Serious disruption at Wokingham - 26 Aug 18

[whole diary]

[bobm]

There were delays and cancellations at Wokingham for nearly four hours yesterday afternoon after the 14:54 from Reading to London Waterloo was accidently sent towards Crowthorne.

The driver was able to stop with the rear of the train still on the third rail but blocking the junction. (Not sure about the level crossing.)

Two trains, one to Gatwick and the following service to Waterloo were trapped behind between Winnersh Triangle and Wokingham and a service from London was caught between Bracknell and Wokingham.

Fleets of taxis were ordered to get passengers moving.  The three trapped trains were eventually able to reverse to Winnersh, Winnersh Triangle and Bracknell respectively.  It is reported those on the train which took the wrong route were evacuated after around two hours.  The train itself needed fitters to come from Waterloo to tie up shoegear before it could be brought back into the platform at Wokingham some three hours after the incident began.

The traction current had to be turned off to get the shoegear lifted, back on to move the train and then off again to lower the shoegear which obviously all took time.  However it does seem an awful lot of time to clear the problem.  Thankfully the unit was still able to pick up some current.  In previous incidents a rescue unit has been needed if the train had reached the end of the third rail.

[grahame]

There were delays and cancellations at Wokingham for nearly four hours yesterday afternoon after the 14:54 from Reading to London Waterloo was accidently sent towards Crowthorne.

Oops ... and, as you say, not the first time.

Naughty thought ...  why not fill the little gaps in the third rail between Reading and Guildford, and Guilidford and Redhill 

[stuving]

I saw the end of that yesterday, without knowing the cause, and only worked out later last night what it must have been. Having been asked how the trains were running, and on checking finding they weren't, I looked out and saw the crossing was closed. I went out (this was about 18:25) as an SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) train (2x458) was crossing the road, backwards, at walking pace - by the time I was on the bridge and could see its back (nominally leading) end it had passed the junction.

I did see what happened when it was platformed. A load of people did get off and rush towards the flock of taxis waiting, pausing only to object that the toilets were locked (officially only open when the ticket office is, which it wasn't, but I'm sure it's often closed even then). It struck me that they were less vocally and visibly hacked off than I 'd expect by being stuck on a train for three hours - maybe those ones had been taken off in situ.

Among the dozen or so NR^» (Network Rail - home page) and SWR staff there was also a Siemens guy (and van). Once the power had been cut, and tested, he leaned down and took off a couple of big tie-wraps (or similar) from the two bogies that had shoe-gear on at the London end. Then he and a couple of NR types walked once round the train, and it went back into service and set off to Waterloo. That was puzzling - if the train was not damaged, why was it stuck for so long?

I've come to the conclusion that they probably replaced the damaged shoegear before recovering the train.  If the Siemens response to a "train straying off the third rail" call-out was a van with spare shoegear in it, it takes little extra time after taking off the damaged ones. The alternative would leave a defective train with no access to the relevant bogies due to the platform. Of course it may have taken some time to decide that was the right intervention, and then find and send out the spares.

[bobm]

I knew our "Wokingham correspondent" will be able to fill in some details.   

[Oxonhutch]

Naughty thought ...  why not fill the little gaps in the third rail between Reading and Guildford, and Guilidford and Redhill 

Just a train length clear of the junction, or up to signal 502, would have kept the train undamaged, and on juice.  It could then be reversed out on the signaller's instructions.

[stuving]

Naughty thought ...  why not fill the little gaps in the third rail between Reading and Guildford, and Guilidford and Redhill 

Just a train length clear of the junction, or up to signal 502, would have kept the train undamaged, and on juice.  It could then be reversed out on the signaller's instructions.

You're right, of course - the shoes are designed to sit clear of the running rails when unsupported, so will not be damaged just by crossing points. After all, they do that all the time! I was looking for a reason for it to take three hours.

I have found out why the shoes needed to be tied up, though, but only on that side. If you hold on a few minutes I'll process the photographic evidence.

[Surrey 455]

I have found out why the shoes needed to be tied up, though, but only on that side. If you hold on a few minutes I'll process the photographic evidence.

Have you gone off to your dark room? 

[stuving]

This picture was taken in April this year, looking "down" towards the station. 2C46 was hoping to take the line off towards our leftright (Up Main), but instead came straight on towards us (Up Guildford). This junction has had a lot of intermittent tinkering over several years, as well as that emergency repair last year and the replacement of one or more of the crossings (still visible by the signal box). The yellow paint must be related to some of that.

One of the effects this frequent work may be that the third rail installed is not ideal; some bits may be left out if trains can still run. Perhaps "we'll put them in when the work's finished". However, I suspect it's always been like this.

The important feature is that continuous run to the right of the points, which the shoes would need to climb on top of as the train went back into the station. Now a gap could have been left there, whether a short length of third rail was added opposite or not. If you look at the Down Main, there is such a gap where the feed changes side, but then there's a much longer gap with no power from either side where it crosses the Up Guildford.

So it is a bit of an own goal - a small change to the track would allow recovery by phone calls alone, or at worst a "wait for a MOM^▸ (Mobile Operations Manager)" incident. And if it does need those shoes tied up, should that really take three hours?

[SandTEngineer]

Thats interesting STUVING.  In my days on the Southern area, the conductor rail always used to extend over the junction on the un-electrified route for at least a trains length.  NR^» (Network Rail - home page) cutbacks when the junction was last relayed.....?

I expect that both the signaller and driver concerned, though, will be called in for 'tea and biscuits' but possibly without either the tea or the biscuits!

[martyjon]

Was this a problem / glitch of ARS^▸ (Automatic Route Setting) ?

What was the junction signal showing and was there a reasonable sighting distance from the cab to see the signal and dependant on the speed of the train such that the driver couldn't stop the train before the junction pointwork ?

Does the junction have flashing yellows on the approach to the junction if the minor route is cleared ?

All will probably become clear if and when an RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) report is issued if indeed reports of incidents of this nature are investigated.

[SandTEngineer]

No ARS^▸ (Automatic Route Setting) at Wokingham.  Its a mechanical signalbox that works colourlight signals.  No flashing yellows.  Probably won't be any independent investigation.

[stuving]

No ARS^▸ (Automatic Route Setting) at Wokingham.  Its a mechanical signalbox that works colourlight signals.  No flashing yellows.  Probably won't be any independent investigation.

It was due for recontrol from Basingstoke last year, though that has been put off and I'm not sure if there is a definite date for it now. Before that initial due date, a lot of work was done there, I think by the mechanical signalling team, which I assumed would do all the local preparation for recontrol. As there's no sign of any point motors going in, is there any other way of automating points ready for such a changeover? Is there some kind of remote controlled multiple points activator that can be put into the base of the signal box, for example?

[martyjon]

Its very rare that I travel in third rail country but in cases like the junction depicted I have seen ramps on the sides of the conductor rail so that the current pick-up shoes can regain their normal position for taking current. Perhaps in this case the powers to be deemed it not necessary as no electric trains would pass over the junction towards Guildford.

 

[martyjon]

No ARS^▸ (Automatic Route Setting) at Wokingham.  Its a mechanical signalbox that works colourlight signals.  No flashing yellows.  Probably won't be any independent investigation.

I didn't realise it was a local box, I thought it would be a powerbox/signalling centre (Feltham maybe) being so close to the capital.

[paul7575]

The SWT^▸ (South West Trains) (now SWR^» (South Western Railway - about)) Desiro fleet has something missing that is present on the 350/1.  The latter have shoes that can be raised or lowered from the cab.  I have it on good authority that the bogie end of the raise/lower hardware was not fitted to 450/444 as a minor cost saving - although with 162 vehicles it’ll be a noticeable sum...

I was at Bournemouth years ago and they had a mobile teaching aid next to Platform 1 where drivers were practicing using the wooden paddle, (carried on board), to lift the shoe prior to securing it up with ty-wraps.

As said above there is another option for the third rail at such a junction, they can provide a ‘side entry ramp’ on the side of the continuous section of third rail.   The side entry ramps can be seen at some crossovers and junctions where one route or other has a continuous section of rail past the points.

Will try and find a picture:  https://goo.gl/images/J7PUif

Paul