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Storm Henk travel disruption 02/01/24
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TrainGeekUK
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Southern is now being affected. Brighton to Lewes via Falmer is out of commission now, services diverting up via Wivelsfield.
Roads have been a nightmare this evening down in the Lewes area, looks like people heeded the advice to drive rather than take the train.
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12LDA28C
Established Member
Well I suppose it makes a change from "leaves on the line"....
Because 'leaves on the line' aren't a problem?
Islineclear3_1
Established Member
Not any more so it seems....
Friend of mine just sent me some pictures from the River Ouse in York. Terrible, but hardly surprising. What of the "fantastic new flood defenses"....
Great news as I'm due to travel on it a bit later. At the moment just seems to be delays rather cancellations.
No general announcement on National Rail Enquiries about it, so may be it won't be too bad, beyond several delayed trains .
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They can be but it's January and leaf fall timetables ended in Decemeber. Its not an exact science though and maybe this year the leaf fall period has returned for a change.
Llanigraham
On Moderation
Or the problem is the leaves are still stuck on the branches that are now on the line.
That certainly applied to the Heart of Wales line the other day.
That certainly applied to the Heart of Wales line the other day.
12LDA28C
Established Member
Just a possibility that the high winds have brought down any remaining leaves in one go, combined with light rain which is always worse for affecting rail adhesion than a torrential downpour.
Leaves don't stop falling from trees just because the leaf-fall timetable has finished, leaves aren't that clever.
Dieseldriver
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Exactly this, tree related debris scattered around the railway can create poor railhead conditions. As can a sprinkling of fine rain after a long sunny spell. It’s not just confined to the autumn period, it’s not the leaves themselves but the contamination that causes the issues.
Indeed they aren't. I noticed that some NDL trains don't have a reason for their delay in NRE. I find kind of thing seems to have increased more broadly across TOCs. I. E. no reason listed for a delay. That includes delays of 21 minutes or more.
It maybe that staff are rather busy and don't have time. So I'm not criticising here, just something I've noticed compared to the past, aka pre-covid.
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Very serious comment now, from a 1L45 at Castle Cary.
GWR is a complete no no from Reading going westward now now, as theres been a fatality between Reading and Didcot.
Berks and Hants is flooded, Bristol also flooded apparently. West of England closed due to flooding at Templecombe and Crewkerne having another landslip.
Please do seriously consider going out tonight if you have not done so already
GWR is a complete no no from Reading going westward now now, as theres been a fatality between Reading and Didcot.
Berks and Hants is flooded, Bristol also flooded apparently. West of England closed due to flooding at Templecombe and Crewkerne having another landslip.
Please do seriously consider going out tonight if you have not done so already
Mainliner
Member
On 1S30, just passed it at 15-20mph, couldn’t see anything in the dark.
Just heard at Gatwick Airport that heavy rain has already delayed NDL services. The 19:59 Gatwick Airport to Reading will be about 26 minutes late departing. I'm surprised it wasn't turned around short. I'm greatful it wasn't of course. It was 29 minutes late in the end. Not to busy considering this has around 2 loads of passengers on it.
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TheBigD
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The BBC have a couple of live news feeds on the disruption
Also this evening they have started a UK live news feed.
BBC News - Widespread flooding hits England with more rain forecast - BBC News
No rail updates in it yet but I'd expect some in due course.
There is flooding in the Guildford area so my train is now terminating at Redhill. Oh well. One of those things.
No one has said yet what we should do but I doubt they even know.
BBC News - Live updates: Homes evacuated as East Midlands hit by flooding - BBC News
Also this evening they have started a UK live news feed.
BBC News - Widespread flooding hits England with more rain forecast - BBC News
No rail updates in it yet but I'd expect some in due course.
There is flooding in the Guildford area so my train is now terminating at Redhill. Oh well. One of those things.
No one has said yet what we should do but I doubt they even know.
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Now a disruption notice on National Rail Enquiries.
www.nationalrail.co.uk
The hashtag is Ash so it must be West of Guildford. Passengers such as myself are east of Guildford. There are now two GWR trains at Redhill. They seem to be the only ones stranded.
Redhill Station staff are trying to get hold of Great Western Railway for an update.
One option for me is to go via Clapham Junction but I haven't checked how bad that is yet. My ticket is valid that way so I don't need to wait for ticket acceptance.
Unfortunately this was only known once I departed Redhill or I would have gone via the quarry line.
One of the trains has run ECS back to Gatwick Airport, no doubt to free the platform more. More sidings at Gatick Airport.
Incident: Ash | National Rail
Disruption between Reading and Gatwick Airport . Find details of all current incidents on National Rail Enquiries.
The hashtag is Ash so it must be West of Guildford. Passengers such as myself are east of Guildford. There are now two GWR trains at Redhill. They seem to be the only ones stranded.
Redhill Station staff are trying to get hold of Great Western Railway for an update.
One option for me is to go via Clapham Junction but I haven't checked how bad that is yet. My ticket is valid that way so I don't need to wait for ticket acceptance.
Unfortunately this was only known once I departed Redhill or I would have gone via the quarry line.
One of the trains has run ECS back to Gatwick Airport, no doubt to free the platform more. More sidings at Gatick Airport.
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Incident: Ash | National Rail
Disruption between Reading and Gatwick Airport . Find details of all current incidents on National Rail Enquiries.
The hashtag is Ash so it must be West of Guildford. Passengers such as myself are east of Guildford. There are now two GWR trains at Redhill. They seem to be the only ones stranded.
SWR, however, are saying this, which sounds a bit different:
Ash isn't between Wanborough and Guildford, but close, so it's not clear if it's the same disruption or not.
Yep - fatality between Didcot and Reading and flooding in other diversionary routes. Looks like shuttles and GWR can only run as far Newbury from Paddington currently.
ECML seems to have stopped at Arlesey. Down Slow is closed, and there’s a 1Z99 stopped on the Down Fast with a queue of trains behind, stretching back to beyond Stevenage. First in the queue, 9J56, left Hitchin 47 minutes ago so must have been at a standstill for about 40 minutes so far.
EDIT: Just after typing that message 1Z99 moved forward at 20:20, so looks like trains on the move again
EDIT: Just after typing that message 1Z99 moved forward at 20:20, so looks like trains on the move again
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12LDA28C
Established Member
Fatality at Pangbourne, now classed as a crime scene - expect line blocked potentially until start of service tomorrow.
1Z99 is NWR staff placing emergency speed restriction boards out to run at 20mph past the erected area.
12LDA28C
Established Member
1C90 1703 Paddington - Penzance the train involved.
irish_rail
On Moderation
Oh dear, a Plymouth driver . Two nights in a row a fatality, I've never known a period like this on the Western in terms of disruptions day after day, although obviously fatalities are not the fault of the railway. Thoughts to the driver , and of course the casualty.
Wiltshiresam
Member
Thoughts with driver, they were on a diversion too!
ExRes
Established Member
I'm not even going to ask what you've been reading ......
Wouldn't surprise me if they were separate incidents.
The train that left for Gatick Airport seems to return and head onto platform 0. Then the other train on platform 1A, which I'd been on, departed for Gatwick Airport. Not sure what it did after that.
Interestingly National Rail Enquiries have updated the original incident to say updated 20:00 but nothing in the incident has actually changed wording wise, save it now says 20:00, instead of 19:36, as I compared it to the original.
Here are the screenshots of both.
Nothing on X, formally known as Twitter, from GWR_Help about it but not sure if anyone has even asked them a question as no replies and all Ash brings up is the National Rail Enquiries post, formally known as a Tweet.
I sort Redhill platform staff advice, as nothing further over the tanoy, and waited for the 20:10 to Clapham Junction, which surprisingly was on time. My ticket is valid this way so don't need to bother about checking for ticket acceptance, which hasn't been announced. Not that I would expect any problems.
So I should have followed own thoroughs and not staff. Some you win and some you lose. I got the train to Clapham Junction and we were so delayed going into Clapahm Junction I arrived onto platform 9 after the doors for the train to Guildford had closed and they were not reopening them as there was 20 seconds until the train was due to depart on time.
I might get in around 10 pm, if I am lucky. Now on a delayed train to Basingstoke at least.
Had I got a train to East Croydon and changed there, I probably would have made the connecting train at Clapham Junction. I do have 5 bags with me, which might be why they suggested waiting as the train was on time. However I did have to switch platforms though, until they changed it to platform 2, as I was walking round to platform 0.
I assume a lot of other delayed trains was the reason for the delay into Clapham Junction.
One of those things. I was initially directed onto the 21:05 to Guildford but I didn't want to spend an hour on a train with no loos. Fortunately there was the delayed train to Basingstoke.
GWR at last count appeared to be dealing with 10 serious disruptions across the network (including the suspicious fatality) so it wouldn’t surprise me if teams were completely overwhelmed.
Wow. That is a lot. Thoughts with all those involved in the fatality.
I was annoyed at just missing the train but I know its not anyone's fault. The weather has been bad.
Now advising people to return to their origination point where possible and try again tomorrow.
Annetts key
Established Member
The entire length of the tunnel has flooded in the past.
The route of the cuttings either side and the tunnel cuts through a layer between two different rock types. The top layer is permeable rock. But below it there is a layer of impermeable rock. The result is that after about three days of continuous or near continuous heavy rain, enough water will travel sideways until it finds a nice void - the railway tunnel and cuttings...
Though-out the tunnel, under the tracks, and extending towards the former site of Chipping Sodbury station, there is a very large drain. Big enough for a person to craw through. This is the original drainage system.
It's outfall is into a stream at the former site of Chipping Sodbury station. However, the amount of water that the railway can discharge into the stream (which itself a few miles away discharges into the River Frome) is limited by the Environment Agency. Which is rightly concerned about peoples homes and gardens flooding. If you want to find it on a map, look for the Bell Inn pub, near the junction between the A432 Badminton Road and Station Close, Chipping Sodbury, BS37 6LL.
After the tunnel flooded, assuming the rain had stopped, it typically took around two to three days for the water to drain away.
Since privatisation, water monitoring and flow rate monitoring was provided. Then three electric pumps. Originally powered by diesel generators (although that didn't work too well one year, as the fuel was stolen...). Later on, a fixed electricity supply was provided.
The pumps move the water from the tunnel towards the pond (which was expanded in size not too many years ago) at the former goods yard near the former site of Chipping Sodbury station. But, the discharge into the stream is still limited.
Because the amount of water ending up in the area of the former Chipping Sodbury station is now higher since the pumps were installed, and the amount that can discharged into the stream is limited, it just goes round in a circle. Hence, it's this area that floods more often than the tunnel. The tunnel will however still flood if the amount of water exceeds the amount the drainage system can cope with.
Unfortunately the original monitoring equipment did not have a maintenance contract that was continued, so that last time I saw it, parts were missing, cables were disconnected and it was not functional. Part of the reason for it, was to give the railway advance warning of the likelihood of flooding and to see when the flooding was likely to subside.
IMHO, the only realistic way to improve the situation would be for the railway to construct a new drainage channel to the River Frome. But that would involve spending rather a lot of money. Plus, the Environment Agency may still limit the amount of water the railway can discharge...
Flooding between Bristol Parkway and Yate is very unusual. The main line is mostly on embankments. However, further north, Wickwar Tunnel does flood. So I suspect this was the problem. It does not flood as often as Chipping Sodbury, but is still a known trouble spot.
The flooding 'between' Bristol Temple Meads and Weston-super-Mare is normally at Flax Bourton. Water flows down the sides of the cutting from farmland, and the railway drainage can't cope.
Between Bristol Parkway and Swindon is at Chipping Sodbury as I describe above.
Patchway up tunnel is also prone to flooding. Again, not as often as Chipping Sodbury. The down tunnels are normally okay (as they are at a higher level).
The staff at Weston are very helpful, yes.
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