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Author Topic: Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption elsewhere - ongoing, since Oct 2014  (Read 1243926 times)
NickB
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« Reply #15 on: October 06, 2014, 14:10:16 »

Void day? 
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tomL
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« Reply #16 on: October 06, 2014, 14:31:39 »

Void day? 


I'd hope so. Especially with disruption being expected until later this afternoon.

It's days like these that put many people off jobs requiring inter town/city commuting...on the train at least...
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IndustryInsider
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« Reply #17 on: October 06, 2014, 14:33:04 »

Notwithstanding the fact there was major disruption still, I did feel that the revised service plan held up reasonably well given the circumstances - there seemed more staff on the ground at the locations I witnessed, and the usual complete meltdown didn't seem quite as catastrophic.  For example, the Oxford<>Reading stopping services pretty much ran as normal, whereas often there's a mad scramble for drivers and sets meaning loads of last second cancellations.  Perhaps some lessons have been learned?  Perhaps forum members who were directly affected can give a summary of how their journey was affected today and how they thought it compared with previous major signalling outages as I may just have been 'lucky' in what I witnessed?
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JayMac
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« Reply #18 on: October 06, 2014, 14:50:46 »

Still some residual problems in the area after the new cabling was energised.

Track circuits showing occupied when clear, and one or two signals still 'black' - i.e. not showing any aspect.
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a-driver
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« Reply #19 on: October 06, 2014, 14:54:41 »

Notwithstanding the fact there was major disruption still, I did feel that the revised service plan held up reasonably well given the circumstances - there seemed more staff on the ground at the locations I witnessed, and the usual complete meltdown didn't seem quite as catastrophic.  For example, the Oxford<>Reading stopping services pretty much ran as normal, whereas often there's a mad scramble for drivers and sets meaning loads of last second cancellations.  Perhaps some lessons have been learned?  Perhaps forum members who were directly affected can give a summary of how their journey was affected today and how they thought it compared with previous major signalling outages as I may just have been 'lucky' in what I witnessed?

Considering the length of the affected section, I think they done well.  They ran as many trains as possible through the area and, most importantly, it was done safely.  

There's not much more you could do when you have no power to any of the signalling equipment on all 4 lines.  No train detection system, no point detection, no working signals, no interlocking the lot.  No contingency plan is going to get you around that and you can't plan for every single eventuality.  The finer details of a train plan is formed once an incident has been declared and the full extent of the incident is known.  No two incidents will ever be the same.  Network Rail will inform FGW (First Great Western) control how many trains they can safely handle through the area and its worked out from there.
Early hours of the morning, taxis were being provided for cancelled trains.  At the height of rush hour it is not possible to acquire anywhere near the number of taxis and coaches required.  Even if you provided a handful of coaches you'll end up with a stampede of commuters all trying to fight their way onto a coach when its announced.  You'll have people being trampled over left right and centre.  
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #20 on: October 06, 2014, 15:15:34 »

 Perhaps forum members who were directly affected can give a summary of how their journey was affected today and how they thought it compared with previous major signalling outages as I may just have been 'lucky' in what I witnessed?


......woke up, went downstairs, checked trains, realised everything was melting down, woke Mrs TaplowGreen, asked for a lift to work, arrived at work, logged onto Interflora website  Grin

Based on previous experiences it clearly wasn't going to be worth going to the station and hoping for the best.
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NickB
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« Reply #21 on: October 06, 2014, 15:23:38 »

Likewise.

Woke up.  Put on suit.  Read text messages.  Took off suit.  Went downstairs.  Turned on computer...

 Grin
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JayMac
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« Reply #22 on: October 06, 2014, 15:26:24 »

......woke up, went downstairs, checked trains, realised everything was melting down, woke Mrs TaplowGreen, asked for a lift to work, arrived at work, logged onto Interflora website  Grin

Based on previous experiences it clearly wasn't going to be worth going to the station and hoping for the best.

Indeed. There may not have been a florist at the station.  Tongue Wink Grin
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"Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for the rest of the day. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."

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Tim K
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« Reply #23 on: October 06, 2014, 15:38:18 »

I saw the text messages and tried to get the early train from Swindon (0641) which wasn't cancelled - didn't make it.  Sat at the train station until the next train (0728 actually left at 0745) and got the one after instead (0741, arrived at 0752 and left about 10 minutes later after we'd managed to convince everyone left on the platform that it was full and there was no more space).

Standing room only with extra stops at Maidenhead and Slough, although no-one got on or off as there was no space, finally crawled into London Paddington at 11:25ish

Wish my boss allowed me to work from home Sad
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paul7575
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« Reply #24 on: October 06, 2014, 15:38:26 »

Likewise.

Woke up.  Put on suit.  Read text messages.  Took off suit.  Went downstairs.  Turned on computer...

 Grin

Too much detail I think.  Sitting naked in front of your computer?   Grin

Paul
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BerkshireBugsy
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« Reply #25 on: October 06, 2014, 15:45:53 »

Unusually for me I didn't check the rail planner app when I first woke up. So I went to Thatcham to catch the 06:57 to Paddington only to start to realize the size of the problem.

I did ask at Reading if I could use my Thatcham to Paddington ticket via Guildford so that I could avoid the SWT (South West Trains) service to Waterloo but wasn't convinced that the person offering assistance understood the question so took the snail service and arrived 90 minutes late.

Sadly I had to be on site otherwise I would have done what a lot of you did.

Let's just hope we are not in for another bad run of signal failures Sad

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johoare
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« Reply #26 on: October 06, 2014, 16:03:17 »

The information available on-line is a bit conflicting..

I am waiting for someone who is arriving at Maidenhead on the 15.12 departure from Paddington.. Journeycheck says it is cancelled.. National Rail departures board says it's cancelled from West Drayton.. Real time trains shows it as just having left Slough and the report from the person on the train coincides with that..

How any one is going to work out what is going on for the trip home this evening (those that made it in that is) is beyond me  Grin
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lordgoata
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« Reply #27 on: October 06, 2014, 16:05:20 »

I got to the station usual time, train arrived a few minutes late. Was usual 3 cars and was standing room only. Travelled to Reading which was fun when the Pangbourne and Tilehurst commuters tried to squeeze on. Arrived at Reading around 0800. Most of us started getting off, but loads didn't even flinch until some of us said it was terminating. I checked it was terminating with one of the dispatch staff who confirmed it, and then they must have announced it on the train as everyone piled off.

We were told the next stopper to London was 0831 on Platform 13A, so we all queued up waiting. 0831 came and went, by which point platform 13A was about 8 people deep! 0834 came and went, then in typical fashion the 0831 vanished completely. Everyone was somewhat bemused. Then it changed to 0841 (or something) to Banbury! Empty 6 car turbo arrived, everyone totally confused, dispatch didn't have a clue where the London stopper was. I walked down to ask the driver where she was going, she said "Banbury I think, but don't ask me, I just work here" which made me chuckle! She was mobbed by people asking the same as she walked back down the platform to the other end. That then left, with about 4 people on it, to run non-stop to Oxford.

Suddenly there were shouts from all directions that the stopper was on Platform 14A. Everyone bundled up the escalator which promptly stopped. There was a mad crush up, along the bridge and back down the other side.

The dispatcher on 14A kept blowing his whistle, despite being loads of people trying to get down the escalator. Some poor lady went flying across the platform in her panic to reach the train before it left, I believe the dispatcher came to help her.

Finally made it down onto the train, which was standing room only as we left - not that it stopped people with their full size bikes trying to get on.

BTP (British Transport Police) were on the platform, as a precaution I assume.

Arrived at Twford which was relatively quiet, so once the students got off, there was space for the commuters, so wasn't too much of a crush.

Then we arrived at Maidenhead, which as usual, was a complete chaotic nightmare with the idiots that stand in front of the doors so no one can get off (hint, if you let us off, you can get on). Oh except the one chap who decided he would get on before we even had a chance to get off (I have never experienced this phenomenon anywhere else apart from Maidenhead!).


Can't wait to go home!
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JayMac
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« Reply #28 on: October 06, 2014, 16:31:30 »

Long distance train plan for the rest of the day:

Quote
Train plan as follows:

From Paddington

XX00 to Bristol TM(resolve)/Weston Super Mare
XX30 to West of England, via Swindon, Chippenham, Bath Spa and Bristol TM
XX45 to Swansea as booked

From Bristol TM

XX00 from West of England
XX30 to Paddington as booked

From Swansea

XX28 to Paddington as booked

Cancellations:
1G47 1536 Paddington to Cheltenham Spa
1B55 1615 Paddington to Swansea
1B76 1815 Paddington to Swansea
1L91 1834 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington

Alterations:
1B63 1715 Paddington to Carmarthen starts at Bristol TM
1W07 1722 Paddington to Hereford starts at Reading
1W09 1922 Paddington to Hereford starts at Reading

Ticket restrictions lifted for the remainder of today.

Tickets for today will be valid tomorrow, Tuesday 7th.

Up relief line in the affected area running normally. Down relief has one signal out with trains being talked past. Paddington to Reading currently has an all stations hourly service.

Ticket acceptance on all reasonable alternative rail routes (particularly SWT (South West Trains) Waterloo-Reading, Virgin Euston-Birmingham then London Midland to Worcester/Hereford. Chiltern Marylebone-Banbury) an on First Berkshire buses:

1B/2 Slough to Burnham
58/78 Slough to Langley
75 Maidenhead > Taplow > Burnham > Slough > Langley
76 Burnham > Slough > Langley
« Last Edit: October 06, 2014, 16:41:15 by bignosemac » Logged

"Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for the rest of the day. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."

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JayMac
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« Reply #29 on: October 06, 2014, 17:17:32 »

Discussion that took a Pythonesque turn has been split off to a new topic:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14692.0
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"Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for the rest of the day. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."

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