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

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

So two sets of signal failures today (so far) and heat related disruption too on a very warm day..........tomorrow it will be v v hot, up to 96 degrees if forecasts are to be believed.....meltdown?

I would hope roughly the same as today.  A pretty good morning peak before the real heat arrives, followed by a few targeted and sensible speed precautions and cancellations leading to the majority of trains running, though with delays that slowly get worse throughout the afternoon, as crew and trains start to get displaced and the peak heat levels arrive. 

There may be the odd train failure, like today, as the systems on them get tested more than usual leading to the possibility of more failures than you might usually expect - just in the same way that the RAC usually get 20-30% more call outs on hot days for car breakdowns.  Hopefully there won't be 'meltdown' but certainly don't expect there not to be at least some disruption, especially later in the afternoon.

[NickB]

Looks fairly much like a meltdown from where I'm sat stood.
Trying to be constructive about things what vexes me is that adjustments to schedules aren't made to accommodate the flow of passengers from cancelled trains when specific peaks of destination are obvious.

Case in point being the services to Maidenhead which peak at 18.18 where all 6 carriages literally empty at Maidenhead.

So, what has happened today to let me call it a meltdown...
- the 17.49 via Maidenhead is held in platform soaking up most of the 18.18 flow.
- 17.49 develops brake fault and is eventually cancelled.
- 18.18 has just left half empty.
- 18.25 stopping service is declared as the next train to Maidenhead.
- 18.25 is 3 carriages not 6 and is dangerously overcrowded with people fainting and water being shared between passengers.
- 18.25 takes 45mins to reach southall where we are told that a train in front has broken down.
- in the meantime the 19.05 to Maidenhead is also cancelled.
- I've now taken 2hrs from arriving at Paddington to reach Langley and I have no idea when I will reach home. This is why I call it a meltdown.

Wouldn't it have been nice to add Maidenhead as a first stop on any of those Reading Hst sets??

[BBM]

The Henley Branch User Group (@HenleyBUG) tweeted earlier this evening that a train had hit a tyre on the track at Slough and another one in the same area had suffered a broken windscreen. I noticed that the 16.49 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-OXF^» (Oxford - next trains) was terminated at SLO so I wonder if that train was one of the two mentioned in the tweet?

[bobm]

A Bristol bound High Speed Train (HST^▸ (High Speed Train)) made an extra call at Slough to pick up the stranded passengers from the Oxford train.

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[lordgoata]

I really can't convey how much I hate rail travel right now. Whether it's the fault of fgw or network rail or Bob the builder I couldn't care less, it's just crap.

Mine was 31 minutes late tonight. Thankfully it was the full compliment of 3 carriages (it was 5 until the May timetable "improved" it) ... unlike several times recently when its been 2 car....

[IndustryInsider]

Looks fairly much like a meltdown from where I'm sat stood.

- I've now taken 2hrs from arriving at Paddington to reach Langley and I have no idea when I will reach home. This is why I call it a meltdown.

Wouldn't it have been nice to add Maidenhead as a first stop on any of those Reading High Speed Train (Hst) sets??

I'd describe a meltdown as practically no trains running at all, which was certainly not the case as the vast majority ran, albeit most suffering delays of 10-30 minutes and a fairly small number with delays above that.  That's not to say that you and many others didn't have a pretty crap journey home tonight as you obviously did, but had the 17:49 not been cancelled at short notice due to a set failure, the other links in the chain you describe would have, in themselves, not been of too great a consequence.  Notwithstanding the fact the 18:25 3-car vice 6-car was poor advice for Maidenhead passengers as the 18:42 would have been a far better bet, though very busy itself I suspect as a 4-car - it got to Maidenhead 25 minutes earlier than the 18:25 having left at a similar time.

However, you're dead right that our control needs to consider the likely flow of passengers for the busiest stations, which on that train certainly is Maidenhead, and make better provision for them by stopping one of the slightly quieter High Speed Train's (HST^▸ (High Speed Train))s where possible - or do their best to communicate the 18:18/18:42 option better when situations like this develop.  However, having been involved in many similar incidents over the years, it is surprising how difficult it can be to advise passengers of the best option, especially, as is often the case, that technicians could rectify the fault on the 17:49 at any given moment which would completely change what the best advice would have been at an instant.

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[IndustryInsider]

I would hope roughly the same as today.  A pretty good morning peak before the real heat arrives, followed by a few targeted and sensible speed precautions and cancellations leading to the majority of trains running, though with delays that slowly get worse throughout the afternoon, as crew and trains start to get displaced and the peak heat levels arrive. 

Well, stage one as hoped for with limited disruption during this morning's peak.  Now, let's watch he situation slowly deteriorate after lunchtime and fingers crossed it will be no worse than yesterday!

[TaplowGreen]

I would hope roughly the same as today.  A pretty good morning peak before the real heat arrives, followed by a few targeted and sensible speed precautions and cancellations leading to the majority of trains running, though with delays that slowly get worse throughout the afternoon, as crew and trains start to get displaced and the peak heat levels arrive. 

Well, stage one as hoped for with limited disruption during this morning's peak.  Now, let's watch he situation slowly deteriorate after lunchtime and fingers crossed it will be no worse than yesterday!

I spoke to several people this morning who had 2 hour journeys from Paddington to Taplow/Maidenhead last night so I sincerely hope it isn't any worse today!!!

[insider]

Todays Marlow Branch for evening peak will be again the locked in hourly shuttle services. The direct services will terminate at Maidenehad.

With Regards to the Regatta Timetable from today.

A 4 Car operates (into Bay Platform 5) from after the morning peak and then until close of service Wednesday - Friday every 30 mins from Twyford/ Henley. To maintain that frequency, one trip per hour will miss Wargrave in down, and both Shiplake and Wargrave on the Up.

A 7 Car will operate (in to Up Relief platform 4). Every 30 mins Bus service Twyford- Wargrave all day. And 1 trip in Up Direction will not call at Shiplake.

There are also a number of Turbos and High Speed Train's (HST^▸ (High Speed Train))'s that will call at Twyford additonally to pick up London Bound in the evenings

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[johoare]

I was also on the the 17.49 so had the same experience as NickB. I didn't try and get on the 18.25 as I saw how crowded it was.. I got the 18.50 departure (to change at Slough).. Funnily enough it was the same train that I had got off a while earlier (the broken 17.49 which had miraculously been mended since).. We changed at Slough and got on a (very hot) train that had left Paddington at 18.16.. As Nick said it would have been nice had they stopped another High Speed Train (HST^▸ (High Speed Train)) service at Maidenhead to relieve the overcrowding and horrible conditions as a result of the 17.49 being cancelled

Tonight I intend not to travel in the rush hour as they are already promising us issues (via BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) news)

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[Western Enterprise]

Case in point being the services to Maidenhead which peak at 18.18 where all 6 carriages literally empty at Maidenhead.

So, what has happened today to let me call it a meltdown...
- the 17.49 via Maidenhead is held in platform soaking up most of the 18.18 flow.
- 17.49 develops brake fault and is eventually cancelled.
- 18.18 has just left half empty.
- 18.25 stopping service is declared as the next train to Maidenhead.
- 18.25 is 3 carriages not 6 and is dangerously overcrowded with people fainting and water being shared between passengers.
- 18.25 takes 45mins to reach southall where we are told that a train in front has broken down.
- in the meantime the 19.05 to Maidenhead is also cancelled.
- I've now taken 2hrs from arriving at Paddington to reach Langley and I have no idea when I will reach home. This is why I call it a meltdown.

I too was on the 17.49 which developed brake problems and was eventually told to get off about 18.25.
I thought about a Turbo but decided to get the 18.50 High Speed Train (HST^▸ (High Speed Train)); first stop Slough and play catch up. It was empty and the aircon was on overblow.
In this weather I'd take that rather than the Turbo, didn't wait too long for a stopper onwards.

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[eightf48544]

Interesting listening to Radio London travel reports whilst stuck in a traffic jam on the Eastbound A40at Hillingdon around 16:30 yesterday. 30/6,  (don't ask!) they were consistently saying no trains between Twyford and Henley and Maidenhead and Marlow.

i thought it was only the through trains from Padd that were cancelled.

[grahame]

... they were consistently saying no trains between Twyford and Henley and Maidenhead and Marlow ...

i thought it was only the through trains from Padd that were cancelled.

We have learnt in our area that a wonderful way to lessen demand / loadings is to let people know a train's not running but then run it anyway 

It's very rare ... tends to happen by accident where a train's bust and can't run, gets cancelled, then someone manages to fix it after all ...

[BBM]

Interesting listening to Radio London travel reports whilst stuck in a traffic jam on the Eastbound A40at Hillingdon around 16:30 9don't ask!) they were consistently saying no trains between Twyford and Henley and Maidenhead and Marlow.

i thought it was only the through trains from Padd that were cancelled.

I'm sure I heard the same thing on BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Radio Berkshire but I can't remember if it was today or yesterday (this morning I was busy struggling to get over Sonning Bridge where the traffic lights weren't working, so it's not just the railways which suffer from signal failures!)

[JayMac]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)'s online magazine:

Who, What, Why: Why does hot weather cause rail delays?



As the hottest weather so far this year hits parts of the UK^▸ (United Kingdom), train passengers are being warned of further train delays caused by buckling rails. Why does this happen, asks Justin Parkinson.

On hot days, steel rails exposed to direct sunshine can become 20C hotter than the air temperature, according to Network Rail. The resulting expansion can cause extreme compression and buckling. When this happens, lines become impassable and close for repairs, which can't usually happen until temperatures drop again.

Some operators have warned of temporary speed restrictions on stretches deemed most at risk, as slower trains exert lower forces on the track, reducing the risk of buckling.

In the past, the UK's main system of coping with extreme heat involved leaving gaps, known as expansion joints, along the line, allowing rails to slide past each other as they expand. But the small breaks in the line meant trains were noisy and gave bumpy rides.

Under the replacement system, to prevent buckling the track is "pre-stressed" or stretched. Only when it gets unusually hot does the metal expand enough to pose a risk of rails pushing together and buckling.

This treatment allows rails to be welded together, leaving no gaps. In the UK rail tension is set so that they only start to expand - and thereby push against each other - when the outside temperature gets to 27C.

"This means there's a greater risk of buckling than there once was, but the modern system was introduced to make the ride smoother for passengers and quieter for those living near the track. Removing the joints also reduces damage and maintenance requirements," says Prof Simon Iwnicki, director of Huddersfield University's Institute of Railway Research.

Network Rail already paints "at-risk" sections of lines white to reflect more heat and reduce expansion.

Iwnicki advocates ballast being formed into "shoulders" at the ends of sleepers to prevent sideways sliding and help to resist buckling when temperatures are high. Countries such as Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, the US and Germany use "slab track", where rails are laid on reinforced concrete slabs, holding them more rigidly. It's also used in the section of the Eurotunnel which runs under the English Channel.

But Network Rail estimates slab track is four times dearer to install than that on sleepers and ballast, and "it's hard to make a business case" for it, even taking into account maintenance savings.

There's some good news for commuters, however. The heatwave ends on Thursday.

Moderator note: As we are currently discussing the rails in the Thames Valley, rather than signalling, I've taken the liberty of renaming this thread. The word 'signalling' has been replaced with the word 'infrastructure'.