Rain event 24/11/24 (Storm Bert)

[whole diary]

[jamestheredengine]

From GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) a couple of hours ago (dusk on 26th November)

The line between Bristol Parkway and Swindon also remains closed due to flooding. As a result our South Wales-London service is reduced to an hourly frequency, and continues to run on a diversionary route adding around 45 minutes to journey times. Similarly we expect this to remain in place until Thursday 28 Nov at the earliest.

The bit that's not brilliant here is that they're still insisting on running into Bristol Parkway and reversing, rather than serving the South Gloucestershire area by having it stop at Filton Abbey Wood instead. This has the effect of the up London getting stuck behind the Cardiff to Portsmouth service. So a diversion that in itself should add less than 20 minutes just turned into delays upon delays until the trains were running about 90 minutes late yesterday afternoon.

[brooklea]

Could running via Bristol Parkway be driven, at least partly, by the requirement for crew changes there I wonder?

Filton Abbey Wood also not the best place to be turfed off your train if your car happens to be parked in the large car park at Bristol Parkway...

Whilst I can see the frustration of the additional delay for passengers travelling from South Wales to London, I can also see good reason to run via Bristol Parkway in this situation.

[BBM]

This is almost rubbing salt into an open wound, but if you have a spare 3 hours in the day you might like to watch the video and marvel at how the Norwegian railways cope with bad weather.

It gets particularly spicy about 1hr 40min. Just try to picture an IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project. This will offer more capacity on routes, save money, give a consistent and safe service and meet customer requirements. Intended to replace HSTs.) running in the same conditions.

https://youtu.be/JvDjZRR9LAg?si=e7nt4ohYCEMI1Ta-

And from Japan (jump to 0:40 for the first train in the snowy video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uXKUA3ODKM

[CyclingSid]

If you wondered if the service was sh1t?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9wrz7y5wvko

[TaplowGreen]

If you wondered if the service was sh1t?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9wrz7y5wvko

Blimey. And we worry about leaves on the line.

[Mark A]

Wondering why the child who scribbles on Graham's map was so annoyed at Dartmoor, checked Realtime trains and thought for a moment, 'That's ok, lots of...' and then noticed that the trains were missing:


https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:OKE/2024-11-28/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

Then checked National Rail, but against GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), only a note "Residual delays'.

Checked the GWR web site and that does have the info - they're awaiting the all clear on a bridge that required inspection by divers, reopening 28th so it looks as though that hasn't happened. Perhaps this'll be the longest lasting closure consequential to storm Bert.

Also, the service seems to have been 'Taxituted'.

Mark

[grahame]

Checked the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) web site and that does have the info - they're awaiting the all clear on a bridge that required inspection by divers, reopening 28th so it looks as though that hasn't happened. Perhaps this'll be the longest lasting closure consequential to storm Bert.

Chipping Sodbury still out too ... and the Brecon Mountain Railway

[Mark A]

Again from Realtime Trains, the Okehampton line is now back, the first arrival from Exeter being the 17:15, with the remaining three trains also scheduled to run.

Mark

[Timmer]

If you wondered if the service was sh1t?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9wrz7y5wvko

This article wouldn’t have been out of place in the Annoying / amusing use of completely irrelevant stock photos to illustrate press articles thread with Bristol Temple Meads doubling up as Newbury! 

[TaplowGreen]

Again from Realtime Trains, the Okehampton line is now back, the first arrival from Exeter being the 17:15, with the remaining three trains also scheduled to run.

Mark

Whoops! 

Cancellations to services between Exeter St Davids and Okehampton via Crediton
Due to a broken down train between Crediton and Okehampton the line is blocked. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Train services between Exeter St Davids and Okehampton via Crediton have been cancelled.

Customer Advice
A train has broken down on our Okehampton line. As well as cancellations related to the earlier fallen trees, this has effectively suspended the line for the rest of the day.

[ChrisB]

The train is unable to move in a forward direction, according to National Rail

[grahame]

The train is unable to move in a forward direction, according to National Rail

Can't it go backwards and a few hundred yards toward Meldon?

OR ... is it unable to move in a backward direction too, but they haven't told us that because it didn't have to/

[AMLAG]

According to Real Time Trains the 1725 Oke left on time, struggled and arrd Crediton 66 late and St D 69 late.

The  2115 St D actually ran and left on time and is currently braving the 13 mile ‘high Risk Tree Tunnel’ from Coleford to Okehampton, the highest rly stn in Southern England at about 720 feet above sea level.

[TaplowGreen]