Old Oak Common/Paddington blockade, December 2024. Service changes, diverts, engineering etc

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/euston-paddington-trains-wales-hs2-delays-old-oak-common-b1167168.html

Inter-city trains between London, the South-West and Wales are expected to be diverted from Paddington to Euston due to track closures for HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) works.

Great Western Railway is seeking permission to use Euston as its main London terminal for several days before and after Christmas — and potentially on multiple occasions until 2030.

Network Rail is understood to be planning 70 days of festive blockades over the next decade on the route in and out of Paddington — with weekend and late-night closures also expected throughout the year.

The diversions are necessary because work to complete Old Oak Common station in north-west London will require the closure of the main line to Paddington.

continues…

This was discussed on the forum earlier in the year along with other matters. See http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=28558.0

I decided to start a new dedicated topic as this will become more relevant particularly as we head towards the end of the year.

[Mark A]

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/euston-paddington-trains-wales-hs2-delays-old-oak-common-b1167168.html

...Network Rail is understood to be planning 70 days of festive blockades over the next decade on the route in and out of Paddington ...

This having been on the horizon even in 2021, there's now a real sense of incoherence in the way that the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) waded in and twisted everyone's arms to discontinue direct Bristol - Waterloo services.

If they were running now there'd be a case for extending them so that once more they covered Cardiff - Bristol - Waterloo travel needs.

Mark

[grahame]

If they were running now there'd be a case for extending them so that once more they covered Cardiff - Bristol - Waterloo travel needs.

Extending in route AND I suspect extending in train length.    A 2 car 158 would simply not cope - while Paddington is closed at least, how about the the hourly Swansea to Waterloo IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) reversing at Bristol Parkway, and connecting cross platform at Temple Meads with the hourly Taunton to Euston?

[Timmer]

This having been on the horizon even in 2021, there's now a real sense of incoherence in the way that the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) waded in and twisted everyone's arms to discontinue direct Bristol - Waterloo services.

If they were running now there'd be a case for extending them so that once more they covered Cardiff - Bristol - Waterloo travel needs.

Mark

I’d much rather prefer taking this route than ‘risk’ using Euston. Time and time again I’m seeing chaos with serious overcrowding at this London termini whenever there’s an issue, which there frequently is, on the west coast mainline.

Waterloo, though a slower route, has more capacity, especially during holiday periods when SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) tend to operate a Saturday timetable.

The thought of now mixing GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services into Euston to me appears to be a bad idea. Only going to take something minor to go wrong and I can see GWR Euston terminators terminating at Ealing Broadway and Reading, and that’s before we even start talking about shortage of train crew affecting services which usually happens over the Christmas & New Year holidays.

My evidence for the latter is during the Reading blockades how many trains up from the south west ending up terminating at Basingstoke rather than Waterloo or in the case of Bristol & South Wales services, Banbury rather than Paddington?

My advice would be to anyone would be that the timetable may show two GWR services an hour into and out of Euston, but the reality may be something completely different.

Not only that, these direct London trains are liable to be absolutely rammed. Maybe better to use a less busy Reading terminator and change for a SWR service to Waterloo. Slower yes, more reliable yes, likely to be less busy yes.

[bobm]

One of the issues with Waterloo is fuel capacity on the IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)).

[Timmer]

One of the issues with Waterloo is fuel capacity on the IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)).

Could always add some third rail shoes to the IETs.
I’ll get my coat.

[ChrisB]

Extending in route AND I suspect extending in train length.    A 2 car 158 would simply not cope - while Paddington is closed at least, how about the the hourly Swansea to Waterloo IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) reversing at Bristol Parkway, and connecting cross platform at Temple Meads with the hourly Taunton to Euston?

That ain't going to happen....

About half of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)’s trains — probably those serving Cornwall — will start or terminate at Reading. Two trains an hour in each direction from Bristol and Wales are expected to use Euston.

Not only that, these direct London trains are liable to be absolutely rammed. Maybe better to use a less busy Reading terminator and change for a SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) service to Waterloo. Slower yes, more reliable yes, likely to be less busy yes.

May not have any choice - seems as though the Cardiffs are borked for this, so only the Swanseas going to Euston.

The dates in the aricle are those I was given at the Stakeholder conference - so try it all out on November 17th!

[a-driver]

I’d much rather prefer taking this route than ‘risk’ using Euston. Time and time again I’m seeing chaos with serious overcrowding at this London termini whenever there’s an issue, which there frequently is, on the west coast mainline.

Waterloo, though a slower route, has more capacity, especially during holiday periods when SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) tend to operate a Saturday timetable.

The thought of now mixing GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services into Euston to me appears to be a bad idea. Only going to take something minor to go wrong and I can see GWR Euston terminators terminating at Ealing Broadway and Reading, and that’s before we even start talking about shortage of train crew affecting services which usually happens over the Christmas & New Year holidays.

My evidence for the latter is during the Reading blockades how many trains up from the south west ending up terminating at Basingstoke rather than Waterloo or in the case of Bristol & South Wales services, Banbury rather than Paddington?

My advice would be to anyone would be that the timetable may show two GWR services an hour into and out of Euston, but the reality may be something completely different.

Not only that, these direct London trains are liable to be absolutely rammed. Maybe better to use a less busy Reading terminator and change for a SWR service to Waterloo. Slower yes, more reliable yes, likely to be less busy yes.

I’d much rather take the Euston option. Just 5 miles on the WCML^▸ (West Coast Main Line), just over 6 miles as a total diversion, plus there shouldn’t be as much traffic between Reading and Ealing Broadway. 

The line into Waterloo hasn’t been without issues either.

[Electric train]

I suspect the main reason for not wanting to use Waterloo is the time it takes, also the capacity at Waterloo.  Euston makes sense using Class 800 and the UP and Down Poplars from Acton Yard onto the North London line, even so the capacity of this route has limitations.

The GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) directors of the 1840's will be spinning in their graves

[TaplowGreen]

Given the state of the infrastructure between Reading & Paddington, the diversion may well be a welcome improvement in reliability.

[TonyK]

I’d much rather take the Euston option. Just 5 miles on the WCML^▸ (West Coast Main Line), just over 6 miles as a total diversion, plus there shouldn’t be as much traffic between Reading and Ealing Broadway. 

The line into Waterloo hasn’t been without issues either.

That makes perfect sense, as will changing at Reading for the Elizabeth Line if it serves the ultimate destination of the passenger.

Given the state of the infrastructure between Reading & Paddington, the diversion may well be a welcome improvement in reliability.

Could this, therefore, give the opportunity for a bit of much-needed sorting out of the line, while it is quiet? Unless all engineers are going to be busy at OOC^▸ (Old Oak Common (depot)).

[TaplowGreen]

I’d much rather take the Euston option. Just 5 miles on the WCML^▸ (West Coast Main Line), just over 6 miles as a total diversion, plus there shouldn’t be as much traffic between Reading and Ealing Broadway. 

The line into Waterloo hasn’t been without issues either.

That makes perfect sense, as will changing at Reading for the Elizabeth Line if it serves the ultimate destination of the passenger.

Given the state of the infrastructure between Reading & Paddington, the diversion may well be a welcome improvement in reliability.

Could this, therefore, give the opportunity for a bit of much-needed sorting out of the line, while it is quiet? Unless all engineers are going to be busy at OOC^▸ (Old Oak Common (depot)).

It may, I suppose, but given current performance, I'm not sure it can wait that long, the deterioration seems to be accelerating.

I would have thought Hopwood would be breaking down Peter Hendy's door demanding that something is done by NR^» (Network Rail - home page) as a matter of urgency given the effect it's having on his company's operation and his customers, the Mayor of London has at least made an effort and secured some resource, but (as usual) there's a deafening silence on the subject from the upper reaches of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - one gets the impression that aside from welcoming the occasional politician/celeb on board a train, they are content to while away the remainder of the franchise in the boardroom, taking the big salaries without rocking too many boats.

[a-driver]

Could this, therefore, give the opportunity for a bit of much-needed sorting out of the line, while it is quiet? Unless all engineers are going to be busy at OOC^▸ (Old Oak Common (depot)).

Plenty of work has already been undertaken recently, especially to the 770 axle counters

[grahame]

Long term, a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) link into Euston - with its ten minute walk to St Pancras International and a couple of minutes more to Kings Cross - would make sense.

I am attracted by the idea (sitting In my armchair) of an hourly service Weymouth, Upwey, Dorchester West, Maiden Newton, Chetnole, Yetminster, Thornford, Yeovil Interchange, Yeovil Pen Mill, Castle Cary, Bruton, Frome, Westbury, Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham, Royal Wootton Bassett, Swindon, Grove and Wantage, Didcot Parkway, Reading, Hayes and Harlington, Vitus Quercus Venellam and London (Euston).   Connections into that from the whole of the South West and South Wales right up to Worcester and out from that to the Heathrow link at Hayes and to the International link at Euston.

[Mark A]

Excellent crayonista work there. But... run 'em on to the Hammersmith and City / Metropolitan and terminate 'em at Farringdon. :-)

Mark