Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2014

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

Anyone care to type in that URL?   Is it practical? 

Maybe if it was more practical more people would claim? Not accusing anyone but its a theory...

I think you've hit the nail on the head..........the trickier and less well publicised it is, the fewer people will bother.......how often during "normal" periods of disruption are customers proactively advised as to how they can claim compensation? I can never remember it happening.......ooooh aren't I cynical! 

[bobm]

Actually as a statement I quite like that URL - it shows where FGW^▸ (First Great Western) thinks the blame should lie.

[JayMac]

From ITV News:

First Great Western apologise for rail chaos

The MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) Rob Wilson has received a letter of apology and explanation from Network Rail and First Great Western following last week^s travel chaos. The severe disruption resulted in train delays and cancellations - it took some people 5 hours to complete their journey.

The joint letter from Patrick Hallgate, Route Managing Director for Network Rail, and Mark Hopwood, Managing Director for First Great Western, acknowledged that performance had been ^well below the standards customers should expect^ and that the organisations were sorry for the ^frustration and inconvenience^ felt by passengers.

The delays and disruptions were caused by signalling failures. Billions are being invested in the rail network to replace and modernise older equipment and improve signalling.

Rob Wilson said, ^It^s good that Network Rail and First Great Western have apologised for the severe disruptions to the network. It^s important that the service providers recognise the immense frustration felt by commuters when the system grinds to halt. Whilst apologies and explanations are welcome, they will be of little comfort to commuters who have to suffer when trains are delayed and cancelled. There is huge investment going into transport infrastructure in Reading and the surrounding areas, but without improved performance and increased reliability this investment will be immaterial."

Yes it's good that Patrick Hallgate is now on record apologising, but I have a great deal of sympathy for FGW^▸ (First Great Western). It's they that get all the brick-bats from the travelling public despite being entirely blameless for last week's travel disruption. I'm aware that once you put your name on the side of a train you become the public face of the entire industry. I also appreciate that many folk are unaware that the train operator does not have responsibility for the infrastructure. That said, I'm not entirely comfortable with apologies being given by blameless parties. It would, I think, be much better for the party at fault to be making the apologies. Through the operator if needs be, worded something like:

"Network Rail would like to apologise to all First Great Western passengers..."

A joint letter to an MP is a start, but I'd like to see more humble pie eating by Patrick Hallgate for last week's debacle.

[IndustryInsider]

Might be a coincidence, but the wagons in Langley sidings haven't been filled up with foundation posts to be installed each night since last week's problems.  Work halted whilst things are investigated?

[JayMac]

Might be a coincidence, but the wagons in Langley sidings haven't been filled up with foundation posts to be installed each night since last week's problems.  Work halted whilst things are investigated?

With GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) electrification already seriously over-budget it won't be helpful if work has had to be halted.

[Oxman]

This work is down to Crossrail and has been subcontracted to Balfour Beatty, who operate from the sidings at Langley. GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) is paying for electrification from Maidenhead (exclusive) westwards.

[johoare]

This made the news on the TV this morning too.. They said that the electrification work would be put on hold/slowed down whilst they worked out how to stop this sort of thing happening..

Incidentally there are signalling problems again this morning.. My train is cancelled...

[BBM]

My train this morning, the 0653 from TWY^▸ (Twyford station) (0620 from DID^» (Didcot Parkway - next trains)) wasn't delayed into PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) but it did arrive into HEx Platform 6!

[bobm]

The problems this morning are immediately outside Paddington.

[a-driver]

The problems this morning are immediately outside Paddington.

Track circuit failures outside Paddington which is a repeat of a fault from earlier on this week.  Track circuits are failing because of what's known as 'wet beds'. Basically the track bed is saturated and is not draining properly.

[TaplowGreen]

The problems this morning are immediately outside Paddington.

Track circuit failures outside Paddington which is a repeat of a fault from earlier on this week.  Track circuits are failing because of what's known as 'wet beds'. Basically the track bed is saturated and is not draining properly.

Leaves, rain, sunshine, heat, cold, ice or snow............can all be guaranteed to bring the railway to a grinding halt............tricky stuff is weather! 

[johoare]

Luckily I have a very understanding employer.. Goodness knows what people who don't have that do..

[ChrisB]

We haven't even had excessive rain either....

But Ex-hurricane Gonzalo due next week....ho hum

[a-driver]

We haven't even had excessive rain either....

But Ex-hurricane Gonzalo due next week....ho hum

The amount of lines that have flooded across the country in the past few months with minimal rainfall is testament to the fact that Network Rail's maintenance is severely lacking.
Surely Network Rails delay minutes must be steadily rising yet no one at the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) is in the slightest bit concerned or they've choosen to turn a blind eye.  The last two freight train derailments on the network investigated by the RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) have both come back highlighting track faults as a cause.

Just listening to the radio and they're reporting delays between Chelsmford and Liverpool St of appx 45 minutes due to....... signalling problems

[TonyK]

The problems this morning are immediately outside Paddington.

Carnage all day, according to Journey Check.