Easter engineering works and subsequent ongoing disruption - April / May 2015

[whole diary]

[IanL]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website at 1554 all lines closed, disruption until 23:59

On bus replacement, it takes an hour from Oxford to Charlbury in normal times (including going via Hanborough) but this is worse at the moment due to the A420 west bound being closed causing major congestion in the A34, A40 west and A44.

[TaplowGreen]

Yep the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) site was updated with the 2359 at 1603 too...........and as if that wasn't enough just as we approach evening peak;

Due to signalling problems between Maidenhead and Marlow all lines are blocked.
Impact:
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled or delayed by up to 50 mins. An estimate for the resumption of normal services will be provided as soon as the problem has been fully assessed. Last Updated :20/04/2015 16:05

[NickB]

Don't know why I bother with trains anymore...

Just got an email from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) saying alterations to Padd-->Worcester services will last into tomorrow morning.

[ChrisB]

Yep, me too

Due to a signalling problem between Charlbury and Oxford, there are significant alterations to services today (20/04/15) and in the morning of 21/04/15. Please visit www.journeycheck.com/firstgreatwesternfor full details of alterations before travelling. To ask us about the disruption, please visit us on Twitter @fgw

[TaplowGreen]

Cancellations to services between Oxford and Charlbury
Due to signalling problems between Oxford and Charlbury some Oxford bound lines are blocked.
Impact:
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until 23:59 21/04.

.....looks like this one is going to take a while to sort out - good luck anyone heading that way  today.

[ChrisB]

I understand that the points (or part at least) need replacing

[ChrisB]

From a CLPG^» (Cotswold Line Promotion Group - about) colleague

I'm on the Up Cathedrals (1P26 06.42 HFD^» (Hereford - next trains)-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)) and we've been informed that we are the last Up train to run through the affected section today and the only through Dn trains today will be the 17.22/18.22/19.22, all according to the Senior Conductor's info. There is a track gang on site at the junction.

[TaplowGreen]

..............I wonder if there will ever be a day.......just one day when the signalling system doesn't fall over? 

Delays to services between Maidenhead and London Paddington Due to signalling problems between Maidenhead and London Paddington trains have to run at reduced speed on the London bound main line.
Impact:
Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed by up to 15 mins. Disruption is expected until 12:00 21/04.
Customer Advice:
Passengers travelling from Reading to Taplow and Burnham are advised to change at Slough.

[stebbo]

I had to go to London today but was alarmed by the reports of the points failure at Charlbury yesterday. Turned up at Kingham this morning to be told that the 0820 (the Cathedrals Express) was the last train going to London and no guarantee of trains back as the points problem still hadn't been fixed.
So I went to Banbury and had two clean efficient on-time journeys courtesy of Chiltern.
Get back this evening and I see there's still a problem. Given the point work must be fairly new given the redoubling is not that long ago, what's the issue? Two days worth of trouble - come on...........?
And is somebody being held accountable for this? Seems ridiculous to me - OK I'm not an engineer but what's going on?

[ChrisB]

a-driver told us.....

Seems to have been caused by a points failure which was made worse by a train running through the set of points in question when they were set against his train (not the fault of the driver). The damage caused to the points meant they could not been used with pilot man working being introduced.

A birdy told me

I was told that the points blade or clamp lock has to come from Germany!!

So it might be a while longer yet. Shouldn't they be keeping at least one spare of everything somewhere in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)?....it can't be the only one of it'd kind here in the UK, surely?

Maybe NR^» (Network Rail - home page) are short of money, they appear to be having a sale!!!

[Louis94]

I had to go to London today but was alarmed by the reports of the points failure at Charlbury yesterday. Turned up at Kingham this morning to be told that the 0820 (the Cathedrals Express) was the last train going to London and no guarantee of trains back as the points problem still hadn't been fixed.
So I went to Banbury and had two clean efficient on-time journeys courtesy of Chiltern.
Get back this evening and I see there's still a problem. Given the point work must be fairly new given the redoubling is not that long ago, what's the issue? Two days worth of trouble - come on...........?
And is somebody being held accountable for this? Seems ridiculous to me - OK I'm not an engineer but what's going on?

The points failure is at Wolvercote Junction (near Oxford), not Charlbury. There was a points failure on Monday and upon inspection the points had been damaged by a train. This required some work to be done to make them fit for service. Yesterday (Tuesday) the points were fit to be used however required to be clipped in place for any movements - therefore for every movement to and from Charlbury the points would need to be unclipped, moved and then clipped again. Therefore a limited service was running to/from London. The points were due to be back to normal operation this morning at 8, however that has slipped a bit and they are still not back to normal operations now.

[BerkshireBugsy]

I had to go to London today but was alarmed by the reports of the points failure at Charlbury yesterday. Turned up at Kingham this morning to be told that the 0820 (the Cathedrals Express) was the last train going to London and no guarantee of trains back as the points problem still hadn't been fixed.
So I went to Banbury and had two clean efficient on-time journeys courtesy of Chiltern.
Get back this evening and I see there's still a problem. Given the point work must be fairly new given the redoubling is not that long ago, what's the issue? Two days worth of trouble - come on...........?
And is somebody being held accountable for this? Seems ridiculous to me - OK I'm not an engineer but what's going on?

The points failure is at Wolvercote Junction (near Oxford), not Charlbury. There was a points failure on Monday and upon inspection the points had been damaged by a train. This required some work to be done to make them fit for service. Yesterday (Tuesday) the points were fit to be used however required to be clipped in place for any movements - therefore for every movement to and from Charlbury the points would need to be unclipped, moved and then clipped again. Therefore a limited service was running to/from London. The points were due to be back to normal operation this morning at 8, however that has slipped a bit and they are still not back to normal operations now.

What an excellent explanation - thank you.

[phile]

I have read elsewhere that the actual cause the points were run through by a XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) train was due to a bird in the points preventing them to operate correctly.

[ChrisB]

Shouldn't that have prevented the route signalling clearing to green?

[NickB]

A bird in the points is worth two on the concourse.