Dawlish Sea Wall

[whole diary]

[GWR 158]

How long will the new Dawlish Sea Wall last?

[grahame]

How long will the new Dawlish Sea Wall last?

Who can tell?     .  Take a long read at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=22771.0 and you'll get some idea of what's going on - idea is for a "permanent" solution but 60 years, 100 years, who knows?

[paul7575]

The planning documents for the Marine Parade section reckoned a 100 year design life.

The drawings for the section just started, (Coastguards to Colonnade), also include a predicted mean high water level (MHWL) in 2115 of about 90 cm above the 2017 value.

[PhilWakely]

Significant challenges today.

A couple of Voyagers managed to negotiate the waves before XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) stopped all services west of Exeter.  Three GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) killed by sea water.

[bobm]

The report I saw suggests the Exeter to Plymouth IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) quoted in the article was NOT hit by the sea but was running in “special mode” when it came to a stand.  Anyone know more?

Once on the move, after crossing back over at Teignmouth to the down line, it then ran empty to Laira.

[johnneyw]

Seemed not too bad after 4pm at Dawlish on the 11th Feb XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) service I was on to Temple Meads.  It was an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) and the waves weren't too splashy.

[plymothian]

Sea wall has been closed by Network Rail for safety.

[GBM]

from journeycheck (thanks to pymothian for the heads-up)
Alterations to services between Newton Abbot and Exeter St Davids
Due to the sea flooding the railway between Newton Abbot and Exeter St Davids all lines are closed.
Train services running through these stations will be delayed or revised. Some stations between Newton Abbot and Exeter St Davids will not be served. Disruption is expected until 11:00 12/02.
Further Information
An update will follow within the next 1 hour.
If you hold a valid single, return, or weekly ticket, you will be able to claim compensation for delays of 15 minutes or more. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).com/DelayRepay
Last Updated:12/02/2021 07:54

When the new IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)'s were introduced, this was one of the first questions asked in this forum I believe.
The answer was the trials were good, and they were cleared to run.
Nature showed otherwise!

I note this closure is a Notwork Fail closure. so presume they pay the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s for lost running?

[GBM]

And as a P.S to my post above.
Those trains stopped shorted - how are passengers transferred to the onward connection?
Guess there are not too many passengers involved, but in journeycheck there is no mention of bustitution; guess it's all taxi transport.

[plymothian]

First Travel Solutions has begun to source coaches.
1 Tamar Coaches coach is en route to Netwon Abbot currently.

[ellendune]

Question:

Which section of the line has the problem?  Does it give hope that the improvement works will resolve or at least improve the problem?

[REVUpminster]

Looking at the Dawlish cam about an hour after high tide this morning the wall was getting a good pasting and waves coming over the top but with less force and more spray that reached the cam lens.

[broadgage]

from journeycheck (thanks to pymothian for the heads-up)
Alterations to services between Newton Abbot and Exeter St Davids
Due to the sea flooding the railway between Newton Abbot and Exeter St Davids all lines are closed.
Train services running through these stations will be delayed or revised. Some stations between Newton Abbot and Exeter St Davids will not be served. Disruption is expected until 11:00 12/02.
Further Information
An update will follow within the next 1 hour.
If you hold a valid single, return, or weekly ticket, you will be able to claim compensation for delays of 15 minutes or more. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).com/DelayRepay
Last Updated:12/02/2021 07:54

When the new IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)'s were introduced, this was one of the first questions asked in this forum I believe.
The answer was the trials were good, and they were cleared to run.
Nature showed otherwise!

I note this closure is a Notwork Fail closure. so presume they pay the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s for lost running?

I, and others predicted that the new units would fail to cope with the severe but well known conditions at Dawlish. I based my prediction not on any detailed technical analysis, but on the performance of other new trains such as voyagers, and on a cynical suspicion that new trains are often less reliable under adverse conditions.

Supporters of IETs felt that I was being unduly negative, and pointed out that coping with Dawlish conditions was an "essential requirement" written into the specification.
When the new trains failed to operate reliably under known adverse conditions, it was revealed that the "essential requirement" was in fact only a requirement for decorative finishes to survive, with no requirement that the trains actually work.

[bobm]

In addition to the problems between Dawlish and Teignmouth, there has now been an incident near Starcross.

The mast of a boat being battered in the harbour has damaged a railway signal so access to Dawlish Warren from the Exeter end is now cut off.

[stuving]

Supporters of IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) felt that I was being unduly negative, and pointed out that coping with Dawlish conditions was an "essential requirement" written into the specification.
When the new trains failed to operate reliably under known adverse conditions, it was revealed that the "essential requirement" was in fact only a requirement for decorative finishes to survive, with no requirement that the trains actually work.

Where on earth did you get that from? It falls in the technical category known as "bollocks".

This is from Rail Magazine (HRE is Hitachi Rail Europe):

HRE spokesman Sam Fisk told RAIL on February 14 2017 that tests have been carried out to ensure the ‘802s’ can withstand rough weather on the Dawlish Sea Wall section. When weather is poor, or there are rough seas, Class 220/221 Voyagers are currently unable to run along the route.

Fisk explained that brake resistors positioned on top of the roof of the HRE trains are partly raised, whereas on a Voyager they are in a well. He said rigorous testing has shown that water brushes off the raised component. The exhaust pipe is not connected to any electrical supplies, so any water that does go down it does not affect the train.

He added that because the vehicles are also powered independently, should there be a failure somehow caused by the water, the train can still continue in traffic.

Basically, Hitachi screwed up. Not the only example, either. And note that 800s are better off than 802s, not having brake resistors on the roof. They just weren't intended to go past Exeter, though required to be able to do so.