Thames Valley signalling problems - big delays - July 2014

[whole diary]

[a-driver]

At Paddington now, things are pretty rammed. I don't know if this is normal for 4pm on a Friday.

I like how they're using a guy on a totally inadequate megaphone to give some information, instead of the PA^▸ (Public Address) system that would cover the entire station and let more than about 5 people hear. All I could make out is that ticket restrictions have been lifted.

I was at Twyford at the time of the lightning strike.  We had two or three flashes of lightning and a bit of thunder and suddenly this massive strike accompanied by a deafening clap of thunder.  Very frightening, I even ducked for some reason!

Believe SouthWest Trains are also suffering the effects of a lightning strike.

When did it strike / the signalling fell apart?

My train has left Paddington (fortunately didn't have to join the scrum) but it is wedged. I'm guessing there almost certainly will be huge delays passing through Twyford. We're currently on the main line around Southall.

It happened about 1515. We've seen control reports that a driver reported his train being struck as well.  Train has made it to Paddington though

[stuving]

The first down train to get caught was 1D43 Oxford, due past Twyford 15:17 but arrived 25 late.
The heaviest rain passed Twyford around 15:00, which fits. That's off the Met Office, which shows very little or no lightning there- but their map feature isn't working right at the moment.
Around Surbiton, both peaked around 14:00. And that's pretty well when the problems started.
The delays on Reading trains appear to be due to something else, starting earlier, around Ashford.

[TaplowGreen]

First of all, clearly absolutely no blame attached to FGW^▸ (First Great Western), NR^» (Network Rail - home page) etc for the lightning strike, that really is beyond their control (Bob Crow in a bad mood on high perhaps?)

But once again - no communication, no help for customers, no information.......I got to Reading station around 5 and was told to head for platform 13/14, 1714 showing on time (clearly wasn't going to happen but had encouraged all the customers to head in that direction), all the other information boards pretty hopeless......platforms already getting packed, seemingly no attempt at "crowd control".

I consciously looked around for staff - there was a single female on platforms 12/13 who was clearly struggling, seemingly no-one on 14, went back up the escalator to the footbridge and there were a grand total of 2 staff trying to help customers.........no sign of the Ribena brigade or anyone else.

I didn't see anyone being rude or impatient however obviously early days before the rush really got going - pointed out to one of the two aforementioned staff that if there wasn't an effort at crowd control soon then the platforms were going to start getting dangerously overcrowded - his response was "I know mate", I asked him if he was going to get more help and he smiled knowingly and said "They're all in the office", one or two on the gateline but that was about it..............so the choice was a pint or seven and hope for the best or a taxi home to Mrs TaplowGreen...........took the latter choice and am home, ^45 lighter............good luck to all trying to get home tonight.

[a-driver]

First of all, clearly absolutely no blame attached to FGW^▸ (First Great Western), NR^» (Network Rail - home page) etc for the lightning strike, that really is beyond their control (Bob Crow in a bad mood on high perhaps?)

But once again - no communication, no help for customers, no information.......I got to Reading station around 5 and was told to head for platform 13/14, 1714 showing on time (clearly wasn't going to happen but had encouraged all the customers to head in that direction), all the other information boards pretty hopeless......platforms already getting packed, seemingly no attempt at "crowd control".

I consciously looked around for staff - there was a single female on platforms 12/13 who was clearly struggling, seemingly no-one on 14, went back up the escalator to the footbridge and there were a grand total of 2 staff trying to help customers.........no sign of the Ribena brigade or anyone else.

I didn't see anyone being rude or impatient however obviously early days before the rush really got going - pointed out to one of the two aforementioned staff that if there wasn't an effort at crowd control soon then the platforms were going to start getting dangerously overcrowded - his response was "I know mate", I asked him if he was going to get more help and he smiled knowingly and said "They're all in the office", one or two on the gateline but that was about it..............so the choice was a pint or seven and hope for the best or a taxi home to Mrs TaplowGreen...........took the latter choice and am home, ^45 lighter............good luck to all trying to get home tonight.

Judging by the how they're describing the extent of the damage I would imagine disruption will run into tomorrow morning.

[Electric train]

I got the "16:12 local from Padd, went started 30 late the driver stated it would go as far as Slough.  5 car which was rammed as far as West Drayton at least it was a 165 so the ventilation was ok while on the move.

As we departed West Drayton the driver announced the train would terminate a Maidenhead which it did an the ran back as stopper to Padd.  Lots of people at Maidenhead wanting to go toward Reading, the station staff were doing a good job given the info they had and were out on the platforms also reasonably regular PA^▸ (Public Address) announcements.

The guard on the 17:47 Marlow service was even out on platform 4 & 5 helping with passenger questions right up to the departure time which I think is very commendable of him.

It seemed as though at 17:30 ish at Maidenhead the were talking though HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) between Maidenhead and Twyford a couple of Down HST^▸ (High Speed Train) went through on the Down Relief.

[sorch]

Took about an hour to go through Twyford. Noticed that a couple of HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) were waved through on the relief line before we could get through.

Hopefully there are decent connections at Plymouth that don't involve waiting for another delayed HST to Penzance..

[BBM]

I arrived at PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) at about 1645 expecting carnage but it was even worse than I expected. Eventually, for the sake of our health and our sanity, myself and two people I knew took a black cab from PAD to TWY^▸ (Twyford station) which cost ^145 shared between the three of us. The car park at TWY still looked pretty full at about 1945, God knows where everyone was stuck. On the way one of my two friends drafted a resignation email to her boss, this particular straw broke the camel's back for her and she will now look for a more local job. My own job move to Reading doesn't happen until December, I've still got 5 more months of this...

[stuving]

Well, there's been loads of almost empty trains between reading and Waterloo, both ways. Running a few minutes late, though that's got nothing to do with SWT^▸ (South West Trains) warning of 1-hour delays on all their routes. So, if Paddington trains are going to be an hour late and so full you'd rather not, why are FGW^▸ (First Great Western) not directing people this way? Is it that most tickets are already valid, so they do not need to agree and announce acceptance on the route?

[broadgage]

Whilst the lightning strikes are not the fault of the railway industry, it does seem that vulnerability to lightning is increasing.
I do not recall regular disruption on this scale back in the "good old days" this is the second major lightning induced disruption to Great Western services in only a few days.

Increasingly we seem to have a fair weather only railway, with limited periods of good service in between high winds bringing down trees, flooding washing away infrastructure, leaves causing the usual problems, and snow and ice. Add to that random lightning strikes and electrification works damaging cables and reliability seems to be declining.

[TaplowGreen]

Well, there's been loads of almost empty trains between reading and Waterloo, both ways. Running a few minutes late, though that's got nothing to do with SWT^▸ (South West Trains) warning of 1-hour delays on all their routes. So, if Paddington trains are going to be an hour late and so full you'd rather not, why are FGW^▸ (First Great Western) not directing people this way? Is it that most tickets are already valid, so they do not need to agree and announce acceptance on the route?

Southwest trains have also been badly affected by the lightning strike hence they are not accepting tickets..........interestingly however there is actually a statement on their website apologising for the inconvenience to their customers as well as suggesting alternative means of transport on their routes which contrasts with FGW which just baldly states that services are severely disrupted.....judging by comments on the Twitter feed, Paddington is total chaos and even the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) are disgusted with the way its being handled.........so glad I stuck my hand in my pocket earlier and got a cab home from Reading, tempted to apply for a refund but I'm pretty sure what response I'd get............sounds like a few cabbies will be ordering Aston Martins tomorrow!!!!!

[TaplowGreen]

Major signalling problems between London Paddington and Reading  -   Friday 25 July 2014
From FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website at 2045......

"Services between London Paddington and Reading,Swindon, Bristol , West of England and South Wales are being severely disrupted due to major signalling problems in the Twyford area (between Reading and Maidenhead) due to an earlier lighting strike.

Customers travelling to and from London Paddington are advised that we are having in introduce a reduced timetable. South West Trains services from London Waterloo are experiencing similar problems to their service and we can only offer our customers ticket acceptance on Chiltern Services between London Marylebone and Banbury.

We are operating a reduced timetable of services , however, severe delays and alterations will continue until the end of today. Ticket easement on all First Great Western routes will remain in place until close of service this evening and ticketed dated today...."

................in other words folks, you're on your own!

[Electric train]

It must be quite severe damage to quite a lot of equipment, reading early accounts by a-driver it would seem to be a direct strike.   This will have electrically stressed a lot of components there are only so many spare held by a MDU (Maintenance Delivery Unit) these days, the bean counters take a dim view of idle spares sitting on shelves; so I suspect there is a lot of NR^» (Network Rail - home page) vans flitting up and down motorways brining in spares, the same bean counters have also reduced the staffing levels so if it is a large amount of damage staff will have to be dragged in from other parts of the route in their vans with speed limiters on them, along summer Friday afternoon motorway traffic.

I am sure FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and NR control and all the staff on the ground are trying their hardest to run some sort of service, but if there are several miles of signalling whipped out there is only so much they can do.

[SDS]

Taplow Green. See what I mean about the ribena brigade running away when the s*** hits the fan!

Also I'm hearing that BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) (as per normal) were actually causing more problems with already stressed out passengers and not using common sense. Telling people (not asking) to move down an already rammed service, and proper rammed  is going to p*** off people. Even threatening to arrest people for not moving is not good.

[stuving]

Major signalling problems between London Paddington and Reading  -   Friday 25 July 2014
From FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website at 2045......

South West Trains services from London Waterloo are experiencing similar problems to their service and we can only offer our customers ticket acceptance on Chiltern Services between London Marylebone and Banbury.
...."

In the event, only two SWT^▸ (South West Trains) services from WAT-RDG^‡(resolve) (14:50 and 15:10) were as much as 30 minutes late, then they were running 5-20 minutes late. Not good, but a lot better than FGW could do. In theory that would have been known within SWT by 17:00, but I can see that no-one may have been actively looking to tell FGW, nor at FGW looking to update the alternatives.

After all, SWT are still (23:10) telling their own passengers that serious problems affect all lines, and that FGW are accepting their tickets. No mention of the fact FGW were/are struggling to run any trains.

[tom m]

Experienced it first hand today, I have only been on the peripheries of any previous serious disruption.

I intended to leave Blackwater at 2pm today, but it got off to a bad start as I noticed the driver on the in cab phone/radio as he approached the station and we sat at Blackwater for 15 mins while he tried to fix the problem, eventually got going and made it to Wokingham where we were all turfed out into torrential rain as the train was taken out of service, as it could not run without the kit working. The train being taken out of service did not bother me so much but the lack of shelter on the platform meant that everyone went running for the footbridge, causing a complete bottleneck and I belive some people taking shelter at the top of the bridge missing the SW train that we were advised to join.

Met a friend for a late lunch but, ended up catching a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) about 16:30 calling additionally at twyford, maidenhead, slough and ealing Broadway, we ended up sitting at the platform at twyford for about 45mins, the gaurd did a reasonable job of walking up and down the platform to keep us updated but nobody really seemed to know what was going on, I got more info from this forum. Eventually arrived at maidenhead about 18:00.

Not a great day in FGW^▸ (First Great Western) land today.