Derailment of empty passenger train at Paddington causes major disruption - 16 June 2016

[whole diary]

[phile]

Thanks for the thanks. 

It was indeed something of a challenge - but not perhaps as much of a challenge as fixing the physical damage caused by the incident itself. 

Thanks to you and Graham for the task of separating the thread.   Appreciate that the longer a double thread or incorrect thread goes on, the worse it is to merge.

[TaplowGreen]

It would be interesting to know what GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) propose offering to their season ticket holders in terms of compensation via void days etc in terms of disruption over the last few days.

[ellendune]

I see form NR^» (Network Rail - home page) tweets that the offending train has now been re-railed and removed to Old Oak Common

https://twitter.com/networkrailwest/status/744240821747200001

https://twitter.com/networkrailwest/status/744242174670290944

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Derailed London Paddington train is finally moved


Network Rail said engineers would carry on working at the site following the incident.

A train that has been stuck on the line at Paddington since Thursday evening causing disruption has been moved, Network Rail have said.

The empty train was automatically derailed after passing a red signal outside Paddington.

Although the train has been shifted, engineers will continue to work on the site throughout the night to repair damage to the line, Network Rail said.

A damaged gantry which the train crashed into was removed earlier.

Platforms one to five remain closed at Paddington, and in total Network Rail has so far deployed 50 engineers to work on the incident.

Network Rail had originally hoped to remove the train at about 22:00 BST on Friday.


The two carriages have been separated and are being placed on the track one at a time


The damaged gantry which has hit by the train when it derailed was removed earlier this morning

A Network Rail spokesperson said earlier that work would be ongoing throughout Saturday now that the "complicated" work to clear electric power cables had been completed.

With the train lifted clear, the track will be inspected for damage and the electrical cabling will be reconnected, he said.

No timescale has been given for when a full service will be running again.


The derailed train has severely disrupted services into and out of the station


Engineers are using a jack to lift the train and move it back on the track

Great Western Railway have advised passengers to "travel only if necessary and arrive in plenty of time", although a limited service is running.

The derailment has been referred to the Rail Accident Investigation Branch to investigate why the driver passed a red signal.

Network Rail has said it will "await the conclusion of the official investigation" before commenting on the cause of the crash.


Engineers said clearing the electric power cables safely was "the tricky bit"


Electric power cables will be reconnected after the track is inspected for damage

[TaplowGreen]

Network Rails comments re: "awaiting the outcome of the investigation" are interesting bearing in mind that they have already broadcast the fact that it was caused by driver error in passing a red signal!

[stuving]

Network Rails comments re: "awaiting the outcome of the investigation" are interesting bearing in mind that they have already broadcast the fact that it was caused by driver error in passing a red signal!

That "cause" only explains why there was an accident on that occasion. It does not explain the amount of damage, and hence of disruption, nor what led the driver to do that, how likely it was, and what would make it less likely in the future. Those will be the RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch)'s concern, but NR^» (Network Rail - home page) will be providing much of the information for their investigation.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Meanwhile,

No timescale has been given for when a full service will be running again.

 

[TaplowGreen]

Meanwhile,

No timescale has been given for when a full service will be running again.

 

.....an element of normality has returned today to be fair.......lots of cancellations due to staff shortages and "more trains than usual  needing repairs at the same time"........

[grahame]

.....an element of normality has returned today to be fair.......lots of cancellations due to staff shortages and "more trains than usual  needing repairs at the same time"........

Lots of Heathrow cancellations, but they don't show up on our top-of-page feeds or JourneyCheck.  And a least one train will be in for unplanned repair due to running off the catch points and being stopped abruptly by the pole for the electrics. 

[LiskeardRich]

The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) have a video of the rerailing here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-36569006

[Electric train]

The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) have a video of the rerailing here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-36569006

It is interesting to see that the lifting gear looks the same as the stuff I was trained on as an apprentice at OOC^▸ (Old Oak Common (depot)) .............. errrrrrrrrrrrr 4 decades ago     

[broadgage]

Presumably the new electrification structure will have to go in the same place as the damaged one, since to do otherwise would require redesign.
That would seem to allow a small but real risk of a repeat incident and consequent substantial disruption.

Would it be worth installing a barrier to stop any derailed train before it strikes the mast ? perhaps something cheap  and simple like a pile of sand bags.
Running into a pile of sand bags would stop the train quickly, but NOT as abruptly as striking a steel structure, the risk to the driver would be reduced.

Worth considering not just at the site of this mishap, but at any other vulnerable locations ?

[Electric train]

Presumably the new electrification structure will have to go in the same place as the damaged one, since to do otherwise would require redesign.
That would seem to allow a small but real risk of a repeat incident and consequent substantial disruption.

Would it be worth installing a barrier to stop any derailed train before it strikes the mast ? perhaps something cheap  and simple like a pile of sand bags.
Running into a pile of sand bags would stop the train quickly, but NOT as abruptly as striking a steel structure, the risk to the driver would be reduced.

Worth considering not just at the site of this mishap, but at any other vulnerable locations ?

It will need to go roughly in the same place. 

Also you have to be careful of not engineering to the what if , SandTEngineer has already posted that he believes that the structure is beyond the limit for catch point run through.

We need to wait for the RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) report as to the cause as their recommendations will guide future designs and risk assessments also if operating, maintenance, training etc process need to be changed

[BerkshireBugsy]

I am trying to plan my journey from Reading to Blackfriers tomorrow and need to be there for 9am - anyone have any indications as to how services will be running in the morning or is it wait and see?

[TaplowGreen]

Have you tried tweeting GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)?