Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2017

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

Nothing in or out Paddington since 4pm.

Paddington must be heaving.

Had some friends booked on the 17.57 Penzance train. Sent them to Waterloo to get the 18.15

[TaplowGreen]

1A87 terminated at RDG^▸ (Rail Delivery Group, or Reading station, depending on context). Advised to get train to Waterloo from platforms 4, 5, 6
Yet none running due to Engineering work

Could you get to Waterloo via Basingstoke?

[Timmer]

1A87 terminated at RDG^▸ (Rail Delivery Group, or Reading station, depending on context). Advised to get train to Waterloo from platforms 4, 5, 6
Yet none running due to Engineering work

Correct. No direct trains. Bus to Staines from Reading

[Timmer]

1A87 terminated at RDG^▸ (Rail Delivery Group, or Reading station, depending on context). Advised to get train to Waterloo from platforms 4, 5, 6
Yet none running due to Engineering work

Could you get to Waterloo via Basingstoke?

Yes, but the volumes of people would easily be overwhelming the local and Cross Country trains between Reading and Basingstoke which would already be busy this time of day.

[TonyK]

My daughter is due out of PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) on the 1853 heading to EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains). I've suggested she gets Bakerloo to Waterloo, and 1915 SWT^▸ (South West Trains) service to EXD. Any other ideas?

And yes, Paddington is heaving.

[Timmer]

My daughter is due out of PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) on the 1853 heading to EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains). I've suggested she gets Bakerloo to Waterloo, and 1915 SWT^▸ (South West Trains) service to EXD. Any other ideas?

Good move.

[Godfrey Tables]

Limited service now from RDG^▸ (Rail Delivery Group, or Reading station, depending on context) to PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains). I'm now on 6 car turbo. Sorry for brevity of messages, bit crushed and thanks all for replies. 2 6 car turbos should be arriving at Paddington over the next half hour or so..

[TonyK]

Possibly a better one - she has just been told to get on a train for Penzance which should have gone an hour ago. It will not be calling at Reading or Castle Cary. Rerouted? Or just using the only open line and limiting the passengers?

[Timmer]

18.42 Turbo to Worcester just left Paddington.

[bobm]

Had some friends booked on the 17.57 Penzance train. Sent them to Waterloo to get the 18.15

17:57 just left 61 minutes late.

[Timmer]

Possibly a better one - she has just been told to get on a train for Penzance which should have gone an hour ago. It will not be calling at Reading or Castle Cary. Rerouted? Or just using the only open line and limiting the passengers?

No normal route. Line via Swindon closed due to engineering work. Won’t stop at Reading because of overload of train.

[stuving]

I'm sure everyone will feel better for knowing that SNCF^▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) can do these things so much - er - better?

Paris Montparnasse has been closed since 01:30, aside from a very limited service using Paris Austerlitz. Service will restart tomorrow morning, or at least SNCF say it will. This is not due to old hardware that was damaged during an update, but the software equivalent - a major upgrade that has gone wrong. Oops. 

[TonyK]

Had some friends booked on the 17.57 Penzance train. Sent them to Waterloo to get the 18.15

17:57 just left 61 minutes late.

With my daughter and son-in-law upgraded to First class, gratis.

No normal route. Line via Swindon closed due to engineering work. Won’t stop at Reading because of overload of train.

It did stop at Reading. The TM^▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context) announced that it would, as soon as they had left Paddington, but that they didn't say so at Paddington for fear of not getting longer-distance PAX on board.

It all now seems to be getting closer to organised. The train my daughter should have been on left Paddington 46 late. She's mildly irritated because it means she won't get a full refund, even though she will be back at EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) under 10 minutes later than she should have been, and is in first. Talk about coming out of the bucket smelling of roses.

[TaplowGreen]

Apparently the problem was caused by a broken down NR^» (Network Rail - home page) track maintenance train.....oh the irony!

[BBM]

I'm sure everyone will feel better for knowing that French National Railways (SNCF^▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways)) can do these things so much - er - better?

Paris Montparnasse has been closed since 01:30, aside from a very limited service using Paris Austerlitz. Service will restart tomorrow morning, or at least SNCF say it will. This is not due to old hardware that was damaged during an update, but the software equivalent - a major upgrade that has gone wrong. Oops. 

https://www.lci.fr/societe/en-direct-bug-informatique-a-montparnasse-la-sncf-annonce-un-retour-a-la-normale-lundi-matin-2072326.html

According to this news article, Patrick Jeantet, the president of French National Railways (SNCF) Reseau (the infrastructure owner), has been summoned to the office of Elisabeth Borne, the French Transport Minister, tomorrow morning at 0900 to explain what happened. So has Mark Carne has been called urgently to Chris Grayling's office? No, thought not...

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym