Severe weather - snow / rain / flooding forecasts - ongoing discussion (merged topic)

[whole diary]

[WashuChan]

Well I managed to get home (only discovering that I'd left my keys in Didcot when I was on the final steps of Fratton doh) after 4 hours of travelling. Mainly down to me just missing the Basingstoke service to Reading and then being told of a phantom Bournemouth service from Reading..that never existed. But got home in the end, thanks to FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)), and funny enough the 158 while not in good shape got back to Fratton two minutes early

[Lee]

Perhaps the line via Heathfield should be reopened as a diversion in such events, if they happen in the future.

Parliamentary Written Answer - 22/05/2006 :

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will reopen the main line to Heathfield from Exeter City Basin rejoining the main line at Newton Abbott or a similar routing to provide an alternative route bypassing Dawlish Warren; and what assessment he has made of the effect of rising water levels on the incidence of line closure in winter months of the main line to Penzance.

Derek Twigg: The Government have no plans to re-open any lines as an alternative route bypassing Dawlish Warren.

Network Rail advises me that it continues to take forward a phased programme of major works to improve the safety and all year round operational integrity of the railway in the Dawlish area. Network Rail will work with Devon county council to manage the sea defences in the long term as changes occur to sea levels.

[Btline]

Typical 

[Lee]

A UK^▸ (United Kingdom) round-up on today's weather-related disruption (link below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7287516.stm

[Ollie]

This makes sense:

2336 arrival at London Paddington from Penzance

    * Expected to arrive London Paddington at 0040.
    * This train has been delayed by a delay on a previous journey

Yet it left Penzance on time so that can't really be the reason.
And judging by the points it lost time I don't think it will be due to waiting crew.
http://www.livedepartureboards.co.uk/fgw/term.aspx?T=PADTON++&J=1279708&R=0
Any ideas?

Remember link becomes inactive once train gets to PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)

[Lee]

Well, it does look like something went wrong between Truro and Par - debris on the line maybe?

I dont suppose there is any chance that they could have been awaiting crew at Par? It seems to have been down 39 minutes when it left there.

[Ollie]

Not sure, I don't think that would be a normal changeover point.

By the time it departed Liskeard it lost an hour..

[Chris from Nailsea]

Departure from:       Timetable          Actual Departure
Penzance                  1735                     On time
St Erth                     1746                     On time
Hayle                       1749                     No report
Camborne                 1759                     On time
Redruth                    1806                     No report
Truro                        1819                     1824
St Austell                  1836                     No report
Par                           1843                    1922
Bodmin Parkway          1855                     No report
Liskeard                     1908                     2002
Plymouth                    1935                     2044
Totnes                       2002                     2122
Newton Abbot             2015                     2135
Exeter St Davids          2037                     2157
Tiverton Parkway         2052                     2212
Taunton                     2106                     2226
Bristol Temple Meads    2140                     2302
Bath Spa                    2156                     2313
Chippenham                2208                      2325
Swindon                     2224                      2338
Didcot Parkway            2239                     2355
Reading                      2255                     0009

Yes, it seems to have lost over an hour by Plymouth, but kept it to about 1 hour 20 from Totnes onwards?

Please excuse my wonky table - just trying to preserve the times for future readers - as Ollie says, Remember link becomes inactive once train gets to PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)! 

[Lee]

Thanks Chris.

To me, it does still look like the key is in the Truro-Par section. I wonder what time it left St Austell?

More weather article links, including falling trees in Truro and the suspension of the Torpoint Ferry amid flooding in Devonport.
http://thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144125&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232510&home=yes&more_nodeId1=232470&contentPK=20112681

http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/latestheadlines/display.var.2106663.0.firefighters_on_flooding_mission.php

[swlines]

The problem was at Par. It was held there for 35 minutes.

[swlines]

Timings, out of one of the many systems that link into TRUST^▸ (Train Running System TOPS)...

Location               Expected       Actual
Penzance                      1735           1735
Long Rock TMD▸  (Traction Maintenance Depot)          PASS   1739    No report
St Erth                1744 ~ 1746    1744 ~ 1746
Hayle                  1749 ~ 1749    No report
Camborne               1758 ~ 1759    1758 ~ 1800
Redruth                1805 ~ 1806    No report
Truro                  1817 ~ 1819    1817 ~ 1824  005 LATE
Probus                 PASS   1825    No report
Burngullow Jn          PASS   1832    No report
St Austell             1835 ~ 1836    No report
Par                    1843 ~ 1843    1847 ~ 1922  039 LATE
Lostwithiel            PASS   1849    PASS   1928  039 LATE
Bodmin Parkway         1853 ~ 1855    No report
Largin                 PASS   1900    No report
St Pinnock Viaduct E.  PASS   1900    No report
Liskeard               1906 ~ 1908    2000 ~ 2002  054 LATE
St Germans             PASS   1917    PASS   2012  055 LATE
Saltash                PASS   1924    PASS   2021  057 LATE
St Budeaux Jn          PASS   1927    PASS   2028  061 LATE
Plymouth               1933 ~ 1935    2040 ~ 2044  069 LATE
Lipson Jn              PASS   1938    PASS   2048  069 LATE
Hemerdon               PASS   1943    PASS   2058  074 LATE
Ivybridge              PASS   1948    PASS   2107  079 LATE
Totnes                 2001 ~ 2002    2120 ~ 2122  080 LATE
Newton Abbot           2014 ~ 2015    2133 ~ 2135  080 LATE
Dawlish Warren         PASS   2025    PASS   2146  081 LATE
Exeter St Davids       2035 ~ 2037    2155 ~ 2157  080 LATE
Cowley Bridge Jn       PASS   2039    PASS   2200  081 LATE
Tiverton Loop          PASS   2048    PASS   2208  079 LATE
Tiverton Parkway       2051 ~ 2052    2210 ~ 2212  080 LATE
Taunton                2105 ~ 2106    2223 ~ 2226  080 LATE
Cogload Jn             PASS   2111    PASS   2230  079 LATE
Bridgwater             PASS   2115    PASS   2234  079 LATE
Uphill Jn              PASS   2123    PASS   2246  083 LATE
Worle Jn               PASS   2125    PASS   2247  081 LATE
Parson Street          PASS   2137    PASS   2256  079 LATE
Bristol West Jn        PASS   2139    PASS   2258  079 LATE
Bristol Temple Meads   2139 ~ 2140    2300 ~ 2302  082 LATE
Bristol East Jn        PASS   2144    PASS   2303  079 LATE
North Somerset Jn      PASS   2145    PASS   2304  078 LATE
Bath Spa               2154 ~ 2156    2312 ~ 2313  077 LATE
Bathampton Jn          PASS   2159    PASS   2317  078 LATE
Thingley Jn            PASS   2204    PASS   2321  076 LATE
Chippenham             2207 ~ 2208    2323 ~ 2325  077 LATE
Wootton Basset Jn      PASS   2216    PASS   2332  075 LATE
Swindon                2223 ~ 2224    2337 ~ 2338  077 LATE
Uffington              PASS   2232    PASS   2347  074 LATE
Challow                PASS   2233    PASS   2348  074 LATE
Wantage Rd             PASS   2235    PASS   2349  074 LATE
Didcot Parkway         2239 ~ 2239    2354 ~ 2355  076 LATE

Moreton Cutting        PASS   2241    PASS   2357  076 LATE
Reading West Jn        PASS   2253    PASS   0006  072 LATE
Reading                2255 ~ 2255    0007 ~ 0009  074 LATE
Twyford                PASS   2302    PASS   0014  071 LATE
Maidenhead             PASS   2308    PASS   0017  069 LATE
Slough                 PASS   2317    PASS   0020  062 LATE
Heathrow Airport Jn    PASS   2323    PASS   0023  060 LATE
Southall               PASS   2326    PASS   0024  058 LATE
Acton Wells Jn         PASS   2328    PASS   0047  079 LATE
Ladbroke Grove         PASS   2330    PASS   0052  081 LATE
London Paddington      2336           0055         079 LATE

[smokey]

CrossCountry trains are cancelled because Voyagers don't like water.   

Correction Voyagers don't like Sea Water!

[smokey]

Perhaps the line via Heathfield should be reopened as a diversion in such events, if they happen in the future.

Was said line double track?

With rising sea levels Dawlish will often close in the future.

IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly) when BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) closed the former Southern Exeter-Plymouth line between Okehampton-Bere Alston (1968) the BRB^‡(resolve) started to repurchase parts of the sold off Heathfield-Exeter trackbed.

Strange how in 1969 two freight trains were sent via Tavistock, when Dawlish was shut.

I wonder if RETB^▸ (Radio Electronic Token Block) had been around if the Southern route WOULD have stayed open!

[zebedee]

Sea levels are rising?! 

[Lee]

More article links.
http://thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144125&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232510&home=yes&more_nodeId1=232470&contentPK=20115808

http://thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144125&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232510&home=yes&more_nodeId1=232470&contentPK=20116000

http://thisisplymouth.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=181429&command=displayContent&sourceNode=229968&home=yes&more_nodeId1=133174&contentPK=20115794

http://thisissomerset.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=147472&command=displayContent&sourceNode=242195&contentPK=20115756&folderPk=113662&pNodeId=251478

http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145365&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145191&contentPK=20115988&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144922