Bad morning

[whole diary]

[willc]

Line problem between Oxford and Worcester Shrub Hill.
Train services are being disrupted due to signalling problems between Oxford and Worcester Shrub Hill.Engineers are working as fast as possible to restore services to normal. Short notice alterations and delays of up to 25 minutes can be expected.
Last Updated: 19/11/2010 08:06

05:48 London Paddington to Great Malvern due 08:36
This train has been delayed and is now 16 minutes late from Evesham.This train will be terminated at Worcester Foregate Street.It will no longer call at: Malvern Link and Great Malvern.This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 19/11/2010 08:19

06:43 Hereford to London Paddington due 09:47
This train will be started from Worcester Shrub Hill.It will no longer call at: Hereford, Ledbury, Colwall, Great Malvern, Malvern Link and Worcester Foregate Street.This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 19/11/2010 06:19

06:43 Hereford to London Paddington due 09:47
This train has been delayed and is now 19 minutes late from Evesham.This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 19/11/2010 08:20

8:58 Great Malvern to London Paddington due 11:29
This train will be started from Worcester Foregate Street.It will no longer call at: Great Malvern and Malvern Link.This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 19/11/2010 08:18

09:29 Moreton-In-Marsh to London Paddington due 12:01
This train will be started from Oxford.It will no longer call at: Moreton-In-Marsh, Kingham and Charlbury.This is due to signalling problems.
Last Updated: 19/11/2010 08:05

Anyone know anything more specific than the catch-all "signlling problems"?

[Don]

Talked to signaller friend:  Broken/damaged cables at Ascott probably caused by road-rail vehicles working on re-doubling going over the concrete cable trays once too many.  Fault occurred during the night, S&T^▸ (Signalling and Telegraph) fixed the one cable quite easily during the night but took time to find the second damage and was not fixed until nearly 9am.  Fault stopped trains being allowed onto and off the single line at Ascott.  He didn't say, but I guess that they must have been pilot working from Ascott to Wolvercote.

[willc]

Thanks Don. At least it wasn't thieves, though you would think with troughs and cables all over the place alongside the route at the moment anyone moving plant around would be extra-careful.

The 09.54 from Malvern also got turned back at Worcester.

[willc]

Not a good one today either, with nothing running between Hereford and Great Malvern until at least 09.30.

Seems to be some sort of problem at Colwall, requiring emergency engineering work, though the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website note about the 06.43 (which appears to be running non-stop from Hereford to Reading via Newport!) says there's an obstruction on the line.

06:43 Hereford to London Paddington due 09:47
This train has been revised.It will no longer call at: Ledbury, Colwall, Great Malvern, Malvern Link, Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill, Pershore, Evesham, Honeybourne, Moreton-In-Marsh, Kingham, Charlbury and Oxford.This is due to an obstruction on the line.
Replacement road transport will be in operation between Ledbury and Worcester Shrub Hill and between Worcester Shrub Hill and Oxford.
Last Updated: 24/11/2010 07:33

[Andypandy]

According to London Midland Website 'problem with lineside equipment'

loved to be on the 06.43 today

[IanL]

From Teresa Ceesay this morning at CBY, a train hit something metal and damaged the track. Replacement bus from CBY but after filling all 57 seats still people waiting for taxis and that doesnt count those who gave up and took cars. Bus got caught up in Oxford traffic and unlikely to make next fast connection in Oxford to PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains).

[willc]

And another one - compounded by the diversion of both the Hereford to London trains off the route. Not sure what stock is working the halts train. Hope it's not the two-car Turbo! If so, I leave conditions on board to your imagination. Service is currently running 77 minutes late and not expected at Moreton-in-Marsh for another 10 minutes.

Line problem between Worcester Shrub Hill and Evesham.
Train services are being disrupted due to over-running engineering works between Worcester Shrub Hill and Evesham.Engineers are working as fast as possible to restore services to normal. Short notice alterations and delays of up to 50 minutes can be expected.
Last Updated: 02/12/2010 06:37

Update: 89 late leaving Moreton-in-Marsh

[Mookiemoo]

Seems to be problems everywhere - one of the messiest feed maps I've seen

[willc]

And picking up the tale where I left off, throughout all this, the online departure boards were insisting that the 09.29 from Moreton-in-Marsh to London was on time. Making a final check at 09.08 before stepping out of the door, still no mention of the service as cancelled on live updates, well after the point at which the ecs would have been stopped at Oxford. So I set off the to the station, where there was indeed a train but this was the 06.48 to Malvern, which still hadn't left for Evesham. Ticket clerk was unable to get anyone to tell him what the prospects of a train towards Oxford were, so it was the A44 for me.

Network Rail are apparently investigating what went on overnight.

Back on the rails for the return trip, I duly boarded the 18.54 (17.50 ex-Pad) at Oxford, only for an announcement to be made that due to an altercation with a passenger the TM^‡(resolve) refused to take the train forward and there was no-one else available, so 120 or so of us were turfed off. There was some suggestion on the platform among those who had been on board before Oxford that the altercation actually involved another staff member but I've no idea whether that is accurate.

Fortunately, presumably on the back of the morning's problems, the following 18.22 to Hereford was lightly loaded too, so we all got on board and an extra stop was made at Shipton. Wouldn't have been quite so straightforward on a Friday evening...

All in all, not a great advert for the railways.

[Ollie]

From what I heard it was an issue in First Class but to my knowledge it wasn't staff.

[IanL]

And again this morning, 0643 Hereford to Paddington, delayed 40min from Hereford, delayed 57min by Ledbury. Signalling problems according to FGW^▸ (First Great Western) live updates.

Oh well, effectively a cancellation for me, I have driven on the icy roads more often that taking the train this week. During the snow last Feb the trains got me into work every single day without problems.

[willc]

05.48 to Malvern  stopped at Oxford so no 08.58 back.

Fingers crossed that the 09.29 from Moreton will run, but after yesterday's experience who knows, even though the 06.43 is so late - last report 56 late at Worcester Foregate Street a couple of minutes ago.

[Worcester_Passenger]

06:43 from Hereford is shown as being expected at Paddington 75 late.

[IanL]

0643 was 80min  late at Oxford. Both new departure boards lost the train when over an hour late, showing the next train as the 0952 On time....it was cancelled. 0835 was missing and eventually departed around 0955 and called at Hanboroughin addition to replace the cancelled train

[Don]

This morning's problems were caused in part by frozen points at Shelwick junction near Hereford.