Christmas overruns

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From National Rail - today, Saturday 31st December at 09:30 (update overdue??)

Major engineering work at Cardiff Central, that was due to end on Thursday 29 December, was not finished on time. Lines have now reopened, however, a signalling problem continues to disrupt services through the station.

In addition to this, Arriva Trains Wales services are being further disrupted by a shortage of train crew.

The ongoing planned improvement works being carried out by Network Rail at Cardiff Central means that limited platform space and restrictions in train movements are in place. More information on the impact of the current engineering work can be found on this page.

Customer Advice:

Arriva Trains Wales

Services that usually run between Maesteg and Cardiff Central will be replaced by road transport between Bridgend and Cardiff Central, calling at Pencoed, Llanharan and Pontyclun.
Until 14:00, trains that run between Cardiff Central and Swansea calling at Bridgend, Pyle, Port Talbot Parkway, Baglan, Briton Ferry, Neath, Skewen, Llansamlet and Swansea, will be replaced by buses.
A timetable for the above buses can be found here. Alternatively you can check the National Rail Enquiries real-time Journey Planner, to check your journey before you travel.
Customers with tickets dated for Thursday 29 December can travel today.

CrossCountry

You may use Great Western Railway services between Cardiff Central and Newport to help with your journey.

Great Western Railway

Trains through Cardiff Central may be delayed by up to 30 minutes or revised.
Services that run between Taunton and Cardiff Central will run between Taunton and Bristol Temple Meads only and will not call at Filton Abbey Wood, Patchway, Severn Tunnel Junction, Newport and Cardiff.
Services that run between Portsmouth Harbour and Cardiff Central will run between Portsmouth Harbour and Newport only and call additionally at Patchway and Severn Tunnel Junction.
You may use Arriva Trains Wales and CrossCountry services between Cardiff Central and Newport to help with your journey.

Compensation:

You may be entitled to compensation if you experience a delay in completing your journey today. Please keep your train ticket and make a note of your journey, as both will be required to support any claim.

Feedback:

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[Timmer]

I can't help thinking that if this was the English capital not the Welsh one - say similar issues at King's Cross or Paddington - it would be getting far more media attention.

Oh yes, though I suspect it's being well covered by the media in Wales.

[IndustryInsider]

I can't help thinking that if this was the English capital not the Welsh one - say similar issues at King's Cross or Paddington - it would be getting far more media attention.

I guess one of the key factors is that trains are still running, albeit less than planned.  Indeed, the key London trains seem to be getting through with hardly any delays currently.  Had there been a total shutdown (including the Valley Lines) I suspect coverage would have been more widespread.

[SandTEngineer]

Apparently the problem at Cardiff is not the new signalling itself but a mismatch between the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) timetable data and the Automatic Route Setting (ARS^▸ (Automatic Route Setting)) system.  This means that trains are having to be signalled manually which of course increases the signallers workload substantially and means that the level of train service has had to be reduced accordingly.  All NRs and not the contractors (Atkins) fault, so no contractor bashing please

[TonyK]

...the Automatic Route Setting (ARS^▸ (Automatic Route Setting)) system... 

Using Automatic Route Setting Equipment?

[SandTEngineer]

...the Automatic Route Setting (ARS^▸ (Automatic Route Setting)) system... 

Using Automatic Route Setting Equipment?

http://hitachi-infocon.com/products/tresa

TREsa is installed at a number of signalling centres and rail operating centres where it assists signallers in the efficient running of the railway. The system aims to reduce signaller workload demand by automatically routing trains based on timetable and infrastructure data, thereby improving a signallers’ ability to supervise the efficient running of a signalling area and enabling them to concentrate on incident management.

TREsa also provides users with the ability to define operating parameter sets, perturbation plans and special timing patterns on an 'operations workbench'. This simulates the effect of the changes, and ensures that they do not adversely affect the regulation of trains (in a safe, repeatable offline environment). During disrupted operations the pre-tested plans enable the operator to recover the service more efficiently and thus improve network performance.

....and yes, I do know the abbreviation for Automatic Route Setting Equipment but I'm too polite to mention it here, and I'm sure CfN or Grahame won't want to add it to the list of abbreviations used on here either....

[SandTEngineer]

....oh, and the second stage of the Cardiff station signalling commissioning is taking place over Sunday/Monday of the new year (2016/2017).

[Trowres]

Apparently the problem at Cardiff is not the new signalling itself but a mismatch between the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) timetable data and the Automatic Route Setting (ARS^▸ (Automatic Route Setting)) system.  This means that trains are having to be signalled manually which if course increases the signallers workload substantially and means that the level of train service has had to be reduced accordingly.  All NRs and not the contractors (Atkins) fault, so no contractor bashing please

With the benefit of hindsight, would it have been reasonable to have an additional signaller available in case everything didn't work according to plan when the new kit was commissioned?

Also, in the future, what happens when the timetable falls apart for external reasons? - Does the ARS cease to do anything useful in those circumstances, or is it flexible enough to cope?

[SandTEngineer]

With the benefit of hindsight, would it have been reasonable to have an additional signaller available in case everything didn't work according to plan when the new kit was commissioned?

Also, in the future, what happens when the timetable falls apart for external reasons? - Does the ARS^▸ (Automatic Route Setting) cease to do anything useful in those circumstances, or is it flexible enough to cope?

If you follow the link I posted it explains that ARS can be programmed with pre-prepared scenarios that can be loaded into the system at short notice.  However, you can't plan for every possible scenario.

On the subject of extra signallers, well I do believe that NR^» (Network Rail - home page) is somewhat short of them at present as working in one of the large control centres is seen as too a stressful job for the money being offered and lots of the existing staff want to escape as soon as they can.

[grahame]

On the subject of extra signallers, well I do believe that NR^» (Network Rail - home page) is somewhat short of them at present as working in one of the large control centres is seen as too a stressful job for the money being offered and lots of the existing staff want to escape as soon as they can.

But surely something that Network Rail anticipated and has managed for.  Or have they?  I'm (re)minded of a morning that Paddington was at a standstill because of what was reported as a lack of one signaller.

[ChrisB]

There's no lack if signallers though...more (manual) work than normal, meaning a requirement for *extra*...and at this time of year, I doubt any wanted to break intobtheir new year

[grahame]

There's no lack if signallers though...more (manual) work than normal, meaning a requirement for *extra*...and at this time of year, I doubt any wanted to break intobtheir new year

Fair enough ... so much comes down to the question of how much resource you have in place to cover peaks and troughs of requirements, and available to you as contingency cover.  Not only staff but, but also trains should one break down, and spare parts for things.

I've done a lot of work with a major corporation which has significant extreme peaks and troughs in its workload, and where things can "blow up" at a moment's notice.   And indeed at the opposite extreme my own place has to be prepared for the unexpected and to look after customers at any time (24 x 366 last year, 24 x 365 this). We find that the best approach we use is to have a core of important but not time critical work to do,  and for that to be done by people who can step into time critical roles as needed, with rotas (and behind them backup call-out arrangements) set up so there's always healthy coverage.  At busy times, very little of the not-time-critical work will be done.   

We've had a number of unplanned happenings over Christmas and the New Year, but little interruption of service;  worst delay was 5 minutes to check in a customer who arrived 2 hours early on the afternoon of 25th December ... and we would soon get ourselves a bad reputation if we were much worse.  Seems like a different world to the railways - though current odium pendulum for "worst performing" has swung well away from Great Western.

[TaplowGreen]

There's no lack if signallers though...more (manual) work than normal, meaning a requirement for *extra*...and at this time of year, I doubt any wanted to break intobtheir new year

Fair enough ... so much comes down to the question of how much resource you have in place to cover peaks and troughs of requirements, and available to you as contingency cover.  Not only staff but, but also trains should one break down, and spare parts for things.

I've done a lot of work with a major corporation which has significant extreme peaks and troughs in its workload, and where things can "blow up" at a moment's notice.   And indeed at the opposite extreme my own place has to be prepared for the unexpected and to look after customers at any time (24 x 366 last year, 24 x 365 this). We find that the best approach we use is to have a core of important but not time critical work to do,  and for that to be done by people who can step into time critical roles as needed, with rotas (and behind them backup call-out arrangements) set up so there's always healthy coverage.  At busy times, very little of the not-time-critical work will be done.   

We've had a number of unplanned happenings over Christmas and the New Year, but little interruption of service;  worst delay was 5 minutes to check in a customer who arrived 2 hours early on the afternoon of 25th December ... and we would soon get ourselves a bad reputation if we were much worse.  Seems like a different world to the railways - though current odium pendulum for "worst performing" has swung well away from Great Western.

I think it comes down to organisational culture too - I am trying to picture the face of my MD (and our Clients and customers) if I had to explain to him that the service had fallen over and/or we wouldn't have sufficient cover/robust contingencies to meet our customers needs because our guys "didn't want to break into their New Year" - one thing I do know, it wouldn't be a pretty sight (or noise), but I do know that I could count on myself/my guys not to come up with that rather pathetic type of excuse to avoid it.

[grahame]

I think it comes down to organisational culture too ...

I agree, but we could get very political there ... not personally having used Southern recently, I cannot give a comparison between them and any other operator from the same viewpoint, but a common thread I see from many sources about them is that the company / staff relationship is far from wonderful, and the customer service is commonly reported as dire.  I can't help feeling there's a correlation!

[grahame]

From Wales Online

Continuing rail engineering works mean train services are STILL disrupted ...

Getting complicated, as it never really got back to normal between Christmas and the New Year, and we're not into another planned set of engineering works rather than short term cancellations.

A quick look at Real Time Trains shows Cardiff Central limited today to westbound trains headed out of platforms 6, 7 and 8 - buses for the rest.  Some valleys can (and are) being served with trains leaving Cardiff Central, first stop Radyr.