Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption elsewhere - ongoing, since Oct 2014

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

I think it’s a case of ‘told you so’ long before these trains came off the production line. Running a diesel/electric high speed train is asking for trouble yet dft tell us is the answer to the railways problems rather than doing the job properly fully electrifying the route.

People may not have much time for Roger Ford on this forum, but he’s been around a long time reporting on the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) rail industry so might be in a position to say this is not a good solution and a very expensive one too.

If Great Western Railway (GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)) had to pull these trains now the timetable would be in serious trouble with High Speed Train's (HST^▸ (High Speed Train))’s and 180’s leaving the fleet.

Oh and whilst we are talking about GWR seniors meeting up, don’t suppose they had a meeting to discuss the so called service they are meant to be operating on the Cardiff-Portsmouth line. I think yesterday’s service sunk to new lows with 7 out of 22 southbound services cancelled, most during the evening peak.

Can’t wait to see what beholds Great Western Railway GWR passengers heading home for Christmas on what’s been dubbed ‘frantic Friday’.

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronyms

[grahame]

If GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) had to pull these trains now the timetable would be in serious trouble with HST^▸ (High Speed Train)’s and 180’s leaving the fleet.

Correct.  But then when any significant part of a transport operator's fleet has a "type problem" the timetable is up sh*t creek. Seen it (near to home) with all the units on - was it Heathrow Express or Heathrow Connect.

[rower40]

An IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) sitting down at Hayes generates 2 pages on the ‘infrastructure’ thread...
Must be because there are only 4 tracks there. Campaign for 6 tracks from Ladbroke to Airport Junction, anyone? It would have to be called ‘Hexification’!

[TaplowGreen]

Can’t wait to see what beholds GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) passengers heading home for Christmas on what’s been dubbed ‘frantic Friday’.

.............ahhhhh but remember that old "railway family" line, it's the human freight's own fault and they have no-one to blame but themselves for wanting to travel home for Christmas on a busy day!  I'm sure we'll hear it at some stage before too long! 

Merry Christmas to all and good luck with your travels! (M4/M5/A38 for me!)

It's such a relief to know that once the Invisible Hopwood waves his wand on New Years Eve, 2018 will see previously unheard of levels of reliability, capacity and customer service and all memories of appalling service and performance will be but a distant memory! (..........or something like that)

[Western Pathfinder]

Drive safely,have a good Christmas.

[IndustryInsider]

Significant challenges will remain in 2018.  There’s a new timetable for Thames Valley services, which includes capacity busting 12-car services for the first time.  It will no doubt take a few weeks to bed in though as drivers get used to driving over routes they have not driven electric traction over before.

And although more drivers are slowly coming on stream, less people want time off between Jan-Apr and training requirements have become slightly less intense, there are still shortages.

I’m expecting a slow return to normal as the year goes on though, and the extra capacity will start to make a real difference to people’s journeys.

[TaplowGreen]

Significant challenges will remain in 2018.  There’s a new timetable for Thames Valley services, which includes capacity busting 12-car services for the first time.  It will no doubt take a few weeks to bed in though as drivers get used to driving over routes they have not driven electric traction over before.

And although more drivers are slowly coming on stream, less people want time off between Jan-Apr and training requirements have become slightly less intense, there are still shortages.

I’m expecting a slow return to normal as the year goes on though, and the extra capacity will start to make a real difference to people’s journeys.

..................when you say "normal"...........

[eightf48544]

Elsewhere it was reported it took 6 hours in total to clear the Down Main Line for normal working.

Correct. They even attached a 57 and they still couldn’t shift it.

Delays currently north of 7,500 minutes with almost 150 trains cancelled either in full, part or failed to stop. That's going to cost GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) an awful lot of money.

Surely that cost falls to Hitachi?

Rumour has the they eventually had to isolate the brakes on the IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) and the 57 hauled them  very gingerly (walking pace) into the sidings at Southall West. Wonder how long it is since an unfitted train ran on BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) tracks. Good job it's pretty level  around Hayes.

[IndustryInsider]

‘Normal’ means a much better experience than the very poor one we’ve had over the last six months, but no doubt still some things for you to find fault bring to our attention, TG. 

[grahame]

Wonder how long it is since an unfitted train ran on BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) tracks.

Wikipedia says

While the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) railway system persisted until post-nationalisation in 1948 with "unfitted" (discontinuously braked) trains and loose couplings (the final unfitted trains ran in the 1990s) ...

and that seems to be a reasonable statement, though no source / proof to supply.

[TaplowGreen]

‘Normal’ means a much better experience than the very poor one we’ve had over the last six months, but no doubt still some things for you to find fault bring to our attention, TG. 

Myself and tens of thousands of others will be the Judges of that on a daily basis

"Normal" means conforming to a standard - we'll see if GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) can manage that - they've got an awfully long way to go before their standards are acceptable by any reasonable definition - I'm not sure "much better than very poor" can be quantified, but I'd be interested in anyone's attempts?

[IndustryInsider]

Myself and tens of thousands of others will be the Judges of that on a daily basis

We are an industry that is very much in the spotlight when things go wrong.  Let's hope for a big improvement from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) in 2018.

[broadgage]

Wonder how long it is since an unfitted train ran on BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) tracks.

Wikipedia says

While the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) railway system persisted until post-nationalisation in 1948 with "unfitted" (discontinuously braked) trains and loose couplings (the final unfitted trains ran in the 1990s) ...

and that seems to be a reasonable statement, though no source / proof to supply.

I suspect that the above refers to trains INTENDED to run unfitted, i.e. trains of wagons not fitted with power operated brakes.
I believe that there have been many "one off" movements of trains with isolated brakes since. It does happen that the brakes can not be released by manipulation of the drivers controls, if the defect can not be readily fixed at the trackside, then the brakes have to be isolated and the train moved very cautiously.
Under such circumstances, the only means of stopping will be the brake on the assisting engine, hence the need for great care and extreme low speed.
If possible, as well as the brake on the assisting engine, another vehicle with an effective brake should be attached at the rear of the train with the isolated brakes. Otherwise, any failure of the coupling to the engine could result in the unbraked train running away with potentially disastrous consequences.

[Tim]

Wonder how long it is since an unfitted train ran on BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) tracks.

Wikipedia says

While the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) railway system persisted until post-nationalisation in 1948 with "unfitted" (discontinuously braked) trains and loose couplings (the final unfitted trains ran in the 1990s) ...

and that seems to be a reasonable statement, though no source / proof to supply.

I suspect that the above refers to trains INTENDED to run unfitted, i.e. trains of wagons not fitted with power operated brakes.
I believe that there have been many "one off" movements of trains with isolated brakes since. It does happen that the brakes can not be released by manipulation of the drivers controls, if the defect can not be readily fixed at the trackside, then the brakes have to be isolated and the train moved very cautiously.
Under such circumstances, the only means of stopping will be the brake on the assisting engine, hence the need for great care and extreme low speed.
If possible, as well as the brake on the assisting engine, another vehicle with an effective brake should be attached at the rear of the train with the isolated brakes. Otherwise, any failure of the coupling to the engine could result in the unbraked train running away with potentially disastrous consequences.

AIUI^▸ (as I understand it), some of the recent new stock moves have been planned as unfitted.  I recall that new tube stock cam down from Derby with its brakes isolated (and with water tankers in the formation to provide sufficient braking

[a-driver]

Elsewhere it was reported it took 6 hours in total to clear the Down Main Line for normal working.

Correct. They even attached a 57 and they still couldn’t shift it.

Delays currently north of 7,500 minutes with almost 150 trains cancelled either in full, part or failed to stop. That's going to cost GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) an awful lot of money.

Surely that cost falls to Hitachi?

Rumour has the they eventually had to isolate the brakes on the IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) and the 57 hauled them  very gingerly (walking pace) into the sidings at Southall West. Wonder how long it is since an unfitted train ran on BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) tracks. Good job it's pretty level  around Hayes.

The 57 wasn’t used in the end. I don’t think the couplings were compatible.