Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2021

[whole diary]

[Electric train]

.......and another one.

Seems to be becoming an increasingly common problem (again)


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 09:15 03/07.

There has been a significant change to how NR^» (Network Rail - home page) staff access the railway to carry out maintenance and fault repair; on the Wales & Western Region they have phased out completely access to the rail with 'unassisted lookouts'  that is you will no longer see someone with flags and a horn to warn staff of approaching trains.  Other Regions of NR are rapidly reaching the same.

What impact has this had, first more maintenance staff are having to work nights, this has reduced the size of the teams working days thereby stretching the resources to react to faults on days.  Second if the team sent to respond to a fault need to get to equipment that means they need to get onto the track to either walk to equipment or track equipment they need to have a 'Line Block'

There is work being done to improve access to equipment but this is a long lead item, recruiting more staff is unlikely currently due to NR going through a major restructuring due to Covid-19 impact on revenue, the restructuring will result in reduction of NR staff numbers

[TaplowGreen]

.......and another one.

Seems to be becoming an increasingly common problem (again)


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 09:15 03/07.

There has been a significant change to how NR^» (Network Rail - home page) staff access the railway to carry out maintenance and fault repair; on the Wales & Western Region they have phased out completely access to the rail with 'unassisted lookouts'  that is you will no longer see someone with flags and a horn to warn staff of approaching trains.  Other Regions of NR are rapidly reaching the same.

What impact has this had, first more maintenance staff are having to work nights, this has reduced the size of the teams working days thereby stretching the resources to react to faults on days.  Second if the team sent to respond to a fault need to get to equipment that means they need to get onto the track to either walk to equipment or track equipment they need to have a 'Line Block'

There is work being done to improve access to equipment but this is a long lead item, recruiting more staff is unlikely currently due to NR going through a major restructuring due to Covid-19 impact on revenue, the restructuring will result in reduction of NR staff numbers

Thanks that's interesting background.

Probably not a great strategy to let reliability suffer and prolong disruption when the railway is facing a huge loss in business revenue and desperately needs to demonstrate reliability in order to attract more leisure travellers.

[grahame]

There has been a significant change to how NR^» (Network Rail - home page) staff access the railway to carry out maintenance and fault repair ...

Very interesting background, and look ahead too to the future of staffing to deal with immediate faults.  Thank you.

The need to keep constant vigilance on systems and the danger of track staff working on the line anywhere near open lines / running trains was highlighted again this week in a RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) report - in this case where one of a pair of lines (double track) was closed, but something went wrong and the workers were on the line that remained open.

At around 12:33 hrs on 13 February 2021, a track worker undertaking inspection work narrowly avoided being struck by a train in Llandegai tunnel, near Bangor.

...

The group had just entered the tunnel on the down line (the line used by trains heading west) and were using a long pole to remove icicles from the water deflection sheeting on the tunnel roof. The COSS heard the horn, turned and saw the train approaching them. He shouted that they were on the wrong line and managed to get to safety on the other line. The other track worker tried to do the same but fell over. He then managed to roll into the space between the tracks. The driver saw that the track worker was across the right-hand running rail of the down line, and immediately applied the emergency brake and sounded the horn again. CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) from the train showed that the track worker managed to crawl clear with about a second to spare.

[AMLAG]

This was YET AGAIN another case of a serious safety incident involving staff not directly employed by Network Rail, but Contractors to NR^» (Network Rail - home page).

Don't be fooled by thinking that 'Orange Army' HV kitted and branded  'Network Rail'  personnel are 'in house' NR directly employed staff; they are increasingly Contractors, Sub Contractors, sub sub Contractors, Consultants and Zero hours agency labourers,
often travelling long distances, especially the latter often from the Welsh Valleys, to unfamiliar locations.

[Electric train]

This was YET AGAIN another case of a serious safety incident involving staff not directly employed by Network Rail, but Contractors to NR^» (Network Rail - home page).

Don't be fooled by thinking that 'Orange Army' HV kitted and branded  'Network Rail'  personnel are 'in house' NR directly employed staff; they are increasingly Contractors, Sub Contractors, sub sub Contractors, Consultants and Zero hours agency labourers,
often travelling long distances, especially the latter often from the Welsh Valleys, to unfamiliar locations.

The rules about wearing NR branded PPE are quite strict.   The wearer must have the company name of their Sentinel sponsor.

The use of zero hour contracts has been greatly reduced for safety critical rolls.  The first tier contractor must also monitor the travelling time of its sub contract work force.   The signing in to a work site by the use of a Sentinel card is quite common on large work sites and is increasing in use for small / adhoc work sites.  The sentinel system knows the holders home post code and systems are being trialled to flag up where the post code to site travelling time exceeds 2 hours.

Sentinel is industry standard used by NR, LUL^▸ (London Underground Ltd), HS1^▸ (High Speed line 1 - St Pancras to Channel Tunnel) etc and will identify anyone 'double shifting' on different infrastructure operators worksites; this used to be quite common in London and SE with people working a night shift on LUL or NR and then doing a day shift on the other 

[Lee]

Sentinel is industry standard used by NR^» (Network Rail - home page), LUL^▸ (London Underground Ltd), HS1^▸ (High Speed line 1 - St Pancras to Channel Tunnel) etc and will identify anyone 'double shiting' on different infrastructure operators worksites; this used to be quite common in London and SE with people working a night shift on LUL or NR and then doing a day shift on the other 

It is good to know that there are robust systems in place to deal with the nasty smell associated with 'double shiting'...

[grahame]

Sentinel is industry standard used by NR^» (Network Rail - home page), LUL^▸ (London Underground Ltd), HS1^▸ (High Speed line 1 - St Pancras to Channel Tunnel) etc and will identify anyone 'double shiting' on different infrastructure operators worksites; this used to be quite common in London and SE with people working a night shift on LUL or NR and then doing a day shift on the other 

It is good to know that there are robust systems in place to deal with the nasty smell associated with 'double shiting'...

There have been incidents serious enough for RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) reporting to note a contributory factor being people working two shifts for different employers, at least one (both?) being safety critical.  The whole wider business of folks doing their safety critical jobs (often with the best intent - to "not let people down") when they have other stuff going on which means they're not on the ball.

[Electric train]

Sentinel is industry standard used by NR^» (Network Rail - home page), LUL^▸ (London Underground Ltd), HS1^▸ (High Speed line 1 - St Pancras to Channel Tunnel) etc and will identify anyone 'double shiting' on different infrastructure operators worksites; this used to be quite common in London and SE with people working a night shift on LUL or NR and then doing a day shift on the other 

It is good to know that there are robust systems in place to deal with the nasty smell associated with 'double shiting'...

Oppppppppppsie 

Sentinel is industry standard used by NR, LUL, HS1 etc and will identify anyone 'double shiting' on different infrastructure operators worksites; this used to be quite common in London and SE with people working a night shift on LUL or NR and then doing a day shift on the other 

It is good to know that there are robust systems in place to deal with the nasty smell associated with 'double shiting'...

There have been incidents serious enough for RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) reporting to note a contributory factor being people working two shifts for different employers, at least one (both?) being safety critical.  The whole wider business of folks doing their safety critical jobs (often with the best intent - to "not let people down") when they have other stuff going on which means they're not on the ball.

It is not unknown for NR to remove Contractors / suppliers from the approved list where a contractor / supplier fails to improve their safety management

[TaplowGreen]

Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Reading

Due to a fault with the signalling system between London Paddington and Reading all lines are disrupted.

Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled or delayed by up to 30 minutes. Disruption is expected until 21:30 27/07.

[Jason]

Due to a derailed train between Reading and Reading West:
Impact:
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 10 minutes or diverted between Reading and Reading West. Disruption is expected until 14:00 28/07.

[TaplowGreen]

Due to a broken down train between Bedwyn and Reading all lines are blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 15:30 22/08.

[TaplowGreen]

Cancellations to services between Slough and London Paddington
Due to urgent repairs to the track between Slough and London Paddington fewer trains are able to run.

Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled or running non stop between Slough and London Paddington. Ealing Broadway will not be served. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Customer Advice
Network Rail need to attend the slow lines between Slough and London Paddington for urgent repairs. Stopping services between Slough and London Paddington will be unable to call at Ealing Broadway.

[eightf48544]

Customer Advice
Network Rail need to attend the slow lines between Slough and London Paddington for urgent repairs. Stopping services between Slough and London Paddington will be unable to call at Ealing Broadway.

Network Rail will have upset GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Relief lines please

[TaplowGreen]

Alterations to services at London Paddington

Due to a points failure at London Paddington fewer trains are able to run.
Train services running to and from this station may be terminated at and started back from Reading. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Additional Information
Owing to a Points Failure in the London Paddington area, Services originating at Bedwyn or Newbury heading for London Paddington will be terminated at Reading. Passengers are advised to change at Reading for London Paddington.

Services from London Paddington with the destination of Newbury or Bedwyn will be started at Reading. Passengers are advised to board the next available GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) service from London Paddington to Reading and change at Reading for stations towards Newbury and Bedwyn.

[TaplowGreen]

Second time today.....

and Reading
Due to a points failure between London Paddington and Heathrow Terminal 5 fewer trains are able to run on some lines towards London Paddington. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Train services between London Paddington and Reading will be cancelled or delayed by up to 15 minutes.
Customer Advice
If you hold a valid single, return, or weekly ticket, you will be able to claim compensation for delays of 15 minutes or more. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).com/DelayRepay
TFL^▸ (Transport for London) Rail are conveying passengers between London Paddington and Reading in both directions until further notice. Arrangements have been made for Great Western Railway rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.
Additional Information
Please be advised that owing to a significantly cracked set of points (signalling equipment used to direct trains from one section of track to another) just outside of London Paddington, Network Rail have decided to take an early possession of certain lines running in and out of Paddington station this evening. This is so the repair work can be completed overnight ready for start of service tomorrow morning. From 21:00 railway lines 1-6 into Paddington will be closed until the end of service. As a result, the train service into and out of London Paddington this evening will be 'thinned out' in order to prevent significant congestion of trains using fewer lines and thus allowing the engineers to complete their repair work uninterrupted. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to your journey this evening. For further assistance with your journey please speak to our station or onboard staff.