GWVillager
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West Drayton, I believe.
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Is the section of gwml beteen Paddington and reading the worst maintained line in the country?
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RailUK Forums
Apologies:-
GWR - Great Western Railway
XR - Elizabeth Line
HX - Heathrow Express
NR - Network Rail
PAD - Paddington
NBY - Newbury
BDW - Bedwyn
DID - Didcot Parkway
ABX - Abbey Wood Crossrail
MAI - Maidenhead
WDT - West Drayton
HWV - Heathrow T5
HAF - Heathrow T4
CDF - Cardiff Central
OXF - Oxford
This does seem to be becoming standard practice. I've been down the line about once a fortnight in the past couple of months, and on every occasion noticed all the outer suburban GWR services, fast from Paddington to Slough, were cancelled.
As per just a couple of posts ago - it absolutely is standard practice.
Both relief and main lines are now timetabled to capacity, therefore any disruptive event, even fairly minor, requires the immediate implementation of agreed service reduction plans between the operators.
The Didcots/Newburys should normally be able to terminate and start at Reading, as is the case this morning with the Newburys turning round.
Jamiescott1
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The Didcot stoppers are running fast from padd to reading. Skipping slough and maidenhead.
Running normally from Didcot to Paddington
Actually there are services which are notably more intense than this. The GEML, long before the Liz Line, had a peak service intensity much greater, and is also paired by use which makes crossover moves more conflicting. Yet it was never in this constant planned cancellations mode.
And my own experiences, waiting on Slough platform in the peak and looking across the four tracks, is that it's not at all what I would consider "at capacity".
Its the bit between Airport Junction and Paddington which is at maximum capacity, on both relief and fast lines, from services to Heathrow. There is capacity at slough, but where are those trains going to go if they can't go into Paddington?
Different cracked crossing...
West Drayton (CRS code).
It has been for some time; as @JN114 noted it's part of the all TOC & NR agreed contingency plan. There just happens to have been a lot of disruption, hence the thread title...
Not at Slough but east of Heathrow Junction they are - where are the trains going to terminate east of Slough? And comparing to the GEML is sort of a null point as that has a range of different factors and practically no timetabled crossing movements Liverpool Street - Shenfield (excepting freight and disruption).
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Well it seems that nothing nowadays on the Reliefs east of Slough terminates at Paddington anyway. All either go into Acton freight yards or down the hole into the Liz. Nothing into Paddington any more. And if I'm not mistaken just about all the disruptions have been west of Paddington, down the line. The main station now has effectively a 2-track approach. Today's latest hiatus (assuming only one) has been at Ruscombe. That's out at Twyford. And the only crossing movements are the (now cancelled) half-hourly outer suburbans at Dolphin, near Slough.
Yes, I'm sure someone can come up with something at 04.30 that goes from the Reliefs into Paddington. I'm describing the mainstream service.
Yes there might be space in Paddington, but there is no space on the line between Heathrow Junction and Acton, there are a number of factors contributing, for example faster trains and therefore longer headways, the timetable still catering for that crossing move at Dolphin junction, and importantly the line being an important freight corridor, and therefore having to cater to slower freight trains.
You seem to fundamentally misinterpret how the timetable works and disruption contingencies work. You've already yourself stated that Slough gets 2tph to Paddington in normal running. Obviously the Elizabeth line is running on the Relief lines so it isn't available.
You are mistaken; it's been quite a mixed bag as to whether the disruption has been east or west of Heathrow Junction (obviously everything on the GWML is "west of Paddington" so I presume that's a mistake) over the past few months. Today's "hiatus" was not at Ruscombe (that was yesterday, though its easy to get confused with almost daily disruption!) but Slough West.
The disruption has nothing to do with crossing moves - a significant speed restriction is in place due to a cracked crossing/rail and therefore a reduction in service is required otherwise services would bunch up and thus 2 lines instead of 4 are used through the area. And again, the congested part is west of Heathrow Junction (and has a more severe reduction in service if its a 2 track railway there). You also have freight to consider on the Relief lines.
Yet another broken rail - this time between Maidenhead & Twyford whilst there is also an OLE issue near Southall.
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Fantastic, at this rate the line my just spontaneous implode with the rate of failures. Few months time the GEML will be having maintenance work done over the weekend to further keep it in shape and yet the GWML keeps imposing speed restrictions and doing minor repairs.
I'm aware logistically closing down the GWML on weekends may be difficult assuming funds exist but at the rate its crumbling surely there is in the works an upgrade or heavy maintenance work planned. The amount of money surely being lost in cancellations, delay replay etc where something happens on the west(which is now becoming every day) is getting out of hand cost wise.
I'm aware logistically closing down the GWML on weekends may be difficult assuming funds exist but at the rate its crumbling surely there is in the works an upgrade or heavy maintenance work planned. The amount of money surely being lost in cancellations, delay replay etc where something happens on the west(which is now becoming every day) is getting out of hand cost wise.
Jamiescott1
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Todays delays are not infrastructure related but by a broken down train at southall
Are we sure about this? The line was blocked in the down direction (1W25, 800008 failed at Southall), but the mainline is also blocked in the up direction at Twyford, which is totally the opposite direction to the train failure, miles away, and the broken down train has been moved. Does anyone know the Up Main at Twyford is closed? Didcot semi fasts being cancelled due to OHLE failure, but that might not be accurate.
WesternBiker
Member
That's what GWR are saying. But it doesn't change the overall thrust behind the thread: the service on this stretch of line so far this month has been pretty poor in terms of the number of infrastructure issues.
GWR also just told someone to take SWR from Maidenhead on Twitter, so I think that shows their opinion isn't very credible. The failed train is most definitely now sitting in the loop at Southall, with trains running past on both lines. The current issue around Twyford isn't a failed train, and my point is it's yet another infrastructure failure, but this time GWR seem to, intentionally for not, be covering it up as a failed train.
Jamiescott1
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My final total last year was 85 delay repay payments. So far this year I've only had 3
On track for 109 this year!
Ashley Hill
Established Member
DM has reopened as 1B21 has just passed over it. UM remains blocked.
No there is also a broken rail between Twyford and Maidenhead. The impact of both was felt concurrently though earlier.
Jamiescott1
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Tfl are mentioning the broken rail. Gwr say delays are due to a broken down train
It's remarkable generosity of spirit to describe it as "pretty poor".
Utterly deplorable, appalling, abysmal etc are all still being too kind.
Very little GWR can do about most of it, they seem to be victims of the disgraceful state of the infrastructure as much as the poor sods trying to travel on it.
Wychwood93
Member
UM still shut between Twyford East and Maidenhead East:
Disruption expected till end of day, Didcots and Newburys cut to ReadingUM still shut between Twyford East and Maidenhead East:
There’s also been more disruption on top to Elizabeth line as they are not allowing electric traction through the Down Main at Southall so any 387s (both HeX and GWR) are being fed onto the Relief lines AND there’s a points failure reducing access to Old Oak Depot.
yhhh I believe that’s because of the incident with the failed trains, I heard there were a lot of sparks coming from the pantograph to say the least.
Snow1964
Established Member
GWR has the highest volume of delay repay at 307,413 for periods 5-7 in latest ORR figures (table 1.1)
Clearly having to pay out average of over 25,000 delay claims a week shows not just paying out for minor problems.
The Elizabeth line had biggest increase at 225%, although doesn't mean all happened on section of line in thread title
Clearly having to pay out average of over 25,000 delay claims a week shows not just paying out for minor problems.
The Elizabeth line had biggest increase at 225%, although doesn't mean all happened on section of line in thread title
Not to mention the overall number is very small, so a singular incident could result in that entire increase.
But the correlation with the two operators having the biggest volume and biggest increase both sharing the same section of track is pretty clear I think.
There was a big 3 day incident in either July or August which almost shut down the line around Old Oak Common which would be a substantial part of this.
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