Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2018

[whole diary]

[nickswift99]

There's been lots of TV examples that I've been caught up in.

Delays from Paddington mean missing the Reading - Didcot stopper. Then you find the next one is cancelled or will run fast to Didcot. This injects a 1 hour delay into a 1 hour journey.

Even in the peak it's not uncommon to be 45 minutes late where services are running just a little late.

Late evening is even worse where if the order of trains is swapped by the signaller you end up with an hours wait at Reading (gotta love the footbridge).

[Jason]

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Slough and London Paddington some lines towards London Paddington are closed.
Impact:
Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until 10:45 27/04.

[TaplowGreen]

Now pushed out to 1145.

Nothing stopping London bound at West Drayton or Hayes & Harlington.

[TaplowGreen]

Delays to services at London Paddington


Due to a points failure at London Paddington:
Train services running to and from this station may be delayed by up to 15 minutes. Disruption is expected until 08:00 01/05.

[charles_uk]

Delays to services at London Paddington


Due to a points failure at London Paddington:
Train services running to and from this station may be delayed by up to 15 minutes. Disruption is expected until 08:00 01/05.

Delays & disruption timings now extended:

Train services running to and from this station may be delayed by up to 20 minutes. Disruption is expected until 09:30 01/05.

[NickB]

Extensive delays and cancellations in the Thames Valley this morning due to trespassers at Didcot.  Ironically the 07.10 Maidenhead to Paddington (which was one of the few that ran) arrived with blood smeared all over the front of it.

[jmc85]

I was on the 0605 from Charlbury, got delayed at Oxford - the guard said someone had climbed a signalling gantry in an apparent suicide attempt (just beyond Oxford). Believe all was resolved without injury and I made it to Paddington with a 15 minute delay

[Sixty3Closure]

Extensive delays and cancellations in the Thames Valley this morning due to trespassers at Didcot.  Ironically the 07.10 Maidenhead to Paddington (which was one of the few that ran) arrived with blood smeared all over the front of it.

I saw that at Twyford this morning. Was quite disturbing. I wondered if it had been a bird strike?

[IndustryInsider]

Almost certainly.

[TaplowGreen]

Harry's stag night started already?


Cancellations to services at Windsor & Eton Central


Due to overcrowding at Windsor & Eton Central all lines are blocked.
Train services running to and from this station may be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 18:00 03/05.

[TaplowGreen]

...........on the Friday before a bank holiday weekend.........Lord Have Mercy!

Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Slough


Due to trespassers on the railway between London Paddington and Slough some lines are blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations are returning to normal but some services may still be cancelled or delayed by up to 20 minutes. Disruption is expected until 18:00 04/05.

[NickB]

Perhaps it's Harry's stag-party returning from Windsor...

[hassaanhc]

...........on the Friday before a bank holiday weekend.........Lord Have Mercy!

Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Slough


Due to trespassers on the railway between London Paddington and Slough some lines are blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations are returning to normal but some services may still be cancelled or delayed by up to 20 minutes. Disruption is expected until 18:00 04/05.

I got caught up in that yesterday. I could have easily gone another way but decided to take a chance because "surely it can't be that bad?" . There turned out to be a 34 minute gap in departure for stopping services: After the 2R59 1742 London Paddington to Reading left at 1745, the next one to leave was the 2T62 1803 London Paddington to Heathrow Airport at 1819! I got to the station at 1805 and the 2R60 1759 London Paddington to Reading (which is a 5-car 165 remember) was still there, with no driver for it! Just as I got to P14 for 2R60 the unit for 2T62 arrived in P11, and luckily for me it stopped right at the country end of the platform by the footbridge as the rest of the platform was occupied by an 8-car 387 from an earlier cancelled service. So I easily got a seat but those waiting at the main concourse had to walk far. 2R60 left right after it at 1821.

That combined with the first bus home from the station at Southall being too full meant that it took a few minutes longer to go home this way than my preferred option of using SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) from Waterloo to Hounslow, when usually that route takes some 15-30 minutes longer but is way more reliable. And I was in time for the only fast train of the day in this direction, which takes 25 minutes instead of the usual 38-43 minutes. So my attempt to save time actually took longer in the end

[TaplowGreen]

Alterations to services between Reading and London Paddington


Due to a speed restriction because of high track temperatures between Reading 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 or revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Further Information
A speed restriction has been imposed in the Slough area on the Main Line towards London Paddington following the high temperature recorded in the rails at that location yesterday. This is the line which is traversed by the fast / semi fast services between Reading and London Paddington. As a result fewer trains will be able to operate over that section of line and certain services which would normally call at Slough will have that stop withdrawn.

[TaplowGreen]

Same again today........it's 9 degrees outside.

Alterations to services between Reading and London Paddington
Due to a speed restriction between Reading 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 or revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Further Information
A speed restriction has been imposed in the Slough area on the Main Line towards London Paddington following the high temperature recorded in the rails at that location on Monday.