Sunday 10 July Waterloo-Exeter service decimated

[whole diary]

[bradshaw]

Problems with the signalling mean that apart from a few delayed services in the morning no trains are running between Exeter and Yeovil Junction.
SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) Journey check gives this reason.

We have been informed that there are multiple axle counter failures between Yeovil Junction and Exeter St Davids. Due to this, all lines are blocked and trains will not run between these stations.
Due to the severe nature of these delays, you are advised not to travel between Yeovil Junction and Exeter St Davids.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:CKN/2022-07-10/0200-0159?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

[bradshaw]

Problems still ongoing today with early services beyond Yeovil cancelled. However, from 0720 most services are extending to Crewkerne.

The sleeper went via Taunton last night.b

[ChrisB]

Doesn’t it normally? Seems to have a timetabled stop there?

[bradshaw]

Sundays often diverted via Yeovil
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:W15005/2022-07-10/detailed#allox_id=1

[bobm]

But the up sleeper was then involved in an incident at Didcot Parkway where a person was hit and the service was terminated at Reading over two hours late.

[bradshaw]

Now expected to last until end of service Tuesday 12 July.
The fault seems to lie in the Honiton interlocking area which extends from just west of Crewkerne tunnel to just east of Pinhoe.
This shows the signalling layout of the recontrol to Basingstoke

https://1stdirectory.co.uk/_assets/files_comp/e5927554-1934-4174-b29d-d411cc901aa9.pdf

[ChrisB]

NR^» (Network Rail - home page) say 'at least' the end of service 12 July' - so no guarantee of completion yet.

[bobm]

Such is the ongoing shortage of buses and coaches, SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) is offering to reimburse taxi fares from Yeovil to Exeter.

[bradshaw]

Update on Twitter from NR^» (Network Rail - home page) Wessex

  Despite lots of testing on the axle counter system since it failed on Sunday morning, including replacing multiple components and calling in experts from the manufacturers, we've been unable to find the cause of the fault. So we need to reset the system which can take a few hours

To do this we can't have trains running nearby which would impact the service we're currently able to run to Yeovil, so we're going to wait until later tonight to perform a full system reset, although our technical experts can't guarantee it will fix the issue.

Therefore, tomorrow we will continue running trains to and from Yeovil, and plan to run a reduced shuttle service between Yeovil and Exeter serving all stations. But journeys will take much longer as they will have to be talked past signals and run at reduced speeds.

If the system reset works as we hope, then we will be able to reintroduce a normal train service gradually throughout the day. However, we'd recommend you keep checking with @SW_Help for the latest travel advice just in case.

 Once again, we're incredibly sorry for how long this is taking to fix. We'll do everything we can to understand the root cause of the failure as it's one we haven't experienced anywhere before, and it has happened on technology which is usually very reliable.

https://twitter.com/networkrailwssx/status/1546564346012221444?s=21&t=pC8DBsQfke21sbozSW4Dsw

20.27 To note: we’re sorry to say the Tweet about shuttle trains to Exeter has turned out to not be possible - although we and @SW_Help would have very much liked to, it can’t be done. That’s partly down to logistics and also the need to test the system without any trains. Apologies.

[Alan Pettitt]

Yes it messed my Sunday and Monday up rather. I usually get the 5.52 from Axminster on Monday morning to Exeter, to get the train from there to Bristol, and sometimes go on Yate. As my  16 year old Stepdaughter had  a job interview in Yate Monday morning |I really tried to get there, but no trains from Axminster on Sunday, or this morning, so had to give up. Happy though, she got the job anyway. I've just been talking (in the pub) to one of the very few female signallers, and she told me that Network Rail was putting all the responsibility onto the contractors who finished their job on Sunday morning, who didn't want to know because it was fine when they left it!

[bradshaw]

Lines reopened and expect to run full service after some repositioning of stock