Slippery rails, flooding, landslips and other issues - November 2016 (merged topic)

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

Yes HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train), one of the two Pad-Bri services, now being diverted via Melksham in both directions. The other services going via Badminton with the line having reopened albeit with speed restrictions.

[TaplowGreen]

.............maybe everyone should stop worrying quite so much about spending tens of millions of £ to address once in a generation events like Dawlish, and instead focus on making a railway across the region robust enough to deal with entirely predictable weather events such as two days of heavy rain and leaf fall?

[Chris from Nailsea]

I have just this minute received an e-mail from the Great Western Railway press office announcing that,

Rail tickets to be valid tomorrow as flooding stops trains
 
Due to severe flooding at a number of separate locations across the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) network, rail passengers are being advised not to travel.
 
GWR tickets for today will be valid tomorrow.
 
With the mainline route into Devon and Cornwall blocked at two separate locations, and the mainline route between London and Bristol Temple Meads blocked, GWR services have been significantly affected.
 
A queueing system has been put in place at Bristol Temple Meads station to ensure passengers can board and alight trains safely.
 
Further localised flooding is impacting services between Bristol Temple Meads and Taunton and those trains that are able to run will be in extremely high demand.
 
The line between London and South Wales, via Bristol Parkway, is expected to reopen shortly, however service levels will be significantly reduced, with extended journey times.
 
Network Rail has teams on site, and are working hard to alleviate flood water at sites across the Great Western route. Passengers can get the latest information at www.GWR.com.

[grahame]

Yes HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train), one of the two Pad-Bri services, now being diverted via Melksham in both directions. The other services going via Badminton with the line having reopened albeit with speed restrictions.

One TransWilts round trip (peak one, naturally   ) cancelled ... the 18:52 off Swindon still showing as running, and there is room on the single line for 2 x HST + 1 other per hour. Looks sensible in the circumstances.  

Biggest TransWilts problem is how to avoid the help point giving out silly and incorrect information - if it were only linked to Twitter it would give realistic answers rather that "catch the Stagecoach bus to Swindon" which goes no nearer the station than 3 miles away ... or "get yourself a taxi an claim back" which with the lack of a phone at the station, and a lack of £20 spare in the wallet, may not be all that easy!

[JayMac]

I'm on the same train as JohnR. We've joined forces to use all the tools at our disposal to see how we will get to our destinations. Said tools are useless when you have neither WiFi or mobile data. Just passing through Sodden Chipbury tunnel.

I'm trying to get to Taunton and, as I write, both routes from Bristol TM^‡(resolve) (via Yatton and via Westbury/Castle Cary) are closed.

[TaplowGreen]

See attached for more........

[chuffed]

Apparently the temporary closure was to allow disembarking passengers room to get out of the station whilst holding back passengers intending to board. I wonder if anyone found the keys to the Bonaparte and Queen Anne gates.......just shows how Temple Meads improvements can't come soon enough.

[signalandtelegraph]

I'm on the same train as JohnR. We've joined forces to use all the tools at our disposal to see how we will get to our destinations. Said tools are useless when you have neither WiFi or mobile data. Just passing through Sodden Chipbury tunnel.

I'm trying to get to Taunton and, as I write, both routes from Bristol TM^‡(resolve) (via Yatton and via Westbury/Castle Cary) are closed.

On the 1645 Cross Country ex Bristol running via Westbury,  line at Bruton now apparently reopened.  Flooding at Flax Bourton had gone when we left , but line was flooded at Uphill and they were waiting for PW^▸ (Permanent Way) to inspect. 1445, 1513 and 1544 Cross Country services all cancelled at Bristol.   

[grahame]

I'm on the same train as JohnR. We've joined forces to use all the tools at our disposal to see how we will get to our destinations. Said tools are useless when you have neither WiFi or mobile data. Just passing through Sodden Chipbury tunnel.

I'm trying to get to Taunton and, as I write, both routes from Bristol TM^‡(resolve) (via Yatton and via Westbury/Castle Cary) are closed.

Falcon? - https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s3.amazonaws.com/Timetables/South%20West/falcon%20web%20revised%20Sept%2016.pdf

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

Flooding in Chipping Sodbury Tunnel is a predictable occurrence when there’s a lot of rain, but I can’t recall Box Tunnel being similarly affected.  I hope the lowering of the track last year for electrification isn’t a contributory factor…. 

[signalandtelegraph]

From NRE^‡(resolve)

Heavy rain is flooding the railway between Taunton and Bristol Temple Meads which is causing disruption to journeys between these stations. Trains may be amended, cancelled or delayed by up to 60 minutes. Disruption is expected to continue until the end of the day

Customer Advice for Great Western Railway customers:


You may use your rail tickets on the following:

CrossCountry on reasonable routes.

Buses of Somerset routes 21, 21A, 21C between Taunton and Bridgwater / Highbridge & Burnham / Weston-Super-Mare

First Buses on routes:

126 between Weston-Super-Mare and Weston Milton
 X1 between Weston-Super-Mare and Weston Milton / Worle / Nailsea & Backwell / Bristol                                             
 X5 between Weston-Super-Mare and Weston Milton / Worle / Bristol Parkway
 X6A between Yatton and Nailsea & Backwell / Bristol
 X8 between Bristol and Nailsea & Backwell
 X9 between Bristol and Nailsea

Customers with tickets for travel today Monday 21st of November who have been unable to or do not want to travel due to flooding may use tickets on Tuesday 22nd November.

CrossCountry customers may use Great Western Railway on reasonable routes

[Chris from Nailsea]

An overview, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

UK^▸ (United Kingdom) flooding: Roads closed and trains diverted


Roads are flooded in Plymouth

Parts of England already battered by Storm Angus have seen roads shut and trains diverted due to more flooding.

Network Rail has advised all passengers on Great Western Railway (GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)) services not to travel to the west of England and south Wales as rail lines are blocked and services cancelled.

Flooding has shut roads and strong wind has brought down power cables in Devon.

Forecasters have warned already-flooded areas are at risk of more flooding in the next 24 hours.

Wet weather is expected to sweep across the South West and move north, causing more disruption.

Across England the Environment Agency has issued 29 flood warnings where flooding is "expected" and action is required" - 28 in the South West and one in Leicestershire.

The weather has caused people to be rescued and travel disruption across England:
- A pregnant woman and her one-year-old child have been rescued from a car that got stuck in flood water in Essex
- Bristol Temple Meads railway station is open following reports of its closure earlier due to overcrowding. However, passengers are being asked to queue outside the station
- All rail lines are blocked between Bristol and Taunton because of flooding and trains between Bristol Parkway and Swindon are being diverted because of flooding in Chipping Sodbury
- Trains between Cardiff and London Paddington have been cancelled and diversions are in place on other routes
- Flooding at the railway at Whimple is causing disruption to trains between Exeter St Davids and Yeovil Junction
- Roads are shut, including the A376 Exmouth Road heading towards Exeter and the road through Cheddar Gorge, Somerset
- There are 10 flood warnings in place across Devon, three in Somerset and three in Dorset
- East Anglia, the Midlands, South East and Wales have a "be aware" warning where flooding is "possible"
- Nine schools in Devon have been shut because of flooding
- A driver had to be rescued from his van in St Clears, Carmarthenshire, after becoming stuck in flood water
- The newly-renovated offices of the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner have been flooded in Exeter


Mid and West Wales Fire Service were called out to rescue this van driver in Carmarthenshire


Cars submerged at Whitchurch Lane, Bristol

Storm Angus brought gusts of more than 80mph and caused power cuts for more than 1,000 homes in the South West.

[Timmer]

Flooding in Chipping Sodbury Tunnel is a predictable occurrence when there’s a lot of rain, but I can’t recall Box Tunnel being similarly affected.  I hope the lowering of the track last year for electrification isn’t a contributory factor…. 

You would certainly hope not now the wires won't be going through the tunnel for the foreseeable future.

[trainer]

Customer Advice for Great Western Railway customers:


You may use your rail tickets on the following:

...

Buses of Somerset routes 21, 21A, 21C between Taunton and Bridgwater / Highbridge & Burnham / Weston-Super-Mare

First Buses on routes:

126 between Weston-Super-Mare and Weston Milton
 X1 between Weston-Super-Mare and Weston Milton / Worle / Nailsea & Backwell / Bristol                                            
 X5 between Weston-Super-Mare and Weston Milton / Worle / Bristol Parkway
 X6A between Yatton and Nailsea & Backwell / Bristol
 X8 between Bristol and Nailsea & Backwell
 X9 between Bristol and Nailsea

I'm not sure what time this information was sent out by NRE^‡(resolve), but the last X5 to BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains) leaves at 15:45 from Weston and the last X6a has gone from Yatton (the last bus is 18:45) as I write this. Anyone travelling this evening needs to check carefully that there is actually a bus before relying on what appears to be a good series of options.

[TaplowGreen]

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