Overrunning Engineering Work - Monday 26/09/11

[whole diary]

[BPWuser]

Arrive at Parkway this morning, no trains running in either direction between Parkway and Temple Meads.  Due to overrunning engineering works. The worst part is that it's total chaos, with no rail replacement travel in sight. You would have thought FGW^▸ (First Great Western) would have a contingency plan as the works were planned. Obviously one didn't exist.

Finally got a rail replacement coach, although the it was the only one I saw turn up. When we arrived at Temple Meads it looked like a couple of hundred people were waiting to get on the one bus. Not the best customer service, although I appreciate that Network Rail caused the problem.

This was in addition to last weeks problem on Monday morning due to a points failure at Filton. You had a very full voyager waiting at a red light while the cancelled and empty Weymouth train was given priority to Temple Meads. A great piece of priority signalling!

[phile]

There appeared to be heave delays and cancellations today due to overrunning Engineering Works between Bristol Temple Meads and Filton Abbeywood.    I don't know at what time it was cleared but there wer still problems in the area during the late afternoon presumably knock-on delays.   The 12 51 Great Malvern to Weymouth terminated at Bristol Temple Meads due to shortage of Conductor necessitating special stops in the 14 30 Cardiff to Portsmouth at Freshford and Avoncliffe.    The 13 10 Weymouth to Gloucester did not turn up, presumably having terminated at Westbury to go back to Weymouth in lieu of the Great Malvern.    The SWT^▸ (South West Trains) Hire 158 was standing in Platform 9 at 1500 obviously not having gone to Brighton...Eventually it worked 15 41 Bristol to Gloucester in lieu of 13 10 Weymouth.    The so called Real Time information showed cancelled at the same time passengers were boarding.     There appears to be no facilty in the system to shew because of the 13 10 Weymouth terminating short.   Over and above there many other delays of up to 15/20 minutes long after trains were reported to be running normally.  (BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Travel News at approx 1300)     I don't know at what time exactly beccuse the "Cleared Service Disruptions" on National Rail site do not state, merely stees as cleared.

[Electric train]

To be fair to FGW^▸ (First Great Western) if engineering works over run that is the fault of NR^» (Network Rail - home page), FGW do not have a big fleet of busses and drivers sitting on hot standby just in case engineering works over run.  The First Groups busses and coaches I suspect have booked duties anyway such as school bus runs etc, beside you really would not want to pay the premium on the fares to maintain a fleet of busses and drivers on hot standby

[phile]

Thought of Posting itm on this board but opted for "Across the West" because of the more widespread effect

[Ollie]

As per Electric Train - getting a fleet of buses to do rail replacement on a morning peak isn't easy as alot are already on other contracts (schools/company shuttles)

You say should have been prepared, but what do you actually expect them to do in this case?

[inspector_blakey]

An entire fleet of buses complete with drivers and their engines ticking over, just waiting for the possibility of an over-run presumably.

[Henry]

 I have a certain amount of sympathy for FGW^▸ (First Great Western), they are in 'no-win' situation.

 Just out of interest, does anyone have an idea how much a fleet (say 10 coaches)
 of stand-by vehicles would cost ?

 Bearing in mind that if not used, that cost is picked up by FGW.

[ChrisB]

Why shouldn't it be Network Rail that has them on stand-by anyway? It's them doing the work....

[grahame]

Shouldn't it be that the rail industry as a whole has contingency plans in place (NOT buses on hot standby, mind you) in case something goes wrong at any time, in any place?  It strikes me that it might be very inefficient for there to be separate plans that are not co-ordinated by Cross Country, First and Network Rail if Filton Bank is unavailable, depending on who's engineering works are giving problems or who's train is broken down with brakes stuck on.  Perhaps there are such strategic plans?

[Ollie]

From what I gather people were being sent via Swindon.
Obviously not ideal but atleast they would get there. (Unless you were travelling to one of the stations between Parkway and Temple Meads)

[ChrisB]

Because sourcing buses was a problem at that time of day - the vast majority are out on school runs....

[BPWuser]

Whilst I appreciate you can't have buses on standby 24/7, if you look at all the Network Rail vehicles still parked outside Temple Meads, and stored on Filton bank this wasn't/isn't a 'minor' rail repair job. Looks like a major piece of rail engineering taking place, and hence in this specific instance I would have thought the risk was clearly there that something could go wrong/deplays could occur, and therefore cause a problem on Monday morning. That risk should have been covered, and in my opinion wasn't.

[JayMac]

How exactly do you propose that risk is covered? It can only be fleets of buses on standby.

Just in this case as it directly affected you, or in every case?

That's a lot of buses and their drivers that need to be found and paid for. Money that in the majority of cases will be wasted as it is only a minority of engineering possessions that overrun.

[BPWuser]

The story continues....

Arrived at Parkway last Monday (03/10/11), and 3 rail replacement coaches are in the car park. However, not a delay in sight and all trains running 'On Time'. Not sure what to make of it. I presume more rail repairs had taken place, and the contingency plan had been actioned. Or FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have been reading this thread, and just for me (as bignosemac had suggested) had put 3 coaches in the car park to make it clear that they do care.

And just to add to the fun, I've already heard the announcement that the track is closed between Temple Meads and Parkway this coming Sunday, so what's next Monday going to be like?

[fatcontroller]

The coaches were paid for by NR^» (Network Rail - home page) in case of another over-run.

They will also be there next Monday and every Monday when Filton is shut over the weekend.