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

[whole diary]

[Jason]

Due to a broken down train between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington some lines towards London Paddington are blocked.
Impact:
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled. Disruption is expected until 11:00 28/02.
Customer Advice:
A Heathrow Express train has failed on the fast line on the approaches to London. As a result and to ensure that High speed services into London are not delayed, these services are now running on the lines used by stopping services.
To keep the lines clear for the high speed services, the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) shuttle service between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington and also Heathrow Connect services are currently suspended.
Train services are conveying passengers between London Paddington and Heathrow Terminal 5 in both directions until further notice. Arrangements have been made for Great Western Railway rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.

HEX is suspended. I lost 25 minutes routing around the affected service. The train manager said the HEX service was being affected by ice in the overheads but I've not seen this mentioned anywhere else.

[ Problems now expected until 12:30 ]

[dviner]

Only really an infrastructure problem in as much as the infrastructure wasn't available to be used as there was a broken-down train sitting on it.

[TaplowGreen]

Doesn't bode well


Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Reading
Due to severe weather between London Paddington and Reading some lines are blocked.
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled. Disruption is expected until 09:45 01/03.

[DidcotPunter]

Paddington closed from 8:00am this morning.

High Speed services being turned round at Reading and Didcot, LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) services tipping out at Ealing Broadway. Loads of cancellations. Very glad I'm not travelling today.

[ChrisB]

A few platforms now open at Paddington.

This was purely a safety issue with their shiny floor becoming a hazard as they haven't enough staff/suitable machines/mats to put down to absorb the wet.....Network Rail (NR^» (Network Rail - home page)) must get and sort this....they chose to put down that type of flooring. They need to sort it out.

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) need to upgrade their website which couldn't cope with the number of enquiries it was getting though


Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[TaplowGreen]

Cancellations to services between London Paddington and Reading


Following severe weather between London Paddington and Reading some lines will be reopened shortly.
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 120 minutes or revised. Disruption is expected until 16:00 01/03.

Customer Advice
Chiltern Railways are conveying passengers between London Marylebone and Banbury via Princes Risborough and Oxford in both directions until further notice.
Virgin Trains West Coast are conveying passengers between London Euston and Birmingham New Street in both directions until further notice. Arrangements have been made for Great Western Railway rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.
West Mkidlands Trains are conveying passengers between Birmingham New Street and Great Malvern in both directions until further notice. Arrangements have been made for Great Western Railway rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.
South Western Railway are conveying passengers between London Waterloo and Reading via Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside in both directions until further notice. Arrangements have been made for Great Western Railway rail tickets to be accepted for these journeys.
Additional Information
Local stopping services bewteen London Paddington and Reading
We will be reintroducing our shuttle train service between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington.
A limited train service will be introduced between London Paddington and Reading.

High-speed services to/from London Paddington will start/terminate at Reading.
XX:00 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington terminate at Reading.
XX:30 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads start at Reading.
XX:29 Swansea to London Paddington terminate at Reading.
XX:45 London Paddington to Swansea to start at Reading.
XX:03 London Paddington to Plymouth/Penzance start at Reading
XX:21 London Paddington to Worcester, Great Malvern and Hereford start at Reading.
XX:15 London Paddington to Cardiff Central Suspended
XX:51 London Paddington to Oxford Suspended
XX:33 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa Suspended

[Timmer]

A few platforms now open at Paddington.

This was purely a safety issue with their shiny floor becoming a hazard as they haven't enough staff/suitable machines/mats to put down to absorb the wet.....NR^» (Network Rail - home page) must get and sort this....they chose to put down that type of flooring. They need to sort it out.

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) need to upgrade their website which couldn't cope with the number of enquiries it was getting though

It can be slippery at the best of times. I remember the old surface at Paddington, black tarmac surface with round indents.

[ellendune]

It can be slippery at the best of times. I remember the old surface at Paddington, black tarmac surface with round indents.

[/pedant mode on] black tarmac mastic asphalt surface [/pedant mode off]

[Timmer]

It can be slippery at the best of times. I remember the old surface at Paddington, black tarmac surface with round indents.

[/pedant mode on] black tarmac mastic asphalt surface [/pedant mode off]

Thanks ellendune, a much better way to describe it. Not pretty but less slippery.

[Electric train]

A few platforms now open at Paddington.

This was purely a safety issue with their shiny floor becoming a hazard as they haven't enough staff/suitable machines/mats to put down to absorb the wet.....Network Rail (NR^» (Network Rail - home page)) must get and sort this....they chose to put down that type of flooring. They need to sort it out.

The type of flooring was not Network Rail (NR) choice, it was something forced on Railtrack by English Heritage.  EH wanted Lime Stone (the pavers at Padd are French Lime Stone  )  York Stone pavers were to expensive and to heavy (due to the thickness) plus it is not as hard wearing.  EH would not accept reconstituted stone, concrete, tarmac etc

The slip hazard was highlighted at the time (1996 - 98)

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[TaplowGreen]

Huge numbers of cancellations on routes tonight with no alternative road transport methods being arranged as they're apparently not safe.......what will GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) be doing to assist those who are stranded as a result?


Cancellations to services on all routes
Due to severe weather between Reading and Taunton:
Train services running across the whole Great Western Railway network may be cancelled. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Customer Advice
Apart from London & Thames Valley services in the London/Reading/Oxford area all trains on the Great Western Railway network are severely disrupted and a majority of services will be cancelled.
The advice is not to travel.
We will also be unable to use taxis or buses due to this severe weather event. Road conditions will not be safe for road transport to be used as an alternative and we advise you not to travel.

[broadgage]

Huge numbers of cancellations on routes tonight with no alternative road transport methods being arranged as they're apparently not safe.......what will GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) be doing to assist those who are stranded as a result?

Not certain that there is much that GWR CAN do.
You wont often hear me stand up for GWR, but in this case the conditions are too bad for trains or replacement road transport.
If people are stranded and merely uncomfortable, then that is one of the perils of travelling in severe weather.
If people are in actual danger from cold or exposure, then reliance may have to be placed on the emergency services, the voluntary groups such as the Red Cross, or even the Armed forces.

There is of course SOME help that GWR can offer, but it is very limited.
Keep station waiting rooms or others areas open, lit and heated all night.
Provide refreshments, when available.
Allow reasonable use of railway telephones to the public to contact friends and family.
Let people shelter on trains with the heating on, in the absence of other facilities.
Arrange taxis WHEN SAFE for very local journeys such as to a nearby hotel.
Offer to store luggage for those who decide to proceed on foot.

I have little sympathy with "the railway" when they fail to respond effectively to a railway problem such as signalling failures and train breakdowns, and under such conditions they have often IMO^▸ (in my opinion) failed to promptly secure buses and taxis.
This weather though is affecting everything, buses and taxis included.
Taxi from Taunton to Penzance ? no way under present conditions !
Taxi from Taunton station to an hotel a mile or two away along treated roads ? Should certainly be considered.

[grahame]

... what will GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) be doing to assist those who are stranded as a result?

Excellent question.

When we ran accommodation (hotel) - away from railway - it was nights like tonight where we got last minute custom that didn't fit the common metric, and where at times we bent normal policy to help people out. But that was very low volume.

I would hope and expect that enough people have been put off making journeys tonight for the numbers having problems to be very few.

[just noted broad gage's post when I submitter this ... broad agreement; different enough for me to let my post stand too]

[Sixty3Closure]

Is the website infrastructure? Certainly where I work we treat it as such.

Anyway second (or possibly 3rd) day in a row I can't connect to it reliably enough to see what's happening. I'm guessing not a lot!

[broadgage]

Is the website infrastructure? Certainly where I work we treat it as such.
Anyway second (or possibly 3rd) day in a row I can't connect to it reliably enough to see what's happening. I'm guessing not a lot!

The website is not infrastructure in the accepted railway sense of the word, it is however an important part of running a railway these days and really ought to work even at times of disruption.

In my view, a much simplified version of the website to be available at times of significant disruption.

Remove all the following from the simplified/emergency website.
Adverts that basically say how wonderful GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are.
Other adverts that state things will be even better in the future.
All references to or adverts for leisure travel.
All pretty pictures, leaving only essential informative images.
All references to great adventures !
Any promotions.
Adverts for placesthat you can visit by GWR train.
Anything promoting or encouraging seat reservations, first class, or Pullman dining, since these facilities probably wont be available in any case, and certainly not reliably available.

All that is needed under such conditions is a list of

Routes that are closed
Routes that are badly disrupted
Routes that are less disrupted.
List of cancellations.
And other basic factual information.
Such a website should be much quicker at times of exceptional demand.