Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2022

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

Again.  Dozens of cancellations and "alterations" already listed.

Complete farce.


Due to a points failure between London Paddington and Reading some lines towards Reading are blocked.

Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

[NickB]

This is indeed becoming quite tedious. Time for another letter to Theresa about how her commuter towns have become ‘uncommutable’.

Useless

[NickB]

Tfl services are now suspended. No way in or out from the Thames Valley.

Slow clap.

[Sixty3Closure]

Now I've finally moved from Twyford to the middle of nowhere I really don't miss my commute. My future employment prospects may be limited but I suspect my day is a lot less stressful.

[ChrisB]

I think it's about time that the operators put pressure on Network Rail to issue a statement setting out full reasons for the constant disruption....

[TaplowGreen]

I think it's about time that the operators put pressure on Network Rail to issue a statement setting out full reasons for the constant disruption....

A nice idea, but I suspect the familiar rail industry "Omerta" will be observed and the frontline staff will be left to explain as best they can.

[rower40]

Does "not having any meal-break-cover signallers at TVSC^» (Thames Valley Signalling Centre - about)" count as an Infrastructure Problem?

Paddington has closed from 1030 to 1100 this morning, and is about to close(*) again from 1330 to 1500.

Due to a shortage of signalling staff there will be disruption to journeys to / from London Paddington. Trains running between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport / Reading may be cancelled or delayed.

This disruption is anticipated from 13:30 until 15:00.

(*) - all trains brought to a safe stand at a station, then have to wait there until the relevant workstation is manned again.

Edit to add:
Apologies - just seen the other thread about signalling staff taken ill.

[TaplowGreen]

Does "not having any meal-break-cover signallers at TVSC^» (Thames Valley Signalling Centre - about)" count as an Infrastructure Problem?

Paddington has closed from 1030 to 1100 this morning, and is about to close(*) again from 1330 to 1500.

Due to a shortage of signalling staff there will be disruption to journeys to / from London Paddington. Trains running between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport / Reading may be cancelled or delayed.

This disruption is anticipated from 13:30 until 15:00.

(*) - all trains brought to a safe stand at a station, then have to wait there until the relevant workstation is manned again.

Edit to add:
Apologies - just seen the other thread about signalling staff taken ill.

I don't think you need to apologise.

My understanding (from a member of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) staff) is that like everyone else they are somewhat short staffed due to COVID rather than people suddenly keeling over in situ as "taken ill" may suggest,  but due to being a tad shorthanded everything pretty much grinds to a halt when Johnny Signaller takes his tea/lunchbreak, which would probably be borne out by the timings you suggest.

One could imagine a Monty Python sketch portraying the scene!

[Electric train]

Does "not having any meal-break-cover signallers at TVSC^» (Thames Valley Signalling Centre - about)" count as an Infrastructure Problem?

Paddington has closed from 1030 to 1100 this morning, and is about to close(*) again from 1330 to 1500.

Due to a shortage of signalling staff there will be disruption to journeys to / from London Paddington. Trains running between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport / Reading may be cancelled or delayed.

This disruption is anticipated from 13:30 until 15:00.

(*) - all trains brought to a safe stand at a station, then have to wait there until the relevant workstation is manned again.

Edit to add:
Apologies - just seen the other thread about signalling staff taken ill.

I don't think you need to apologise.

My understanding (from a member of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) staff) is that like everyone else they are somewhat short staffed due to COVID rather than people suddenly keeling over in situ as "taken ill" may suggest,  but due to being a tad shorthanded everything pretty much grinds to a halt when Johnny Signaller takes his tea/lunchbreak, which would probably be borne out by the timings you suggest.

One could imagine a Monty Python sketch portraying the scene!

It may also be compounded by the Easter holidays, with a number of key staff on leave add others being ill with Covid.  Signallers, Electrical Control Room and front line maintenance teams did not have the ability to work from home during lockdown there is quite a bit of leave to use up by the end of 2022.

[grahame]

Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Reading

Due to a broken rail between London Paddington and Reading fewer trains are able to run on all lines.

Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Customer Advice

Transport for London are conveying passengers between London Waterloo and London Paddington in both directions until further notice. Arrangements have been made for Great Western Railway rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.

TFL^▸ (Transport for London) Rail are conveying passengers between Reading and London Paddington in both directions until further notice. Arrangements have been made for Great Western Railway rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.
CrossCountry are conveying passengers between Reading and Oxford in both directions until further notice. Arrangements have been made for Great Western Railway rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.
South Western Railway are conveying passengers between Reading and London Waterloo in both directions until further notice. Arrangements have been made for Great Western Railway rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.

[grahame]

3,758 replies and 1,041,050 views on this single forum thread - "Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption elsewhere, since October 2014" - that's seven and a half years worth of issues.  It's our most replied topic of all time, and second most viewed topic.

JourneyCheck lists seven train cancellation and no fewer than 27 "Other Train Service Updates" this morning just up to the 11:41 Bedwyn to Paddington:

11:41 Bedwyn to London Paddington due 12:52 will be terminated at Reading.  It will no longer call at London Paddington.

So really a cancellation for any passengers who had hoped to use it into Paddington. As the overall report says "disruption expected all day", I expect we'll see more trains cancelled for all or part of their route as the day goes on ...

"These things happen" ... sure they do.  But should they really have been happening so frequently, over such a long period?

[TaplowGreen]

3,758 replies and 1,041,050 views on this single forum thread - "Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption elsewhere, since October 2014" - that's seven and a half years worth of issues.  It's our most replied topic of all time, and second most viewed topic.

JourneyCheck lists seven train cancellation and no fewer than 27 "Other Train Service Updates" this morning just up to the 11:41 Bedwyn to Paddington:

11:41 Bedwyn to London Paddington due 12:52 will be terminated at Reading.  It will no longer call at London Paddington.

So really a cancellation for any passengers who had hoped to use it into Paddington. As the overall report says "disruption expected all day", I expect we'll see more trains cancelled for all or part of their route as the day goes on ...

"These things happen" ... sure they do.  But should they really have been happening so frequently, over such a long period?

This current issue, and I suspect it's the same one or at least connected to it, has been causing huge disruption sometimes twice a week for around 6 weeks now, no-one seems too bothered about fixing it and there is no effective communication from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) other than what you've seen.

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/295127.aspx

Just pray that today the signaller doesn't want a tea break too.........

[bobm]

Today's issue is a broken rail adjacent to a set of points at Ladbroke Grove.


(from OpenTrainTimes)

[Mark A]

Perhaps not applicable to *this* broken rail, is it the case that Network Rail disbanded their flash butt welding expertise and teams and returned to the previous (and inferior) method.

Mark

[eightonedee]

Well,  after today I will be able to follow this thread with a bit more equanimity.  I am on my last ever commute home from work!