Landslip at Wellington (Shropshire), Birmingham - Shrewsbury services suspended

[AlanL]

A rail shuttle from Shrewsbury to Wellington over the next 2 weeks is easily doable (WMT are eventually managing a BIrmingham-Shifnal rail shuttle, starting Monday which is much more complicated) and TFW need to put passengers and show that the rail industry is flexible and is passengers friendly! Bus replacement should be the last resort.

 

[Undiscovered]

Wellington-Shrewsbury over 200,000 per year. So

It's never that many as you're not taking into account the fare dodgers who just say 'from the last station'.

 

[AlanL]

that the official figures from the ORR data travel flow 2023-2024 so your right it's a lot more in reality!

 

[DidcotDennis]

Yes

Incident: Wellington | National Rail

Normal service between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton . Find details of all current incidents on National Rail Enquiries.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

Many thanks for confirming, also for the link. I thought that would be the case, but good to have it confirmed.

 

[sheff1]

Wellington - Shrewsbury by train is 20 mins.

Booked time is normally 14 mins.

 

[Belperpete]

A side question, if I may. I am travelling from Didcot to Newtown Powys next Thursday. I have advance single tickets, splitting at Banbury, Coventry and Birmingham International. The last leg has a restriction on the ticket for TFW services only. Can I stay on the Cross Country train as far as Wolverhampton and get on the rail replacement bus there, even though I don't have a ticket valid on Cross Country between Birmingham International and Wolverhampton? I don't really want to have to buy a single ticket for this leg of the journey when it is already paid for. I would then presumably get a train from Shrewsbury to Newtown as orignally planned.
Thanks in advance.

As TfW are not running any services between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, ticket acceptance has been agreed with Cross Country (and Avanti and WMT) for passengers to use their services between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, so yes you can stay on the Cross Country train to Wolverhampton.

When I travelled on Monday, there were three rail-replacement coaches:
1) an all stations Wolverhampton - Shrewsbury
2) Wolverhampton - Wellington - Telford - Shrewsbury semi-fast
3) Wolverhampton - Shrewsbury direct
It was touch-and-go whether there would be room on the fast bus for all those wanting it, and the bus supervisor was getting ready to direct those who hadn't already put their luggage on, to travel on the semi-fast. Fortunately we all managed to get on, but only just. On the fast bus, we made it to Shrewsbury with about 15 minutes to spare before the next Cambrian train. I am not sure that those on the semi-fast bus would have made the connection.

Note that even if you catch the fast bus, it takes significantly longer than the train would, so you will not be catching the train you were booked on from Shrewsbury. It would pay to check the time of the next train, as the service on the Cambrian is often two-hourly. I left London an hour earlier than originally planned, in order to catch the Cambrian service.

 

[sheff1]

When I travelled on Monday, there were three rail-replacement coaches:
1) an all stations Wolverhampton - Shrewsbury
2) Wolverhampton - Wellington - Telford - Shrewsbury semi-fast
3) Wolverhampton - Shrewsbury direct

Does the semi-fast really serve Wellington before Telford ?

 

[diffident]

Does the semi-fast really serve Wellington before Telford ?

If it’s TfW organising it, I’d believe it!

 

[Belperpete]

It could well be possible and wouldn't require the unit to sit there for the back working. Units will be sat there for about 2 hours. If it was planned for them to come back West on the next service it would be about a 25 min wait, plenty of time to do the shunt.

Units are not sat at Shrewsbury for two hours. Trains arriving from Machynlleth at circa 20 past are turning straight round and forming the circa half-past service back to Mach.

If a train was to go to Wellington, turn-round and come back to Shrewsbury on the next service, it would be coming back an hour earlier than it would usually. As a set from Holyhead usually turns into a Cambrian service at Birmingham International, and vice-versa, this would change the set rotations. Further complicated by the fact that the Holyhead service from Shrewsbury is usually hourly, whereas the Cambrian service is often two-hourly, so services from Shrewsbury to Holyhead are made up of a combination of Cambrian services returning from Birmingham and through services from South Wales. So the seemingly simple solution of just turning services back at Wellington rather than International would throw a spanner in quite a lot of complex set diagramming.

They could perhaps run a shuttle between Shrewsbury and Wellington. Except that in order to make the connections, this extra service would want to be arriving and departing Shrewsbury at just about the same time as the station is already rather full.

I am not saying that it is impossible for TfW to run a service to Wellington, just that it wouldn't be nearly so simple as some are making it out.

 

[Master Cutler]

The wife and I have booked the Royal Windsor Statesman from Chester for 21st March but this has now been postponed due to the land slip. The trip is now rescheduled for 25th April. This is because alternative timings offered by Network Rail would add 3 hours onto the journey each way. Hope the repairs are completed by then and trains running as I'm changing our two night hotel reservations and travel to Chester arrangements.

 

[Caaardiff]

Units are not sat at Shrewsbury for two hours. Trains arriving from Machynlleth at circa 20 past are turning straight round and forming the circa half-past service back to Mach.

If a train was to go to Wellington, turn-round and come back to Shrewsbury on the next service, it would be coming back an hour earlier than it would usually. As a set from Holyhead usually turns into a Cambrian service at Birmingham International, and vice-versa, this would change the set rotations. Further complicated by the fact that the Holyhead service from Shrewsbury is usually hourly, whereas the Cambrian service is often two-hourly, so services from Shrewsbury to Holyhead are made up of a combination of Cambrian services returning from Birmingham and through services from South Wales. So the seemingly simple solution of just turning services back at Wellington rather than International would throw a spanner in quite a lot of complex set diagramming.

They could perhaps run a shuttle between Shrewsbury and Wellington. Except that in order to make the connections, this extra service would want to be arriving and departing Shrewsbury at just about the same time as the station is already rather full.

I am not saying that it is impossible for TfW to run a service to Wellington, just that it wouldn't be nearly so simple as some are making it out.

The 2 hour wait would be at Wellington waiting for the back working of that service, which is what the original post was referring to.
If trains turn around at Wellington, with a 20 min wait and shunt, they would be coming back 2 hours early, not 1 hour early.
An Aberystwyth arriving service will form a Birmingham - Holyhead service and a Holyhead arriving service would form an Aberystwyth service.

At Shrewsbury, the arriving service goes back to where it came from. So an Aberystwyth service will form an Aberystwyth service and a Holyhead service will form a Holyhead services.
There's no overlap with Cardiff - Holyhead services.

So if TFW did run services through to Wellington, they would keep the same pattern of Aber forming Holyhead and vice versa that happens at Birmingham.

 

[snowball]

Press release

VIDEO: drone footage shows scale of landslip between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury as emergency repairs continue

Network Rail has released new drone video footage today (Thursday 14 March 2024) showing the huge operation underway to repair a landslip on the railway in Telford affecting journeys between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury stations.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Network Rail has released new drone video footage today (Thursday 14 March 2024) showing the huge operation underway to repair a landslip on the railway in Telford affecting journeys between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury stations.

Passengers are being advised that major work to safely reopen the line between Oakengates and Wellington stations in Shropshire is now expected to be completed by the Easter bank holiday weekend.

On Friday 8 March Network Rail closed the line near Oakengates stations in both directions for safety reasons following a landslip on a steep railway embankment.

More than 5,000 tonnes of material slipped beneath a 50-metre section of the railway after persistent heavy rainfall over the winter months had weakened the earthwork beneath it.

Engineers have been working around the clock since last week to clear the site to allow access for materials and equipment needed to shore up the embankment.

Work to restabilise the railway embankment - which is approximately 15 metres in height - involves digging out material that’s slipped to create a new profile for the slope. Large ‘steps’ will be cut into the slope before engineers backfill it with over 12,000 tonnes of stone, helping to reduce the gradient and strengthen the embankment.

Network Rail engineers are aiming to reopen the railway between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury by Easter and are working closely with partners at West Midlands Railway and Transport for Wales to extend current train services as far as possible in the meantime.

 

[craigybagel]

The turn back at Wellington really isn't as easy as people are making it out to be. Platform 2 is only partially bi-directional - there is no access to it from the Up Wellington. Any service arriving from Shrewsbury would have to shunt via the Oakengates end of the station - but that would mean either going down the Donnington branch (which can't be done for reasons mentioned above), or entering into the signal section that is currently blocked by the landslide. Some kind of complicated signalling work around would be required. Probably doable, but definitely not simple.

 

[Undiscovered]

The turn back at Wellington really isn't as easy as people are making it out to be. Platform 2 is only partially bi-directional - there is no access to it from the Up Wellington. Any service arriving from Shrewsbury would have to shunt via the Oakengates end of the station - but that would mean either going down the Donnington branch (which can't be done for reasons mentioned above), or entering into the signal section that is currently blocked by the landslide. Some kind of complicated signalling work around would be required. Probably doable, but definitely not simple.

I was thinking this for potential turns at TFC with a shunt back to Madeley.
Would a 'pass main aspect at danger caution stop short stop board, call when ready to shunt' instruction allow space to turn back, or is that just too complicated?

Edit.
I don't think a shunt at WLN would encroach on the work section as the protecting signal (MJ356) is well past the junction. Indeed, it was SPAD not long ago due to a unit in OKN.

 

[Llanigraham]

I think the waterlogged ground all around the area in that video explains quite plainly why this has happened.

 

[DelW]

The BBC has a report with some additional photos of work in progress and a brief video statement from one of the project engineers:

Shropshire: Railway repair team faces huge embankment challenge - BBC News

Network Rail's Adam Checkley says a landslip in Shropshire is the biggest he has had to deal with.

www.bbc.com

The engineer leading repairs to a railway embankment has said the landslip there is the biggest he has faced in his career.
Adam Checkley from Network Rail said 12,000 tonnes of stone would be needed for the work between Wellington and Oakengates in Shropshire.
The collapse last week led to the closure of the Shrewsbury to Birmingham line.
He said a project of that size would normally take up to three years to plan and up to 16 weeks to carry out, but the timescales had been condensed to get the line open again as quickly as possible.

 

[JW4]

They’ve done it https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C59756/2024-03-18/detailed (2J22 1356 Birmingham New Street to Shifnal)

 

[zwk500]

They’ve done it https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C59756/2024-03-18/detailed (2J22 1356 Birmingham New Street to Shifnal)

Terminating Shifnal and shunting back over Madeley junction is a lot easier than trying to do modified working for Telford, but good on WMR for actually doing it.

 

[Wolfie]

They’ve done it https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C59756/2024-03-18/detailed (2J22 1356 Birmingham New Street to Shifnal)

They have indeed! I am currently on the 1307 from Shifnal to Birmingham New Street.

Interestingly they obviously didn't have full confidence in the shuttle working as the WMT rail replacement buses are still running to Wolverhampton

 

[Belperpete]

Interestingly they obviously didn't have full confidence in the shuttle working as the WMT rail replacement buses are still running to Wolverhampton

Presumably for passengers to/from Telford and Wolverhampton.

 

[Class 170101]

Interestingly they obviously didn't have full confidence in the shuttle working as the WMT rail replacement buses are still running to Wolverhampton

Might also be due to interchanging at a smaller station. Wolverhampton will have lifts, staff etc,

 

[swt_passenger]

The BBC has a report with some additional photos of work in progress and a brief video statement from one of the project engineers:

Shropshire: Railway repair team faces huge embankment challenge - BBC News

Network Rail's Adam Checkley says a landslip in Shropshire is the biggest he has had to deal with.

www.bbc.com

I think that fixing that slip by the 28th will be something of a miracle. At one point he says it’s still moving.

 

[Wolfie]

Might also be due to interchanging at a smaller station. Wolverhampton will have lifts, staff etc,

True but there is level access at Shifnal and the bus drops off right outside the entrance.

Presumably for passengers to/from Telford and Wolverhampton.

I actually took the bus from Telford. Had l stayed on it l would have arrived at Wolverhampton about the same time (within 5 minutes) that l actually arrived at Birmingham New Street on the train.

 

[JW4]

that the official figures from the ORR data travel flow 2023-2024 so your right it's a lot more in reality!

It's never that many as you're not taking into account the fare dodgers who just say 'from the last station'.

2022-23 flows are definitely underestimates due to the amount of fare evaders who either get caught and say ‘from the last station’ or those who don’t and get away a free rider.
But of course there’s no quantifiable way to measure fare evasion that has enough accuracy.

 

[Lurcheroo]

The turn back at Wellington really isn't as easy as people are making it out to be. Platform 2 is only partially bi-directional - there is no access to it from the Up Wellington. Any service arriving from Shrewsbury would have to shunt via the Oakengates end of the station - but that would mean either going down the Donnington branch (which can't be done for reasons mentioned above), or entering into the signal section that is currently blocked by the landslide. Some kind of complicated signalling work around would be required. Probably doable, but definitely not simple.

That is quite interesting!
I wonder if having a limit of possession board far enough down the up line to allow a 4 car behind the points and shunt disc, and a call to the signaller to authorise the shunt move would be a reasonable way to handle it.

Looking at the SA it ‘appears’ that WMT could go to TFC P2 then use Madely junction to get back over to the up line?
Do you know what stops them from doing so ?

 

[craigybagel]

I don't think a shunt at WLN would encroach on the work section as the protecting signal (MJ356) is well past the junction. Indeed, it was SPAD not long ago due to a unit in OKN.

To be fair, I hadn't realised how much further the slip was beyond the signal - it may well be safe to clear a train into the section.

Looking at the SA it ‘appears’ that WMT could go to TFC P2 then use Madely junction to get back over to the up line?
Do you know what stops them from doing so ?

It would be a fairly long wrong direction unsignalled move - might be acceptable for rescuing a unit in desperation but I can't see it being allowed for a regular passenger service.

 

[Undiscovered]

would be a fairly long wrong direction unsignalled move - might be acceptable for rescuing a unit in desperation but I can't see it being allowed for a regular passenger service.

Is it purely a timing thing? As in two long wrong direction moves at caution- from the down, xover and then to the up- would take far too long?

While a unit wouldn't go near the worksite, in theory, if there's a driver error- an over run at Telford Central- it wouldn't be stopped by the distant before Oakengates Tunnel, and SPADing the protecting signal at Wombridge Foot Crossing would encroach. Might be a 'double blocking' for safety?

 

[zwk500]

Is it purely a timing thing? As in two long wrong direction moves at caution- from the down, xover and then to the up- would take far too long?

While a unit wouldn't go near the worksite, in theory, if there's a driver error- an over run at Telford Central- it wouldn't be stopped by the distant before Oakengates Tunnel, and SPADing the protecting signal at Wombridge Foot Crossing would encroach. Might be a 'double blocking' for safety?

There's no stop signal between Telford and Oakengates, IIRC. Certainly that's what OTT suggests. And the down to up move at Madeley Jn is only from a GPL, not a main aspect, so the interlocking may not be sufficient for passenger moves.

 

[Silverlinky]

A method of working (pilot working) has been agreed and resourced so from tomorrow morning services will run to/from Telford Central. As per post 86 above the only thing that was stopping it was the resourcing of adequate staff on the ground to allow this.

 

[AlanL]

Well done to West Midlands Trains/Network Rail for eventually sorting out a rail service from Telford C to Wolverhampton in very difficult circumstances - shows what can be done if the will is there! Pity that Transport for Wales can't be bothered to do the same from Wellington to Shrewsbury!