Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2018

[whole diary]

[RA]

I would expect the 08:53 service from Swindon to be diverted via Bathampton to avoid the single line. 

[grahame]

I would expect the 08:53 service from Swindon to be diverted via Bathampton to avoid the single line. 

Ah yes ...

08:53 Swindon to Westbury due 09:41
08:53 Swindon to Westbury due 09:41 will be diverted between Chippenham and Trowbridge.
It will no longer call at Melksham.
This is due to a fault with the signalling system.
Last Updated:31/05/2018 07:58

So that's a gap from 06:36 to 13:14 at Melksham, with both the 09:18 and 11:12 not calling

[Adelante_CCT]

Line appears to be open now


Edit, trains appear to be struggling to get past Woolhampton LC^▸ (Level Crossing)

[Jason]

I'm glad I didn't wait for my usual connection, 130 mins late 

[bobm]

Midgham level crossing (at Woolhampton) did continue to have problems but a "reboot" solved them.

[Jason]

Trivial compared to the bad weather disruption on Swindon routes currently showing.

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Reading and Basingstoke trains have to run at reduced speed on the line towards Basingstoke.
Impact: Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed by up to 10 minutes. Disruption is expected until 16:15 31/05.

[TaplowGreen]

Trivial compared to the bad weather disruption on Swindon routes currently showing.

Indeed. Good luck to anyone attempting to get to Bristol/Wales/Devon/Cornwall this afternoon/evening.

I note from at least one of the updates that no alternative road transport will be provided - what are people to do?

[NickB]

From the bbc news article about the impending weather:

“Great Western Railway trains, which serves south Wales, and southern and western England, will run more slowly than usual”

I know what they are trying to say but the choice of words did make me giggle.

[bobm]

I note from at least one of the updates that no alternative road transport will be provided - what are people to do?

Supposed to be rail replacement buses through Swindon after 8.15 tonight due to planned engineering work.

[BBM]

Pictures of flooding in the station at Didcot Parkway this evening: https://twitter.com/wilselwood/status/1002291682740760576

[didcotdean]

In Didcot there was around two hours of almost continuous heavy to torrential rain from around 7:30, on top of shorter heavy bursts in the previous two hours. My satellite reception was completely knocked out for the worst parts.

A picture seen elsewhere of the passage to the platforms:

[didcotdean]

Maybe unsurprisingly considering the above, the lifts are not working this morning at Didcot. Reported that the peak flood was around a foot high.

[Jason]

Is this related to the weather / flooding?

Due to a fault with the signalling system between Oxford and Worcester Shrub Hill trains have to run at reduced speed.
Impact:
Train services running through these stations may be delayed by up to 20 minutes. Disruption is expected until 12:00 01/06.

[Timmer]

Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds certainly was hit by torrential rain and flash floods, above pictures prove it. However, the Met Office amber warning was for too wide an area with many places to the south of the area of storm activity seeing little to no rain. This led to Network Rail imposing speed restrictions over a wide area of the Western region causing delays and cancellations for many for something that didn’t happen.

I know I’m going to cop flack for what I’ve written by at least one individual on this forum but that was poor forecasting that caused delays and inconvenience to many. What happened at Didcot would have been covered under a yellow warning, flash flooding in a small area. If then, like what happened in the Midlands on Sunday, the storms start to gang up and sit in a concentrated area, then issue an Amber warning for the area where the intense activity is taking place and where it’s heading towards.

Warnings are good, but if you keep issuing them and little to nothing happens then they start to be ignored. For the past six days I’ve been under yellow and amber warnings only to witness a bit of heavy rain overnight.

And as for the media hyperbole everytime the Met issue a yellow warning... don’t get me started.

[red cuillen]

I must admit to being surprised by the extent of the amber warning, especially the wording - I thought SW England was Devon and Cornwall, with most of the amber warning map showing up the West Country. I believe the main point of severe weather warnings though is to alert people to the risk, hence 'be prepared', rather than carry on with your day with no idea of the potential for bad weather.  Who does National Rail take their day to day forecast from anyway, public warnings come from the Met Office, but there are many firms out there selling forecasts to companies?