Flash flooding - Corsham 18/19 Sep 14

[whole diary]

[bobm]

The 22:45 Paddington to Swansea service has been trapped overnight in some serious flooding near Box Tunnel.

At one point the water was reported to be three feet deep along the side of the front portion of the train which has been stationary since just after midnight.

All the emergency services are on site including the fire service with boats.

[insider]

This was classed as a major emergency by the Wiltshire fire Brigade at 01:41, this was approx. 75mins after the initial emergency call from the driver of 1B94.

The water levels have been extremely high 3 foot plus around the train, that's up to the headlights of the leading power car.

Local roads are also flooded and access has been very difficult.

At one point the fire brigade were investigating evacuating passengers by boat...and no this is serious!!!

However the option chose was to detach the rear powercar and 2 passenger coaches to the nearest road access point to the rear of the train.

Once technical staff were on site and the line was deemed safe enough this process started at approx. 0400!!!

My source from Network Rail has informed me at the current time(0500) customers are still being evacuated to the access point into taxis....local conditions have made this a very difficult situation.

Network Rail staff at some point during the last few hours reported that the water levels at old Corsham station were up to the height of the platform!!

The line is likely to be closed ALL DAY, with very limited road transport in place during the school runs!! as most local buses/coaches have school contracts.

Good Luck to those who attempt to travel....

[grahame]

At 06:30

Cancellations to services between Swindon and Bath Spa Due to flooding between Swindon and Bath Spa all lines are blocked.
Impact:
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed or diverted. An estimate for the resumption of normal services will be provided as soon as the problem has been fully assessed.
Customer Advice:
Following severe storms in the Bath Spa area yesterday, flash flooding has closed the line between Chippenham and Bath Spa. Unfortunately no road replacement transport can be sourced until 09:00. First Somerset and Avon services are conveying passengers between Bath Spa and Chippenham in both directions until further notice. Arrangements have been made for First Great Western rail tickets to be accepted on bus numbers 231, 234, 264 and 265. Stagecoach West services are conveying passengers between Chippenham and Swindon in both directions until further notice. Arrangements have been made for First Great Western rail tickets to be accepted on bus numbers 49 and 55. Customers with car parking tickets for Chippenham station may travel to either Swindon or Bath Spa.

See also my Transwilts update / comment - http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14593.0

Again, I note that there's no cross-ticket arrangement for the X32 service between Bath and Chippenham - just the 231

[grahame]

Wiltshire Times

http://m.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/11483906.Passengers_evacuated_from_train_after_it_gets_stuck_in_floods/?ref=mr

Around 90 passengers are believed to have been evacuated from a London-bound train at Pound Pill, Corsham, after it got stuck in floods.

The train was passing under a bridge when it ran into floodwater. Police, fire and ambulance crews are at the scene.

It is believed part of the train will be stuck at the scene for several days because some of the ballast holding the track in place has been washed away. First Great Western has yet to say if this will cause delays. Its website is not warning of any train cancellations or delays.

My bolding.

With robust signalling on the TransWilts (it's not - it's failed again!) an hourly London - Bristol service calling at all stations would still be possible, with all stations served - the London to Bristol HST^▸ (High Speed Train) reversing at Trowbridge and calling at Melksham.  But what we actually have is no trains, and arrangements for tickets to be valid on some of the parallel buses.

[JayMac]

Latest train plan from FGW^▸ (First Great Western):

The following train plan is in place:

The following trains will divert after Bath Spa via the Berks & Hants, first stop Reading:

1A03 0600 Bristol TM^‡(resolve) to Paddington
1A06 0620 Weston SM to Paddington
1A08 0509 Plymouth to Paddington
1A10 0900 Bristol TM to Paddington
1A12 0740 Paignton to Paddington
1A14 1100 Bristol TM to Paddington

The following trains will divert via Hullavington after Bristol Temple Meads, not calling at Bath Spa or Chippenham, first stop Swindon:

1A02 0529 Bristol TM to Paddington
1A04 0635 Bristol TM to Paddington
1A07 0648 Weston SM to Paddington
1A09 0712 Taunton to Paddington start Bristol TM at 0830
1A11 0930 Bristol TM to Paddington
1A13 1030 Bristol TM to Paddington

The following trains will divert after Reading via the Berks & Hants line, first stop Bath Spa:

1C06 0830 Paddington to Bristol TM
1C08 0930 Paddington to Bristol TM
1C10 1030 Paddington to Bristol TM

The following trains will divert via Hullavington after Swindon first stop Bristol Temple Meads:

1C01 0519 Paddington to Swansea
1C02 0630 Paddington to Bristol TM
1C03 0700 Paddington to Bristol TM
1C04 0730 Paddington to Penzance
1C05 0800 Paddington to Bristol TM
1C07 0900 Paddington to Bristol TM ^ SSO for Didcot PW^▸ (Permanent Way) Reqd
1C09 1000 Paddington to Paignton ^ SSO for Didcot PW Reqd
1C11 1100 Paddington to Bristol TM  ^ SSO for Didcot PW Reqd

West Service Alterations:

2M03 0704 Westbury ^ Cheltenham Spa service will divert via Bristol TM and call at Bath Spa, Bristol TM and Bristol Parkway then fast to Gloucester.   
2M04 0732 Westbury ^ Swindon is cancelled
2M05 0849 Swindon ^ Westbury is cancelled
2M06 0948 Westbury ^ Swindon is cancelled
2M07 1047 Swindon ^ Westbury is cancelled

A daylight inspection of the trapped train and flood sites will take place at around 0730. Depending on the outcome of these inspections, we will begin running a shuttle train service between Swindon and Chippenham.

We have arrangements in place to allow customers with car parking season tickets for Chippenham to park at Bath Spa, Swindon or Chippenham.

Road transport has been ordered but is not available until after 0830. Further details will be provided when they begin arriving at Stations.

Signalling for the TransWilts route has been knocked out by lightning.

Following severe storms in the area yesterday, the signalling equipment has been damaged and trains cannot operate. Unfortunately no replacement road transport can be sourced until 09:00.
Stagecoach West Bus 49 Swindon - Trowbridge, Stagecoach West Bus 55 Swindon - Chippenham Station, First Somerset & Avon Bus 234 Chippenham - Melksham - Trowbridge - Frome (Town Centre) and First Somerset & Avon Bus 231 Bath (Bus Station) - Chippenham are conveying passengers via any reasonable route until further notice.

[a-driver]

If the water was around 3ft deep that HST^▸ (High Speed Train) will be out of action for a long while.  All the underframe equipment will have to be stripped back and examined.
To even move the train from it's current location could take some time.  Water ingress into the axle boxes is a serious problem.  Once it's given the OK for it to move it'll be down at a very slow speed.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Storms cause flooding and train delays in southern England


Lightning struck across Bristol and Wiltshire overnight on Thursday - this was taken in Chippenham

Storms have caused disruption to trains in the south-east and the Westcountry - with one train left submerged in flood water between Bath and Swindon.

Commuters using First Great Western and Southeastern railways are being warned of cancelled services due to the rain.

Lightning struck across Bristol and in Wiltshire overnight where one house was damaged in Melksham.

A Met Office warning said the thunderstorms are forecast to move through to Wales and the Midlands. Forecaster Nicola Willis said there had been between 0.4 and 0.8ins (10 and 20mm) of rainfall over a four-hour period this morning. "That is quite a significant amount of rainfall," she said. "There have also been quite a few lightning strikes over that period."

In Wiltshire, a train became stuck in flood water shortly after 01:00 BST on Friday at Pound Pill in Corsham. All the passengers were taken off the train by 06:00 and were taken home by taxi, Wiltshire Fire and Rescue said. Ninety passengers were on the train, which came to a halt in a cutting where water was up to one metre-deep (3ft) in places.

The fire service also said it had received more than 200 calls for assistance from 21:00 BST on Thursday due to the severe weather. In Steeple Ashton, the high street in the village was hit by floods overnight.

Southeastern said there had been a complete loss of signalling between Otford and Eynsford, affecting services between Ashford International and London Victoria via Maidstone East.


This was taken in Corsham overnight, where a train also became submerged in flood water

In Melksham, Wiltshire, one couple's home was struck by lightning and caught fire overnight. A fire brigade spokesman confirmed there was "significant damage" to the roof and loft space, as well as water damage inside.

Several flats were flooded in Dawlish, Devon, after heavy rainfall overnight, Devon and Somerset Fire Service said. It received six calls reporting flooding at about 05:50 BST although no-one was injured.

[a-driver]

There's a picture in this BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) news article of the stranded train.  The flood water is that deept you can't even make out the track!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-29273833

[philipgreg]

Hope they've sorted out the bus situation, tried to board the 231 at Chippenham station this morning and the driver refused to accept rail tickets until the station employee persuaded him to take 10 people. At the next stop someone who had heard on the radio tried to get on and the driver just stopped the bus, waited 10 mins then called his supervisor who had not heard either. Eventually the last passenger to get on spoke to the supervisor, told them it was on the radio and TV and finally the driver continued.
Unbelievable!
Wonder how easy it will be to get home tonight.

[JayMac]

That is totally unacceptable. I'd be complaining in the strongest possible way to both FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and the First Bus subsidiary responsible. It really isn't on for public announcements to be made about ticket acceptance on buses and to then not liaise between companies.

[eightf48544]

Yet another reason to reopen the Bradford North Curve, although I gather this time Melksham is also lacking trains.

[a-driver]

That is totally unacceptable. I'd be complaining in the strongest possible way to both FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and the First Bus subsidiary responsible. It really isn't on for public announcements to be made about ticket acceptance on buses and to then not liaise between companies.

The other problem with this is actually getting the information to the driver of the bus, I doubt very much he'll be allowed to use a mobile phone when driving.  The only way the driver would know is if the depot posted a note to that effect prior to him leaving and then relies on the driver reading it...... although to be honest, a large number of passengers trying to board with train tickets should be a bit of a giveaway!!

[bobm]

Interesting that the last two trains from Bristol Temple Meads to London tonight (17:39 from Penzance and 21:29 from Taunton) are being diverted via the Berks & Hants and so missing Chippenham, Swindon and Didcot Parkway.  I assume there are engineering works on the Hullavington route which prevents at least one of them going that way.

They are both usually fairly busy with those coming home from a night out on a Friday getting back to Chippenham and Swindon.  No mention on Journeycheck of any road transport to cover for those services.

[tomL]

Lots of fun at Swindon this morning with last minute alteration of the 0900 ex padd coming in to platform 3 while everyone was on 4. 

[ChrisB]

Presumably, as no services are running to Bristol from Chippenham & Bath, there's no need to run the return services.