Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2017

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

Can’t wait to see what beholds GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) passengers heading home for Christmas on what’s been dubbed ‘frantic Friday’.

.............ahhhhh but remember that old "railway family" line, it's the human freight's own fault and they have no-one to blame but themselves for wanting to travel home for Christmas on a busy day!  I'm sure we'll hear it at some stage before too long! 

Merry Christmas to all and good luck with your travels! (M4/M5/A38 for me!)

It's such a relief to know that once the Invisible Hopwood waves his wand on New Years Eve, 2018 will see previously unheard of levels of reliability, capacity and customer service and all memories of appalling service and performance will be but a distant memory! (..........or something like that)

[Western Pathfinder]

Drive safely,have a good Christmas.

[IndustryInsider]

Significant challenges will remain in 2018.  There’s a new timetable for Thames Valley services, which includes capacity busting 12-car services for the first time.  It will no doubt take a few weeks to bed in though as drivers get used to driving over routes they have not driven electric traction over before.

And although more drivers are slowly coming on stream, less people want time off between Jan-Apr and training requirements have become slightly less intense, there are still shortages.

I’m expecting a slow return to normal as the year goes on though, and the extra capacity will start to make a real difference to people’s journeys.

[TaplowGreen]

Significant challenges will remain in 2018.  There’s a new timetable for Thames Valley services, which includes capacity busting 12-car services for the first time.  It will no doubt take a few weeks to bed in though as drivers get used to driving over routes they have not driven electric traction over before.

And although more drivers are slowly coming on stream, less people want time off between Jan-Apr and training requirements have become slightly less intense, there are still shortages.

I’m expecting a slow return to normal as the year goes on though, and the extra capacity will start to make a real difference to people’s journeys.

..................when you say "normal"...........

[eightf48544]

Elsewhere it was reported it took 6 hours in total to clear the Down Main Line for normal working.

Correct. They even attached a 57 and they still couldn’t shift it.

Delays currently north of 7,500 minutes with almost 150 trains cancelled either in full, part or failed to stop. That's going to cost GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) an awful lot of money.

Surely that cost falls to Hitachi?

Rumour has the they eventually had to isolate the brakes on the IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) and the 57 hauled them  very gingerly (walking pace) into the sidings at Southall West. Wonder how long it is since an unfitted train ran on BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) tracks. Good job it's pretty level  around Hayes.

[IndustryInsider]

‘Normal’ means a much better experience than the very poor one we’ve had over the last six months, but no doubt still some things for you to find fault bring to our attention, TG. 

[grahame]

Wonder how long it is since an unfitted train ran on BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) tracks.

Wikipedia says

While the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) railway system persisted until post-nationalisation in 1948 with "unfitted" (discontinuously braked) trains and loose couplings (the final unfitted trains ran in the 1990s) ...

and that seems to be a reasonable statement, though no source / proof to supply.

[TaplowGreen]

‘Normal’ means a much better experience than the very poor one we’ve had over the last six months, but no doubt still some things for you to find fault bring to our attention, TG. 

Myself and tens of thousands of others will be the Judges of that on a daily basis

"Normal" means conforming to a standard - we'll see if GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) can manage that - they've got an awfully long way to go before their standards are acceptable by any reasonable definition - I'm not sure "much better than very poor" can be quantified, but I'd be interested in anyone's attempts?

[IndustryInsider]

Myself and tens of thousands of others will be the Judges of that on a daily basis

We are an industry that is very much in the spotlight when things go wrong.  Let's hope for a big improvement from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) in 2018.

[broadgage]

Wonder how long it is since an unfitted train ran on BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) tracks.

Wikipedia says

While the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) railway system persisted until post-nationalisation in 1948 with "unfitted" (discontinuously braked) trains and loose couplings (the final unfitted trains ran in the 1990s) ...

and that seems to be a reasonable statement, though no source / proof to supply.

I suspect that the above refers to trains INTENDED to run unfitted, i.e. trains of wagons not fitted with power operated brakes.
I believe that there have been many "one off" movements of trains with isolated brakes since. It does happen that the brakes can not be released by manipulation of the drivers controls, if the defect can not be readily fixed at the trackside, then the brakes have to be isolated and the train moved very cautiously.
Under such circumstances, the only means of stopping will be the brake on the assisting engine, hence the need for great care and extreme low speed.
If possible, as well as the brake on the assisting engine, another vehicle with an effective brake should be attached at the rear of the train with the isolated brakes. Otherwise, any failure of the coupling to the engine could result in the unbraked train running away with potentially disastrous consequences.

[Tim]

Wonder how long it is since an unfitted train ran on BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) tracks.

Wikipedia says

While the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) railway system persisted until post-nationalisation in 1948 with "unfitted" (discontinuously braked) trains and loose couplings (the final unfitted trains ran in the 1990s) ...

and that seems to be a reasonable statement, though no source / proof to supply.

I suspect that the above refers to trains INTENDED to run unfitted, i.e. trains of wagons not fitted with power operated brakes.
I believe that there have been many "one off" movements of trains with isolated brakes since. It does happen that the brakes can not be released by manipulation of the drivers controls, if the defect can not be readily fixed at the trackside, then the brakes have to be isolated and the train moved very cautiously.
Under such circumstances, the only means of stopping will be the brake on the assisting engine, hence the need for great care and extreme low speed.
If possible, as well as the brake on the assisting engine, another vehicle with an effective brake should be attached at the rear of the train with the isolated brakes. Otherwise, any failure of the coupling to the engine could result in the unbraked train running away with potentially disastrous consequences.

AIUI^▸ (as I understand it), some of the recent new stock moves have been planned as unfitted.  I recall that new tube stock cam down from Derby with its brakes isolated (and with water tankers in the formation to provide sufficient braking

[a-driver]

Elsewhere it was reported it took 6 hours in total to clear the Down Main Line for normal working.

Correct. They even attached a 57 and they still couldn’t shift it.

Delays currently north of 7,500 minutes with almost 150 trains cancelled either in full, part or failed to stop. That's going to cost GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) an awful lot of money.

Surely that cost falls to Hitachi?

Rumour has the they eventually had to isolate the brakes on the IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) and the 57 hauled them  very gingerly (walking pace) into the sidings at Southall West. Wonder how long it is since an unfitted train ran on BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) tracks. Good job it's pretty level  around Hayes.

The 57 wasn’t used in the end. I don’t think the couplings were compatible.

[ChrisB]

What is also never mentioned is that not only does EL take over Heathrow Connect, but it also takes over the role of the inter terminal shuttle between T2/3 and T4, which is part of Heathrow Express.

Correct; Not sure about that second statement - any time I've got that service, it's been a Connect train. I think it's part of HConn, not HEX.

[Adelante_CCT]

I thought it was part of HEX, but using a class 360?

[ChrisB]

The shuttles are actually not shuttles per se, just the usual HConn services on their journies from PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) to T4.