Landslip at Crewkerne Tunnel - West of England Line closed.

[Trainguy34]

Oh dear....

https://twitter.com/PaulCliftonBBC/status/1743010543152111960

Can you provide text and maybe an image, twitter is playing up here.

 

[zwk500]

Can you provide text and maybe an image, twitter is playing up here.

Tweet quoted:

Paul Clifton

@PaulCliftonBBC

Looks like the Crewkerne tunnel landslip has returned just a few weeks after the last repair. (With apologies for error in previous post, deleted)

 

[RPI]

Another farce, nothing running again!

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Another farce, nothing running again!

Indeed must be very tedious for the poor folk of Honiton, no trains into your major city because of the way a line is resourced.

 

[embers25]

Also, GWR acceptance WAS in place this morning but has been withdrawn again without warning or notice. I know GWR have massive issues too but they are no worse now then when it was in place earlier. You'd think after last time they'd have gotten better at least at sorting ticket acceptance but no. I note that Network Rail Wessex aren't as quick to admit their works at Crewkerne have failed for a second time as they are to promote their excellence each time they finish their half ass fixing works.....that then subsequently fail several weeks or less later each time. Comically poor. I know the rain was nuts last night and knocked out most of southern England but, having had 3 goes at fixing Crewkerne once and for all, surely there needs to be a proper investigation into their utter incompetence.

 

[Benjwri]

Also, GWR acceptance WAS in place this morning but has been withdrawn again without warning or notice. I know GWR have massive issues too but they are no worse now then when it was in place earlier. You'd think after last time they'd have gotten better at least at sorting ticket acceptance but no. I note that Network Rail Wessex aren't as quick to admit their works at Crewkerne have failed for a second time as they are to promote their excellence each time they finish their half ass fixing works.....that then subsequently fail several weeks or less later each time. Comically poor. I know the rain was nuts last night and knocked out most of southern England but, having had 3 goes at fixing Crewkerne once and for all, surely there needs to be a proper investigation into their utter incompetence.

Are GWR not compelled to accept tickets as passengers would otherwise be stranded?

 

[pompeyfan]

Another farce, nothing running again!

I agree it’s poor, but how should SWR resource the train service?

I believe ticket acceptance is in place however not advertised due to the “do not travel” message

 

[embers25]

Also, comically last night SWR ran the 1725 at 1750 as far as Axminster, blocking the 1748 GWR to Axminster at Exeter and then causing it to be delayed further at Pinhoe. Surely you cancel one of them rather than running 2 one behind each other and then runing both back empty to Exeter.

And, as it was in the last landslip, there is NO ticket acceptance on buses or trains to cover for no trains between Exeter and Yeovil and SWR steadfastly refuse to even allow people to take the direct bus from Axminster to Dorchester or Axminster/Honiton-Taunton and board there without paying again for a new train ticket.

I agree it’s poor, but how should SWR resource the train service?

I believe ticket acceptance is in place however not advertised due to the “do not travel” message

The problem with this ticket acceptance not being advertised is that last time it got withdrawn without warning like this time and unless you can tweet them and get the right twitter member you are refused travel. Last time only one of the twitter team approved tickets on GWR and if you msged back 2 minutes later and got a different person you were told validity was not in place! Also, surely it's discrimination as it means only those with Twitter are allowed to travel.

 

[RPI]

I agree it’s poor, but how should SWR resource the train service?

I believe ticket acceptance is in place however not advertised due to the “do not travel” message

I think it's an issue we've discussed many times before and involves a shuttle! Last time it happened and they threw the trowel in everyone at Yeovil sat spare. (I have that on VERY good authority), if you have that many crews sat spare you can rustle something up, even if it's a peak hours only service. They knew at 1700 last night that the line would be closed for a while, according to the control log that was shared by someone on "X", admittedly there are still services running east of Yeovil which does change things somewhat from the complete and total farce of before Christmas, but any competent resources could jig things about.
It's the fact they do absolutely nothing, they don't even try.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

I agree it’s poor, but how should SWR resource the train service?

Which clearly shows the line is resourced incorrectly as Honiton keeps on getting cut off from its nearest city.

 

[brad465]

There was plenty of rain in the area yesterday which will have caused this latest landslip, but one has to wonder what works were actually done here last year given the issues its been having.

 

[Couru]

Can you get more SWR than single point of failures? If basically anything happens after Woking on the way to Exeter, that's game over.

 

[pompeyfan]

I think it's an issue we've discussed many times before and involves a shuttle! Last time it happened and they threw the trowel in everyone at Yeovil sat spare. (I have that on VERY good authority), if you have that many crews sat spare you can rustle something up, even if it's a peak hours only service. They knew at 1700 last night that the line would be closed for a while, according to the control log that was shared by someone on "X", admittedly there are still services running east of Yeovil which does change things somewhat from the complete and total farce of before Christmas, but any competent resources could jig things about.
It's the fact they do absolutely nothing, they don't even try.

But how do you get crew from Yeovil to Axminster, work a shuttle, then get them on their own booked service back at Yeovil Jn with a right time departure?

I’m led to believe a shuttle service is being actively looked at.

 

[CW2]

\snip/ Last time it happened and they threw the trowel in everyone at Yeovil sat spare. \snip/

I'm just enjoying the mental image of someone "throwing in the trowel".
Maybe that's why the repairs keep falling!

 

[embers25]

Do we know how long this closure is going to be as SWR are being very coy as usual but the fact tickets for today are valid tomorrow suggests it's only a day?

 

[HamworthyGoods]

But how do you get crew from Yeovil to Axminster, work a shuttle, then get them on their own booked service back at Yeovil Jn with a right time departure?

Which really does seriously now pose the question as the majority of traffic west of Yeovil points to Exeter should operation of the line be revised to give a bigger focus on the Exeter end for stations beyond Yeovil.

 

[pompeyfan]

Which really does seriously now pose the question as the majority of traffic west of Yeovil points to Exeter should operation of the line be revised to give a bigger focus on the Exeter end for stations beyond Yeovil.

Again, a valid point but not something that can be addressed overnight by SWR.

 

[embers25]

SWR and GWR are owned by the same company so surely this shouldn't be as difficult as it's being made out to be (appreciating rolling stock and crew knowledge are major issues etc), even in the currently climate and allowing for DfT incompetence. Cutting off Crewkerne to Pinhoe almost weekly seems to just be being accepted as normal now. Surely, even if you reduce Yeovil to Sailsbury to two hourly and/or cancel the Frome services to provide something Exeter side it's better than just giving up. I get rail rplacement is a challenge but at least allow local bus use to Exeter, Taunton and Dorchester. GWR have allowed Jet Black from Newbury this morning so yet again they are trying harder.

If nothing else, why is nothing being done to resolve this longer term as it makes far more sense for the route to be share crewed from Exeter to Yeovil/Salisbury with GWR, particularly given devon metro. I know that takes months to set up but surely this should be started being sorted for longer term. Will it be acceptable for the line to be shut during exam periods (it is mocks almost now) preventing kids from getting to school to take exams?

 

[pompeyfan]

SWR and GWR are owned by the same company so surely this shouldn't be as difficult as it's being made out to be (appreciating rolling stock and crew knowledge are major issues etc), even in the currently climate and allowing for DfT incompetence. Cutting off Crewkerne to Pinhoe almost weekly seems to just be being accepted as normal now. Surely, even if you reduce Yeovil to Sailsbury to two hourly and/or cancel the Frome services to provide something Exeter side it's better than just giving up. I get rail rplacement is a challenge but at least allow local bus use to Exeter, Taunton and Dorchester. GWR have allowed Jet Black from Newbury this morning so yet again they are trying harder.

Unfortunately it’s not just as simple pinching a few crew here and there, it’s a matter of rewriting 50+ driver diagrams and a similar number of guards diagrams. Not impossible but a lot of work in a short amount of time.

I believe the shuttle service will be running using spare crew so maybe inconsistent if the line closure is ongoing.

 

[Siemens Staines]

SWR journeycheck now has the following ticket acceptance on bus routes;

We strongly advise to not travel but if you do need to complete a journey between Exeter St David's and Axminster, there is a very limited shuttle train service. Please note, there is no onward travel between Axminster and Yeovil Junction.
To assist with your journey at no extra cost to yourself, we have ticket acceptance on the following bus routes;
- Stagecoach South West 1 between Exeter and Pinhoe
- Stagecoach South West 4 between Exeter St Davids and Cranbrook
- Stagecoach South West 9 between Honiton and Exeter (via Sidmouth)
- Stagecoach South West X30 between Honiton and Exeter
- Stagecoach South West 44 and 44A between Axminster, Honiton, Cranbrook, Exeter
- First Bus Wessex, Dorset and South Somerset X51 between Dorchester and Axminster
If you choose not to travel, tickets dated for today (05 January) on SWR services between Yeovil Junction and Exeter St Davids will be valid for travel tomorrow (06 January) on SWR services only.

Whilst not explicitly stated, acceptance on the X51 between Dorchester and Axminster does seem to imply rail tickets are valid via Dorchester?

 

[stuving]

Better news from @NetworkRailWssx

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailWssx/status/1743301353684771263

CREWKERNE TUNNEL LANDSLIP UPDATE - 4PM
We're pleased to confirm the line between Exeter St Davids and Yeovil will reopen and services will resume tomorrow (Saturday 6) morning.
We're very sorry to any passengers whose journeys have been disrupted today.

 

[Amlag]

Better news from @NetworkRailWssx

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailWssx/status/1743301353684771263

This drone footage is worth a gander .. https://x.com/PaulCliftonBBC/status/1743425281585512800?s=20 That drone footage clearly shows the large amount of heavy stone brought in by road HGVs to construct the Contractors vehicle etc access tracks and that will in itself (and with its water run off ) not helped the stability of the area above the tunnel portal ..look what happened in similar circumstances above the portal at the eastern end of Honiton Tunnel last year.

​

 

[fgwrich]

20 MPH Speed restriction past the landslip, and the temporary repair and regrading can just be seen in the last few photos.