Great Western Coffee Shop

Network Rail and SWT have officially announced the start and schedule for the planned work to increase capacity at Waterloo. They have headlined it as costing ^800 million, which sounds a lot for stretching platforms 1-4 a bit and reopening 21-24. I'm sure they are counting the Class 707 order in that, and probably other things too. I'm also a bit puzzled why it would take nearly two years (ending December 2018) to make Waterloo International operation again, unless they are going to do a lot to the track.

I heard this is causing problems for GWR as a planned diversion into Waterloo might not be able to happen.  Last I heard was a rumour they were investigating the possibility of HST's into Victoria!

The BBC's report (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-35882068) in this case confuses things somewhat - I can't see platforms 1-4 serving Reading! But NR's statement (http://www.networkrail.co.uk/news/2016/mar/investment-over-%C2%A3800m-Waterloo-upgrade/)...

Council approves plans to convert Grimshaw's former Eurostar terminal into shops
2 November, 2016 By Colin Marrs

Corstorphine + Wright has won permission to transform part of the former Eurostar terminal at Waterloo into shops, restaurants, cafés and bars – after Historic England declined to consider the Grimshaw structure for listing

London Borough of Lambeth’s planning committee last night (1 November) gave the thumbs-up to the new scheme to overhaul the former international departures and arrivals lounges, creating 12,444m² of new facilities.

Work has already started on revamping the five platforms within the disused station - the landmark building with its lattice-work arches which sits above the proposed shopping and leisure complex - to increase the number of domestic train services into Waterloo.

In May the 20th Century Society applied for the entire structure to be Grade II listed, but this option has been rejected by Historic England.
...

It was announced at the beginning of July that platform 10 will be closed as well as 1-9. Supposedly this is to make sure the work can be finished in the time allowed. So, whatever you had been expecting, expect worse!

Another news item is that for the last (short Tue-Fri) working week of August, while London Bridge area is closed, Southeastern are running a 2 tph Ramsgate service into P21/22.

Most of the material produced on this upgrade (both material and immaterial) has the logos of NR, SWT, and "funded by UK government". However, NR's animated video showing what they are doing (on SWT's upgrade site) ends with "in partnership with" LCR as well as the other two. Do they still have some form of ownership of the erstwhile international terminal?

That looks like some evidence of their having been two issues (as was reported on SWT's website yesterday morning), perhaps the points giving access to P13 from the P14 approach track are a separate fault?  P13 is now showing NOGO on the opentraintimes map, and as you say P11 and P12 are seeing normal movements via yesterdays main incident site.

http://www.opentraintimes.com/maps/signalling/wat

Paul

Slightly sad that the last days of the SWT franchise will be remembered for the blockade at Waterloo that will benefit the new franchise and not all the many good things that SWT have achieved over the years. Not saying they were perfect but it has been one of the better franchises.

I'm guessing you're not a member of the South Hampshire Rail User Group then?   ;)

First Group must be relieved it didn't happen just after they'd taken over, as that would no doubt have been a difficult start from which to recover.

I'm guessing you're not a member of the South Hampshire Rail User Group then?   ;)

I guess SHRUG will be wound down now, because he's been pushing the line that everything that ever goes wrong is down to SWT for years now. 

(I always assume there are very few members of SHRUG - and they don't deserve the coverage  they get.)

Obviously everything will be perfect again from Sunday, just like it was under BR...

Now that they are into the final phases of work the barrier train seems to be long gone, I think it went around 0230 Thursday.   There's now much less activity than before, haven't seen much in the way of yellow plant either.

I expect most of the interlocking testing is done in lineside locations, is there ever a stage when they actually get a handful of real trains out and test all the moves?

Paul

Presumably one of the major aspects is the Wimbledon panel changes, because that is very much a hardware panel as opposed to a display?

....and of course there is the traction conductor rail to test for gapping etc.  Calling ET  ;)

The Industrial Action involving platforms 7 & 8 at Waterloo discussed upstream has been suspended for 8 weeks to allow NR to plan an engineering solution to the signalling issues raised. For the 8 weeks trains over 8 cars require an additional person holding driver competancy to assist with signal sighting during dispatch when leaving platforms 7 or 8.

Gauging is done by measurement, a hand trolley is initially used which has GPS and laser alinement instruments also the tamper will give accurate positioning and finally any pinch points can be checked by hand

Or, have they come over all up-to-date, with gauging done in the CAD/CAE and the track measured to check whether as built=as drawn? Though that's not a huge difference, in practice, but I'm sure that will have been done to the platforms and any other structures.

South Western Railway Alert Service <noreply@nexusalpha.com>
17:51 (1 hour ago)

 to me
Dear Customer,

A further five platforms at London Waterloo had to be closed from 16:00 this afternoon to help support the ongoing engineering works, resulting in platforms 1 -19 being closed.
Train services running across the whole South Western Railway network may be delayed or revised. We are anticipating disruption until the end of the day.

What We're Doing About It

Services from Exeter St. Davids will terminate at Basingtoke.You should change at Basingstoke to the next available London Waterloo bound service to continue your journey.

Services to Exeter St. Davids will commence from Basingstoke.You should travel on a Basingstoke, Bournemouth, Southampton Central or Weymouth bound service and change at Basingstoke.

Services to and from Guildford via Epsom will be suspended. You may use Southern services to and from London Victoria via Clapham Junction.

How We're Helping You Complete Your Journey

You may use your rail ticket on:

- Southern services via any reasonable route.
- Thameslink services via any reasonable route.
- Great Western Railway services via any reasonable route.
- Cross Country services between Bournemouth and Reading via Basingstoke.
- London Underground services via any reasonable route.
- TFL buses across the South Western Railway network.

Replacement buses will be in operation between Guildford and Leatherhead in both directions, operating every half hour, commencing from Guildford at approximately 18:00 and Leatherhead at approximately 18:30.

We are in the process of organising supplemental road transport. More details will be provided as soon as they have been confirmed.

The reduction in services will mean that trains will be much busier than normal. We strongly recommend you allow extra time to travel and check your journey before setting off by using http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/.

We apologise for the disruption to your journey today.

Thank you,
South Western Railway

Further Problems today some lines blocked.

Not a good start for South Western Railways

Yes, I heard that on the news this morning. However, having run through the arrivals into Waterloo up to 9:00 I can only see one that's over 10 minutes late, and that was less than 20 minutes lost around Raynes Park. So was there a problem with the signals - or someone in BBC local news having a problem with telling today's reports from yesterday's?

Alterations to services due to additional late night engineering works at London Waterloo

We have been advised that access is required at  London Waterloo station from 22:45 to work on signalling equipment, this access will limit the number of platforms trains can use.

Seven trains will be altered this evening and advertised trains may leave London Waterloo from different platforms.

The following services have been amended:

·        21:33 London Waterloo via Twickenham train will terminate at Raynes Park
·        21:46 Guildford to London Waterloo train will terminate at Wimbledon
·        22:07 Guildford to London Waterloo train will terminate at Wimbledon
·        22:57 London Waterloo via Twickenham train will start at Raynes Park
·        22:15 Alton to London Waterloo train will terminate at Surbiton
·        23:03 London Waterloo to Guildford train will start at Wimbledon
·        23:48 London Waterloo to Basingstoke train will start at Surbiton

If you are travelling from London Waterloo station later tonight, you are advised to check your journey before travelling.

If you have advanced booked tickets for these trains, you will be able to travel on alternative trains.

Incident created
    31/08/2017 18:49
Last updated
    31/08/2017 19:31
Route affected
      Between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour / Alton / Guildford / Epsom / Woking / Reading / Weymouth / Poole
TOC(s) affected
    South Western Railway; 
Description
    Following a track circuit failure at London Waterloo all lines have now reopened.
    What's Going On:
    Train services running to and from this station may be delayed by up to 20 minutes. Disruption is expected until 21:00.
    What South Western Railway Are Doing About It:
    The signalling problem at London Waterloo has been temporarily fixed to allow trains to run on all lines. Engineers will be applying a permanent fix later today.
    South Western Railway may need to alter some trains but it will now have a minimal affect on the wider service.

There were also cancellations announced by SWR to SE services, which sounds odd. They are borrowing a platform (21, currently) for a week, accessed via the Nine Elms Flyover, or in other words by playing at being Eurostars.

P21 and P22 was planned for SE.  I think what has been happening is that if disruption to the wider SWR service is forecast, then they are being pre-emptively diverted to Blackfriars. Lose access to a main line (whether DMF, UMF, UMR) in the station throat and the knock on effects ripple across the other 5 lines.

The fact that Blackfriars appears to have spare capacity to take that 2 tph service anyway is intriguing, it is as if the four days planned at Waterloo was only being done to create a precedent for future use?

There seems to be a greater emphasis on normal "run of the mill" random faults at the moment.   AIUI no recent modifications were made to the platform lines on the Windsor side and in the middle of the array of platforms used by main fast trains.  It stands to reason that there will be a minor fault every few days or weeks, it has always been so.

Paul

As you say, they don't really need 23-24 yet, and would probably cost money to staff, clean and maintain those pair of platforms, probably easier to keep it under wraps until they plan on properly using them.