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Title: Major alterations to services, 16-17 Sep and Sunday Mornings September-November Post by: Adelante_CCT on July 07, 2017, 21:16:18 Due to the switching on and testing of the juice in the Reading area, services to/from Paddington will be heavily altered with a limited service running through Reading up until 14:00 on the Saturday, and no services (Reigate/Waterloo excepted) will run from 14:00 on the Saturday nor all day Sunday.
Sep 16/17th (https://www.gwr.com/travel-updates/planned-engineering/reading2017) Quote Electrification work in the Reading area Saturday 16 – Sunday 17 September New GWR electric trains will be running through Reading soon. To prepare for this, Network Rail need to test the overhead wires in the area. This will have an impact on all Thames Valley and High Speed Services. Plan your journey here Saturday 0800 - 1400 Bristol Temple Meads - Bath Spa - Reading - Paddington; hourly, adding up to 15 minutes to the overall journey Swansea - Neath - Port Talbot Parkway - Bridgend - Cardiff Central - Newport - Bristol Parkway - Swindon - Chippenham - Reading; hourly, adding up to 60 minutes to the overall journey Bristol Temple Meads - Bath Spa - Chippenham - Swindon - Didcot Parkway; hourly Swindon - Cheltenham Spa; amended service Didcot Parkway - Radley - Oxford - stations to Worcester/Great Malvern /Hereford; hourly, with some services calling at Appleford or Culham Didcot Parkway - Cholsey - Goring & Streatley - Pangbourne - Tilehurst - Reading; replacement buses will run on this route After 1400 Saturday, and all day Sunday Penzance/Plymouth - Exeter St Davids - Bristol Temple Meads - Swindon - London Paddington; hourly, adding up to 70 minutes to the overall journey Swansea - Neath - Port Talbot Parkway - Bridgend - Cardiff Central - Newport - Bristol Parkway – Bath Spa – Chippenham - Swindon - London Paddington; hourly and diverted, adding up to 100 minutes to the overall journey from South Wales to London. Bristol Temple Meads - Bath Spa - Chippenham - Swindon - Didcot Parkway; hourly Swindon - Cheltenham Spa; amended service Didcot Parkway - Radley - Oxford - stations to Worcester/Great Malvern /Hereford; hourly, with some services calling at Appleford or Culham Theale to Bedwyn, calling all stations; hourly Theale - Newbury - Pewsey - Westbury - Castle Cary - Taunton/Exeter St Davids; every two hours Replacement buses will run on the following routes: Didcot Parkway - Cholsey - Goring & Streatley - Pangbourne - Tilehurst - Reading Maidenhead - Twyford - Reading - Reading West - Theale Reading - Reading West - Mortimer - Bramley - Basingstoke Maidenhead - Twyford - Reading - Didcot Parkway Reading - Swindon Hourly services to/from Devon/Cornwall via Bristol and to/from Swansea will run via Didcot West Curve, Islip, Wycombe, and inward to Paddington via Royal Oak, outwards via Drayton Green, with the Greenford shuttle becoming hourly. The HSTs appear to be stopping at Oxford for crew change purposes only and not for passenger use. Passengers for Oxford to use Chiltern via Marylebone. Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: ChrisB on July 08, 2017, 05:50:27 Presumably stopping at OXF to collect pilot with route knowledge.
Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: Electric train on July 08, 2017, 09:11:29 This not just a simple as switching on the juice.
The feeder station at Didcot and its associated sites for the "Test Track" to Tilehurst were set up in the SCADA for a that purpose to allow the full livening up to Maidenhead MPATS (mid point) the SCADA needs a new set of data up loading this has to be functionally proved. On top of that Reading area is a complex area to section prove, they may also be the need to run test trains to check immunisation especially on the adjacent DC railway signalling and coms. This will unlock the planned through electric services to Didcot in Jan 18 Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: insider on July 22, 2017, 03:39:40 Not sure for how long over the actual switch on period, but majority of the actual station will be closed including the Transfer Deck Footbridge. Car Park access via the Subway only.
Only platforms 4+5 will be open for train services, as platform 6 is too close (So I have been told by a GWR staff member in planning dept) to the OLE during the switch on / testing process. SWT are looking into running their 10 car trains during this period, again possibly just rumor? Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: Electric train on July 22, 2017, 07:42:06 Not sure for how long over the actual switch on period, but majority of the actual station will be closed including the Transfer Deck Footbridge. Car Park access via the Subway only. Only platforms 4+5 will be open for train services, as platform 6 is too close (So I have been told by a GWR staff member in planning dept) to the OLE during the switch on / testing process. SWT are looking into running their 10 car trains during this period, again possibly just rumor? When electrical section initial energisation, section proving, short circuit testing and load testing are carried out the only staff in the whole area are those directly involved in the electrical testing. As a Commissioning Engineer I never allowed even a tamper to operate despite the operators being inside the machine. There are risks of arcs, flashovers, rises in touch potential and in the extreme wires parting. These commissioning tests are about stressing the system electrically, ensuring touch potentials at stations are below the acceptable limits, checking Signalling and Telecoms immunisation Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: stuving on September 16, 2017, 19:17:04 Only platforms 4+5 will be open for train services, as platform 6 is too close (So I have been told by a GWR staff member in planning dept) to the OLE during the switch on / testing process. SWT are looking into running their 10 car trains during this period, again possibly just rumor? In the end, all three platforms are in use today and tomorrow. Still using 450s, and while the times were different that was due to work elsewhere. When electrical section initial energisation, section proving, short circuit testing and load testing are carried out the only staff in the whole area are those directly involved in the electrical testing. As a Commissioning Engineer I never allowed even a tamper to operate despite the operators being inside the machine. There are risks of arcs, flashovers, rises in touch potential and in the extreme wires parting. These commissioning tests are about stressing the system electrically, ensuring touch potentials at stations are below the acceptable limits, checking Signalling and Telecoms immunisation I wasn't expecting this work to be much of a public spectacle, especially with most of the station closed and closed off. Most of the work was going on at the other (western) end, though I did see three blokes in orange sitting around. As my train left, I saw that they had got up and were doing something sophisticated and technical to the OLE - wielding a Long Pole. So maybe this was not quite the live testing phase yet, especially given what was going on down the other end (as seen from the top of the car park at 16:40). Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: chuffed on September 17, 2017, 08:11:53 I did see three blokes in orange sitting around. As my train left, I saw that they had got up and were doing something sophisticated and technical to the OLE - wielding a Long Pole.
If said Pole had caused something to go on or go off, the guys in orange could have justifiably moaned "that's another fine mess you've got me in, OLE'" Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: Electric train on September 17, 2017, 08:23:04 When electrical section initial energisation, section proving, short circuit testing and load testing are carried out the only staff in the whole area are those directly involved in the electrical testing. As a Commissioning Engineer I never allowed even a tamper to operate despite the operators being inside the machine. There are risks of arcs, flashovers, rises in touch potential and in the extreme wires parting. These commissioning tests are about stressing the system electrically, ensuring touch potentials at stations are below the acceptable limits, checking Signalling and Telecoms immunisation I wasn't expecting this work to be much of a public spectacle, especially with most of the station closed and closed off. Most of the work was going on at the other (western) end, though I did see three blokes in orange sitting around. As my train left, I saw that they had got up and were doing something sophisticated and technical to the OLE - wielding a Long Pole. So maybe this was not quite the live testing phase yet, especially given what was going on down the other end (as seen from the top of the car park at 16:40). When the OLE is constructed close to existing Live sections wire runs that transition form on to the other for what will become normal running are registered out of the way, also some sections of wire may be left out until the testing for energisation. I am also aware that the ATF (auto transformer feeder) wire in the Reading area is not complete and needs to be before the contact wire is made live it can be done after but becomes more difficult with the need to have isolations. There are a number of stages to this OLE commissioning, the interfacing at Reading with "the test track" and the Train Care Depot which was made Live a few months ago. The temporary SCADA and its on-site control wiring arrangement put in place for the Test Track has to be decommissioned and the first stage of the new SCADA and on-site control wiring commissioned. As well as section proving which include normal and alternative feeding arrangements, power test which may include short circuit and load bank runs; then finally test train running at line speed to prove the contact wire is aligned right Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: SandTEngineer on September 17, 2017, 08:29:26 ET. Do they still use the old load bank loco to do the static tests?
Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: RichardB on September 17, 2017, 09:02:45 Due to the switching on and testing of the juice in the Reading area, services to/from Paddington will be heavily altered with a limited service running through Reading up until 14:00 on the Saturday, and no services (Reigate/Waterloo excepted) will run from 14:00 on the Saturday nor all day Sunday. Hourly services to/from Devon/Cornwall via Bristol and to/from Swansea will run via Didcot West Curve, Islip, Wycombe, and inward to Paddington via Royal Oak, outwards via Drayton Green, with the Greenford shuttle becoming hourly. The HSTs appear to be stopping at Oxford for crew change purposes only and not for passenger use. Passengers for Oxford to use Chiltern via Marylebone. I came back from London on the 19 27 last night. Pity it was in the dark - fascinating route and I did pick out the key stations on the most interesting bits. If you've ever fancied travelling the Greenford branch in an HST, today's the day! Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: TaplowGreen on September 17, 2017, 09:19:28 387s falling over already?
This seems to be the story all day. 08:44 Maidenhead to London Paddington due 09:22 Facilities on the 08:44 Maidenhead to London Paddington due 09:22. Will be formed of 4 coaches instead of 8. This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time. Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: IndustryInsider on September 17, 2017, 09:49:21 I came back from London on the 19 27 last night. Pity it was in the dark - fascinating route and I did pick out the key stations on the most interesting bits. If you've ever fancied travelling the Greenford branch in an HST, today's the day! Or wait until this Christmas when I think it's happening again. The ability to use the new route through Oxford Parkway makes the diversionary route far better than the previously used route via Banbury. Some 30-45 minutes quicker now. The new Oxford to Bicester section seems to be coping with the extra traffic easily, though there has been the odd hitch due to other reasons. Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: eightf48544 on September 17, 2017, 11:11:25 Did a trip to Swindon and back via "new" route. Out via West Ealing back via Park Royal.
Got the Foxhall curve. Fairly slow outwards to Bicester, following a Chiltern stopper. Seemed very fast Didcot Swindon doing 125? Trees still a problem even around North Acton! Weekend First upgrade agree GWR First Class catering offer is not up to much compared with Virgin from Euston to Lancaster. 387s both ways from and to Taplow. Caught one of the Slough/Maidenhead fasts good run Down Main all the way just under 15 minutes to Slough. Went Line Line 3 past SN109 to Down Main. Changed into 18:17 stopper at Slough. Interesting announcement from driver, we are being held here due to train at Maidenhead having problems with it's doors! Maybe that's one of the problems with the 387 the sat nav doesn't know where they are so won't open the doors. Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: Electric train on September 17, 2017, 12:20:39 ET. Do they still use the old load bank loco to do the static tests? No, that went phut back in BR days, no one had the money to maintain it. With modern traction units they can be setup to provide a load characteristic to suit the test you want, typically 100 Amps at 40 mph nice constant 2.5 MW. Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: ChrisB on September 17, 2017, 17:06:27 Virgin weekend first offer as bad as GWR. Only Virgin East Coast still offers a sandwich (not bad either. Just had one!).
Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: Chris from Nailsea on September 17, 2017, 20:32:53 Is that one of the 'major alterations to services' being discussed here? :-\
Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: JayMac on September 17, 2017, 21:18:05 Virgin weekend first offer as bad as GWR. Only Virgin East Coast still offers a sandwich (not bad either. Just had one!). Snack tray including sandwich or wrap on Virgin West Coast at weekends. Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: Trowres on September 17, 2017, 22:18:26 Snack tray including sandwich or wrap on Virgin West Coast at weekends. But is that sandwich exhaustively tested to ensure no unsafe interactions under forseeable circumstances, and that receivers are suitably immunised? Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: insider on September 18, 2017, 01:25:11 Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere...apologies if so...
Have heard on very good authority that the OLE commissioning work for this blockade has NOT taken place. A source has claimed that the safety case paperwork was not completed in time. Or something to that effect. Decision was made to run the advertised service and not attempt to run trains even though this may have been a possibility. Again Source says is that GWR is fuming at NR. And the upcoming planned sunday morning blocks may need to be changed. The techs will still need a repeat block of this weekend but no one has any idea when this will be? The January launch date for 387 to Rdg / Did is unlikely. This information is only rumour and may be unfounded but have heard similar reports from various GWR sources. Watch this space, as I can only assume someone from GWR or NR will have no choice but to issue a press release? Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: Timmer on September 18, 2017, 08:12:36 Again Source says is that GWR is fuming at NR. GWR are in NO position to be fuming at anyone after their performance on the Cardiff-Portsmouth line over the weekend. Between them NR and GWR are running the GW line like a bunch of amateurs. The only ones who are entitled to be fuming around here are their long suffering passengers and the staff who have to put up with the management of both organisations.I have no evidence of how trains that were diverted over the weekend managed but I would imagine they were pretty full. Certainly for the train crew that did work Cardiff-Portsmouth this weekend I would imagine they had to deal with rammed trains and annoyed passengers who couldn't complete their journey on the train they were on. Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: CyclingSid on September 18, 2017, 08:21:11 This might explain the comment I got at the ticket office in Reading on Saturday, that I thought I understood that they were going to repeat the closure. Thought I was imagining things, but perhaps not.
Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: BBM on September 18, 2017, 09:25:29 The work to raise the parapets on Butts Hill Bridge in Sonning Cutting is still ongoing (it certainly hadn't been completed this morning) so presumably they can't switch on the power until that's finished? Maybe there's other examples of unfinished works?
Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: Timmer on September 18, 2017, 19:42:02 Looking a tweets posted on UK Rail Forums the energisation over the weekend appears to have been a success :)
Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: Timmer on September 21, 2017, 17:55:04 More testing required Sunday mornings through to early November:
https://www.gwr.com/travel-updates/planned-engineering/reading2017 Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: stuving on September 21, 2017, 23:10:31 More testing required Sunday mornings through to early November: https://www.gwr.com/travel-updates/planned-engineering/reading2017 Looking August's revision of the EAS, the longer Sunday closures (from 24 September to 22 October until 12:25) were already planned before then, while the two shorter ones (29 October and 5 November until 10:25) are more recent additions. Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: grahame on September 22, 2017, 05:21:27 Awful lot of buses around this Sunday morning:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/RDG/2017/09/24/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt and nothing long distance from Paddington until 11:57 http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/PAD/2017/09/24/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt Seem to be trains from the west to / from Oxford and Didcot in the morning, nothing to Wales either http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/SWI/2017/09/24/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: Timmer on September 22, 2017, 05:49:18 Bad news if you need to travel to London on Sunday mornings for the next few weeks.
Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: ChrisB on September 22, 2017, 07:56:44 Extra hour+ via Oxford & Chiltern to Marylebone
Title: Major alterations to services, 16-17 Sep and Sunday Mornings September-November Post by: Timmer on September 22, 2017, 08:41:59 Extra hour+ via Oxford & Chiltern to Marylebone Yup nothing direct to London. Feel for anyone trying to get from South Wales to London with work also taking place between Cardiff and Bristol Parkway.(Have updated the title of this thread to reflect the additional line closures through Reading on Sunday mornings over the next few weeks) Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17 Sep and Sunday Mornings September-November Post by: bobm on September 22, 2017, 11:22:46 An extreme case - but taken from a journey planner for 1st October
Swansea to London Paddington 08:08 Train Swansea to Cardiff 09:12 Bus Cardiff to Bristol Parkway 10:30 Train Bristol Parkway to Swindon 11:11 Train Swindon to Didcot Parkway 11:40 Bus Didcot Parkway to Reading 12:33 Train Reading to London Paddington 5 changes and 4 hours 58 mins journey time. You could leave at 09:19 and arrive at 13:19 (just six minutes later than the above) with two changes - a bus from Cardiff to Bristol Parkway and then a train to London. Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17 Sep and Sunday Mornings September-November Post by: Timmer on September 23, 2017, 07:12:05 Late notice work taking place this weekend between Paddington and Reading. Please check carefully if you are travelling to/from London this weekend.
From Journey Check: Quote Due to urgent repairs to the track between London Paddington and Reading all lines are disrupted. Train services running to and from these stations may be revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day. Customer Advice Due to additional engineering works on Saturday 23rd September 2017, train services will be running to a revised timetable between London Paddington and Reading in both directions. The train times may differ to those previously advertised and may be different to times that you have reservations for. The amended timetable was uploaded to journey planners on Thursday 21st September so if you booked or checked your journey plans before that date please double check as the times of the trains are likely to have been revised. Departures from London Paddington on long distance services will be up to 12 minutes earlier than the previously advertised times. During the main part of the daytime service the following long distance timetable generally operates, but please check individual journey times and plans. The XX.00 Bristol Temple Meads departures will depart 12 minutes earlier at XX.48 The XX.06 departures towards Devon and Cornwall will depart 9 minutes earlier at XX.57 The XX.12 Swansea departures will continue to depart at XX.12 The XX.21 departures to Oxford and beyond towards Worcester/Great Malvern/Hereford will depart up to 6 minutes earlier at XX.15 note these services will also be departing Slough up to 6 minutes earlier than usual The XX.30 Bristol Temple Meads departures will depart 3 minutes earlier at XX.27. The XX.50 Oxford services (which call at Slough and Reading only) will depart at XX.51. The Paddington to Cheltenham Spa service will not run today, customers should see staff or consult the journey planners for more information regarding these services. All services may arrive in to London Paddington up to 10 minutes later than originally advertised, with some also departing Reading earlier than advertised as well. During the main part of the day the London & Thames Valley local services between Paddington and Oxford will operate as two individual services, half hourly Paddington to Maidenhead Electric service calling at Ealing Broadway, Southall, Hayes & Harlington, West Drayton, Iver, Langley, Slough, Burnham, Taplow and Maidenhead and a half hourly Maidenhead to Oxford local service. The same arrangements will apply for journeys travelling towards London. The Greenford branch line will not be operating any service. Heathrow Connect will not be operating any service. The Paddington to Hayes stopping service will not run. No services will call at Acton Mainline, West Ealing or Hanwell All times above are the standard service pattern and individual journeys may vary so please check your journey plans carefully, the timetable that is now available on the online journey planners is showing information for the service that will be running today. Customers with advance purchase tickets, may travel on their original trains even if they depart earlier. Customers who have missed their train due to an early departure may travel on the next available train service. Arrangements have been made with CrossCountry to accept GWR tickets via any reasonable route as well to assist in customer movement. Customers using the Greenford branch and also Hanwell, West Ealing and Acton Mainline are advised to use TfL services to complete their journey. Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17 Sep and Sunday Mornings September-November Post by: TaplowGreen on September 23, 2017, 08:07:22 Any idea what happened to the tracks to cause this? Problems on late night Friday services too.
Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17 Sep and Sunday Mornings September-November Post by: phile on September 23, 2017, 08:37:39 According to Journey Check, Swansea to Paddington (already diverted) also are calling at Gloucester to compensate for the Cheltenham cancellations.
Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17 Sep and Sunday Mornings September-November Post by: grahame on September 23, 2017, 09:15:44 Late notice work taking place this weekend between Paddington and Reading. Please check carefully if you are travelling to/from London this weekend. Because these are "late notice" changes and not cancellations / changes during operation, they do not appear on the maps at the top of our pages - just the extra stops on the South Wales trains, as it looks like they got overlooked on the late notice!! I suspect "late notice" means that changes are in the system early enough not to count against the performance figures of the operator concerned, even though tickets and reservations will have already been sold for services that aren't running - or am I too cynical at the moment? Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17 Sep and Sunday Mornings September-November Post by: John R on September 23, 2017, 10:05:46 Let's hope nobody arrives at PAD between 1948 and 2000 hoping to travel to MKM.
Hopefully GWR would put on a taxi from CPM? Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17 Sep and Sunday Mornings September-November Post by: IndustryInsider on September 23, 2017, 11:03:57 Relying on the goodwill of drivers to come in early as adequate notice has not been given to GWR to produce amended diagrams on time. Given the recent removal of any incentives to do so, I would expect a few drivers to say no which might mean a few late starts and/or cancellations.
Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17 Sep and Sunday Mornings September-November Post by: ChrisB on September 26, 2017, 09:47:05 Late notice work taking place this weekend between Paddington and Reading. Please check carefully if you are travelling to/from London this weekend. Isn't this discussed elsewhere & going on some some weeks? Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: grahame on October 06, 2017, 22:23:38 Have heard on very good authority that the OLE commissioning work for this blockade has NOT taken place. A source has claimed that the safety case paperwork was not completed in time. Or something to that effect. Decision was made to run the advertised service and not attempt to run trains even though this may have been a possibility. Again Source says is that GWR is fuming at NR. And the upcoming planned sunday morning blocks may need to be changed. The techs will still need a repeat block of this weekend but no one has any idea when this will be? Sounds line the weekend of 14th / 15th October has a very similar block. Oh dear .... Title: Re: Major alterations to services, 16-17th September 2017 Post by: insider on October 06, 2017, 23:45:32 Have heard on very good authority that the OLE commissioning work for this blockade has NOT taken place. A source has claimed that the safety case paperwork was not completed in time. Or something to that effect. Decision was made to run the advertised service and not attempt to run trains even though this may have been a possibility. Again Source says is that GWR is fuming at NR. And the upcoming planned sunday morning blocks may need to be changed. The techs will still need a repeat block of this weekend but no one has any idea when this will be? Sounds line the weekend of 14th / 15th October has a very similar block. Oh dear .... Yes another total block All Day Saturday / Sunday https://www.gwr.com/travel-updates/planned-engineering/reading2017 (https://www.gwr.com/travel-updates/planned-engineering/reading2017) This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. Views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |