Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2022

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

Virtually every week now......

Alterations to services between London Paddington and Reading

Due to damage to the overhead electric wires between London Paddington and Reading fewer trains are able to run on some lines.

Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed by up to 20 minutes or revised. Disruption is expected until 18:30 08/12.

[Worcester_Passenger]

For "week" read "day"

Delays to services between Maidenhead and London Paddington
Due to a fault with the signalling system between Maidenhead and London Paddington trains have to run at reduced speed on some lines towards London Paddington.
Train services running to and from these stations will be delayed by up to 20 minutes. Disruption is expected until 14:30 09/12.

I'm lucky to be on the first train out of Paddington, the 13:50 to Great Malvern. Never seen the concourse as full of waiting passengers. Several cancellations, none of which seemed to be listed on JourneyCheck.

[grahame]

Cancellations to services between Hayes & Harlington and London Paddington
Due to a points failure between Hayes & Harlington and London Paddington some lines are blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled or delayed by up to 30 minutes. Disruption is expected until 09:00 10/12.

[CyclingSid]

And

Cancellations to services between Slough and Maidenhead
Due to a points failure between Slough and Maidenhead some lines are blocked.
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 09:00 10/12.
...
Last Updated:10/12/2022 08:08

[Worcester_Passenger]

I was rather worried by the lack of other posts about yesterday's problem, so I went back to RealTimeTrains to see if I was imagining things. Here's a bit of the log:

Trains from Paddington
12:33 to Exeter - left 16 late
12:48 to Swansea - left 24 late. Further delay after Cardiff.
12:50 to Worcester Foregate St - left 9 late. Further delay after Charlbury. Terminated at Shrub Hill.
13:02 to Bristol Temple Meads - left 13 late
13:04 to Plymouth - left 14 late. Further delays en route.
13:07 to Newbury - left on time
13:18 to Cardiff - left 2 late
13:20 to Oxford - left 11 late
13:28 to Cheltenham Spa - left on time
13:32 to Bristol Temple Meads - left 37 late
13:48 to Swansea - left 15 late. Further delays en route.
13:50 to Great Malvern - left 9 late. Further delays en route. Terminated at Worcester Foregate St
14:02 to Bristol Temple Meads - left 11 late
14:04 to Penzance - started from Reading
14:08 to Newbury - left on time
14:18 to Cardiff - left on time

Arrivals at Paddington had lost time between Reading and Slough
12:52 from Newbury. Arrived 10 late
12:54 from Oxford. Arrived 19 late.
12:59 from Cheltenham Spa. 22 late.
13:06 from Bristol Temple Meads. 13 late.
13:12 from Swansea. Late from Bridgend. Further delay Reading - Slough. 36 late
13:24 from Great Malvern. 22 late.
13:29 from Penzance. Started 39 late from Penzance. Terminated at Reading 48 late.
13:37 from Bristol Temple Meads. 14 late.
13:41 from Cardiff. 13 late
13:54 from Oxford. 11 late.
13:59 from Cheltenham Spa. 10 late.

So, delays inbound from Reading to Slough meant that there were no trains ready to depart - and I turned up at Paddington at possibly the worst moment.

Plus Heathrow Express seems to have switched off in its entirety with no outbound departures between 12:10 and 13:55.

[TaplowGreen]

And

Cancellations to services between Slough and Maidenhead
Due to a points failure between Slough and Maidenhead some lines are blocked.
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 09:00 10/12.
...
Last Updated:10/12/2022 08:08

Also points failures between  Newbury and Westbury and at West Ealing.....it is 1 degree below zero so I suppose we have to expect this in such Arctic conditions?

[Electric train]

And

Cancellations to services between Slough and Maidenhead
Due to a points failure between Slough and Maidenhead some lines are blocked.
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 09:00 10/12.
...
Last Updated:10/12/2022 08:08

Also points failures between  Newbury and Westbury and at West Ealing.....it is 1 degree below zero so I suppose we have to expect this in such Arctic conditions?

Add to the adverse weather a few things potentially impacting on maintenance and fault response -

NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have ceased using "un assisted Look-outs" ie the person with a flag and whistle / horn to warn staff of approaching trans, now the only way staff can access the track is by use of "Line Blocks" ie no trains running. 

The industrial dispute will almost certainly effected maintenance especially the overtime ban, 

The points of Switches and Crossing are electrically heated, the pre winter season maintenance for these can start as mid September for areas with lots of S & C there is actually a shortage of the skilled technicians that maintain electrical and signalling equipment in quite a few area of the country, the point heating is maintained by Electrification & Plant teams, the point machines, interlocking, detection is done by Signalling & Telecoms

[TaplowGreen]

09:03 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 11:00 is being delayed between London Paddington and Reading.
This is due to a points failure.


Affecting a number of services but the points failure in question isn't listed under Journeycheck as an incident, neither was yesterdays

Perhaps points failures are now so common that they regarded as part of the daily landscape and not worthy of mentioning?

[TaplowGreen]

.....and again....

Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington

Due to a points failure between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington trains have to run at reduced speed on some lines.

Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled or delayed by up to 30 minutes. Disruption is expected until 15:00 21/12.

[Timmer]

.....and again....

Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington

Due to a points failure between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington trains have to run at reduced speed on some lines.

Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled or delayed by up to 30 minutes. Disruption is expected until 15:00 21/12.

Yup, got caught up in this heading to London this afternoon. Moved onto the up relief at Dolphin Junction with a queue of trains in front of us. Another Delay Repay claim going in. Seems every journey I do at the moment by train I either get some or all my money back 

[Electric train]

.....and again....

Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington

Due to a points failure between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington trains have to run at reduced speed on some lines.

Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled or delayed by up to 30 minutes. Disruption is expected until 15:00 21/12.

The mix of cold and now wet weather and the industrial action is having an effect, this has started to become evident in some of the data I have seen ...................... it can only get worse the longer the industrial action continues, the backlog will be difficult to catch up on.

[Timmer]

Bet the driver of the 9.32 to Bristol enjoyed driving this service:

09:32 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 11:10
09:32 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 11:10 will no longer call at Reading, Didcot Parkway, Swindon, Chippenham and Bath Spa.
It is being delayed at London Paddington and is now expected to be 45 minutes late.
This is due to engineering works not being finished on time.

Providing there wasn’t any signal checks en route of course.

[ChrisB]

Nothing moved in or out of PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) until quite recently as over-running engineering works blocked access into/out of North Pole depot

[GBM]

But it did call at the 'not stoppings'!
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:G36808/2022-12-27/detailed#allox_id=0

Started 82 down, arrived 83 down

[grahame]

Nothing moved in or out of PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) until quite recently as over-running engineering works blocked access into/out of North Pole depot

Looks like it moved from empty to full quite quickly. Empties arrived from North Pole at 10:35, 10:39, 10:42, 10:43, 10:46, 10:50, 10:52 and 10:56.  Passenger services arrived from Reading and beyond at 10:46, 10:51, 11:00 and 11:01 - the first of those having been held for a while at Slough