Conwy Valley Line Reopening Date? Update: line now open

[PHILIPE]

Following very heavy and prolonged rain in the area, the first trip to Blaenau Ffestiniog yesterday (Sunday) morning was cancelled due to flooding although TFW did not show any incident in the "Line Update" section of Journey Check. All was well, though, as the next one ran through normally. It could have been a knock on reason, i.e. the root cause, but nothing seems apparent.

 

[philthetube]

Someone can probably tell us, but I would not be surprised if it ran empty to do a track check.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

Dolgarrog station which has only just reopened is being omitted for some reason, I thought it was meant to be flood proof now?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Dolgarrog station which has only just reopened is being omitted for some reason, I thought it was meant to be flood proof now?

It is only usable via local door, and TfW won't allow that at the moment for social distancing reasons.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

It is only usable via local door, and TfW won't allow that at the moment for social distancing reasons.

Why would would they build a new platform that is too short for a two carriage train which is always used on that line? It seems a strange decision

 

[pdeaves]

It is only usable via local door, and TfW won't allow that at the moment for social distancing reasons.

That's right, nothing to do with flooding (this time!) but working arrangements.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Why would would they build a new platform that is too short for a two carriage train which is always used on that line? It seems a strange decision

Goodness only knows. But then you could ask the same of the fool who specced 40m platforms on the Marston Vale rather than 48m.

 

[PHILIPE]

Dolgarrog is being discussed here:-

Impact of Covid19 restrictions on the Conwy Valley line

Perhaps it might be a better story for ITV news if they came to film the reopening of the line, intending to see a train but happened upon a Rail Replacement Bus instead. Eight months and many £millions spent on reopening the line and rebuilding Dolgarrog station and on day one of the...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

Does anybody know why all trains up the valley are now back to RRB ? It was just the morning and evening ones, now all services are but now message on RTT or NRE as to why.

 

[PHILIPE]

Does anybody know why all trains up the valley are now back to RRB ? It was just the morning and evening ones, now all services are but now message on RTT or NRE as to why.

They are trains. Looking at a note on RTT there seems to be a glitch in the system as services are shown twice, one by train and one by bus

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

Todays journey knackered.... becoming a joke this , no reasons ever given View attachment 84770

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

Surprise.....

 

[Bletchleyite]

Has it rained?

(I know, stupid question, it's Wales, of course it has )

 

[PHILIPE]

Surprise.....

Shortage of traincrew which is just part of the North Wales picture as a whole lately.`

 

[Llanigraham]

Shortage of traincrew which is just part of the North Wales picture as a whole lately.`

Shortage of traincrew is affecting the whole Welsh system at the moment, not just the North.
The Cambrian has similar problems.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

Has it rained?

(I know, stupid question, it's Wales, of course it has )

Lashing down as it happens

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

TFW are trying to get the train crew back to work asap & get them refreshed on the route, but it's more complicated than people think. Plus It's just taking longer than anticipated with the covid rules etc

The line has been closed since March. It isn't that complicated, please don't make excuses for their failings

 

[berneyarms]

The line has been closed since March. It isn't that complicated, please don't make excuses for their failings

Staff availability has nothing to do with that though.

 

[Llanigraham]

The line has been closed since March. It isn't that complicated, please don't make excuses for their failings

If no crews have driven/crewed the line then it is complicated!!

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

Staff availability has nothing to do with that though.

6 months, seriously on a two hourly route. Its a shambles and a disgrace

 

[berneyarms]

6 months, seriously on a two hourly route. Its a shambles and a disgrace

You are massively over-simplifying the issues that TfW face.

Every TOC in GB is having issues with train crew availability, due to the inability to train new staff due to the lack of social distancing in train cabs, until new procedures were agreed with the unions.

That sadly takes time, and irrespective of the line closure for six months, as with any train company there are going to be shortages due to retirees not having their replacements trained up in time

You seem to be in a bubble that doesn’t recognise the problems that Covid has presented the railway industry.

Scroll through the thread linked to below to get some kind of understanding of the problems faced by Northern - TfW is not any different in the problems it faces.

There isn’t a TOC in the country that’s not been affected by this.

December 2020 Timetable Change

As we know, most planned enhancements for the December 2020 Timetable have been deferred or cancelled. This thread is to discuss news and plans as they're announced for what will form the permanent basis. This is expected to roll over many things from the May 2020 base timetable. Minor tweaks...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Bletchleyite]

If no crews have driven/crewed the line then it is complicated!!

Though what's not complicated on a line like that is planning a timetable you can actually operate (and planning to get the buses in where you can't) rather than doing random on the day cancellations.

I wonder, though, if there was a political push to operate even though it wasn't feasible?

 

[Llanigraham]

Though what's not complicated on a line like that is planning a timetable you can actually operate (and planning to get the buses in where you can't) rather than doing random on the day cancellations.

I wonder, though, if there was a political push to operate even though it wasn't feasible?

See posts 85 and 86 above!

 

[Bletchleyite]

See posts 85 and 86 above!

Those posts don't really explain why the TOC has a timetable in place that they don't have the staffing levels to operate, hence my question. If you know you're well down on staff, better to do some planned lopping than cancel on the day.

 

[PHILIPE]

Those posts don't really explain why the TOC has a timetable in place that they don't have the staffing levels to operate, hence my question. If you know you're well down on staff, better to do some planned lopping than cancel on the day.

Nothing shown as cancelled tomorrow. This is managed day to day and the staffing position can fluctuate from day to day

 

[InOban]

There will be taxpayers, and indeed ordinary potential passengers (are there any, or is the line only used by enthusiasts?) who will struggle to understand why people, who have driven the line for years, suddenly forget it and have to be retrained before they can be trusted to drive it again.

 

[zwk500]

There will be taxpayers, and indeed ordinary potential passengers (are there any, or is the line only used by enthusiasts?) who will struggle to understand why people, who have driven the line for years, suddenly forget it and have to be retrained before they can be trusted to drive it again.

Given the line has had to essentially be rebuilt from scratch, I would be worried if they didn't do some route refreshers. It's not the case that drivers have 'suddenly forgot it', it's that it's been a while and so their memory might be hazy, in the same way somebody who hasn't spoken a foreign language for 6 months will take a couple of weeks to get back into the flow of it.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Given the line has had to essentially be rebuilt from scratch

I think that's a bit overtalked. A couple of shortish sections plus one (entirely wooden) station needed to be rebuilt, not anything like all of it.

 

[zwk500]

I think that's a bit overtalked. A couple of shortish sections plus one (entirely wooden) station needed to be rebuilt, not anything like all of it.

Fair. I'd say rebuilding a Station is a fairly major job, but yes you're right it's nothing like the entire line.

 

[InOban]

And someone who is fluent in a foreign language would take far less than two weeks to recover their fluency. Two hours, more like.
What are the linespeeds? Could they not be instructed to drive at visual speeds even if it made them a few minutes late.