Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2018

[whole diary]

[hassaanhc]

This has now been updated to read:

Due to a fault with the signalling system at Didcot Parkway fewer trains are able to run on all lines.
Impact:
Train services running through this station may be cancelled, delayed by up to 60 minutes or revised. Disruption is expected until 17:00 18/04.
Customer Advice:
Road transport is being procured but due to school runs only a limited service is running.
Some trains running from Oxford to Reading will call at intermediate stations excluding Didcot Parkway. Customers travelling to Didcot from Oxford should circulate via Reading, or use what available Road Transport is in operation.
Additional Information:
GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) tickets are being accepted between London Marylebone and Banbury/Oxford with Chiltern Railways, London Underground between Paddington and Marylebone, and with CrossCountry between Reading and Banbury.

I was travelling from Oxford to Didcot and circulated via Reading; this wasn't a good idea as once I got to Reading there were no trains to Didcot and of course there is no other public transport from Reading to Didcot.
When I got to Reading the stopping services were cancelled and the first fast service diverted via Newbury, the 2nd they refused to stop at Didcot although it was stopping at Swindon. I caught the 3rd service which was a fast to Oxford which was changed to a slow to Oxford and was of course a crowded 166 with 'air conditioning' ie hot day so not working. It took me 2 hours to get from Oxford to Didcot in the end, they should have advised passengers to catch the bus to Didcot and I wish I had done that.

And that example is why I hate certain stations automatically being missed during loss of some lines between Paddington and Didcot Parkway. Always delay the local passengers by 30+ minutes just so their precious fast long distance trains are not delayed by even a single digit number of minutes, rather than trying to keep all the passengers moving in some way.

I was quite lucky back in January (the last time I was caught up in GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) disruption), as it was only a 30-40 minute delay for me. The usual 6tph at Southall had gone down to 2tph (as Heathrow Connect and GWR Hayes & Harlington shorts were cancelled). Then one of the trains actually running skipped the station at 7 minutes late with no warning at all, just to prevent delaying a Heathrow Express train . The following train was on time and luckily it actually stopped on the Up Main, with a really good TfL^» (Transport for London - about) Rail station staff member managing to convince the driver to wait for everyone to get over the footbridge. I'm lucky I can easily take a different route in disruption, and really feel for everyone who has to wait an unknown amount of time because their station is not considered important enough (including a station with over 2.5 million passengers per year in my case...)

[lordgoata]

I caught the 3rd service which was a fast to Oxford which was changed to a slow to Oxford and was of course a crowded 166 with 'air conditioning' ie hot day so not working. It took me 2 hours to get from Oxford to Didcot in the end, they should have advised passengers to catch the bus to Didcot and I wish I had done that.

You were on the same one as me then - I came back from Bury St Edmunds and everything was perfect, on time, working aircon, no issues at all. Then got to Reading and they suddenly changed to Not In Service (no announcements) - couple of us got off and found the driver and he had no idea what was going on, just been told to go to the depot.

I went and stood at the staff display watching one train after another queuing up at the signals on the main and relief lines towards Didcot. From the recent post about headcodes on here, I could tell they were all the highspeed services as they were all 1XXX, I think there was a 5XXX and a 6XXX (freight)?

So yet again the high speed services (which couldn't go anywhere) were given priority at the expense of the locals (who would have been stopping anyway) who all got dumped in the depot.

Then comes the announcement for all local station passengers to make their way from platform 12 to platform 8/9 where there was a cross country to Manchester (I think) sitting there going no where, then all of a sudden another announcement for us all to run back to platform 12.

Eventually did the last 15 minutes of my 4 hour trip in 90 minutes. Welcome home.

[Jason]

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Reading and Didcot Parkway fewer trains are able to run on the line towards Didcot Parkway.
Impact:
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until 11:00 19/04.

[charles_uk]

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Reading and Didcot Parkway fewer trains are able to run on the line towards Didcot Parkway.
Impact:
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until 11:00 19/04.

Disruption now expected until 13:00

plus

Cancellations to services between Didcot Parkway and Oxford

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Didcot Parkway and Oxford fewer trains are able to run on all lines.

Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until 10:30 19/04.

[ray951]

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Reading and Didcot Parkway fewer trains are able to run on the line towards Didcot Parkway.
Impact:
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until 11:00 19/04.

Disruption now expected until 13:00

plus

Cancellations to services between Didcot Parkway and Oxford


Due to a fault with the signalling system between Didcot Parkway and Oxford fewer trains are able to run on all lines.

Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until 10:30 19/04.

This looks worse than yesterday as the following services  from Oxford to Didcot Parkway have been cancelled:

0937, 1005, 1037, 1107 and 1137 so assuming the 1207 runs then that is no service for 3 hours.

Nothing on gwr.com or twitter about what passengers should do?

[charles_uk]

Disruption between Didcot and Oxford now expected until 14:30 but seems to be extended by an hour every hour.

The problems between Reading and Didcot are back:

Cancellations to services between Reading and Didcot Parkway

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Reading and Didcot Parkway:

Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until 15:00 19/04.

And now, because it's a warm day:

Delays to services between Slough and London Paddington

Due to a speed restriction because of high track temperatures between Slough and London Paddington trains have to run at reduced speed on some lines towards London Paddington.

Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed by up to 15 minutes. Disruption is expected until 18:30 19/04.

[IndustryInsider]

Normal working resumed at 13:46 so after reactionary delays are recovered all should be fine shortly - certainly well in time for the afternoon peak.

[hassaanhc]

Yet more issues

Delays to services between Slough and London Paddington
Due to a fault with the signalling system between Slough and London Paddington trains have to run at reduced speed on some lines towards London Paddington.
Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed by up to 15 minutes. Disruption is expected until 22:00 19/04.
Last Updated:19/04/2018 19:25

Delays to services between Dorking Deepdene and Redhill
Due to a fault with barriers at a level crossing between Dorking Deepdene and Redhill trains have to run at reduced speed on all lines.
Train services running through these stations may be delayed by up to 20 minutes. Disruption is expected until 21:30 19/04.
Last Updated:19/04/2018 19:25

[hassaanhc]

Cancellations to services between Reading and Guildford
Due to a fault with the signalling system between Reading and Guildford all lines are blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until 08:30 20/04.
Last Updated:20/04/2018 06:54

[Jason]

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Reading and Maidenhead trains have to run at reduced speed on some lines.
Impact: Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed by up to 15 minutes. Disruption is expected until 10:15 20/04.

[eightf48544]

This whole thread goes to show that  a reliable railway would lead to a punctual railway.

[Jason]

Due to a fault with barriers at a level crossing between Didcot Parkway and Swindon trains have to run at reduced speed on all lines.
Impact: Train services running through these stations may be delayed by up to 20 minutes. Disruption is expected until 13:30 20/04.

[ellendune]

Due to a fault with barriers at a level crossing between Didcot Parkway and Swindon trains have to run at reduced speed on all lines.
Impact: Train services running through these stations may be delayed by up to 20 minutes. Disruption is expected until 13:30 20/04.

That would be at Steventon then!

[Jason]

Due to a speed restriction because of high track temperatures at Hayes & Harlington some lines towards London Paddington are disrupted.
Impact: Train services running through this station may be delayed by up to 15 minutes. Disruption is expected until 18:30 20/04.

[Jason]

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Ealing Broadway and London Paddington trains have to run at reduced speed on the line towards London Paddington. Disruption is expected until 17:30 20/04.
Impact:
Train services between Hayes & Harlington and London Paddington may be delayed by up to 15 minutes or running non stop between Hayes & Harlington and London Paddington.

[ Plus all of the earlier above ]