prone to flooding as (so I recall) there is a spring in the tunnel that is very hard to drain, as the only way to drain it would risk flooding a local village.  The tunnel has its own private water supply!

The tunnel used to flood for several days several times each autumn/winter. One year it was completely closed for a couple of weeks.

About 3 years ago a lot of work was done to improve the tunnel and to make it less prone to flooding.  The line was closed for several weeks for the works to be done.  That worked OK till this year, when the amount of rain we've had is so much that the tunnel is flooded again.

It is not often I'm lost for words, but a spring in a tunnel!

What so unusal about a spring in a Tunnel, the Severn Tunnel has Sudbrook and if the pumps fail then the tunnel will flood in a matter of Hours and it might take days to pump it dry again.

[Steve35]

Have a read of this report - http://www.wapug.org.uk/past_papers/Autumn_2004/hale.pdf
Chipping Sodbury tunnel actually passes through 3 major aquifers which can dump up to 2.5 cubic metres of water in the tunnel per second.

[simonw]

Todays landslip near Chipping Sodubury further emphasises that the this line is not fit for purpose.

For far to long, BR^▸ (British Rail(ways))+NR^» (Network Rail - home page)+Government have neglected this line. Speed restrictions, signal failures, point failures and landslides are systematic of poor maintenace of the track infrastructure which is not a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) fault.

It is about time that FGW started representing us, the customers, to NR+Government and demand value for money for the franchise fee.