Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2015

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

Plenty around, you just haven't noticed them

[ellendune]

This is what Network Rail say about the heat and what they to do reduce the risks: http://www.networkrail.co.uk/timetables-and-travel/delays-explained/summer-weather.aspx

............best get the paintbrushes out sharpish then!!! 

Must admit I can't recall seeing any white rails? I thought one of the areas most at risk was on the approach to Paddington.......all regulation brown as I recall?

I have seen quite a lot of white painted rail on the approach to Paddington.  Short lengths not continuous length.

Has someone also posted about the difficulty of maintaining the proper stresses in the rail when there is a lot of work going on on the line. Not enough time to restore the stressing between

[broadgage]

I have often wondered why, in vulnerable locations, a light water spray is not used to cool the rails and immediate surroundings.
Something as basic as a number of domestic style oscillating garden sprinklers affixed to existing signal gantries and other structures would help a lot. Or even a couple of workers as near to the track as is safe, manually applying water by means of garden hoses and spray jets.

(IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly), I have previously suggested this)

Water is cheap and readily available and if applied in moderation should cause no problems to equipment intended to withstand rain.

[bobm]

Must admit I can't recall seeing any white rails? I thought one of the areas most at risk was on the approach to Paddington.......all regulation brown as I recall?

Here you go - white rails in darkest Cornwall.



The current weather forecast for my area shows high temperatures but cloudy skies.  That might help - it is direct sunlight which causes the rails to heat up to a higher temperature than the surrounding air.

[ellendune]

I have often wondered why, in vulnerable locations, a light water spray is not used to cool the rails and immediate surroundings.
Something as basic as a number of domestic style oscillating garden sprinklers affixed to existing signal gantries and other structures would help a lot. Or even a couple of workers as near to the track as is safe, manually applying water by means of garden hoses and spray jets.

(IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly), I have previously suggested this)

Water is cheap and readily available and if applied in moderation should cause no problems to equipment intended to withstand rain.

Water is indeed cheap, but getting to places away from mains is not. 

[broadgage]

Agree that obtaining water in remote places could be problematic, but I was thinking more of urban areas such as the approaches to Paddington which seems to be a regular hot spot.

Depending on the height of the water table  and the local terrain, a drilled well and a submersible pump might be an option in places away from mains water, but urban areas are arguably a higher priority as they tend to be hotter, and the greater density of traffic means that delays affect far greater numbers of people.

[didcotdean]

Inside the carriages like to be problematic too - the twitter complaints concerning inadequate or completely failed AC started a few weeks back when the temperature first touched 19C.

[TaplowGreen]

Direct Henley/Bourne End services cancelled for much of today due to anticipated "hot weather".

This will be interesting if it continues into tomorrow with the Henley Regatta starting however I think there will be extra services on that branch anyway to allow for this.

[bobm]

I am not sure about "much of the day".  There are only a handful of through trains from London Paddington to the branches and they are in the evening peak.  This morning's through Up services ran as normal.

[TaplowGreen]

From midday onwards;



Network Rail have advised that, due to the anticipated exceptionally hot weather, there will be speed restrictions to protect track points in the Thames Valley region on Tuesday 30 June 2015.


As a result there will be no fast trains between London Paddington and Bourne End or Henley-on-Thames from 12:00 until 20:00. This will affect the following services:

London Paddington to Henley-on-Thames
Trains from London Paddington will terminate at Twyford for a connection with a branch line train to Henley-on-Thames, which will remain on the branch line.

17:12 London Paddington to Henley-on-Thames, this service will terminate at Twyford.
18:12 London Paddington to Henley-on-Thames, this service will terminate at Twyford.
19:05 London Paddington to Henley-on-Thames, this service will terminate at Twyford.

London Paddington to Bourne End
Trains from London Paddington will terminate at Maidenhead for a connection with a branch line train to Bourne End, which will remain on the branch line.

16:42 London Paddington to Bourne End, this service will terminate at Maidenhead.
17:42 London Paddington to Bourne End, this service will terminate at Maidenhead.
18:42 London Paddington to Bourne End, this service will terminate at Maidenhead.

[NickB]

Direct Henley/Bourne End services cancelled for much of today due to anticipated "hot weather".

This will be interesting if it continues into tomorrow with the Henley Regatta starting however I think there will be extra services on that branch anyway to allow for this.

From my recollection during previous Regattas all of the Henley trains are diverted to Twyford and everyone gets booted off to join the dedicated branch line service.  I could be very much mistaken though.

As a side story, during last year's Regatta I was making my way from Paddington to Henley about 6pm and was awaiting the branch line train to arrive in to Twyford.  As the train arrived it was clearly rather busy with the daytime revellers returning to Twyford.  The doors opened and the woman at the front cleaved forwards 90 degrees face first on to the platform.  She didn't even flinch as she fell.

[TaplowGreen]

Direct Henley/Bourne End services cancelled for much of today due to anticipated "hot weather".

This will be interesting if it continues into tomorrow with the Henley Regatta starting however I think there will be extra services on that branch anyway to allow for this.

From my recollection during previous Regattas all of the Henley trains are diverted to Twyford and everyone gets booted off to join the dedicated branch line service.  I could be very much mistaken though.

As a side story, during last year's Regatta I was making my way from Paddington to Henley about 6pm and was awaiting the branch line train to arrive in to Twyford.  As the train arrived it was clearly rather busy with the daytime revellers returning to Twyford.  The doors opened and the woman at the front cleaved forwards 90 degrees face first on to the platform.  She didn't even flinch as she fell.

A 90 degree cleavage would make the bravest man flinch.

[rower40]

In previous years, the regatta service runs as a shuttle, but it uses Twyford platform 4.  This is because it is strengthened to 5 (or is it 6) cars, and Twyford platform 5 is only long enough for 4 at most.

The purpose of running the branches as self-contained shuttles in hot weather is to minimise the number of times that points have to be moved.  That's not going to work if the regatta service is too long to fit in Twyford platform 5.

[didcotdean]

The Regatta timetable suggests longer trains only on the Saturday, and by then the temperatures are down somewhat.

There are no through services during the Regatta, so today is kind of a prelude.

[TaplowGreen]

..........why worry about hot weather when we can rely on signal failures?

Cancellations to services between Reading and Slough

Due to signalling problems between Reading and Slough the London bound main line is disrupted.
Impact:
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 15:00 30/06.
Customer Advice:
Passengers at Reading for the following stations Twyford, Maidenhead, Langley, West Drayton, Hayes & Harlington and Southall are advised to circulate via Ealing Broadway.

..........are they seriously advising customers at Reading who want to go to Twyford to travel via Ealing???