Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2023

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

Alterations to services between Reading and London Paddington

Due to damage to the overhead electric wires between Reading and London Paddington some lines towards London Paddington are closed.

Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until 14:00 02/10

[TaplowGreen]

Delays to services between London Paddington and Reading

Due to trespassers on the railway earlier today between London Paddington and Acton Main Line trains have to run at reduced speed on all lines. Disruption is expected until 20:00 09/10.
Train services between London Paddington and Reading may be delayed.

Customer Advice
Elizabeth line 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.

[ChrisB]

Goodness - another week gone without any disruption being listed.

[grahame]

Don’t blink. Trespassers. Delays. Does that count as infrastructure problem?

[IndustryInsider]

Don’t blink. Trespassers. Delays. Does that count as infrastructure problem?

Not really.

[grahame]

Don’t blink. Trespassers. Delays. Does that count as infrastructure problem?

Not really.

In hindsight I would agree; misjudged decision to post on my part.

[TaplowGreen]

From National Rail website. Local trains affected, quite a few cancellations listed.

Route(s) affected
Elizabeth line between Abbey Wood and Heathrow Terminal 4 / Reading, and also between Shenfield and Heathrow Terminal 5

Great Western Railway between London Paddington and Cheltenham Spa / Frome / Bristol Temple Meads / Weston-super-Mare / Hereford / Carmarthen / Paignton / Penzance

Heathrow Express between London Paddington and Heathrow Terminal 5

Description
Lines have now reopened following a fault with the signalling system between London Paddington and Ealing Broadway. Whilst service recovers, trains running between these stations may still be cancelled, delayed by up to 20 minutes or revised.

Disruption is expected to continue until 07:30.

[GBM]

I still feel putting all your eggs in one basket isn't that reliable.
Major signalling centre panels seem to be less reliable than the local signal box.

Or am I getting too old (a luddite).

[TaplowGreen]

Disruption now expected until 0815

[ellendune]

I still feel putting all your eggs in one basket isn't that reliable.
Major signalling centre panels seem to be less reliable than the local signal box.

Or am I getting too old (a luddite).

Wouldn't failure of a box at say Ealing Broadway have had the same effect?

[TaplowGreen]

Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Reading

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

Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 11:30 17/10.

[GBM]

I still feel putting all your eggs in one basket isn't that reliable.
Major signalling centre panels seem to be less reliable than the local signal box.

Or am I getting too old (a luddite).

Wouldn't failure of a box at say Ealing Broadway have had the same effect?

Interesting question.

Boxes were local, and mostly mechanical.
Perhaps there were also more local technical people around, rather than being centralised, so a quicker response would have been available.
I wonder what their failure rate was (boxes, not staff!).

[Mark A]

Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Reading

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

Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 11:30 17/10.

Several reports on social media this morning of an assault on the train manager on the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Bristol to Paddington service that's routed via Bradford on Avon (reports that is from travelling public concerned for the welfare of the member of staff). Hoping the individual responsible was detained.

The train: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P75519/2023-10-17/detailed#allox_id=0

Mark

[TaplowGreen]

Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Reading

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

Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 11:30 17/10.

Several reports on social media this morning of an assault on the train manager on the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Bristol to Paddington service that's routed via Bradford on Avon (reports that is from travelling public concerned for the welfare of the member of staff). Hoping the individual responsible was detained.

The train: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P75519/2023-10-17/detailed#allox_id=0

Mark

Was there anything to suggest that this incident was related to the aforementioned signalling issue?

[Worcester_Passenger]

I still feel putting all your eggs in one basket isn't that reliable.
Major signalling centre panels seem to be less reliable than the local signal box.

Or am I getting too old (a luddite).

Wouldn't failure of a box at say Ealing Broadway have had the same effect?

Interesting question.

Boxes were local, and mostly mechanical.
Perhaps there were also more local technical people around, rather than being centralised, so a quicker response would have been available.
I wonder what their failure rate was (boxes, not staff!).

After Oxford, it's all individual signal boxes on the Cotswold line - at Ascott, Moreton, Evesham, Norton Junction, Worcester Shrub Hill, Henwick, Newland East, Malvern Wells, Ledbury and Hereford. It's difficult to tell whether they're more reliable - they cover a smaller area and so have fewer points and signals to go wrong by comparison with an area-wide centre. What is an issue is that there's nine signallers (ignoring Hereford) whereas there'd probably be one in an area centre.

And that leads to some different problems - on Sunday evening there were no trains between Great Malvern and Hereford because the Ledbury signaller had been taken ill.  That had knock-on effects on Monday morning - there's one train that should overnight at Hereford which had to be stabled at Shrub Hill instead.