Flooding and Weather Disruption (Nov 2012)

[Goatboy]

Definately no Northbound diversion.

 

[D1009]

Perhaps I should attempt to make the situation clear. Just west of Westerleigh Jn the embankment beneath the track has subsided, making the down line unusable. The up line is unaffected. This means that westbound Paddington to Swansea services are being diverted via Bath adding aound 25 minutes to the journey time, and southbound XC trains are being diverted via Severn Tunnel Junction which adds around 40 minutes to the journey time. The Paddington to South Wales service has been reduced to hourly, except that the normal half hourly service runs during the Monday to Friday morning peak in the up direction only, and during the evening peak in the down direction only. Some of these trains are calling at Patchway with a road connection to and from Bristol Parkway. XC services have been reduced to hourly in both directions, meaning that Manchester - Bristol and beyond services do not run south of Birmingham. This situation is currently expected to continue until and including Tuesday 4th December.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Some of these trains are calling at Patchway with a road connection to and from Bristol Parkway.

I did this a week last Thursday, on the ex-1707 Parkway to Swansea (1711 from Patchway; the 1545 Paddington to Swansea). What annoyed me the most was that the replacement coach left Parkway at 1645, and took ten minutes, getting there for 1655. What FGW had not taken into account was that the HSTs ended up having about 25-30 minutes extra journey time due to being diverted, and as such the 1545 Paddington to Swansea did not arrive at Patchway until 1737, so loads of us had to wait in Patchway in the pitch black, absolutely freezing, absolutely wetting down with rain for 45 minutes. Patchway isn't the best of places to be stranded; I think it would have been better if they had gone to Filton Abbey Wood instead, where there are far more services.

This week, FGW have taken into account the diversions, and my UK Train Times app has included the extra 25 minutes. Trains have left Parkway at 29 minutes past, and not 07 minutes past.

 

[D1009]

Services in the south west are largely back to normal this morning (with delays) with the exception of the Barnstaple line, which is only running between Crediton and Barnstaple with replacement buses between Exeter and Crediton. This is because there is still no signalling at Cowley Bridge Jn, and Temporary Block Working is still in place on the main line. There still seem to be problems with XC trains which are running being shown as cancelled in the system however.

 

[ushawk]

Services in the south west are largely back to normal this morning (with delays) with the exception of the Barnstaple line, which is only running between Crediton and Barnstaple with replacement buses between Exeter and Crediton. This is because there is still no signalling at Cowley Bridge Jn, and Temporary Block Working is still in place on the main line. There still seem to be problems with XC trains which are running being shown as cancelled in the system however.

Some XC trains arent running south of Bristol, would have thought this would be in relation to the TBW at Cowley Bridge.

 

[D1009]

Some XC trains arent running south of Bristol, would have thought this would be in relation to the TBW at Cowley Bridge.

Earlier virtually all southbound XC trains were showing as cancelled in LDB, though if you went into the details it showed where last reported. This appears to have been corrected in the last few minutes. You are right that the service into Exeter has been thinned out to reduce the delays caused by TBW. I travelled on 1V46 earlier which did not show on the CIS at Bristol Parkway and had to be announced manually.

 

[Ferret]

I believe there was a cock up with the input of schedules for today, with several trains that were due to run showing as cancelled. That may explain why V46 didn't show on the CIS at Bristol Parkway.

 

[Jeni]

Sorry for being a couple of days late!

The 0707 Manchester - Bristol Temple Meads service on Monday was on all the destination screens (platform and on the train itself) as only running to Birmingham, yet the TM was on the tanoy assuring people it would be making the trip all the way to Bristol.

Shortly before departure, platform screens and internal displays were all updated to correctly show Bristol.

Highly confusing for half the passengers on board who had been advised by station staff to change at Birmingham!

 

[YorkshireBear]

How are we looking to get everything back open. Im on the second to last XC through the area on friday night to plymouth, im likely to make it through arnt i?

 

[D1009]

How are we looking to get everything back open. Im on the second to last XC through the area on friday night to plymouth, im likely to make it through arnt i?

I don't have an estimate for when signalling is to be restored at Cowley Bridge, when I went past there today they were certainly hard at work with new cable being installed. At the moment as far as XC are concerned only the hourly pattern Scotland - Plymouth services are runnning, none of the Manchester services are going beyond Bristol. The delay at Cowley Bridge tends to be worse on the down than the up. If by "the second to last one through the area" you are referring to 1V66 1912 off New St, this was something of a disaster last night arriving Plymouth 75 late at 2358 mainly due to delays in the north, but tonight it's doing better, 16 late Worle Jn. Use http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced
if you want to check it yourself.

There is currently a problem for anyone wanting to travel north on the last service which is normally provided by 1A35 1739 Penzance to Paddington connecting at Bristol into 1M80 Paignton to Birmingham departing Bristol TM at 2200. Because 1M80 is formed by a Manchester service, it is starting from Bristol TM. 1A35 has been retimed for the rest of this week to allow for the Cowley Bridge problem, so it misses the connection. There is a further problem in that 1A35 is formed off the 1206 Padd which is also retimed, reducing the turnround time at Penzance to 7 minutes, so delays on the retiming are extremely likely.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Ah thank you very much, so ill get there, dont mind how late it is Just could do without been left at tiverton or taunton or bristol!

 

[Ferret]

Sorry for being a couple of days late!

The 0707 Manchester - Bristol Temple Meads service on Monday was on all the destination screens (platform and on the train itself) as only running to Birmingham, yet the TM was on the tanoy assuring people it would be making the trip all the way to Bristol.

Shortly before departure, platform screens and internal displays were all updated to correctly show Bristol.

Highly confusing for half the passengers on board who had been advised by station staff to change at Birmingham!

Ah yes, Network Rail to blame for that apparently - they entered all the schedules incorrectly. Fail!