Anon post to the Tarka Line Group

 
Just for the record I was there too representing the TransWilts CIC.   Some of the stuff we had heard before but as reported there were some encouraging signs for the future and some reassurances that the matter is very much being looked at.

 

Shares currently down 12.5% today.

 

One of the benefits of our new berthmaps system is that I can run replays anywhere, not just on a TMIS at work, and having done that I can see nothing obvious that caused the delay - so, no sign of the above freight, or anything coming the other way. 

That suggests it could have been a minor signalling issue, or a temporary block due to trespassers and so on (though nothing was entered into any of the signal berths to indicate that).

 

I thought I saw that - BUT it was a "Q" - runs as required - path but hadn't been switched on which suggested to me it had not been run.   In hindsight, makes sense that it WAS run.   Intermediate signal or better needed!

 
Alterations to services between Reading and Didcot Parkway

Due to damage to the overhead electric wires between Reading and Didcot Parkway the line towards Didcot Parkway is disrupted.

Train services running to and from these stations may be running non stop from Reading. Some stations between Reading and Didcot Parkway will not be served. Disruption is expected until 14:00 18/11.

 
According to Real Time Trains an Oxford to Westbury feright was held at Bradford Junction waiting for a path, not departing until 1800

 

Separate post / thread to highlight this on the diary

 

Hence

 
Sorry Tony - didn't see that you had already given the RA!

 
Wot, none of the real bosses, from DfT? I'm sure they did get mentioned, though (and GBR-to-be as well).

 
Interesting subject for a poll. Which will happen first? The stations actually open, or members run out of cliches?

I though that I would get that one in Right Away.

 

 
An excellent meeting yesterday as far as it could go within the metrics set. Around six people from GWR, four from the West Wiltshire Rail User Group, and our MP and a member of his technical team. Subject - various across West Wiltshire, but dominant is/was the appalling cancellation rate of trains that are supposed to call at Melksham.   Meetings do not solve problems in themselves - and reliability of services has been an ongoing problem in recent years. But steps are taken, and now is the time to be moving towards a new level with everyone concerned looking to provide an excellent public transport offering for the people of Melksham.

It is really good to have the Melksham Transport User Group (MTUG) - committee met last Thursday - with support (and not just meeting attendance!) from our Melksham Town and Melksham Without reps - giving support not only to help with the immediate reliability issue, but also to look ahead to immediate information provision and reliability improvements, then to improving station access and walking, cycling and bus integration, and then to an improved capacity and services to use that capacity.

An MTUG public transport timetable is in final proofing today, initial copies at the West Wilts meeting next Wednesday (public meeting, Bethesda Church Hall, Trowbridge, 19:00 for 19:30 and finishing to catch the 21:22 back to Melksham) and with the main topic being bus / rail integration. Then distributed at various places and events such as the Christmas Lights on 6th December.   We are concerned at train reliability - however, around 90% of trains do run and there are already systems - to be greatly improved - to provide much better standbys in an environment in which in any case there are reducing cancellations.

 
Brian Mathew is our MP for Melksham and Devizes. From Brian Mathew on Facebook

 
I didn't mean to derail or sidetrack the discussion but just needed to let off steam on this practice ;-)

 

I must have missed you as I walked though - mind you, there were nearly 70 people on that train ( [72/18] ) .  I was with a retired driver and a current senior member of the Westbury platform team, and they were a bit puzzled too. Might have been a freight train ahead of us on the single line so waiting for it to clear at Bradford junction - or is it possible that the IET had come through wrong line from the Corsham direction and had to cross to right line ahead of us? Mystery ...

 
I was on the 1750 Chippenham to Melksham yesterday evening, which stopped for no obvious reason on the main line before turning off into the single track section. The train manager announced that we were waiting for another train, but the only one that came past was an IET on its way to Paddington, which AFAIK shouldn't have held us up. We departed Chippenham one minute late, but were 11 minutes late arriving at Melksham.

Graham - I saw you on the platform at Melksham and assumed you'd also been on board; any ideas? (Sorry, had to dash off - band rehearsal in Bristol on Monday evenings and it's already a bit tight without an 11 minute delay.)

 
Tuesday November 18

Today's problem is nothing to do with the trains:


09:30:

The stock of the 06:43 is running ECS to Paddington (dep. Shrub Hill 08:55, arr. Paddington 10:47) via Stroud.

Meanwhile,

1W13 06:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern (09:29) : arrived Evesham on time, but departed +26, arrived +31.
1W15 07:50 London Paddington to Great Malvern (10:14) : held Evesham (+26) and Shrub Hill (+37), arrived +43.

1P22 08:56 Great Malvern to London Paddington : held Norton (+32), skipped Didcot, arrived +12.
1P24 09:56 Great Malvern to London Paddington (12:23) : departed +26, held Henwick (+38),
1P26 10:59 Great Malvern to London Paddington (13:25) : departed +23, held Norton (+43) and Charlbury (+52), arrived Reading +55 and cancelled thereafter.


EDIT 12:30 : more additions.
EDIT 12:50 : correction to the ECS movement - I thought that it was this that was responsible for the delay to 1W13, but it actually went round via Stroud.
EDIT 14:05 : more additions.

 

Adblu is an exhaust gas treatment added in exhaust system, so doesn't affect fuel delivery to pistons

There are chemical Pour Point depressants added to winter diesel to lower the ambient temperature where it starts to solidify. Years ago they use to add kerosene (aviation jet) to diesel in the winter to do same thing when winter flights were lower and jet was in excess in winter. 

There are whole series of other additives that can be added if raw EN590 spec (Euro diesel) is not met when split at the refinery depending what spec it fails.  Some would be rarely needed, but possibly a mix of additives was in one batch and different additives in another batch of fuel and when trains were topped up with fuel, they ended up together and some metals didn't really like it.

Not going to bore everyone with EN590 specs (can be googled) or the additives and their concentrations to correct the spec (and some are tiny proportions like one part in 10,000)

 
Busses use Adblu these days.
Does that help reduce the wax up problem, and do diesel trains use the same/similar?

 
05:03 Penzance to London Paddington due 09:54
Facilities on the 05:03 Penzance to London Paddington due 09:54.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 10.

Another 5 car unit all the way to Paddington.
Very cozy 

 

..............not too much sympathy though 

https://www.firstgroupplc.com/investors/results-centre.aspx

 

What I see is trains that can't keep to the timetable. Monday night had:

1W30 15:23 London Paddington to Foregate Street (17:47) : held Wolvercote (+13?), arrived +20.
1W31 15:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern (18:26) : lost time, arrived Shrub Hill +18 and cancelled thereafter (train, according to RTT)
2E14 17:04 Didcot to Evesham (18:23) : departed Oxford +25, arrived Evesham +24
1W33 16:58 London Paddington to Great Malvern (19:25) : cancelled throughout (windscreen)
1W03 17:34 London Paddington to Hereford (20:25) : lost time, held Evesham (+31), arrived +30.
1W34 17:57 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street (20:11) : delayed Didcot (+13), arrived +24.
1W36 18:57 London Paddington to Great Malvern (21:18): lost time, arrived +24.
1W41 20:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern (23:13) : Oxford +10, arrived +22.
1W43 21:53 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill (00:01) : delayed Reading (+16), arrived Evesham +23 but departed +59, arrived Shrub Hill +65

Quite why 1W43 sat at Evesham for 36 minutes isn't apparent from RTT. I hope it gets attended to overnight.
At least all of Tuesday's peak sets are nine cars.

 

And right away.

 
Does anyone know where this track replacement is taking place and it's extent over the closure period?

 
Polish PM refers to "unprecedented act" of sabotage
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp85g86x0zgo

 
Badger set was first found in December 2024.  Natural England were consulted but no work could be undertaken until it could be confirmed that the badgers were not a breeding pair.  They're just awaiting a licence now and the badgers will soon be evicted and works to rectify the damage will be completed by the end of the year.

 
They were champing at the bit.