Bad weather causing severe travel disruption in the West - 4 February 2012

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From FGW^▸ (First Great Western) JourneyCheck:

Line problem: between Swindon and Bristol Temple Meads.

Owing to snow between Swindon and Bristol Temple Meads:

Impact:
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled or delayed at short notice. An estimate for the resumption of normal services will be provided as soon as the problem has been fully assessed.

Additional Information:
The Road Replacement Transport operating between Swindon, Chippenham, Bath Spa & Bristol Temple Meads & Westbury, Bradford On Avon, Trowbridge, Bath Spa & Bristol Temple Meads are experiencing difficulties operating to the advertised schedule due to the current adverse weather conditions affecting the roads & motorways.

Train services from Swindon to Bristol Temple Meads are still operating, however the services are diverting via an alternate route due to the original engineering work. The services will no be calling at Chippenham & Bath Spa.

First Great Western Trains are advising customers requiring the rail replacement services not to travel, as the current weather conditions are severely limiting the road replacement transport available.

Message Received: 04/02/2012 21:20

[ChrisB]

Frankly, with the amount of notice that was given over the weather disruption we got on Saturday night, NR^» (Network Rail - home page) should have cancelled all works requiring RRS buses. IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion), obviously.

[Timmer]

Frankly, with the amount of notice that was given over the weather disruption we got on Saturday night, NR^» (Network Rail - home page) should have cancelled all works requiring RRS buses. IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion), obviously.

That may be your humble opinion Chris, but I totally agree with it. Once again another example of the railway failing to rise to the challenge when needed.

[paul7575]

Problem is, any time a weekend's engineering work has to be deferred, the knock on effects might take months to work themselves out, because machinery and plant is booked up at least 12 weeks in advance, probably more, and TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) special timetables, perhaps over quite a wide area, have to be reorganised.

If any particular work happens to be a prerequisite item for the immediately following weekend's work, then that will have to be deferred too.  They are in a bit of a no-win situation here, whatever they happen to decide on the day...

Paul

[ChrisB]

But.....which is more important - stranding pax on coaches on snow-bound roads or a bit of disruption to work schedules?

I'll tell you summat - if it hadn't been for the expertise of our coach drivers on Saturday night, there could well have been 100 pax stuck on the M40.....

[ellendune]

But.....which is more important - stranding pax on coaches on snow-bound roads or a bit of disruption to work schedules?

I'll tell you summat - if it hadn't been for the expertise of our coach drivers on Saturday night, there could well have been 100 pax stuck on the M40.....

But the M40 is not between Bristol and Swindon.  The M4 was fine .. so it must have been the A4 between Bath and Chippenham.