Danger UXB! Plymouth to Liskeard and Gunnislake cancellations 23/02/24

[John Luxton]

GWR web site showing cancellations today between up to 20:00 on services between Plymouth and Liskeard / Gunnislake.

This is due to an unexploded 500kg Luftwaffe bomb being discovered in a back garden earlier this week at Keyham.

The bomb is due to be removed and taken out to sea for disposal.

Plenty of detail on the BBC Devon Regional news pages.

 

[Llanigraham]

Link to BBC Devon articles about this:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-devon-68354617

Sorry but it is too long to cut'n'paste it all!

 

[Hadders]

I’m caught up in this disruption. Currently on a train to Penzance and getting the sleeper back tonight after going to a rugby match.

Looks like the whole thing’s scuppered.

 

[Crossover]

I’m caught up in this disruption. Currently on a train to Penzance and getting the sleeper back tonight after going to a rugby match.

Looks like the whole thing’s scuppered.

An update on the BBC feed about an hour ago states
"Great Western Railway (GWR) said the line between Plymouth and Liskeard will be shut from 14:00 to 18:00 GMT while the World War Two bomb is moved."

 

[Starmill]

An unexploded Second World War bomb found at a property in Plymouth will be removed and transported by military convoy through the city for disposal at sea. Until 18:00, the emergency services require the railway to be closed between Plymouth and Gunnislake / Liskeard.

Customers are advised to not attempt to travel between Plymouth and Gunnislake / Liskeard until at least 18:00.

The removal of the bomb will also impact the road network in the area. No rail replacement transport will be provided.

Customer advice:

Towards Devon and Cornwall:

Avoid travel beyond Plymouth and delay your journey - tickets for today will be valid later today and tomorrow (Saturday 24 February)

From Cornwall:

Avoid travel beyond Liskeard and delay your journey - tickets for today will be valid later today and tomorrow (Saturday 24 February)

The line closure may also affect some services immediately after 18:00 and customers are advised to check their journey before travelling.

Incident: Plymouth | National Rail

No trains between Plymouth and Gunnislake / Liskeard until approximately 18:00 . Find details of all current incidents on National Rail Enquiries.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

The main news implies the line may need to remain closed beyond 1800.

 

[AdamWW]

An update on the BBC feed about an hour ago states
"Great Western Railway (GWR) said the line between Plymouth and Liskeard will be shut from 14:00 to 18:00 GMT while the World War Two bomb is moved."

Curiously, I was in Germany once when there was disruption because a 2nd World War bomb had been found near a railway line.

 

[John Luxton]

The route the bomb is being taken on is shown on the Cornwall Live web site

Plymouth bomb: Roads closed as device is moved before being detonated

A 300m cordon will be put in place throughout the route. All roads in the area along the route will be closed from 1.30pm today and until the device is safely removed.

www.cornwalllive.com

It is a fairly short distance though it does pass under the railway.

They are getting it to the water at the Torpoint Ferry Devonport Terminal.

Perhaps should not take too long?

 

[Flying Snail]

I’m caught up in this disruption. Currently on a train to Penzance and getting the sleeper back tonight after going to a rugby match.

Looks like the whole thing’s scuppered.

Not sure if it's any use but there is Go Cornwall bus 11 to Liskeard from near Plymouth station.

11 - Plymouth to Bodmin Parkway & Padstow, via Saltash, Landrake, Tideford, Liskeard and Dobwalls

Timetable for 11 - Plymouth to Bodmin Parkway & Padstow, via Saltash, Landrake, Tideford, Liskeard and Dobwalls

www.plymouthbus.co.uk

 

[Pemberton]

I'm on the way to St. Ives. The XC reached Plymouth as expected around 1349. My connection at 1418 was cancelled and live train times suggest a train to Penzance may run at 1746. The only other option seemed to be a National Express bus as far as Truro so we're in a Wetherspoon's just waiting and watching train times being updated. Staff at Plymouth Station confirmed there were no buses and I'm probably too late to think of getting to Liskeard for what I've just noticed is a 1614 train from there.

 

[Recessio]

A rare use for the "...due to an unexploded Second World War bomb" announcement in the tannoy systems?

 

[John Luxton]

A rare use for the "...due to an unexploded Second World War bomb" announcement in the tannoy systems?

Should claims for "delay repay" be sent to Kladower Damm, 18214089 Berlin, Deutschland?

Current Luftwaffe HQ apparently!

 

[Trackman]

I wonder if it's a parachute mine gone off course, as the Royal Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team are dealing with it too. Location would make sense. Any photos of said bomb?

 

[VP185]

I wonder if it's a parachute mine gone off course, as the Royal Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team are dealing with it too. Location would make sense. Any photos of said bomb?

It’s an SC 500.

 

[John Luxton]

I wonder if it's a parachute mine gone off course, as the Royal Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team are dealing with it too. Location would make sense. Any photos of said bomb?

Not not a parachute mine it was identified in a news report as an SC500 500kg bomb. Presumably the RN became involved due to the very close proximity of the dock yard and probably first on scene?

 

[CarltonA]

The RN bomb disposal teams cover certain areas and the Army cover others. Sometimes the Navy pass the buck like happened in Exeter recently, as the Army are better equipped for certain scenarios. Unfortunately it went a bit wrong and a fair bit of damage was done.

 

[Mojo]

A rare use for the "...due to an unexploded Second World War bomb" announcement in the tannoy systems?

Don't know if it's that rare; in London we get incidents like this several times a year.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Not sure if it's any use but there is Go Cornwall bus 11 to Liskeard from near Plymouth station.

11 - Plymouth to Bodmin Parkway & Padstow, via Saltash, Landrake, Tideford, Liskeard and Dobwalls

Timetable for 11 - Plymouth to Bodmin Parkway & Padstow, via Saltash, Landrake, Tideford, Liskeard and Dobwalls

www.plymouthbus.co.uk

The road is also closed….

 

[Trackman]

Not not a parachute mine it was identified in a news report as an SC500 500kg bomb. Presumably the RN became involved due to the very close proximity of the dock yard and probably first on scene?

Ah, I see a SC500, that would make a bang. Do they ever reveal the fuse type, or can they not identify it?

 

[Horizon22]

I'm on the way to St. Ives. The XC reached Plymouth as expected around 1349. My connection at 1418 was cancelled and live train times suggest a train to Penzance may run at 1746. The only other option seemed to be a National Express bus as far as Truro so we're in a Wetherspoon's just waiting and watching train times being updated. Staff at Plymouth Station confirmed there were no buses and I'm probably too late to think of getting to Liskeard for what I've just noticed is a 1614 train from there.

Yes no replacement road transport as the exclusion zone prevent this, apparently.

 

[The exile]

Should claims for "delay repay" be sent to Kladower Damm, 18214089 Berlin, Deutschland?

Current Luftwaffe HQ apparently!

Probably not a good idea - the compensation claims coming the other way would be far higher. Turn up on a very regular basis over there….

 

[Horizon22]

Don't know if it's that rare; in London we get incidents like this several times a year.

Also I think the announcement is "wartime bomb near the railway" without reference to WWII. It's a Darwin industry-agreed reason!

 

[AdamWW]

Yes no replacement road transport as the exclusion zone prevent this, apparently.

Unlike a train, would replacement buses not have a method of getting around the cordon even if they couldn't serve Plymouth itself?

 

[Horizon22]

Unlike a train, would replacement buses not have a method of getting around the cordon even if they couldn't serve Plymouth itself?

They theoretically could, but you'd have to get the passengers off at Totnes probably and then run up the A38 around Plymouth which is quite an undertaking.

 

[AdamWW]

They theoretically could, but you'd have to get the passengers off at Totnes probably and then run up the A38 around Plymouth which is quite an undertaking.

Ah fair enough.

It's just that somehow it often seems to be impossible to run rail replacement buses due to flooding etc. while somehow local buses and National Express manage to get through.

(I do realise that it may not be possible to obtain buses, but that's a different matter to saying that road conditions prevent them from running).

 

[Horizon22]

Ah fair enough.

It's just that somehow it often seems to be impossible to run rail replacement buses due to flooding etc. while somehow local buses and National Express manage to get through.

(I do realise that it may not be possible to obtain buses, but that's a different matter to saying that road conditions prevent them from running).

Well primarily local buses and National Express are scheduled.

It's not difficult to run the buses, and you've hit the nail on the head that it is harder to obtain, make a schedule and get suitable numbers to run a reasonable service at a consistent pattern that won't get overwhelmed.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Not sure if it's any use but there is Go Cornwall bus 11 to Liskeard from near Plymouth station.

11 - Plymouth to Bodmin Parkway & Padstow, via Saltash, Landrake, Tideford, Liskeard and Dobwalls

Timetable for 11 - Plymouth to Bodmin Parkway & Padstow, via Saltash, Landrake, Tideford, Liskeard and Dobwalls

www.plymouthbus.co.uk

The road is also closed….

 

[richw]

They theoretically could, but you'd have to get the passengers off at Totnes probably and then run up the A38 around Plymouth which is quite an undertaking.

Rubbish.

From the station, across towards mutley via north hill, or out to marsh mills. Probably even milehouse and out via Outland road to the a38.
Actually wolseley road isn’t affected so it can go normal route out of Plymouth towards camels head.
There is no route leaving the city towards the a38 impacted by the exclusion zone.


However the military have requested PSV vehicles in the area to assist with the evacuation.

The road is also closed….

No it’s not

The red road visible just above the top right of the exclusion zone is the route taken by the 11 and rail replacement when leaving the station towards Cornwall

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Probably not a good idea - the compensation claims coming the other way would be far higher. Turn up on a very regular basis over there….

My son worked for a while in Berlin - his boss came in incandescent with range one morning - he blamed the discovery of a (British) WW2 bomb for his taking two alternative trains on a diverted route and he got a good telling off.

Next day - all back to normal in the Potsdam area and boss apologised - it turned out to be an USA once.

 

[AdamWW]

Well primarily local buses and National Express are scheduled.

It's not difficult to run the buses, and you've hit the nail on the head that it is harder to obtain, make a schedule and get suitable numbers to run a reasonable service at a consistent pattern that won't get overwhelmed.

Yes of course.

I'd just prefer railway companies to tell me the truth and when they say that road conditions prevent replacement buses from running it's a bit hard to believe when scheduled buses and coaches are running as normal.

 

[Horizon22]

Rubbish.

From the station, across towards mutley via north hill, or out to marsh mills. Probably even milehouse and out via Outland road to the a38.
Actually wolseley road isn’t affected so it can go normal route out of Plymouth towards camels head.
There is no route leaving the city towards the a38 impacted by the exclusion zone.

Yes if was excluded. I don't know, but the communications had said it was.

Yes of course.

I'd just prefer railway companies to tell me the truth and when they say that road conditions prevent replacement buses from running it's a bit hard to believe when scheduled buses and coaches are running as normal.

Yes not ideal communications and it could easily be explained in another manner that says the same thing. Or the scheduled buses can take up the slack (doubtful), so deemed not required.