Storm Babet

[whole diary]

[GBM]

Trains now running normally between Exeter St Davids and Paignton
Following forecasted severe weather at Dawlish all lines are now open.
Train services between Exeter St Davids and Paignton are running normally.
Customer Advice
Train services will convey passengers between Bristol Temple Meads and Plymouth in both directions between 17:00 17/10/23 and 23:59 17/10/23. GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) & CrossCountry are operating with eased ticket restrictions. GWR tickets will be valid on CrossCountry services. CrossCountry tickets will be valid on GWR services.
Additional Information
Weather forecasts for the coastal railway line through Dawlish, combined with high tides, may lead to short-notice changes to trains. GWR anticipate that trains will run as normal. However, between 07:30 and 10:30, and 18:30 and 22:30 on Tuesday 17 October, we anticipate Amber and Red weather warnings through this area.

Trains now running normally between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth
Following forecasted severe weather at Dawlish all lines are now open.
Train services between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth are running normally.
Customer Advice
Train services will convey passengers between Bristol Temple Meads and Plymouth in both directions between 17:00 17/10/23 and 23:59 17/10/23. GWR & CrossCountry are operating with eased ticket restrictions. GWR tickets will be valid on CrossCountry services. CrossCountry tickets will be valid on GWR services.
Additional Information
Weather forecasts for the coastal railway line through Dawlish, combined with high tides, may lead to short-notice changes to trains. GWR anticipate that trains will run as normal. However, between 07:30 and 10:30, and 18:30 and 22:30 on Tuesday 17 October, we anticipate Amber and Red weather warnings through this area.

Title modified  1138

[TaplowGreen]

Babet

[infoman]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Spotlight south west local news reporting no cross country trains between Exeter and Plymouth till midday Wednesday 18 October 2023.

[bobm]

One GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) spent much of the night at Dawlish while another is awaiting rescue at Newton Abbot.

Around 9pm 1C92 (18:03 Paddington to Penzance) came to a stand just west of Teignmouth after earlier being hit by a wave.  After a few minutes it was able to limp to Newton Abbot where it was terminated.  As of 7am the 9-car IET remains there.

Meanwhile a five car IET working 2C87 (18:00 Cardiff to Penzance) was held at Dawlish awaiting events.  Being high tide it was perhaps inevitable that it too would be struck by a wave as it sat there.  That led to a complete shutdown and sea water in the rear cab.  Passengers were transferred to a Castle set while the IET driver was taxied back to Exeter to pick up another IET to rescue his train and take it to Laira depot around 3am.

[Witham Bobby]

One GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) spent much of the night at Dawlish while another is awaiting rescue at Newton Abbot.

Around 9pm 1C92 (18:03 Paddington to Penzance) came to a stand just west of Teignmouth after earlier being hit by a wave.  After a few minutes it was able to limp to Newton Abbot where it was terminated.  As of 7am the 9-car IET remains there.

Meanwhile a five car IET working 2C87 (18:00 Cardiff to Penzance) was held at Dawlish awaiting events.  Being high tide it was perhaps inevitable that it too would be struck by a wave as it sat there.  That led to a complete shutdown and sea water in the rear cab.  Passengers were transferred to a Castle set while the IET driver was taxied back to Exeter to pick up another IET to rescue his train and take it to Laira depot around 3am.

Was I dreaming when I read that the IETs were specified to be much less prone to the weather and tide conditions on the coastal section?  What about all those zillions of pounds on sea defence works?

[bobm]

What about the simple expedient of using reversible working and running trains only on the up line?   No idea why that wasn’t implemented last night.  It might not have solved the problem completely but would certainly have lessened it.

Cross Country had already withdrawn all their services. 

[plymothian]

1C55 (0600 London Paddington - Plymouth) has sat down at Teignmouth due to being struck by a wave.

[JayMac]

Currently (0945 18/10/2023) looking very angry on the Dawlish webcams.

[ellendune]

What about all those zillions of pounds on sea defence works?

Well that has only covered part of the length of the sea wall.  I don't know where the trains were stopped, but it is probably (just due to the lengths improved as a proportion of the total length length affected) that it was a length that has not been improved.  Also remember that the current phase of works are to stop the cliff falling on the railway not the sea!

[IndustryInsider]

https://free.coastcams.com/dawlish/san-remo-cam/  

Significant waves topping over around every ten seconds.

Given how things grind to a halt nationwide with 'DO NOT TRAVEL' warnings whenever the weather turns bad, you have to question the decision makers at Dawlish in sending IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) trains through there when there's a high probability they will either get stranded or have to limp to the next station and terminate.  They might then be out of action needing repairs once the storms have subsided.  

Definition of insanity.

[plymothian]

1A77 (0835 Plymouth - Paddingtion) has failed at Exeter St Davids due to being hit by a wave.

Paignton - Exmouth services cut to 1 train per hour.

1C55 has nowhere to go due to failed IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) at Newton Abbot blocking 1 platform, so will remain at Teignmouth UFN^‡(resolve).

[AMLAG]

The shambles of a train service west of Exeter provided during these FORECASTED unusually strong 40-45 mph winds coming from the East/ SE for about 24 hours and resultant waves pounding the sea wall, does make one realise if the £ zillions in the current works by NR^» (Network Rail - home page) and its armies of Contractors and Sub contractors had not been spent then there is no doubt significant damage would likely have ensued.
Nevertheless I don’t believe NR Media speak that these works will be suitable and robust for the coming 100 years.

Yet the new IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) fleet and the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) Voyagers can still not reliably cope with ingress of sea water and what modifications have been done continue to be proved futile.

Arguably a contingency emergency service between Exeter and N.Abbot needs to be provided at and either side of High tides  in these exceptional storm conditions by what trains are currently deemed reliable …urrh the surviving Castle class HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) and possibly some of the older local diesel units.
 

[bobm]

Steam excursion to Kingswear made it through ok. 

IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) on its way to rescue the stranded 1C55 at Teignmouth and take it to Plymouth. 

[plymothian]

Rescue train 1Z99 failed blocking line in front of failed 1C55 at TGM.  Dawlish reversible working no longer possible.

[bobm]

What a performance






Any bets on a 3Z99?