Problems with IET trains from April 2021

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

It’ll be interesting to see how the industry pulls together in this crisis as it looks like we’ll have several days (at least) of very limited availability.  Thank goodness this hasn’t happened during ‘normal’ times but it will still obviously be a major challenge.

[Lee]

Dear Graham

You may be aware that this morning Hitachi withdrew their long distance InterCity Express (IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan))) trains from service as a precautionary measure following routine inspection of the fleet overnight.  This has affected a number of rail companies including GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), and Hitachi are now carrying out checks on all IET trains.

Services on all our long distance routes were therefore cancelled today and it is now clear that this will continue into tomorrow, Sunday 9 May. We are advising customers on long distance routes not to travel. Refunds will be provided, and customers should visit www.gwr.com for more information.  Our local and branch line services are unaffected, but we expect them to be busy given the current situation.

As soon as the trains have been checked and cleared, we will release them back into service.  However, until the inspections are complete, we will not know the impact on services next week. GWR managers and teams are therefore looking now to see how we might use the rest of our fleet to provide the best possible service across our routes.   

As things become clearer we will update you and we will keep customers informed of changes through our social media and on our website – www.gwr.com

We are grateful for anything you can do to help with that, and I will be back in touch as things develop.

Best wishes
 
Jane
Jane Jones | Head of Public Affairs | Great Western Railway

I really dont envy her job right now. About the only consolation she must have is at least she isn't a member of Keir Starmer's Shadow Cabinet.

On a more serious note though, we have the ominous "GWR managers and teams are therefore looking now to see how we might use the rest of our fleet to provide the best possible service across our routes." Will this see rolling stock removed from local services to plug some of the main line gaps?

[grahame]

I really dont envy her job right now. About the only consolation she must have is at least she isn't a member of Keir Starmer's Shadow Cabinet.

On a more serious note though, we have the ominous "GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) managers and teams are therefore looking now to see how we might use the rest of our fleet to provide the best possible service across our routes." Will this see rolling stock removed from local services to plug some of the main line gaps?

I have started a separate thread to "headline" this for new arrivals at http://www.passenger.chat/24974 / helping Jane and Mark get the message out. Comments elsewhere that 67 out of 78 IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) are effected and there's a thought or speculation that Castles will be running up to Reading and Paddington on some services.   Yes - don't get trains from nowhere so there may be some thinning out - WHERE THAT CAN BE BORN, I hope!

[ellendune]

My understanding was that this problem was first flagged almost a fortnight ago, so one would imagine some sort of contingency  or at least advance communication could have been arranged.

Just to be clear we now know that this is an entirely different problem to the one flagged two weeks ago.  So not foreseeable in the way suggested. 

[TonyN]

My understanding was that this problem was first flagged almost a fortnight ago, so one would imagine some sort of contingency  or at least advance communication could have been arranged.

Just to be clear we now know that this is an entirely different problem to the one flagged two weeks ago.  So not foreseeable in the way suggested. 

Looking at the picture https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/pictures-show-cracks-stopped-gwrs-5390963?fbclid=IwAR1zC0S7L04wpPwA3ueuKPjJDAfjIGqSCV5DlrY6qxFBffcFIaQ_MCDZ7QY
from the Plymouth Herald and the picture in Stuving's post
Both problems appear to relate to the same casting which appears to be welded to the bodyshell so are related to the same weld joint.

[grahame]

Update from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page), 22:00, Saturday 8th, 22:00

Two of the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)'s busiest rail operators are warning passengers not to travel on Sunday because of disruption caused by the discovery of cracks in some high-speed trains.

Great Western Railway and London North Eastern Railway trains of the Hitachi 800 model were taken out of service for safety inspections on Saturday.
Hitachi has apologised and said it was investigating the issue.

The railway minister warned disruption was likely for a "prolonged period".

Chris Heaton-Harris said trains would be returned to service as "quickly as possible", but warned Great Western Railway services in particular were likely to face continued disruption.

Andrew Barr, CEO^▸ (Chief Executive Officer) of Hitachi Rail, said the decision to withdraw the trains had been taken because of cracks found on the metal that linked the train's body with the underside of the train- known as the bogie.

All high-speed Great Western Railway services between London, Bristol, Cardiff and Penzance were cancelled on Saturday.

The operator said it expected the disruption to continue into Sunday and into next week.

Slight error in the BBC report - a very few service DID^▸ (Didcot Parkway) run on Saturday, but less than a dozen out of 78 IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) trains in service.

This thread open for member's comment (other similar post is on a sticky thread which we're limiting to news updates for newcomers.

[grahame]

This thread open for member's comment (other similar post is on a sticky thread which we're limiting to news updates for newcomers.

The article goes on to 

Disruption 'handled in the worst way'

Lorraine McConnon was due to take a train from Aberdeen to London King's Cross on Saturday morning. She had planned to travel from there to Gatwick Airport for an overnight stay before a flight to France on Sunday.

She said the situation was "being handled in the worst way" and that she "got less than 30 minutes' notice by email" of the cancellations, by which time she was already at the train station.

Lorraine travelled from Aberdeen to Glasgow by car with the aim of catching a train to Edinburgh, but says she missed a train suggested by staff while she was talking to them.

She hoped to catch a ScotRail train but feared it could now take "up to four changes" before she arrived at Gatwick.

"This is of course an essential journey for me or I wouldn't have booked," she says.

Rob James said his 84-year-old father only found out about the train cancellations once he'd arrived at London King's Cross to board a train to Inverness to visit him.

His father had been planning to stay with him because Rob's brother needed to self-isolate at their father's house in Bournemouth after arriving in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) from Thailand.

Rob, who lives in John O'Groats, said: "My dad is at King's Cross and doesn't know what to do. He doesn't have a ticket to go back to Bournemouth now as his return ticket's not valid for a few weeks.

"He's trying to keep away from people and so is a bit loathe to seek help from staff in person.

"I haven't seen him in two years and now this… He's at one end of the country and I'm at the other. We were supposed to see each other in March and then Covid happened."

I'm sure that there have been things not handled in the best way possible, but I would not have like to play the hand GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) or LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about) were dealt at dawn this morning.  Easy if your caught up in it to say "worst possible" but there is no magic solution; easy to ask "why not do x" but there is often reason "y" why not. Not that the passengers are actually suggesting "x" at all in the quote above.

Reading other issues too - people stuck in Cornwall at the end of a holiday, having to vacate their self-catering place for it to be readied for the next, and conversely people going away being promised a refund and asking if GWR will pay their accommodation cancellation charges too.

[broadgage]

Is any action being taken to obtain alternative rolling stock such as

Loco hauled coaches as used for charters, hauled by a modern freight loco, this might mean no heating, but better than no train as milder weather is here.

Loco hauled coaches and a heritage diesel loco, or preferably two in case of failures.

High Speed Train's (HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)))s, I think that there are a few spare and not yet scrapped.

Are there any 442s around ? would have to be loco hauled of course as they are DC^▸ (Direct Current) electric.

Main line passed steamers even. Tornado is the obvious choice as it is passed for 90 MPH.

And most radical of all, hire stock from preserved lines for use in the far West and/or branch lines. This would require some sort of emergency derogation to permit main line use.
For all the hysteria that this would produce, If a preserved steamer and four heritage coaches is safe to run from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard, does it actually become dangerous on one of the Cornish branches ?
The GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) steam railmotor could even be used on a branch.

That would free some Castles and turbos for use elsewhere.


Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[infoman]

If anyone from our neck really needs to get to the capital,
we have the option of driving, use the coach, the long way round using SWT^▸ (South West Trains) or maybe travel via Birmingham.

For those who have a FREE bus pass,maybe use the local bus's to maybe Oxford,Didcot and Reading then onward by train.

[grahame]

Is any action being taken to obtain alternative rolling stock such as

Loco hauled coaches as used for charters, hauled by a modern freight loco, this might mean no heating, but better than no train as milder weather is here.

I fear you are encouraging a Gricerfest ... and if you start looking at alternative fuels, you have issues sourcing and loading coal, water, etc too.  There are some real rail enthusiasts amongst the various folks who'll be organising this who would love, I'm sure to follow the direction you're suggesting.  But there are rumours of some "never" turning into "hardly evers".

[grahame]

If anyone from our neck really needs to get to the capital,
we have the option of driving, use the coach, the long way round using SWT^▸ (South West Trains) or maybe travel via Birmingham.

For those who have a FREE bus pass,maybe use the local bus's to maybe Oxford,Didcot and Reading then onward by train.

For today, though, trains replaced by buses Westbury to Salisbury, Exeter to Axminster and Gillingham to Salisbury.

[grahame]

Added to sticky / newcomer thread:

Update - Sunday 9th May 2021 - Very few LONG DISTANCE trains running; Local and regional services running as normal.  Some adjustments being made to existing services and a few extras running, but a shortage of available trains limits what can be done.   Please postpone your long distance journey if you can.   And if travelling, please remember that the staff member you come across will be doing his / her level best to help ....

Feedback from customer facing staff suggests a difficult day yesterday - Staff doing their level best in very difficult circumstances, especially early on in the day as the situation developed.

[grahame]

From Journeycheck:

There will be a three return services available on the London Paddington - Swindon - Bristol Parkway - Newport - Cardiff Central - Swansea route.

An extremely restricted service of two return services (only one of which will serve Cornwall) will operate on the London Paddington - Reading - Taunton - Exeter St Davids - Plymouth - Penzance route.

The train service that would normally operate over the London Paddington - Reading - Swindon - Bath Spa - Bristol Temple Meads route will only be operating as a limited shuttle service between Swindon and Bristol Temple Meads.

A revised train service will operate along the Reading - Oxford - Evesham - Worcester route using alternative carriages.

London Paddington - Reading - Swindon - Gloucester - Cheltenham Spa will operate as a shuttle service between Swindon and Gloucester / Cheltenham Spa using alternative carriages.

[a-driver]

Only 5 IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) sets available today. I feel so sorry for all the staff at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), let down badly by the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) and Hitachi.

[broadgage]

Is any action being taken to obtain alternative rolling stock such as

Loco hauled coaches as used for charters, hauled by a modern freight loco, this might mean no heating, but better than no train as milder weather is here.

I fear you are encouraging a Gricerfest ... and if you start looking at alternative fuels, you have issues sourcing and loading coal, water, etc too.  There are some real rail enthusiasts amongst the various folks who'll be organising this who would love, I'm sure to follow the direction you're suggesting.  But there are rumours of some "never" turning into "hardly evers".

Indeed. I would reduce the risks of enthusiasts crowding out ordinary passengers by NOT  announcing anything unusual. Steam haulage from Reading to Cornwall ? Certainly, but without any warning. SOME enthusiasts would find out and travel for the fun of it. Good luck to them, but the lack of notice would control numbers.
If the operation was repeated the next day, numbers would be reduced by some having already tried it.

Coal and water are easy. Water is available anywhere within a few fire hose lengths of a fire hydrant, or with parking for a tanker. Bagged coal can be delivered in advance to the platform and loaded by hand, or delivered to a bridge over the line and dropped by hand into the carefully positioned tender.
A dozen fit volunteers can each drop two bags of coal a minute. Twentyfour bags  bags a minute=600 kilos a minute or six tons in ten minutes.

Diesel fuel is even easier (whatever SWT^▸ (South West Trains) may think !)

On a branch line, the coal and water use would be modest and easy to replenish during layovers at each end.

On the present emergency, forget about disabled access, have an accessible taxi on standby. Unless of course the hired heritage stock IS ACCESSIBLE, some is.

Use of steam in particular would be excellent public relations and would VERY SLIGHTLY mend the exceedingly tattered reputation of "the railway" And even non enthusiasts would welcome the fact that "at least they are doing something about the crisis" Rather than simply telling everyone to drive instead.

Heritage lines and charter operators have suffered badly from the pandemic and would no doubt welcome the income and the publicity from use of their assets. Send the hire bill to Hitachi.

"coal smoke cures Covid" Local mom exclusively reveals on mumsanbabiesnet.