Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2024

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks, Bob. 

I was trying to avoid even starting that one again. 

[TaplowGreen]

Delays to services between Reading and London Paddington

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

Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed. Disruption is expected until 09:00 16/08.

[TaplowGreen]

Delays to services between Reading and Didcot Parkway

Due to a safety inspection of the track between Reading and Didcot Parkway trains have to run at reduced speed on some lines.

Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed by up to 10 minutes. Disruption is expected until 20:15 19/08.

[TaplowGreen]

Delays to services between Reading and London Paddington

Due to a speed restriction over defective track between Reading and London Paddington trains have to run at reduced speed on some lines towards London Paddington.

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

[Chris from Nailsea]

Nudged by one of my fellow admins, I've now simplified the heading of this clearly ongoing topic. 

[Chris from Nailsea]

This is clearly a very ongoing issue. 

I have now split our historic huge topic on the Coffee Shop forum into calendar-sized, and hopefully more readable, chunks.

While I was doing this, I read / reviewed / reminded myself of all these historic posts.

My overall impression was of how many members of this forum have contributed to this great discussion.  You are all very welcome to post here and your input is much appreciated by our readers (I know, I get feedback!)

I would like to thank personally (probably just to embarrass them here ) two of our main contributors to this particular topic - interestingly, from somewhat opposite corners.

Thank you, IndustryInsider and TaplowGreen, for your continuing input to the Coffee Shop forum.

Chris 

[TaplowGreen]

This is clearly a very ongoing issue. 

I have now split our historic huge topic on the Coffee Shop forum into calendar-sized, and hopefully more readable, chunks.

While I was doing this, I read / reviewed / reminded myself of all these historic posts.

My overall impression was of how many members of this forum have contributed to this great discussion.  You are all very welcome to post here and your input is much appreciated by our readers (I know, I get feedback!)

I would like to thank personally (probably just to embarrass them here ) two of our main contributors to this particular topic - interestingly, from somewhat opposite corners.

Thank you, IndustryInsider and TaplowGreen, for your continuing input to the Coffee Shop forum.

Chris 

Thankyou for those kind words Chris, and for your effort in splitting this ongoing topic into its constituent years.

I too would like to pay tribute to IndustryInsider for his spirited defence of the railway on this issue despite the best (or perhaps lack of!) efforts of Network Rail and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)...........I hope they appreciate his commitment and his loyalty.

I think my main takeaway from the Herculean task you have undertaken is to make me realise how wrong I have been................there was me thinking that the infrastructure has been falling apart for the last few years, whereas in reality it's been at least a decade! 

[Chris from Nailsea]

Yes, that's a (brutally) realistic summary of this whole subject. 

[Timmer]

Delays to services between Reading and London Paddington

Due to damage to the overhead electric wires between Reading and London Paddington all lines are blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed. Disruption is expected until 20:30 25/08.

Customer Advice
Due to a report of an obstruction on the overhead electric wires between London Paddington and Reading all lines are blocked.


Of concern is this:

18:00 London Paddington to Plymouth due 21:30
18:00 London Paddington to Plymouth due 21:30 will no longer call at Reading, Didcot Parkway and Swindon.
It is being delayed at London Paddington.
This is due to overcrowding.

This train is covering the cancelled 17:30 to Bristol, the 18:00 Plymouth via Bristol and the cancelled 18:03 to Penzance (see below)

I hope they’ve let people off the train until the OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") issue is resolved as this train must be absolutely rammed.

18:03 London Paddington to Penzance due 23:12

18:03 London Paddington to Penzance due 23:12 will be reinstated.
It will be started from Plymouth.
It will no longer call at London Paddington, Reading, Taunton, Tiverton Parkway, Exeter St Davids, Newton Abbot and Totnes.
It will be delayed at Plymouth and is expected to be 18 minutes late.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Additional Information
Customers at London Paddington, Taunton, Exeter St Davids, Newton Abbot and Totnes should board the 18:00 London Paddington to Plymouth service as at Plymouth the train will then become the 21:15 service to Penzance. The 18:00 London Paddington to Plymouth calls at Taunton (20:07), Exeter St Davids (20:32), Newton Abbot (20:52) and Totnes (21:04).

[TaplowGreen]

......something tells me there's going to be a lot of taxi drivers making some serious money tonight.....

Imagine if there was such a chronic shortage of crew that those few trains which are running are massively and dangerously overcrowded as well as the infrastructure falling over?

No, can't imagine that being allowed to happen

[Chris from Nailsea]

This train is covering the cancelled 17:30 to Bristol, the 18:00 Plymouth via Bristol and the cancelled 18:03 to Penzance (see below)

I hope they’ve let people off the train until the OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE")▸ issue is resolved as this train must be absolutely rammed.

That's probably all my fault, for tempting fate by splitting this topic.

[TaplowGreen]

Delays to services between Reading and London Paddington

Due to damage to the overhead electric wires between Reading and London Paddington all lines are blocked.

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

Paddington station exit only....must be horrendous

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service-disruptions/london-paddington-20240825/

[BBM]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) presenter Sara Thornton has posted on X a short video from her son showing the scene tonight at PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains):

https://x.com/SaraThornton1/status/1827794876051669259

[ChrisB]

Wonder how old her son is?.... 

[TaplowGreen]

Wonder how old her son is?.... 

Probably by the time he got (gets?) home via GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) he was considerably older than he thought he'd be when he set out......