Great Western Coffee Shop

A picture of the line through East Lyng earlier today:

A picture of the line through East Lyng earlier today:

Transport
The ridge across the Somerset Levels has always been important for transport links. Today it carries the A361 road from Taunton to Street, and the Great Western Railway London Paddington to Penzance main line. The railway originally cut through the ridge just west of East Lyng, and traversed Hitchings Moor, but after years of being blocked by winter floods, the railway was diverted south of the ridge to join the line from Bristol at Cogload Junction.

Had that freight train stopped just short, or was it about to plough through?

Didn't know where East Lyng was and came across this interesting quote on Wikipedia


I'm supposed to be going to Taunton on Saturday night... the weather forecast is "interesting"....  ;D

Lyng halt was on the little loop line that ran from Athelney to Durston. Even in the 1950's I never understood the need for that chord.

Thanks for reposting that BNam - I think a suitable reaction is omg !

Rail tracks damaged by flooding

Train services in Devon and Cornwall have been disrupted due to flooding.

First Great Western said some services may not run for another two days because 12 sections of track between Devon and Somerset were "impassable".

Network Rail filmed flooding near Broom Level Crossing, in East Devon.

Presumably there are civil engineering solutions to these recurring problems - Cowley Bridge is always flooding, this is I think the second landslip near Honiton/Axminster this year and similarly the flooding  on the Bristol Parkway-Swindon route.     If this was the motorways being closed there would be a national outcry, but people somehow accept the railways will close down.  Accept that part of the problem is the 19th century routes which often found it easier to follow rivers, and with Network Rail's debt currently 26 billion or so then there is hardly likely to be lots of cash for big engineering solutions, but nevertheless with both GW and LSW routes currently closed then most of Devon and Cornwall have no rail access to the rest of the UK.

Line problem: between Par and Newquay.
Owing to flooding between Par and Newquay all lines are blocked.
Limited replacement road transport is being sourced, however passengers are advised not to travel unless absolutely necessary.

Line problem: between Newton Abbot and Exeter St Davids.
Owing to a landslip between Newton Abbot and Exeter St Davids all lines are blocked.

Line problem: between Plymouth and Liskeard.
Owing to a landslip between Plymouth and Liskeard all lines are blocked.

Landslide causes delay on trains
 
There are reports of delays on the First Great Western service between Bristol Temple Meads and Weston-super-Mare because of a landslide.

VIDEO: Damage caused by floods in and around Exeter

This stunning video shows the damage across Exeter caused by last nights flooding as filmed by an ITV helicopter today.

Woman in tent killed in Exeter tree fall as floods hit county

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/64366000/jpg/_64366329_64366328.jpg)
Police said the woman was in a sleeping bag when the tree fell

A woman in a tent has been killed by a falling tree as heavy rain swept across Devon.

The large spruce came down late on Saturday night in Western Way, Exeter, trapping the 21-year-old woman and injuring two other people.

Devon and Cornwall Police said it was thought she could have been homeless.

The force said that across the two counties 250 homes had been flooded, including 30 properties in the village of Kennford, near Exeter.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said it had dealt with more than 500 flooding incidents during Saturday and on Sunday morning, and more than 1,200 in the past five days.

The Met Office has said further heavy rain is expected throughout Sunday across the region.

Insp Andy Oliver said about the woman who died: "All we know is that she was in a sleeping bag in a tent underneath the tree when it came down."

Insp Gareth Twigg said there were a number of rough sleepers staying in tents around the city. He added that there was a patch of grass under the tree where the woman could have been camping.

Emergency services managed to free her following the tree fall at about 23:50 GMT. The woman died later in hospital. Two men, who are aged 27 and 35, were also in the tent and were injured in the fall.

A police spokesman said: "This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with the deceased's family and friends."

In Exmouth, roads in and out of the town were closed and rail services were disrupted.

Firefighters were called to Kennford as some people decided to leave their homes when the River Kenn burst its banks. Some residents had prepared for the worst by moving items upstairs. But many said levels rose very quickly and water was up to waist height in the street by Saturday evening.

Les Seaton, who lives in the village, said: "The water came up so quick we couldn't do anything, we just had to let it come in the front and back door."

In Plymouth, there was flooding in Colebrook and Gdynia Way.

The rain has also had an impact on rail services, with buses replacing Cross Country services between Exeter and Bristol. Diversions are in place between Exeter and Yeovil.

Dan Paines, from First Great Western, warned passengers who were intending to travel from the South West to London on Sunday or Monday morning not to try.

Mr Paines said he expected the line between Tiverton and Exeter to remain closed until early in the week.

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/64368000/jpg/_64368203_64368202.jpg)
Passengers at Plymouth railway station are being warned of the travel disruption caused by the heavy rain

Line problem: between Bristol Temple Meads and Nailsea & Backwell.
Owing to a landslip between Bristol Temple Meads and Nailsea & Backwell Taunton Bound lines are blocked.

That is a real mess at Cowley Bridge. That will take days to sort out if and when it stops raining.

I honestly can't believe people are still traveling and blaming the train operating company's on twitter and Facebook

Also the Legacy Brunel Great Western Railway. I guess that since then there has been a change in the weather condtions (Whether through Global Warming or Atmospheric Conditions etc) That where the tracks were run alongside rivers, seas or canals etc. The was never the need to plan then for the flooding we see today probably because it didn't happen so much in GWR days? the GMWL is very much built along the same or similar GWR routes. I recall watching a documentary about the difficulties that IKB faced when running tracks into Cornwall. They chose the riskest (and quickest or easiest) option of the Dawlish Sea Wall. Good move then maybe, Not so much now. Alot has changed in the terms of weather and also the needs of passengers, expectations and probably tolerance/attitude since the days of GWR so maybe the comments (although I am not condoning them) are sadly to be expected in the 21st Centuary? ::) :-\ :-X

Attached below is FGWs train plan for today Monday 26th November 2012.

Doesn't explain what happens on Oxford - Worcester though. No commercial river traffic at the Oxford end, but the line is well out of the floods. Where it does flood is higher up, between Kingham and Moreton.

To help minimise inconvenience to customers, we have relaxed restrictions on Advance Purchase and Off-Peak tickets, and suspended new seat reservations.   

In 2007 there was serious flooding in the Osney and Abingdon road area in Oxford which led to the whole railway around the Redbridge being submerged and impassable for a few days.

Happened a couple of years prior to that as well.

Since then they have carried out some substantial dredging and clearance of lots of the little water channels around there, that seems to solved the problems...

Due to heavy rainfall since last Wednesday there is localised flooding on parts of our network. We are working with Network Rail to make sure we run as many trains as possible and they are working hard to re-open routes where it is safe to do so. While we have been able to run more than 95 per cent of our services many services are subject to short notice alteration.

I assume that is near Hinksey yard. That always used to be a favourite spot didn't it?  Hadn't realised they had done some work there.  Remember going through Hinksey on a train at snails pace in the late 90s and wondering if I'd get back but when I did all the water had gone!

08:55 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington due 11:40
An additional train service has been planned to operate as shown 27/11/12 08:55 Exeter St Davids to London Paddington due 11:40.
This is due to flooding.

Knock on effect is to have delayed the Gloucester - Southampton service calling at Melksham. That one was left waiting at Chippenham for the single line to clear.

07:50 Salisbury to Romsey due 09:03
This train has been delayed at Salisbury and is now 10 minutes late.
This is due to congestion caused by earlier delays.

Additional Information:
This train has been delayed following a late running First Great Western service.
 
Message Received :27/11/2012 08:10

The flooding in the Hinksey Yard area between Radley and Oxford is now affecting the running lines. 5mph ESR on the up line but still line speed on the down at the moment.

Services to/from Oxford are starting to be cancelled....

Swindon mum trapped for seven hours on FGW train

A MUM-of-two has spoken of her ^journey from hell^ after she was trapped on a non-moving train for almost seven hours, as the horrendous weather struck services.
 
When Hannah Strange, of Haydon End, jumped on a train at Gloucester at 4.20pm yesterday, she expected to be home in Swindon within an hour.
 
Instead, a chain of events ^ including a broken-down train on the line near Kemble ^ meant that she didn^t reach the town until past 11pm.
 
The 27-year-old said the service was already running nine minutes late when she boarded, but things were about to get much worse ^ as both the 1321 and 1421 Swansea to Paddington services were severely hit.
 
She said: ^Somewhere between Gloucester and Stonehouse there was a weather warning on the line which meant we stopped for around an hour.
 
^This annoyed me as I was meeting a friend and I had things to sort out for my children^s day at school the next day, but I told myself ^it^s only an hour^.
 
^When we finally got moving, the train was absolutely crawling along and then we stopped again, because the train in front had broken down on the tracks.
 
^After another two hour wait, First Great Western decided to couple the two trains together and push the other train along.^
 
The full-time student described her journey as a ^very frightening experience^, adding: ^It was the journey from hell ^ the train was moving slowly but jolting fiercely all the time, and when we turned corners the train leant heavily to one side.
 
^The atmosphere in the carriage was very edgy and there were people on board who obviously suffered from panic attacks, they were just desperate to get off the train.
 
^At Kemble station we were delayed once more while they got the train off the tracks ^ it was madness, we could see the station but we weren^t allowed to get off the train because we weren^t near the platform.
 
^One guy could actually see his house from the train and we were just stuck there for another two or three hours, it was crazy.
 
^I missed my bus home and had to get a taxi ^ I will be applying for a refund, but I just wish I could get that wasted time back.^
 
A spokesman for First Great Western said: ^We are extremely sorry for the unacceptable delay faced by passengers on the 1321 and 1421 Swansea to Paddington services yesterday.
 
^As well as offering a full refund to all customers on board those trains, we will be giving them a free First Class ticket for anywhere on our network by way of an apology.
 
^The delays we're initially caused by a series of flood-related signal problems compounded by a train fault.
 
^The flooding situation meant we couldn^t get the trains moving as quickly as we should have.^
 

Owing to a landslip between Dawlish and Newton Abbot Exeter Bound lines are blocked.
Impact:
Train services running through these stations may be delayed by up to 60 mins at short notice. An estimate for the resumption of normal services will be provided as soon as the problem has been fully assessed.
Customer Advice:
Problem
There has been a landslip at Teignmouth
Problem
At this time it is unknown what trains can run in the area
Advice
Passengers are advised that a limited service is being sourced which will incur some delays. Passengers are advised that coaches are now running to cover stations between Exeter St David's and Newton Abbot
National Rail Enquiries - 0845 7 484950 (24 hours)
 Message Received :27/11/2012 13:51

From what I can see 1C92 Golden Hind 1803-PAD-PZ will call PAD-RDG-EXD (via Yeovil) and then as booked to PZ an hour later than originally timed.  I don't know if a Pullman will be on it though.

The flooding in the Hinksey Yard area between Radley and Oxford is now affecting the running lines. 5mph ESR on the up line but still line speed on the down at the moment.

Services to/from Oxford are starting to be cancelled....

From what I can see 1C92 Golden Hind 1803-PAD-PZ will call PAD-RDG-EXD (via Yeovil) and then as booked to PZ an hour later than originally timed.  I don't know if a Pullman will be on it though.

18:03 London Paddington to Penzance due 00:17 This train will call additionally at Westbury and Castle Cary.
This train will no longer call at Yeovil Junction.
This is due to flooding. Message Received :27/11/2012 18:27

18:03 18:03 London Paddington 
18:33 18:33 Reading 
 19:15 Westbury 
 19:29 Castle Cary 
19:49 Not Stopping Yeovil Junction 
21:19 21:19 Exeter St Davids 
21:39 21:39 Newton Abbot 
21:52 21:52 Totnes 
22:23 22:23 Plymouth 
22:48 22:48 Liskeard 
23:02 23:02 Bodmin Parkway 
23:14 23:14 Par 
23:22 23:22 St Austell 
23:40 23:40 Truro 
23:52 23:52 Redruth 
00:17 00:17 Penzance 

Somerset and Devon trains disrupted 'for up to a week'

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/64404000/jpg/_64404834_64401174.jpg)
Cables, points, signals and trackside equipment which had been under water have to be inspected and repaired if necessary

Trains between Somerset and Devon are likely to be disrupted for up to a week after signalling equipment was damaged by flood water.

Network Rail said the line could be handed back on Wednesday, but trackside cabinets were affected and need to be inspected for damage.

There will be two trains per hour each way between Tiverton Parkway and Exeter St Davids stations. Replacement bus services are in operation for other services.

Rail operator First Great Western said customers are advised not to travel unless absolutely necessary on the route because of the limited capacity.

"There's going to be further disruption, I'm afraid," a Network Rail spokesman said. "Our staff have been working overnight.... to recover the railway. The line is still closed between Exeter and Taunton due to the flooding [from] what appears to be a severe washout of ballast at Cowley Bridge junction near Exeter."

He added cables, points, signals and trackside equipment had been under water and would have to be inspected and repaired if necessary.

Buses are also running between Exeter St Davids and Axminster and trains are unable to call at Pinhoe, Whimple and Feniton stations.

"Services between London Paddington and Tiverton Parkway are running and buses are replacing train services between Tiverton Parkway and Exeter, adding at least an hour to your overall journey time," a First Great Western spokesman said.

CrossCountry Trains said buses will replace trains between Exeter and Bristol.

Additionally there will be a limited rail service between Taunton and Bristol.

If the line between Tiverton and Exeter does reopen as is hoped for tommorow, will that permit of through services between Paddington and Penzance ? or are there there other closures furthur west ?

From Journeycheck

So which way is it going I wonder?  The timings show it right time throughout.

Now whilst there are problems and emergency Timetables I'm NOT impressed that both the 05:43 and the  06:28 Plymouth-Penzance sevices are cancelled, the first two trains of the Day
I'm glad to see FGW and XC are looking after their Bread & Butter Season Ticket holders! NOT
 
Surely a unit from Plymouth could have run in the path of the Down Sleeper!!!!
And is there any other Daily travellers at rush hour who have to put up with a DIFFERENT service on Monday Mornings to the Rest of the week Tues to Friday?
I sure can't see there being many Regulars on the 06:28 Plymouth-Penzance due 08:19 or 08:59 depending on the DAY of the week!

The 0520 from Bristol to Paddington took an interesting route today, travelling through Trowbridge twice! As far as Westbury as per timetable then reverse and non stop to Reading via Melksham.

Knock on effect is to have delayed the Gloucester - Southampton service calling at Melksham. That one was left waiting at Chippenham for the single line to clear.

This one though wasn't flood related but due to over running engineering works in the Bedwyn area.

Both the down and up sleeper services are very useful trains in Cornwall, especially the down which has a regular band of commuters, a significant number travelling to work at Treliske Hospital, Truro.

If there is no stock in the right place to cover these routes, is there any reason why the seating carriages alone from the set that must be trapped down here can't be run with the 57xxx, PNZ to EXD return as per timetable ?

They have the staff - I was sat next to one on a rail replacement coach yesterday. She was heading back to her depot in Plymouth after worked a service from Sheffield to Bristol.

She told me the problem is CrossCountry don't have the rolling stock in the west. Following the flooding that cut Devon and Cornwall off they only had three voyagers trapped. One of which was out of service due to battery problems that couldn't be resolved without returning to the Voyager Home Depot at Central Rivers.

FGW have just updated Journeycheck to say the disruption at Cowley Bridge is expected until "02:00 on the 8th Dec".

I agree - it does say 8 December.  If that is correct its a huge turn round from yesterday when lines were expected to open today.  Add in the disruption at Teignmouth  and still only a two hourly service on the Honiton-Yeovil line.

And Logistics.

LIVE UPDATES: Train delays after landslip

There are delays on trains in the Bristol area after a landslip near Westerleigh. (9am)

The driver of the Gloucester to Swindon service has reported that the embankment was slipping away at Westerleigh Junction.

Network Rail engineers are on site and have confirmed an embankment slip, about 1ft from the end of the sleepers.

The line is currently blocked on one side, affecting services between Swindon and Bristol Parkway and Gloucester and Bristol Parkway.

Staff on site are assessing whether it is safe to pass trains and an earthworks engineer has been called to attend.

Two services are trapped, the Worcester ^ Weymouth service and the Derby ^ Plymouth service.

Network Rail's priority is to get these trains moved.

Cheltenham ^ Bristol services are being diverted via Lydney and Severn Tunnel and Paddington ^ South Wales services via Box. Cardiff services have been suspended.

The line heading towards London remains open.

UPDATE 9.30am

Network Rail is introducing single line working to free the two trapped trains.

Once these are clear of the section at Bristol Parkway the up line will re-open.

Impact on train services:

^ FGW Cardiff services withdrawn, CrossCountry Manchester ^ Bristol services terminating at Birmingham.

^ FGW Swansea services are diverting via Box and CrossCountry Anglo-Scottish services are diverting via Lydney and Severn Tunnel.

^ FGW West local services only are running north to Gloucester via Kemble or Lydney. Road transport is being arranged for intermediate stations.

UPDATE 11.15AM

More information on First Great Western disruption can be found here.

And here are links to the departure board for Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads.

UPDATE 2.30PM

Network Rail says the line out of London is likely to be closed until next Wednesday - more to follow.

UPDATE 2.50PM

Network Rail have provided photographs of the landslip which can be viewed in our photo gallery above.

Rail services between Birmingham and the south west are still being disrupted.

Around 4,000 tonnes of material will be needed to rebuild the embankment near Westerleigh Junction in South Gloucestershire.

The Down line between Swindon and Bristol Parkway is likely to remain closed until Wednesday.

The Up line between Bristol Parkway and Swindon remains open.

Network Rail engineers said earth had moved to within 12 inches of rail sleepers at Westerleigh and had blocked services towards Bristol.

A spokesman said: ^Early estimates are that the down line will remain closed until next Wednesday.

^There is a requirement to build an access road to enable access by large plant for remedial works. The earthworks failure is seven metres high and 20 metres long and we^ll need around 4,000 tonnes of material to rebuild the embankment.^

Engineers will need to cut and lift the down line in the affected area to enable contractors to use a benching process to rebuild the embankment.

Impact on train services:

^ FGW services from London Paddington to Cardiff have been withdrawn.

^ CrossCountry Manchester ^ Bristol services are terminating at Birmingham.

^ FGW Swansea services are diverting via Box

^ CrossCountry Anglo-Scottish services are diverting via Lydney and the Severn Tunnel.

^ FGW West local services only are running north to Gloucester via Kemble or Lydney.

^ Road transport being arranged for intermediate stations.

^ CrossCountry and FGW services using the up line are going ahead as planned.

Line problem: between Exeter St D... Following flooding between Exeter St Davids and Tiverton Parkway all lines have now reopened.

Impact:
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 60 mins or revised at short notice. Disruption is expected until 02:00 03/12.

Customer Advice:
The railway line has reopened between Exeter St Davids and Tiverton Parkway. Services will however run at a reduced speed between these two points.

I assume "delays" includes a thinning out of the service so some trains won't run through and be stopped short.

I assume "delays" includes a thinning out of the service so some trains won't run through and be stopped short.

Correct... 1C94 terminated at Taunton (instead of Exeter), although 1C95 ran through.

Unfortunately both lines are now closed between Exeter & Newton Abbot due to a landslide in Parsons Tunnel.

From enquries I have made, apparently where the full restaurant cannot be provided they are hoping to offer the Travelling Chef in its place.

Work starts to fix railway landslip near Bristol

Work has begun to bring in more than 4,000 tonnes of earth to shore up a landslip on a rail line near Bristol.

On Wednesday, part of a bank alongside the railway at Westerleigh collapsed, meaning many services were either cancelled or diverted.

Network Rail said it had begun to build a temporary road to the site to enable it to get machinery to the landslip. A spokesman said they were currently "on track" to fix the problem by next Wednesday.

"There is a requirement to build an access road to enable access by large plant for remedial works," a spokesman said.

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/64457000/jpg/_64457628_64457627.jpg)
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said it would be "unsafe" to run trains along the track

"Around 4,000 tonnes of material will be needed to rebuild the embankment."

On Thursday, the Secretary of State for transport, Patrick McLoughlin, visited the site to inspect the work. He told BBC Bristol: "A lot has been done in the past 20 hours but there's a lot of work still to do. Network Rail are working around the clock and against the clock to get this fixed as quickly as possible.

"Looking at the way the bank has slipped, it is very dramatic in terms of the work that's got to be done to make it safe. I know it will annoy some people having to wait so long but I don't think anybody can doubt how serious we are about maintaining safety. It would be unsafe to run on that track at the moment."

CrossCountry services travelling from Birmingham are currently being diverted via Wales and the Severn Tunnel.

First Great Western's high-speed services from London Paddington to Wales are either being cancelled or diverted through Box.

Services going from Bristol Parkway to Birmingham and Swindon are being slowed down.

21:50 Twyford to Henley-On-Thames due 22:02
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to flooding.
Message Received :29/11/2012 21:10   

22:06 Henley-On-Thames to Twyford due 22:18
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to flooding.
Message Received :29/11/2012 21:10

I hope to travel tomorow (30/11/2012) on the 18-03 from Paddington to Taunton.
Experience over the last few days suggests that the service will probably run, though only as far as Exeter.

Am I likely to get a seat ?
Will the train be very busy owing to lack of other services ?
Or will it be less used on account of terminating short, and many people not traveling?

Or would I do better on a slightly earlier or later service ?
Normally I get the 18-03 in order to enjoy the restaurant, but I doubt that this will be provided in the present disruption.

19:03 London Paddington to Penzance due 01:02
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to an earlier train fault.
Message Received :30/11/2012 16:56

You are on your way - what's to moan about?

Devon mud-hit railway line reopens

The railway line which connects Devon and Cornwall to the rest of England has reopened after a landslip threatened the track.


Network Rail has reopened the westbound track which was closed at Teignmouth.

It said the second track along the stretch, closed for nearly a week after heavy rain, was expected to reopen by 05:00 GMT on Saturday.

It said services would be "very limited" and travellers should check which services were running.

Between 1,000 and 1,500 tonnes of mud and rock is being removed from the site between Newton Abbot and Exeter.

Investment call

Passengers had to take rail replacement buses while the lines were blocked.

There have also been about 13 other minor landslips in the same area.

Leader of Plymouth City Council, Tudor Evans, is calling for investment from the government to keep the roads and rail network open.

He is co-ordinating a letter from Cornwall, Devon and Somerset council leaders and the mayor of Torbay.

He said: "I'm not an unreasonable man, I understand we were dealing with extreme weather this time, but this isn't a new issue and flooding happens on an all-too-frequent basis."

Network Rail said it could be another two weeks before rail services were completely back to normal.

If Live Departures is to believe the 18:03 has continued past Exeter to Newton Abbot and has just called at Dawlish and Teignmouth.  It was oriignally cancelled at Exeter St Davids due to "a member of train crew being unavailable" but after 20 mins or so was re-instated as far as Newton Abbot.

No gin
No port.

No gin
No port.

No meal
Almost no snacks, I have just purchased a muffin, believed to be the last edible on board.
No gin
No port.
Late, and getting later
First class invaded by suspected steerage customers, no ticket check as yet.
Train probably wont connect with bus at Taunton, ^60 cab fare.
Otherwise OK

Must have been the longest period for a while they haven't run.  Interesting they are returning on Monday night rather than Sunday which is usually one of the busiest.

There is weekend engineering work on the honiton line (both previously planned and to finish flood repair work)

By the way we are all concerned about Broadgage.  Did he catch his bus?

Some good news for passengers. The sleepers should be returning on Monday night, however for approximately one week they are planned to run via Honiton, not stopping at Taunton.

21:45 Penzance to London Paddington due 05:55
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to flooding earlier.
Message Received :03/12/2012 13:43

23:45 London Paddington to Penzance due 07:53
This train will be cancelled.
This is due to flooding earlier.
Message Received :03/12/2012 13:43

Open again at Westerleigh

According to BBC West, it was finished 2 days early. Fantastic work.

- Services from London Waterloo will terminate at Southampton Central / Brockenhurst.

- A train 'shuttle' will run between Bournemouth and Weymouth, departing Bournemouth at xx:04 minutes past the hour and departing Weymouth at xx:20 minutes past the hour.

- There are no SWT services between Bournemouth and Brockenhurst. SWT are running buses between Bournemouth and Brockenhurst.

- CrossCountry services may be delayed by up to 60 minutes.

- Services have been suspended between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier. Passengers are advised to use local buses (route 65).

- Parking restrictions have been lifted at alternative stations throughout the area.

- First Great Western are accepting South West Trains passengers between Weymouth and London Paddington.

- South West Trains and CrossCountry passengers may use replacement buses between Bournemouth and Brockenhurst.

- CrossCountry passengers may use First Great Western services between Basingstoke and Reading

Whilst I support a routing easement for Weymouth - Paddington. I'm not sure that is something FGW want to hear at the moment, considering Contingency Plan 3 is in operation... ::)

There's no guarantee trains would do better today, says Andrew Martin, author of The Necropolis Railway. The technology was basic back then - steam trains were the norm. But steam trains were heavier and hotter so could often get through the snow, he argues.

Rail expert Barry Doe says the railways had a huge army of manpower to call on in times of need. Signal boxes were manned every few miles down the line in 1962. Problems could be sorted out manually if something went wrong either by shovelling snow or replacing signals.

"If a lever broke in the signal box, the signal man would lean out of the box with a green flag. Nowadays if the green signal fails in the wilds somewhere, everything is linked electrically so a succession of things down the line can go wrong."

Did steam trains cope better with snow than their electric counterparts?
Christian Wolmar, author of Fire and Steam, disagrees. Steam trains coped badly with slight inclines and slippery rails. Modern trains have intelligent fault reporting systems that spot problems. The points, which used to freeze up all the time, are today heated.

Problems remain, Wolmar concedes. The commuter trains in southern England still rely on the "third rail" system. Instead of being powered by overhead electric lines, the power supply comes from a rail on the track. When it snows there is a tendency for the power to fail.

And even modern trains go wrong. Eurostar was heavily criticised after five trains became stuck in December 2010. It is believed they failed to adjust from the cold air of northern France to the warm tunnel.

What is contingency plan 3 ? (not certain if this is a serious remark or a joke, but I enlightening in either event)

See my post on another thread (Major delays/cancellations, Paddington to Reading 20/12/2012 (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=11731.msg122313#msg122313)) where there is a file attached - Network Rail/FGW's 'Contingency Plan Three'.

(It's a .pdf document so may not be viewable on some devices)

The rail network in the west is really having a bad time of it this winter. Should we blame the Mayans?  :P

1 hour 58 minutes after bobm posted that and it's still there now... :-\ :-[ >:( ::)

Should be changed now as 1C32 is cancelled!

Yes, Has been changed. Saw that just now ;) Thanks if you sorted it!

Yes, Has been changed. Saw that just now ;) Thanks if you sorted it!

My Christmas wish?  Be nice to the staff out there - I'm sure they'll be doing their best!

Well the predicted flooding has occured.  I assume it is Cowley Bridge again.

Closure of the line couldn't really happen on a worse day what with the Christmas getaway (me included).

Christmas getaway faces rain disruption

Rail passengers and motorists are facing further disruption due to signalling failures on the rail networks and continued wet weather.

A severe flood warning is in place in Helston, Cornwall, where 190 residents have been advised to leave their homes.

First Great Western says rail problems are so severe in the south west of England that they are advising passengers not to travel.

Heavy rain forecast for Saturday is likely to flood roads in many areas. In total, the Environment Agency has issued more than 100 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and more than 280 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, for England and Wales. In Scotland, 12 flood alerts and 16 flood warnings have been issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), with Tayside currently the worst affected area.

The Met Office has issued amber weather warnings for heavy rain in south west England, Yorkshire and Humbershire, Wales, central Scotland and the Grampians for Saturday and into Sunday morning.

A rest centre has been opened for residents in Helston forced to leave their homes by the rising waters of the River Cober, Cornwall Council has said, although only about five people used it. There are reports of more than 50 properties being flooded in Cornwall, five of which are in Helston.

The Environment Agency said widespread flooding of properties was "imminent" and issued a severe flood warning - its highest level, meaning there is a danger to life - for St Johns Road, St Johns Close, Coronation Park and Loe Pool in the town.

David Owens of Cornwall Council said the level of the river is "still continuing to rise, still continuing to be of concern".

Fire crews in Dorset used an inflatable boat to rescue two motorists stuck in standing water near Christchurch on Friday night. One man had been stuck in his car for five hours, and a woman and child were also rescued from a car on the West Stafford bypass near Dorchester.

Fire crews have attended about 70 flood-related incidents across Cornwall since 00:00 GMT on Saturday, and surface water on the roads is causing dangerous driving conditions for motorists. The council confirmed the A39 at Perranarworthal was closed due to flooding, with some minor routes in the county currently impassable.

On the rail network, the Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect rail services were suspended overnight after signalling problems on the Great Western mainline near Hayes and Harlington. However, following overnight repair work, a full service to and from London Paddington was restored early on Saturday morning.

Train operators have advised passengers to check the National Rail Enquiries website before travelling.

In other rail developments:
- Flooding is causing disruption near Rhoose Cardiff International Airport
- In the West Country, rail services are suspended between Exeter St Davids and Taunton due to flooding. Replacement buses are in operation but Network Rail are warning journey times could be increased by up to an hour. Poor road conditions mean that buses are not able to run on many routes
- A landslip at Glazebrook near Manchester on Friday afternoon has disrupted rail services between Manchester, Liverpool and Warrington. A reduced service is expected to continue until further notice
- A lineside fire has damaged electrical equipment and caused signalling problems at Preston Park near Brighton, with disruption expected to continue until Sunday. Rail services, including services to and from Gatwick airport, are able to run but at a reduced frequency

Elsewhere on the roads, the A38 eastbound near Plymouth is closed due to flooding and in northern England, the wet weather has forced the closure of the A19 in both directions near Stockton-on-Tees. And the M60 in Greater Manchester has a slip road closed because of flooding at junction 11.

With motorists taking to the roads before Christmas, Miranda Schunke from breakdown service Green Flag said she was expecting roads in the Midlands and London to be the busiest over the weekend. "The M4 and M5 corridor where they meet, that will be busy as people try and head down to Devon and Cornwall. Obviously there's flooding potential there as well so you need to be careful. As people try and get out of London, the M40, the M4 and M3 are also going to be very busy," she added.

Well the predicted flooding has occured.  I assume it is Cowley Bridge again.

I notice the down sleeper is now over two hours late.  I assume the closure came early enough for it to be sent via Yeovil.  Perhaps the up sleeper went that way too.

Closure of the line couldn't really happen on a worse day what with the Christmas getaway (me included).

My Christmas wish?  Be nice to the staff out there - I'm sure they'll be doing their best!

Obviously being DMU worked so assume no HST available.    The provision of buses can depend on availability, something outside the Railway Industry control.

In my view, FGW's advice not to travel is hardly practical, given the date.

- there will apparently be only two buses at Plymouth to forward passengers onwards, and FGW are quoting at least two hours delay there - why can't more buses have been provided, or at least on standby - this weather has been forecast for several days! ???

This is not acceptable.

rgds
macbrains

As stated on another thread, Miss Macbrains is (hopefully) travelling today from Truro to Cheltenham - today is the only day she could travel home.
This is not acceptable.

rgds
macbrains

In my view, FGW's advice not to travel is hardly practical, given the date.

As stated on another thread, Miss Macbrains is (hopefully) travelling today from Truro to Cheltenham - today is the only day she could travel home.

Just had a txt from her - she's managed to get on the train from Truro to Plymouth, but

- the train is jammed full, being comprised of only two coaches - why?
- there will apparently be only two buses at Plymouth to forward passengers onwards, and FGW are quoting at least two hours delay there - why can't more buses have been provided, or at least on standby - this weather has been forecast for several days! ???

This is not acceptable.

rgds
macbrains

Hey, folks ... there are times when we have to travel on a particular day / to be somewhere at a particular time.   We don't know the particulars of why Miss McBrains had to travel today, and we shouldn't approach the limit of what's acceptable in terms of getting personal on the forum when we don't know, nor should we pry by asking.  The journey to Cheltenham may be for Christmas with family ... or it could be for a hospital admission tomorrow. And I hope the critics would be comfortable with their criticism if that were the case!

In my view, FGW's advice not to travel is hardly practical, given the date.

Worrying notice that North Devon and Looe branch lines may be closed until 29 December, which suggests damage must be very severe.  No bus replacements to Barnstaple possible either. 

Hey, folks ... there are times when we have to travel on a particular day / to be somewhere at a particular time.   We don't know the particulars of why Miss McBrains had to travel today, and we shouldn't approach the limit of what's acceptable in terms of getting personal on the forum when we don't know, nor should we pry by asking.  [/i]

Thanks to all posters for their replies to my comments - all points of view equally valid, no doubt, to the individual posters themselves.

rgds
Rob

Good luck with your journey, Bob ... and keep us posted with the situation on the ground.  Saturday is usually the quietest day on the forum, but I expect we'll be busier that usual today - much of it being guests searching for updates.

I wonder why FGW are not running via Yeovil and Castle Cary?  This route is sometimes used for autumn diversions etc. and I have been that way several times in the past.  I did notice one Up train went that way late yesterday (Saturday 22nd December).

I wonder why FGW are not running via Yeovil and Castle Cary?  This route is sometimes used for autumn diversions etc. and I have been that way several times in the past.  I did notice one Up train went that way late yesterday (Saturday 22nd December).

There are certainly enough Exeter crew around today to be able to run some trains, I don't know if Plymouth sign the diversion, but I think some London crews do too.

Sorry, I should add that SWT are accepting FGW tickets and the route is a passenger desert between Taunton and Reading, so what's the gain?  You can get to Reading from Basingstoke (and go back down the Kennet valley if needed).   

Well in the 2010 timetable for March the line was closed between Taunton and Exeter and the Sunday service pattern between Exeter and Yeovil was one hour SWT next hour FGW then repeated throughout the day, and this was before the new signals were added but after Axminster loop was added, so it can work.  In the event of late running there is the backup of the loops at Honiton and Chard Junction.

As far as overcrowding between Exeter and Yeovil goes I have travelled on this route on three car sets at all times of day and days of the week and I have yet to encounter a SWT train that I would class as 'Full' on that section.

Let us all hope that things don't kick off again flooding wise over the next couple of weeks.

I didn't realise it was improved to 2tph in each direction.

All stations between Swindon and Bristol Parkway will not be served

Which stations are those then?  ::)

Also noticed there is a 20:20 service from WAT which arrives at EXD at 00:01 Christmas morning.  Is this the only passenger train in service on the 25th?

20:20 London Waterloo to Exeter St Davids due 00:01

This train will be terminated at Salisbury at 21:48.
Will be formed of 9 coaches instead of 6 between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids.
This train will no longer call at Tisbury, Gillingham Dorset, Templecombe, Sherborne, Yeovil Junction, Crewkerne, Axminster, Honiton, Feniton, Whimple, Pinhoe, Exeter Central and Exeter St Davids.
This is due to an unusually large passenger flow.

OK - I know you're joking but there's a serious question that sprung to my mind - WHY are there none?

There use to be:

Hay Lane
Royal Wootton Bassett (know as "Wootton Bassett" when open)
Brinkworth
Little Somerford
Hullavington
Badminton
Chipping Sodbury
Coalpit Heath
Winterbourne

But none has had any service for years - first to close was Hay Lane on 31st May 1841, and last to close was Badminton on 3rd June 1968.

Cases could be made for certain re-openings once we have the improve accelleration of electric trains ... Royal Wootton Bassett (but there a station may be best to the west of the junction, on the Chippenham line), and I muse about Hullavington; a station where the A429 crosses the railway, just a mile from the M4.  With plentiful long term parking provided, this could be a serious magnet for new rail customers from further west spending a day or a week in London. With half hourly stops on the new Bristol to London via Parkway service, the new service would have an extra traffic source, and the service speed would become such that it would be every 15 minutes from London to Brstol and back, all services taking the same time, so regular clock-face all the way.

Hullavington station would, undoubtedly, attract custom from other stations which are used for London commutes.  However, many of those were never designed to be easy to drive to and park at, and they're creaking at the seams at times.  What a good idea to provide extra capacity where it's better capacity too, and relieve the other stations a little for their more local traffic growth.

If you were to relocate Hay Lane just to the swindon side of the M4 it could serve West Swindon. 

And worse still all lines blocked between Hereford and Great Malvern due to flooding according to Journey Check

Devon and Cornwall floods continue to cause disruption

About 30 homes have been flooded in a Devon village as heavy rain continues to cause problems in the South West. Twenty-five people were led to safety by emergency services in the village of Stoke Canon, Exeter, after the River Exe burst its banks.

One severe flood warning remains in place in Cornwall and around 170 flood warnings in England and Wales.

Another band of bad weather is expected from Sunday evening into the early hours of Monday, Cornwall Council says.

In Stoke Canon some residents were evacuated from their properties and taken to a rescue centre and 11 people, including a baby, were rescued from an isolated farmhouse. All were unharmed.

Resident Lucy Kirk said: "Obviously you've lost your home, you've lost all your belongings and obviously you're never going to replace some of the valuables that you've had. It's upsetting."

Sgt Andy Squires, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said: "It's tragic, it really is, but you have to take some comfort from the fact there's been no loss of life or serious injury. You've got people's Christmas presents washing around in the room with Christmas trees, it's just very sad"

Overnight, 12 people in the Cornish town of Lostwithiel were taken to a rescue centre by RNLI lifeboat.

In Umberleigh, Devon, a woman was rescued from a river after she was swept away from her car in flood water. A police helicopter, using thermal imaging equipment, found her clinging to a tree on the banks of the swollen River Taw, shortly after 03:00 GMT. It is believed she had been in the water for up to 50 minutes and was treated for exposure. Robin Goodlad, from the RNLI said: "She's extremely lucky. How she managed to hold on in that flow for that amount of time, I have no idea." A man and a child who remained trapped in the car were rescued by firefighters.

Elsewhere, four people and two dogs trapped in two flooded properties in Bishops Tawton, near Barnstaple, were rescued overnight by a fire crew and RNLI in-shore boat.

In Lostwithiel, fire crews stayed overnight amid fears that further flooding would occur at high tide at 01:00 GMT but the rain eased off. The BBC's John Henderson said the River Fowey had dropped by about 1.5m on Sunday morning and the clean-up operation had begun. A high volume pump, capable of clearing a tonne of water a second, was used to clear flood water from the town. The pump will be used later in Helston, Cornwall, where dozens of homes were flooded when the River Cober broke its banks on Saturday.

Train services throughout the region have been severely disrupted with services between Plymouth, Exeter St Davids and Taunton suspended.

Network Rail said one of two plastic dams set up to protect the railway line at Exeter to minimise flood damage is itself now under water.

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/64922000/jpg/_64922644_64922643.jpg)
One of two plastic dams set up to protect the railway line at Exeter to minimise flood damage is itself now under water.

First Great Western said the Exeter to Tiverton Parkway line would not reopen until Friday 28 at the earliest and it was hoped the Exeter St Davids to Barnstaple and Liskeard to Looe lines would reopen on 29 December. The company said where possible it was operating replacement bus services.

Residents in Pilton, near Barnstaple, may have to be evacuated if flood water from the River Yeo reaches their homes, the council has warned. Emergency accommodation is being provided at Pilton Community College.

With more rain expected, rivers in the South West will struggle to cope, the Environment Agency warns. Nick Ely, from the agency, said: "Wherever the rain falls, the rivers will respond quickly. We have problems with 'flashy' rivers in Cornwall... where the rivers respond very rapidly with lots of run-off. We also have these problems with the catchments being so wet, that our bigger rivers... are also filling up and rising very rapidly".

In Braunton the clean-up operation has started after about 30 homes and 20 businesses were flooded on Saturday by more than a metre of water. Business owner, Jason Little, said: "I'm devastated. I was hoping to go and see my parents and family in Kent, so we'll have to wait and see what happens. People are trying to get back on their feet as soon as possible."

Hugh Griffith, from Devon County Council, said it was due to inspect several bridges which had been damaged by floodwater. He said: "Collard bridge in Snapper near Goodleigh has gone down and we've got a number of other bridges that have been under water. We've got people looking at the foundations. A lot of our bridges are on rock so they should be fairly safe but a lot of damage can be caused by different tidal situations and debris within the water."

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said it had attended 68 flooding-related incidents on Saturday and seven on Sunday.

Residents in Pilton, near Barnstaple ...

Flood fears heightened by new downpours

Rain has returned to south-west England, bringing flooding and high river levels to areas already saturated by heavy downpours. Christmas Eve was wet in parts of England, Wales and Scotland, with Wales and the South East of England set for a very wet Christmas Day.

The rail network in the South West of England suffered major disruption. Operator First Great Western advised customers not to attempt to travel west of Taunton in either direction.

The Environment Agency has issued about 160 flood warnings and more than 260 flood alerts for all regions in England and in Wales, with most in place across the Midlands and south-west England. Up to 30mm of rain was expected on Monday in south-west England, where some 57 of the flood warnings remained in place into the evening.

Christmas Eve on the rail network saw services from London Paddington towards Exeter and the West of England terminating at Tiverton, with limited road transport continuing to Newton Abbot via Exeter St Davids.

First Great Western said trains were unable to operate between Tiverton Parkway Station and Exeter St Davids, and between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot.

Services from Penzance and Plymouth, towards Bristol Temple Meads and London Paddington, are terminating at Newton Abbot, again with limited road transport on to Tiverton via Exeter. It says the road replacement service is limited "as this is being hampered by flooded roads and only a reduced number of vehicles being available". The closed section of line is not expected to reopen until Friday.

There are delays to journeys between London and south Wales, with a diversion to avoid flooding at Swindon adding about 45 minutes to travel times.

Flooding Minister Richard Benyon told BBC Radio 4's The World At One: "I'm really impressed with the way the emergency services, the Environment Agency, the local authorities are working together, and humbled by the incredible community spirit in places like Braunton (in Devon). There are going to be houses flooded in the future, we have just got to be better at warning people, we have got to be smarter at how we build defences (and) what defences we build. Government is doing a lot better, we have always got to learn from every single flood and realise it's the most miserable experience for people to have their homes flooded, and it's very damaging to the economy as well," he added.

Professor David Balmforth, a flooding specialist at the Institution of Civil Engineers, told the programme: "We know in the future global warming will make the sorts of flood events we have seen here become much more frequent and much more severe so some of the older (flood) defences which might have been fit for purpose at the time may not be quite so effective in the present day."

Environment Agency director of operations David Jordan said: "Flooding is devastating at any time of year, but it is particularly hard at Christmas time, and our thoughts are with those who will be out of their homes over the festive period. Although the rain is set to ease a little in the coming days, the ground is still very wet and river levels remain high, so we would ask people to keep up to date with the latest warnings and stay prepared for flooding."

He also reminded people not to walk or drive through floodwater.

A number of other key routes - including the A1(M) in Hertfordshire, the M6 in Cumbria and Staffordshire and the M5 near Bristol - were also struck by weather-related delays.

Reduced train services were operating on the West Coast line, and flooding had also disrupted CrossCountry, East Midlands Trains, First Great Western (FGW), First TransPennine Express and ScotRail services.

Erm, no, BBC: In Somerset, I think, is where you'll find Pilton.  ::)

Strangely, I was in Pilton on Saturday, and I was definitely in Devon. It is a suburb of Barnstaple on the way to Braunton.

It is indeed.  My apologies to the BBC: I should have referred to my extensive range of Ordnance Survey maps before posting.  ::) :-[

Christmas Day showers add to flood risk

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/64937000/jpg/_64937196_343frwax.jpg)
2012 looks set to be one of the UK's wettest years since records began

Wet weather is set to continue until at least Friday, potentially bringing further flooding to parts of the UK, weather forecasters have predicted.

Heavy showers and gusty winds will move eastwards across England and Wales on Christmas Day, but parts of central and eastern Scotland should stay dry. The Environment Agency (EA) said many places will stay on flood alert despite a slight easing of weather conditions. More than 470 properties have been flooded since Wednesday, the EA said.

Water levels are still rising on some of Britain's longest rivers, such as the Thames and the Severn, the agency added.

At Ironbridge in Shropshire, temporary flood barriers have been put up along the Severn to keep householders dry on Christmas Day.

Dorset is the area most likely to experience more flooding on Christmas Day, due to rising groundwater levels, officials have warned.

The agency has issued more than 160 flood warnings and 260 flood alerts for England and Wales, with most concentrated in the Midlands and southern counties of England. In Scotland, which is expected to see some respite from the rain on Wednesday, there are 12 flood warnings and 7 flood alerts. More than 18,000 calls have been made to the EA's Floodline service in the past six days.

David Jordan, director of operations at the agency, said: "Although the rain is set to ease a little in the coming days, the ground is still very wet and river levels remain high, so we would ask people to keep up to date with the latest warnings and stay prepared for flooding".

Most rail operators do not run services on Christmas Day, but disruption to train services caused by flooding and landslides is set to continue.

Trains will not run between Manchester Oxford Road and Liverpool Lime Street until Thursday due to a landslip at Glazebrook.

Meanwhile the railway line between Exeter St Davids and Tiverton Parkway will not reopen until Friday at the earliest, while only a limited replacement bus service will operate.

On the motorways, the eastbound carriageway of the A27 is closed at Chichester in West Sussex and is not expected to reopen until Boxing Day.

In Wales, the A487 is closed in both directions between Machynlleth and Derwenlas due to flooding but should reopen later on Christmas morning.

Met Office figures suggest 2012 is set to be one of the wettest years since records began in 1910. Before December, the average rainfall for the year so far was 1,202mm - placing it 13th in the list of wettest years. Due to the deluge of rain in the run up to Christmas, forecasters say 2012 is now likely to finish with one of the highest rainfall totals on record. The year 2000 remains the UK's wettest year, with an average rainfall of 1,337mm.

BBC forecaster Matt Taylor said: "The weather is lacking a little bit of festive cheer at the moment. On Boxing Day, more wet weather will push in from the south-west. While any rain is not welcome at the moment, at least the strong winds will push the rain away from the south-west quite smartly".

He concluded: "It really doesn't end."

Strangely, I was in Pilton on Saturday, and I was definitely in Devon. It is a suburb of Barnstaple on the way to Braunton. I think Mrs FTN and I must have got out in the nick of time.

There is, of course, another Pilton, on the island of Avalon.

And, in case this happens in other parts of Barnstaple, we have bits called Newport and Derby as well!

Think you might mean Purton.

From the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-20830618):

Devon and Cornwall floods continue to cause disruption

About 30 homes have been flooded in a Devon village as heavy rain continues to cause problems in the South West. Twenty-five people were led to safety by emergency services in the village of Stoke Canon, Exeter, after the River Exe burst its banks.

Flood warnings remain as wet weather continues

Flood warnings remain in place across England and Wales, amid ongoing weather warnings and icy roads in Scotland. It comes as a West Highland road was closed after a landslide and a rare landslide and rockfall warning was issued for south-west England by the British Geological Survey.

Fire crews say they have prevented flood water damaging an electrical substation near Reading, in Berkshire. Power cuts in Reading and south Oxfordshire may have been averted. Some 40,000 properties in the area were in danger of losing power.

The Environment Agency has about 120 flood warnings and more than 220 flood alerts in place in England and Wales. There are no flood warnings in Scotland.

In other developments:
- Forecasters have predicted that wet weather is set to continue until at least Friday, potentially bringing further flooding to parts of the UK
- The closure of the A890 at Stromeferry, in West Highlands, on Christmas Day due to a landslide has led to a diversion for drivers of almost 150 miles
- Thirteen families have been advised to leave their homes after a landslip at Ystalyfera, in the upper Swansea valley.

The British Geological Survey (BGS), along with other agencies, feeds information into the Hazard Warning Centre at the Met Office in Exeter. The South West Coastal Path, which covers most of the Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and Somerset coasts, runs through areas which are potentially at risk. The BGS has concerns about the stability of cliffs because of recent heavy rain. And amid fears for walkers, it urges extra caution near cliff edges.

The Met Office said an area of heavy rain would move across the country during the day. It said that given the continuing saturated state of the ground this may lead to further localised flooding. Some icy stretches are expected to form overnight, especially on surfaces where showers have washed off salt treatments. The Met Office said this could lead to difficult driving conditions.

BBC weather forecaster Jay Wynne said Friday will see the western half of Britain experience gale force winds and heavy rain later in the day, with weather warnings extending from the South West to the North West. This weekend will be windy everywhere with some heavy rain, the heaviest being in southern England and Wales, he added.

The Environment Agency has said many places will stay on flood alert despite a slight easing of weather conditions.

Met Office figures suggest 2012 is set to be one of the wettest years since records began in 1910. Before December, the average rainfall for the year so far was 1,202mm - placing it 13th in the list of wettest years. Due to the deluge of rain in the run up to Christmas, forecasters say 2012 is now likely to finish with one of the highest rainfall totals on record. The year 2000 remains the UK's wettest year, with an average rainfall of 1,337mm.

Rail track between Bristol and Exter set to reopen tomorrow


TRAIN services between Bristol and Exeter that had been disrupted due to flooding will start running again at 12pm tomorrow - 18 hours ahead of schedule.

The service had been affected because the River Exe burst its banks and caused damage to the track.

A spokesperson for Network Rail said lessons had been learned from flooding last month allowing them to get rail users back on track far more quickly.

They said train operators Cross Country and First Great Western have been advised that both tracks between Bristol and Exeter will be available for use.

The Network Rail spokesperson said: "We have learned some lessons from the flooding in November and done some things differently.

"There's nothing that we could do to prevent the River Exe bursting its banks and causing the track damage ^ but we have done some things proactively to minimise damage to the signalling.

"In November it took three or four days to fix the track where the ballast had washed away, but nearly three weeks to repair the damage to the signalling equipment.

"This time we used temporary dams to divert the flow of the water away from the lineside signalling equipment.

"This is the first time this technology has ever been used on the railway in Britain and it seems to have helped contain the damage well so far.

"We also removed some of the lineside signalling equipment such as the point operating equipment at Cowley Bridge Junction and stored it in a dry place so that it can be reinstalled undamaged after the water's gone down.

"We've also been working closely with the Met Office and the Environment Agency to keep up to date with the predicted river levels.

"A lot of network operations people have worked tirelessly through the Christmas holiday period when they hadn't planned to, restoring the railway as quickly as possible."

What would have been useful here were local announcements, ideally a system like that used on the Underground were platform staff use a microphone patched in direct to the PA. That way platform staff would have been able to shout the necessary "Please allow people to disembark before attempting to board", "Please stand back", "Please keep access to the stairways clear" and so on. All of those announcements were needed.

Service Disruption 27th December 2012 Update: 17:30

London Paddington

After earlier disruption on services starting at London Paddington due to over running engineering works in the Maidenhead area. We now have two lines open and are working to resume our advertised timetable. However, due to continuing problems with repair on the further two lines Network Rail are unable to give back the lines. We shall now work on the two lines until close of service today. This will reduce some services on Local stopping trains and High Speed Services.

West of England services Information:

We are still experiencing flooding in the following areas:

Exeter to Tiverton

Trains continue to be unable to operate between Tiverton Parkway Station and Exeter St Davids. Therefore, High Speed services from Penzance, Plymouth, towards Bristol Temple Meads and London Paddington will terminate at Exeter St Davids with road transport toTiverton for rail connections onwards.

High Speed Services from London Paddington towards Exeter St Davids and the West of England will terminate at Tiverton with road transport to Exeter St Davids for onward rail connections. Services arriving after 22:00 into Tiverton will have no road transport due to the unavailabilty of coaches in the area.

The line between Exeter St Davids and Tiverton is expected to reopen on 29th December.

Other Service Information:

Services between Exeter St Davids and Exmouth are disrupted due to flooding in the Lympstone area. Services will start and terminate at Topsham with road transport operating between Topsham and Stations to Exmouth in both directions. Services will remain disrupted until after the New Year.

Services between Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple are currently operated by road transport and this will continue for the rest of today. The line is expected to be closed until at least 29th December.

Services between Liskeard and Looe are suspended in both directions with limited road transport operating between Liskead and Looe only. We are unable to access intermediate Stations due to road conditions. Services will remain disrupted until after the New Year.

See www.journeycheck.com/firstgreatwestern for further updates..

First Great Western advises customers to check travel plans before leaving home due to the current weather conditions and to only travel if essential.

Devon main line reopened after flooding

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/64996000/jpg/_64996311_rail_281212_gsm_sd107_rushes.jpg)
Network Rail said its engineers "worked tirelessly through the Christmas holiday period" to repair the track after the flooding

The main railway line connecting the South West to the rest of England has reopened after closing for a week due to flooding. The line was blocked between Tiverton Parkway and Exeter St David's when the River Exe swamped Cowley Bridge Junction on Saturday. Passengers endured severe disruption as buses replaced trains.

Network Rail reopened the line on Friday afternoon after repairs and said a normal service would resume. The company said its engineers "worked tirelessly through the Christmas holiday period" to repair the track. Plastic dams protected signalling at Cowley Bridge where workers have been replacing ballast, which was washed away, from under the tracks.

Some branch line services in Devon and Cornwall are still closed.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: "We have learned some lessons from the flooding in November and done some things differently. There's nothing that we could do to prevent the River Exe bursting its banks and causing the track damage - but we have done some things proactively to minimise damage to the signalling."

In Devon, the Barnstaple to Exeter branch line remains closed.

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/64987000/jpg/_64987834_016798186_press_association.jpg)
The track was damaged following heavy rain

Ballast has been washed out in several locations and the line is not expected to open until after New Year's Day.

Network Rail said it did not have a date for the reopening of the Exeter to Exmouth branch line. It closed after parts of the line were flushed out by heavy rain at Lympstone.

In Cornwall the Liskeard to Looe branch line remains closed but is under repair and Network Rail said it hoped to reopen the line within the next few days.

Services between Par and Newquay are operating on a reduced timetable.

Update: Trainline between Exeter and Taunton reopens

The Exeter and Taunton line has now reopened and a normal service will now resume.

​Some long overdue good news came to South West train users on Thursday evening with the announcement that services between Exeter and Taunton will start running again at 12pm on Friday - 18 hours ahead of schedule. The service had been affected because the River Exe burst its banks and caused damage to the track.

Network Rail have said that the use of temporary dams (see video) are to thank for the quick recovery. A Network Rail spokesperson said: "We have learned some lessons from the flooding in November and done some things differently. There's nothing that we could do to prevent the River Exe bursting its banks and causing the track damage ^ but we have done some things proactively to minimise damage to the signalling.

"In November it took three or four days to fix the track where the ballast had washed away, but nearly three weeks to repair the damage to the signalling equipment. This time we used temporary dams to divert the flow of the water away from the lineside signaling equipment. This is the first time this technology has ever been used on the railway in Britain and it seems to have helped contain the damage well so far.

"We also removed some of the lineside signaling equipment such as the point operating equipment at Cowley Bridge Junction and stored it in a dry place so that it can be reinstalled undamaged after the water's gone down.

"We've also been working closely with the Met Office and the Environment Agency to keep up to date with the predicted river levels.

"A lot of network operations people have worked tirelessly through the Christmas holiday period when they hadn't planned to, restoring the railway as quickly as possible."

Services are now able to run to/from Exmouth. Delays of up to 15mins due to speed restrictions. This is due to earlier flooding.

17:55 London Paddington to Penzance due 23:14 This train will call additionally at Tiverton Parkway.
This is due to an unusually large passenger flow.

 :)

Lots of people drove up from Cornwall and Devon to Parkway while the trains were suspended, and now want to get back home?

Only thing amiss were the recorded announcements. They were struggling to keep up with the delays, cancellations and platform alterations. What would have been useful here were local announcements, ideally a system like that used on the Underground were platform staff use a microphone patched in direct to the PA. That way platform staff would have been able to shout the necessary "Please allow people to disembark before attempting to board", "Please stand back", "Please keep access to the stairways clear" and so on. All of those announcements were needed.

More Dorset and Devon landslips amid further rain

Coastguards have been dealing with a number of landslips and mudslides in Dorset and Devon as more rain falls across the region.

In Lyme Regis, a beach chalet has been left dangling over the edge of a cliff following land movement.

Parts of the beach in Charmouth has seen cliff falls and mudslides while a section of coastal path in Portland is "particularly vulnerable".

Cliffs in Swanage are continuing to move, putting beach huts at risk.

Warning signs were put in place in the town after two landslips just over a week ago.

Simon Dennis, from Portland Coastguard, said: "The current weather means water is draining from land very rapidly, causing a layer to form in cracks on cliffs. Large sections of our coast are now very vulnerable to movement, and even in drier weather, any sharp frost would bring expansion behind sections of cliff causing further falls. Areas of mudslide are prone to drying out and forming a crust. Although these may look solid, they will not support a person's weight."

Charlotte Blackman, 22, from Heanor, Derbyshire, died on 24 July after the 160ft (49m) high cliff above her collapsed on to Hive Beach near Burton Bradstock.

Five people escaped unhurt after a landslide on 8 August between Charmouth and Golden Cap.

Met Office: More heavy rain and wind expected

A warning of heavy rain and strong winds overnight for Devon and Cornwall has been issued.

The Met Office has released a yellow warning, indicating there could be flooding and disruption in some areas. It said the most persistent heavy rain was likely to affect areas of high ground in western parts exposed to the very strong south-westerly winds.

The Environment Agency has 17 flood warnings in place across the two counties. The flood warning on the River Cober in Helston, Cornwall, has been in place since Christmas Eve.

On Saturday four new flood warnings were issued for Devon by the Environment Agency. It said flooding was expected around the River Teign between Chudleigh and Kingsteignton. The agency has also issued warnings for the River Dart from Buckfastleigh to Totnes and the River Torridge from Dolton to Bideford.

Branch line problems

A warning has been issued for the River Yarty from Yarcombe to Axminster, including Long Bridge, Case Bridge, Beckford Bridge and Yarty Bridge.

In Devon, the Barnstaple to Exeter branch line remains closed. It is not expected to reopen until after New Year's Day.

Network Rail said it did not have a date for the reopening of the Exeter to Exmouth branch line. It closed after parts of the line were flushed out by heavy rain at Lympstone.

In Cornwall, the Liskeard to Looe branch line remains closed but is under repair and Network Rail said it hoped to reopen the line within the next few days.

Services between Par and Newquay are operating on a reduced timetable.

Line problem: between Topsham and Exmouth.

Owing to flooding earlier between Topsham and Exmouth trains have to run at reduced speed on all lines.

Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 15 mins or revised at short notice. Disruption is expected until 09:00 03/01.

Message Received: 30/12/2012 17:49

Line problem: between Swindon and Bristol Parkway.
Owing to a landslip between Swindon and Bristol Parkway, Bristol bound lines are blocked.
Train services running through these stations may be delayed by up to 35 mins at short notice. An estimate for the resumption of normal services will be provided as soon as the problem has been fully assessed.
South Wales bound trains will run on the other line between Swindon and Bristol Parkway or may divert via an alternative route with an extended journey time.
Message Received: 31/12/2012 13:28

Line problem: between Topsham and Exmouth.
Owing to flooding earlier between Topsham and Exmouth trains have to run at reduced speed on all lines.
Train services running through these stations are returning to normal but some services may still be delayed by up to 5 mins at short notice. Disruption is expected until 09:00 03/01.
Train services will continue to run at reduced speed over a bridge which suffered some damage during the recent flooding. However, the schedules for services on that line are such that they are resulting in only a very few minor delays.
Message Received: 31/12/2012 13:48

Only thing amiss were the recorded announcements. They were struggling to keep up with the delays, cancellations and platform alterations. What would have been useful here were local announcements, ideally a system like that used on the Underground were platform staff use a microphone patched in direct to the PA. That way platform staff would have been able to shout the necessary "Please allow people to disembark before attempting to board", "Please stand back", "Please keep access to the stairways clear" and so on. All of those announcements were needed.

Rail track bosses have vowed to shore up the Westcountry's flood-hit lines after coming under pressure from Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin.

The pledge emerged after Network Rail, in charge of tracks and signals, published a ^5 billion investment plan for western Britain's infrastructure that offered few direct improvements in the peninsula ^ despite an explosion in rail travel in the region.
​
Heavy rain battered the region last year, with the main line at Cowley Bridge, near Exeter, failing three times ^ leaving the region marooned by rail.

Network Rail's 2014 to 2019 plan for the Western Route ^ a vast swathe of the country covering London to Oxford and Worcester and down to Bristol, Exeter and Penzance ^ offered little hope of immediate improvements to vulnerable stretches of line.

Instead, huge sums are being pumped into running more reliable electric trains ^ though they will go no further west than Bristol.

But it emerged last night Network Rail has been ordered by the Department for Transport to review 40 vulnerable sites on the route that cost up to ^20 million of emergency funding to repair.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Norman Baker, visiting Exeter yesterday, promised to put "urgent pressure" on Network Rail to make long-term improvements at Cowley Bridge. Chris Aldridge, Network Rail's principal strategic planner on the Western Route, told the Western Morning News: "We are drawing up a plan to help to combat these types of events in the future because they will happen more and more."

Exeter Labour MP Ben Bradshaw said: "Given Devon and Cornwall have been cut off from the rest of the country for between a week and ten days twice in the space of a month recently, it is imperative that action is taken to address the flooding problem at Cowley Bridge."

Yesterday, South West Devon Tory MP Gary Streeter held talks at Westminster with Mr McLoughlin on the "unacceptable disconnection between Devon and Cornwall and the rest of the country".

He went on: "The minister has already held talks with Network Rail to ensure that rapid infrastructure solutions are found to better defend the vital rail link against future flooding events."

The five-year Western Route plan referenced Devon County Council's proposals for a "Devon Metro" ^ though rail officials said the plans remain council "aspirations" rather than firm commitments.

They include re-establishment of the Exeter to Okehampton service and reinstating the link between Tavistock and Bere Alston. Cornwall Council's proposed extension of the St Ives service to Penzance and additional Looe Valley line services are also on the radar.

Devon County Council's Conservative leader John Hart said: "I am delighted to see these proposals within the Network Rail plans."

Network Rail said passengers in the Westcountry would get improved journey times from easing the Reading bottleneck and electrification.

Patrick Hallgate, Network Rail route managing director, said: "This programme of investment will deliver the biggest investment in the Great Western main line since it was built 175 years ago."

Cornwall B&B owner calls on First Great Western to pay for ad campaign

A Cornish bed and breakfast owner is calling on First Great Western to fund a marketing campaign for the Westcountry as compensation for "closing down" the peninsula.

When a landslide as a result of severe flooding closed the rail line between Exeter and Tiverton for five days last month, train operator First Great Western advised passengers not to travel by rail to Devon and Cornwall.

(http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/images/localpeople/ugc-images/275779/Article/images/17798765/4457491.jpg)
Sarah Horne of Roscrea B&B Bodmin

Sarah Horne, who has run the Roscrea B&B, in Bodmin, for the last eight years, lost a booking over Christmas as a result. Bookings for January and beyond are down on what she would expect. She blames it on FGW's "don't travel" message.

"I have lost out and so have quite a few other places," she complained. "How many people were there who didn't come down because they'd had the frighteners put on them? It seemed like they closed Cornwall down."

Miss Horne is now calling on FGW to fund a marketing campaign to promote the Westcountry to restore its reputation in the minds of visitors.

"The First Great Western website was just saying 'don't go'. That message is going to stick in people's heads and people do think about booking a holiday at this time of year," she said.

It comes as the region's business and political leaders continue to lobby for infrastructure investment to ensure that rail routes remain open in event of extreme weather.

Malcolm Bell, head of Visit Cornwall, said he would be adding Miss Horne's concerns to evidence being collated by the authorities to maintain this lobbying drive. He said he understood why FGW had advised people not to travel by rail ^ but he warned this could impact on tourism well into 2013.

"If consumers feel that transport links are unreliable it can make a difference about whether they decide to go. People can easily go to somewhere like Suffolk of the Cotswolds instead of Cornwall and the rest of the South West," he said.

But with no mention of upgrades to the flood-hit Cowley Bridge junction in Network Rail's Strategic Business Plan for 2014-19, which was released yesterday, Mr Bell acknowledged that such investment could be a long way off.

"We need to know that plans are in place. These things do take time but it's all about taking a step in the right direction. It may take time but if people know that things will be resolved they are willing to put up with them for a while," he added.

Tim Jones, chairman of the Devon and Somerset Local Enterprise Partnership, called on Network Rail to set out plans to protect the rail line from future extreme weather events. "We want to see a very clear plan for long-term resilience on the network. We have been seriously compromised on rail travel and we want to see long-term protection for Cowley Bridge," he said.

James Davis, a spokesman for FGW, said: "The closure of Cowley Bridge by Network Rail meant that we could not run train services into and out of the county and poor road conditions meant that we couldn't guarantee our customers would be able to complete their journeys by road. The right thing to do for our customers in these circumstances was to advise them not to travel unless absolutely necessary.

"We will continue to work with Devon and Cornwall tourism boards to promote the South West as a destination."

A STRETCH of railway line through Tiverton is set for improvements as part of a project to sort out problem hotspots across the country.

Network Rail are looking at 40 sites in the South-West affected by the heavy rainfall in the past two months, which they say cost between ^10m to ^20m of emergency unbudgeted funding to put right.

A spokesman said: ^Whilst some schemes require improvements to drainage provision, sites such as the Cowley Bridge Junction will require a holistic view in conjunction with the Environment Agency to make sure we implement a fit-for-purpose solution.


^We are looking to raise the signalling equipment off the ground throughout to add robustness in the short term. We have also added boulders on the embankment to add some protection from washouts.

^Recent weather events related to extremely severe flooding in the South West are not specifically highlighted so we are looking at a separate exercise to review our response to the flooding.

^There are two dimensions to this. Firstly, in terms of asset resilience, we are reviewing all the areas we had problems with in November and December to see what we can do to restore services quicker in reaction to flooding.^

As part of wider meetings, Network Rail are holding a Devon stakeholder review in February to look at how to combat flooding on the tracks.

Network Rail^s strategic business plan for Wessex, which covers the route through Tiverton, has been submitted to the Office of Rail Regulation.

In April 2004, South West Trains ran 43,600 trains over four weeks but in April 2012, the total number of trains had risen to 45,646 trains all of Network Rail say has put added pressure on the infrastructure.

The spokesman added: ^To address this continuing increase in train movements, ^1.025billion will be spent on the infrastructure across the south and south west of England between 2014 and 2019 to make it more reliable and able to cope with the continued increase in use.^

In April 2004, South West Trains ran 43,600 trains over four weeks but in April 2012, the total number of trains had risen to 45,646 trains all of Network Rail say has put added pressure on the infrastructure.

Translation please.

.....so a bit of chilly weather and a small amount of snow is forecast....any thoughts on how long it'll take before everything grinds to a halt as usual?

 Southern Railway already getting their retaliation/excuses in first on the News tonight; "its up to Network Rail to keep the tracks free of snow and ice"

Translation please.

Having the entire county cut off every time it rains is not good.

Two Counties.  Cornwall is just as cut off from the rest of the country.

Ta

Two Counties.  Cornwall is just as cut off from the rest of the country.

Ta

The siting of electrical substations also seems to neglect nature with HV gear being sited at ground level barely a metre above nearby water courses. Reading district nearly lost power over the holiday because the site at Pingewood (alongside the railway, approx 38m60c) was threatened, only Corporation sandbags and two fire engines saving the day. The three sites at Gloucester were threatened last time, one being a 400kV supergrid station, only the crew of HMS Ocean coming to the rescue.

Are concrete plinths that expensive?


OTC

We could go way off topic here by opening a debate over whether Cornwall is a County or a Duchy - so I won't.  :P ::) ;D

The loyal toast: "The Queen our Duke"

OTC

Cowley Bridge flooding 'can not be stopped' but 'services can be recovered much quicker' says Network Rail boss

Network Rail bosses have said they can not stop the Cowley Bridge line flooding but can work on the recovery time of services once floods have subsided.

A transport conference was held at the County Hall today to discuss the measures, which include making changes to culverts and drainage systems, and raising signalling equipment off the ground so that it's not affected by flood water.


Track owner Network Rail said it planned to improve line resilience to allow flooding to be cleared and services resume as quickly as possible.

Mike Gallop, from Network Rail, said: "The flooding was a very serious event which caused a significant disruption to the travelling public. What we are looking at how is how we can improve network resilience between Taunton and Cowley Bridge. That's not prevention - we do not believe we can stop it flooding. Our proposition is that, once floods have subsided, we can start to recover services much quicker and more effectively than we did at Christmas. We're looking at improving tracks, improving embankments, and improving their draining. We're also looking at making the signalling system more robust by raising it, so it doesn't get damaged by water."

Campaign group Rail Future had suggested culverts at the bridge being increased to stop flooding of the line.

Network Rail said it was working with the Environment Agency and the government on the situation and a report would give its findings at the end of March.

Disruptions caused by extreme weather to the region's road and rail network are said to have cost Westcountry businesses ^167 million.

A full report on improvement proposals is due at the end of March.

There will be a public exhibition in Exeter's Guildhall shopping centre this week of plans to reduce the city's flood risk. Organised by the Environment Agency, Exeter City Council and Devon County Council, the exhibition will be held on Friday, March 22, from 10am to 6pm, and Saturday, March 23, from 10am to noon.

The chairman of rail firm First Great Western's advisory board has made a dramatic call for the Government to fix the region's fragile mainline that has failed repeatedly because of flooding.

Charles Howeson, a prominent Westcountry businessman, says short-term measures would be "inappropriate" and the Department for Transport should instead commit to large-scale improvements.

Heavy rain battered the region last year, with the London-to-Penzance Great Western line at Cowley Bridge, near Exeter, failing three times ^ leaving the region marooned by rail.

The resilience of the rail network, which has come under pressure following more rain in recent weeks, is now seen as even more important following the loss of Plymouth's air link, and the region having just one fully dualled road into the far South West despite long-standing calls for improvements.
 
In an open letter to ministers, Mr Howeson, chairman of First Great Western's stakeholder advisory board, argues weather that has "cut off the far South West from the national railway network" is having "a seriously detrimental economic impact in addition to the inconvenience caused to leisure travellers".
He added the closures "reinforce the perception of the region's remoteness from key business markets".

Mr Howeson writes: "In the context of unstable climate, severe weather events are evidently becoming more frequent, and it is clear that measures need to be taken to ensure the long-term resilience of the far South West's rail network. We are keen to ensure that such measures will be effective, while recognising the need to pursue solutions that are proportionate and affordable."

But he argues Network Rail, the state quango which runs the track, must look beyond improvements to Cowley Bridge.
Mr Howeson writes: "Cowley Bridge junction is only one of a series of vulnerable points in the same river catchment along the railway from Taunton to Exeter."

He adds: "There is no point in spending very large amounts of money at Cowley Bridge junction alone if flooding capable of causing severe service disruption is still likely to occur further up the line."
He calls for a "more strategic review of options", arguing "short-term fixes, or very long term solutions that address just one element of the problem, are both inappropriate".

"What must not be ignored here is the need to secure and future-proof the resilience of the railway network across and for the region, measures which will become ever more important if severe weather events continue to take place as frequently as they have been of late," Mr Howeson concludes.

Nick Buckland, businessman and former deputy chairman of the now abolished South West Regional Development Agency, also serves on the board.
"The problem is, there is a perception that the whole of the South West is cut off," he said, arguing that it discourages holidaymakers and businesses investing in the area. "That is not entirely true but that is the impression that it gives." He added: "The responsibility is split between Network Rail and the Environment Agency ^ and there is a bit of a demarcation dispute as to what you can do.
"What we would like is Government to cut through the nonsense."

Earlier this year, Patrick McLoughlin, the Transport Secretary, conceded it is "unacceptable" the Westcountry's mainline was cut off from the rest of the country as a result of flooding, and has held crisis meetings between Network Rail and the region's MPs.

Network Rail has been ordered by the Department for Transport to review 40 vulnerable sites on the route.

Letter from the chairman...
To: The Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP, Secretary of State for the Environment
The Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP, Secretary of State for Transport
The Rt Hon Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills
Richard Benyon MP, Minister, for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Simon Burns MP, Minister, Department for Transport
Mark Prisk MP, Minister, Business, Innovation & Skills.

I must emphasise that this letter is NOT written by or on behalf of the train operating company, which in the normal course it is our task to hold to account. We have instead had board level discussions with Network Rail directly about the recent severe weather-related disruptions to rail services in the South West because of our serious concerns about their affect on the wider economy of the far South West. This has covered the flooding and other events across the Western Region that followed exceptionally heavy rain in November and December 2012. Of particular significance for rail services to the far South West were floods east of Exeter and a landslip between Teignmouth and Dawlish.

THE CHALLENGE

Disruptive weather events are of great concern because they cut off the far South West from the national railway network and have been shown to have a seriously detrimental economic impact in addition to the inconvenience caused to leisure travellers. They also serve to reinforce the perception of the region^s remoteness from key business markets just as LEPs and local government are pursuing the reverse.

In the context of unstable climate, severe weather events are evidently becoming more frequent, and it is clear that measures need to be taken to ensure the long term resilience of the far South West^s rail network. We are keen to ensure that such measures will be effective, while recognising the need to pursue solutions that are proportionate and affordable.

With media and public focus on Cowley Bridge Junction it is understandable that most attention has been paid to measures aimed at preventing flooding at this location. This junction is not only significant in relation to flooding of the railway, it is also central to the Environment Agency^s plans to protect the city of Exeter from inundation. However, Cowley Bridge Junction is only one of a series of vulnerable points in the same river catchment along the railway from Taunton to Exeter. The others are Whiteball Tunnel, Hele and Bradninch and Stafford^s Bridge and when Cowley Bridge Junction floods, at least one of these other sites is likely to flood to the point that trains would be unable to pass.

In this context we believe that the current region-wide pressure to find a medium-term solution only at Cowley Bridge Junction should instead be focused on examining options actually capable of addressing the issue in the long term. There is no point in spending very large amounts of money at Cowley Bridge Junction alone if flooding capable of causing severe service disruption is still likely to occur further up the line...
Discussions about solutions and funding need to be more genuinely multi-agency and take into account the numerous and potentially conflicting obligations and perspectives of the parties involved. For example, the Environment Agency is concerned with protecting against the flooding of people^s houses while Network Rail^s role is to keep trains running. Today the two objectives are simply not complementing each other in terms of proposed solutions.

Both organisations thus have an interest in improving the situation at Cowley Bridge Junction but their proposed actions are very different. The Environment Agency^s unilateral announcement about its plans for the protection of Exeter from further flooding without reaching an agreement with NR is clearly less than helpful in this regard.

CONCLUSION

It is very clear to us that a more strategic review of options is now required and all involved stakeholders will need to think more creatively about effective area based actions reflecting the strategic regional interests. Short term fixes, or very long term solutions that address just one element of the problem are both inappropriate. What must not be ignored here is the need to secure and futureproof the resilience of the railway network across and for the region, measures which will become ever more important if severe weather events continue to take place as frequently as they have been of late.

ACTIONS REQUIRED

We thus now urge much more effective stakeholder partnership working with immediate effect. We see no alternative to this taking place at all levels, involving local representation and action, as well as that by Network Rail and the Environment Agency.

The existing progress made since Christmas is not satisfactory in our view. Instead we now request a joint (Defra/DfT) Ministerial examination of the situation above the level of Network Rail and the Environment Agency (who are clearly NOT able to reach agreement, even at national level) with the remit being to:

• Identify a clear sustainable long-term area-based solution,
• Identify responsibility for funding it and leading it, and then
• Establish the timescale for its delivery, all within an urgent timescale.

Yours sincerely
Charles Howeson
Chairman
The FGW Trains Advisory Board

I noticed the other day, when it was pointed out to me...

'Twas I that did the pointing out.  :P ;) ;D

It was...but then I know which order the stations are on the Berks & Hants!  ;D

So do I when I haven't partaken of the fine wines available on the up Pullman!  :P

I think you are right, swrural. Having two entire counties severed from the network for as long as they were is not good.

Chris, I had no idea that TSM was a railway abb.

I didn't realise it was either, hence why I was slightly confused when reading your post :P

SWT and Network Rail are in what's laughingly called a 'Deep Alliance' which despite Devon County Council spent lots of my money paying Network Rail to install a dynamic loop at Axminster (making two trains per hour a workable proposition) FGW services are seeningly not permitted to run up the SR while the SWT hourly service is operating.

Our ref:1721365

30 January 2013 

Dear XXXX XXXX

Thank you for your email of 24 December 2012.

Please find below a response from our Train planning manager.

Basically it allows for one additional train per hour in one direction only. This is what happens when we have First Great Western diversions via this route, although it does require the SWT services to be retimed quite considerably.

A further loop would be required to be installed for an additional hourly service in each direction.

Kind Regards
XXXXXX
Customer Relations Officer

... three trains every two hours would certainly be possible, allowing a two hourly FGW service to divert via Honiton.

Chris, I had no idea that TSM was a railway abb...

Is a 'Track Section Manager' what I would call a ganger, or is he /she a PWI (permanent way inspector)?

Is he / she one of the two functions I suggested?  Which one?

All very impressive but what is a TSM?   ??? ;D

Network Rail South West flooding compensation cost revealed

By Chris Ellis
BBC News Online, South West

Railway line flooding - described as the worst in a decade - on the south-west of England's rail network has resulted in about ^12.5m in compensation being paid. The payments, from Network Rail, were made to train and freight operators because services could not run due to the damage caused to the lines.

The mainline near Exeter was closed for 11 days in November and December. Network Rail said the amount reflected the "significant disruption" caused.

"It's a significant amount of money and one that's been unprecedented in the last 10 years in the South West," said Mike Gallop, Network Rail's director of route asset management in the West.

As well as the mainline at Cowley Bridge, near Exeter, being affected by floods, many of the region's branch lines - including those extending to Looe and Newquay in Cornwall, and Barnstaple and Exmouth in Devon - were also damaged.

Mr Gallop said: "The Barnstaple branch line suffered significant problems with washouts of track. It took much longer to get back into service than the mainline between Exeter and Bristol. We also suffered severe flooding on the Looe branch line."

He said there were still problems with the stability of the cliffs in Teignmouth, in south Devon, which were being addressed.

'More resilient'

"In terms of the cost of putting things right, we're looking at something in the order of ^10-15m in the South West," he said. "It was the wettest summer in 100 years followed by a very, very wet autumn and winter, which led to the problems towards the end of 2012."

The compensation has been paid to operators including First Great Western and CrossCountry.

Mr Gallop said his company was looking at how it could make the railway network "more resilient to flooding".

"Network Rail is looking to make sure the tracks and electronics we have in the signalling systems are able to withstand the floodwater, so, when it recedes, we can start running trains much quicker than we did last time."

The company is also facing a compensation claim from the Cowley Bridge Inn, which is next to the railway line near Exeter and was flooded.


Inn manager Peter Lavers-Mason said plastic dams or booms, used by Network Rail in a bid to protect signalling, caused the pub to flood by an extra 6-8in (15-20cm).

"The natural flow was impeded so it [the water] was backing up. It got into our electrics, all the cooker systems. We raised our fridges off the ground after the previous floods, but, because more came in, all our new fridges were totally ruined."

Mr Lavers-Mason said the water level was 3ft (90cm) deep at its peak.

Almost six months on, the inn is still clearing up after three floods which affected the pub.


Mr Lavers-Mason said so far ^35,000 had been spent on repairs, although staff had managed to reopen the inn.

He said he contacted Network Rail about the flooding and received a letter from the company saying its claim handlers were investigating the case.

Mr Gallop said: "We have a well-established procedure for dealing with claims against Network Rail and that matter will be dealt with by our insurers as any other company would."

Mr Lavers-Mason said: "If it did flood again, there's a good chance the pub would be sold on for other uses."

Just out of interest, is the Chris Ellis who wrote the above piece any relation?

Network Rail spends ^5m 'to protect' lines in 'extreme' weather


Network Rail has spent ^5m in a bid to protect Devon's railway lines from being affected by "extreme weather" after a washout last year.

The work includes installing nets to cliffs to prevent rock falls and buying inflatable dams in a bid to protect signalling cables and tracks.

Network Rail said they would "help boost the resilience of the railway".

The mainline near Exeter was closed for 11 days in November and December 2012 because of flooding.

'Hugely destructive'

Network Rail said the dams, which are made of synthetic fabric, would "help divert water away from the railway track and speed up the recovery process".

The netting has been attached to cliffs at Teignmouth after a number of landslides and rock falls last year.

Mike Gallop, the organisation's route asset management director, said: "Extreme weather has had a hugely disruptive impact on the railway.

"We are also taking a long-term approach to prepare us for the changing weather and climate over the next 70 to 80 years."

"As part of this process, we are developing a high-level strategy that includes a ^31m intervention plan targeting high risk flood sites such as Cowley Junction."

Last winter, the junction near Exeter, was submerged, causing several days of train delays and cancellations.

Mr Gallop added that the long-term plans, subject to government approval, included lifting track, upgrading culverts, and strengthening earthworks.

Line Update
Cancellations to services between Newton Abbot and Paignton
Owing to flooding between Newton Abbot and Paignton all lines are affected.
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled at short notice. An estimate for the resumption of normal services will be provided as soon as the problem has been fully assessed.
Stagecoach South West Bus 12 Newton Abbot - Torre - Torquay - Paignton (Bus Station) services are conveying passengers via any reasonable route until further notice.
An update will follow within the next 1 hour.
Customers are advised that road transport has been sourced to cover stations between Newton Abbot and Paignton. But due to limited service and possible poor road conditions it is not possible to run to train times. This will be in place for most of the day due to the weather conditions.
For the latest rail travel news, why not follow us on Twitter @FGW.
Message Received: 21/12/2013 10:56

12:20pm Reports of flooding at Melksham.

Swindon to Westbury services to be diverted via Bath, not calling at Melksham.