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Author Topic: Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption elsewhere - ongoing, since Oct 2014  (Read 1243693 times)
IndustryInsider
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« Reply #1830 on: June 19, 2017, 21:15:24 »

Information and service recovery not helped by the complete removal of key behind the scenes operational staff at key locations (Cardiff, Westbury and Oxford) at the end of March to save money.  Savings that will no doubt be lost in extra delay minutes they would have prevented.
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To view my GWML (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
Western Pathfinder
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« Reply #1831 on: June 19, 2017, 21:16:15 »

For those who have been caught up in the pigeon poo today hope this helps
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yhuMLpdnOjY
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Surrey 455
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« Reply #1832 on: June 19, 2017, 22:32:32 »

................now pushed out till 1100, to add to the joy, none of the ticket machines are working at Paddington......imagine the queues at the ticket offices.

And from my Monday morning email...
Quote
South West Trains Alert Service <noreply@nexusalpha.com>
09:23 (13 hours ago)

to me
Dear Customer,

Following an IT issue from earlier this morning, we are unable to process card payments on some of our ticket machines, including all the ticket machines at London Waterloo.

This fault has been reported and is under investigation. 

If you are travelling on one our trains and not able to purchase a ticket please speak to a member of staff or the Guard on your train for further advice.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause you.

Thank you.

South West Trains.
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #1833 on: June 20, 2017, 06:16:31 »

I saw there had been disruption during the day but the GWR (Great Western Railway) website was saying minor disruption and all trains on time. Got  Paddington just before 5 and it looked like no trains running at all. Hard to tell as the display only had Heathrow Express services and some cancelled Maidenhead one. No staff around to ask of course, no station announcements and nothing on the board before I wandered up to H&C end to wait. There was a network rail person up there who I asked but he was 'security' and doing his checks. He did comment about the GWR staff and how they all disappear as soon as there's an incident.

I'm about truly staggered (each time - you think experience would teach me) how GWR fail to provide not just information but often wrong information. How can a company think it acceptable to withdraw all frontline staff every time there's an incident? This wasn't even a major one from the comments above. If you're worried about staff safety for a BAU incident then I think you seriously need to review your operating model.

Don't tell me my train is on time when it never was. I'm fortunate in that I can work flexibly. If there's problems I can work late, go to the pub, go for a meal and that's one less person at Paddington and I'm sure I'm not alone. Just give me information. Hottest day of they year and nothing. How about handing out bottles of water to the elderly and infirm? Or even not charging me to use the toilets when I've been stuck waiting for trains and/or information.

In the end I got on the first stopping (first service full stop) to Twyford which was truly horrible. People fighting to get on, other trying to get off because they're ill and one woman had a panic attack in the heat and crowds.

Barely seems worth mentioning being 25 mins late this morning.

Pretty much mirrors my experience yesterday (after also being 25 mins late in the morning) - I got back to Paddington around 1730, pretty chaotic, those few GWR staff that were around seemed too busy shouting at each other and those customers who did dare to talk to them rather than being helpful......no water on offer despite the temperatures and the delays having been ongoing pretty much all day.

Thought I'd got lucky when I saw that the 1711 to Henley was still waiting to depart (about 25 mins late), managed to cram on it - 3 car turbo despite the delays, hugely overcrowded, aircon? no chance. Crawled along to Ealing (they let a Hayes stopper out just in front) by which time you could have literally wrung out my shirt - temperature on the train was 40 degrees Celsius and there were a number of people who were obviously on the point of keeling over.

People were offering water/giving up seats for those finding it harder - apart from a couple of railway employees who studiously avoided the gazes of others - you would have thought they would be the first to jump up really.

So we get to Slough eventually "ladies and gentlemen this train will no longer stop at Burnham or Taplow due to an obstruction on the line" -hmmmmmm (no staff offering help at Slough either)

So a lot of us are turfed off to see that our next option is still over 20 minutes away and eventually turns up about 40 minutes late.

If this really was all caused by a pigeon it's quite a fitting symbol for GWR's resilience. Irrespective of who is ultimately to "blame" they own the Customer experience 100% and on this occasion, as on so many others, their response was pathetic.
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Adelante_CCT
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« Reply #1834 on: June 20, 2017, 10:18:39 »

So other than someone having a pre-cooked meal, and some feathers for a new hat to go to Ascot with, do we actually know what happened last night, and why on earth it took so long to sort out?
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chrisr_75
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« Reply #1835 on: June 20, 2017, 11:35:16 »

I have been reading on twitter that A Pidgeon flew into the OLE (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") and exploded ! Up Main is blocked by rubble from this or so it would seem .
Good luck to those trying to get home this evening ,hottest day of year so far  my sympathies .

Was it a rock dove?!
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broadgage
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« Reply #1836 on: June 20, 2017, 11:37:03 »

Pigeon perched on Over-Head Line Equipment (OLHE) very close to underside of a bridge.
Pigeon exploded due to flashover.
Small amount of cement render fell from bridge.
Chaos ensued.
The pigeon did not survive.

Or so I heard from someone involved who was told not reveal details because it would "make the railway a laughing stock"


Edit:VickiS-Clarifying Acronym
« Last Edit: May 05, 2021, 16:00:00 by VickiS » Logged

A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
TaplowGreen
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« Reply #1837 on: June 20, 2017, 12:03:54 »

Pigeon perched on OLHE very close to underside of a bridge.
Pigeon exploded due to flashover.
Small amount of cement render fell from bridge.
Chaos ensued.
The pigeon did not survive.

Or so I heard from someone involved who was told not reveal details because it would "make the railway a laughing stock"



..............you're suggesting GWR (Great Western Railway) needs help to look like a laughing stock? Generally speaking it manages to achieve that perfectly adequately on its own.
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broadgage
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« Reply #1838 on: June 20, 2017, 12:07:37 »

I suspect that "exploding pigeons" may become as notorious as "the wrong type of snow" as a reason for railway delays.
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A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
chuffed
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« Reply #1839 on: June 20, 2017, 12:28:28 »

GWR (Great Western Railway) = Grilled With Relish !
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #1840 on: June 20, 2017, 12:46:27 »

The levity is fine, but please don't underestimate the pretty awful effect that this farce had on tens of thousands of people last night and once again exposed GWRs (Great Western Railway)/the railways frailties and systemic failures.
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broadgage
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« Reply #1841 on: June 20, 2017, 12:52:53 »

Learning points

1) were clear signs exhibited warning of the limited clearance between OHLE and the bridge.
2) can the pigeons read the signs, and understand them.
3) if not, what steps are to be taken to improve the reading skills of pigeons.
4) was counselling offered to other pigeons affected by this event.
5) are other species of bird at risk.
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A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
broadgage
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« Reply #1842 on: June 20, 2017, 12:54:45 »

The levity is fine, but please don't underestimate the pretty awful effect that this farce had on tens of thousands of people last night and once again exposed GWRs (Great Western Railway)/the railways frailties and systemic failures.

Yes, but what about the effect on the family of the pigeon ?
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A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
charles_uk
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« Reply #1843 on: June 20, 2017, 14:06:33 »

So, on to today's issue...

Cancellations to services between Ealing Broadway and London Paddington
Due to a fault with the signalling system between Ealing Broadway and London Paddington some lines towards London Paddington are blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 30 minutes or revised. Disruption is expected until 14:45 20/06. [edit... disruption now expected until 15:00]

No idea how this'll develop but a few delays showing up at Paddington at the moment.
« Last Edit: June 20, 2017, 14:27:23 by charles_uk » Logged
ChrisB
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« Reply #1844 on: June 20, 2017, 14:15:35 »

There's also a TSL (Temporary Speed Limit) (Temporary Speed Limit) affecting at least the Up Main - it seems as though the Oxford Fasts have had their Slough stop removed.
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