Flooding - Alderton Tunnel - 14 Jan 20

[whole diary]

[bobm]

Problems for services to and from South Wales tonight with the line closed at Alderton Tunnel between Swindon and Bristol Parkway due to flooding.

Two trains have had to turn back and return to Bristol Parkway and Swindon respectively to diver via Box Tunnel.

Signaller at TVSC^» (Thames Valley Signalling Centre - about) Didcot is on the case.

[ellendune]

It was OK when I came through on the 17:27 Bristol Parkway to Paddington about an hour ago. Real Time Trains suggests the next two trains got through ok.  Glad I wasn't any later. 

[PhilWakely]

Problems for services to and from South Wales tonight with the line closed at Alderton Tunnel between Swindon and Bristol Parkway due to flooding.

Two trains have had to turn back and return to Bristol Parkway and Swindon respectively to diver via Box Tunnel.

Signaller at TVSC^» (Thames Valley Signalling Centre - about) Didcot is on the case.

Freudian slip perchance?   

[grahame]

Interesting to see the super fast to Parkway still serving Parkway ... my initial thought would have been to miss the stop there are suggest people to / from Parkway use a connection.  Anyone from Paddington to Bristol best advised to catch the direct train and be slowed down at Reading, Didcot, Swindon, Chippenham and Bath Spa.

19:15 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare due 21:11
19:15 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare due 21:11 will be diverted between Swindon and Bristol Parkway.
It will be delayed due to the diversion and is expected to be 43 minutes late.
This is due to heavy rain flooding the railway.
Further Information

If you hold a valid single, return, or weekly ticket, you will be able to claim compensation for delays of 15 minutes or more. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).com/DelayRepay
Last Updated:14/01/2020 19:29
Due   Station   Status
19:15   London Paddington   19:15
20:26   Bristol Parkway   21:09
20:43   Bristol Temple Meads   21:26
20:53   Nailsea & Backwell   21:36
20:58   Yatton   21:41
21:04   Worle   21:47
21:11   Weston-Super-Mare   21:54

[dhassell]

Interesting to see the super fast to Parkway still serving Parkway ... my initial thought would have been to miss the stop there are suggest people to / from Parkway use a connection.  Anyone from Paddington to Bristol best advised to catch the direct train and be slowed down at Reading, Didcot, Swindon, Chippenham and Bath Spa.

19:15 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare due 21:11
19:15 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare due 21:11 will be diverted between Swindon and Bristol Parkway.
It will be delayed due to the diversion and is expected to be 43 minutes late.
This is due to heavy rain flooding the railway.
Further Information

If you hold a valid single, return, or weekly ticket, you will be able to claim compensation for delays of 15 minutes or more. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).com/DelayRepay
Last Updated:14/01/2020 19:29
Due   Station   Status
19:15   London Paddington   19:15
20:26   Bristol Parkway   21:09
20:43   Bristol Temple Meads   21:26
20:53   Nailsea & Backwell   21:36
20:58   Yatton   21:41
21:04   Worle   21:47
21:11   Weston-Super-Mare   21:54

Real Time Trains is suggesting it didn't stop at Parkway.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y94352/2020-01-14/detailed

[grahame]

Real Time Trains is suggesting it didn't stop at Parkway.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y94352/2020-01-14/detailed

I suspect Real Time Trains has it right ... though it loses track of it at RWB.  But there was another train calling at Chippenham, and Bath Spa just ahead of it, so it looks like it was "super fast" only in name and didn't go up and back down the hill.

[stuving]

Real Time Trains is suggesting it didn't stop at Parkway.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y94352/2020-01-14/detailed

I suspect Real Time Trains has it right ... though it loses track of it at RWB.  But there was another train calling at Chippenham, and Bath Spa just ahead of it, so it looks like it was "super fast" only in name and didn't go up and back down the hill.

I thought RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) reported nothing from off-route because it wasn't on the data feeds. However, perhaps it's more a problem of how to order such data when they don't fit into the sequence defined by the timetabled path. I say that because I've just spotted that liverail does show such reports. Here is the relevant bit for that train (1H49 - liverail does go on a bit, even in this excerpt, so a very wide window is best):

Received

Event

Source

Location

P

Event Type

Planned Type

WTT▸ (Working Time-Table)

GBTT▸ (Great British Time Table)

Actual

Var

Next Report (Run Time)

Flags

/01/20 20:05:58

Movement

Auto.

Wootton Bassett Junction

Dep.

Dep.

20:07½

20:06

1 Early

Hullavington (7)

14/01/20 20:14:54

Movement

Auto.

Chippenham

Dep.

Dep.

20:14

0 Off route

Off route.

14/01/20 20:14:03

Movement

Auto.

Chippenham

Arr.

Arr.

20:15

0 Off route

Off route.

14/01/20 20:16:48

Movement

Auto.

Thingley East Junction

Dep.

Dep.

20:17

0 Off route

Off route.

14/01/20 20:26:24

Movement

Auto.

Bathampton Signal B502

Dep.

Dep.

20:26

0 Off route

Off route.

14/01/20 20:29:13

Movement

Auto.

Bath Spa

Arr.

Arr.

20:29

0 Off route

Off route.

14/01/20 20:29:46

Movement

Auto.

Bath Spa

Dep.

Dep.

20:29

0 Off route

Off route.

14/01/20 20:48:08

Movement

Auto.

Bristol East Junction

Dep.

Dep.

20:34½

20:48

14 Late

Bristol Temple Meads (2)

14/01/20 20:48:08

Movement

Auto.

Bristol Temple Meads

Arr.

Arr.

20:36

20:35

20:49

13 Late

Bristol West Junction (1)

[bobm]

Still a problem this morning on the Badminton line

[Oxonhutch]

Spreading westward ...

[grahame]

Cancellations to services between Swindon and Bristol Parkway

Due to heavy rain flooding the railway between Swindon and Bristol Parkway the line towards Bristol Parkway is blocked.

Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 45 minutes or diverted. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Additional Information

Owing to flooding in the Chipping Sodbury area caused by heavy rain in recent days, trains are unable to run on the line from Swindon to Bristol Parkway.

Due to the uncertainty of what state the affected area of railway will be in once the flood water has receded, we cannot give a precise estimation of when the normal timetable will resume. We are hoping that trains will be running normally by by tomorrow (16th January 2020) but this may change depending on updates from Network Rail engineers on site. Please continue to read updates as and when they are available and on front of the Great Western Railway website.

Further Information

An update will follow within the next 2 hours.

If you hold a valid single, return, or weekly ticket, you will be able to claim compensation for delays of 15 minutes or more. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).com/DelayRepay

Last Updated:16/01/2020 03:27

Not clear when the direct line via Badminton will re-open;  at this point (middle of the night) the message above is confusing as it's dated today (16th Jan) but refers to 16th Jan as being tomorrow.

Whatever ... it's clear that the line needs to be checked to see what state it's in once the waters recede, and I commend Network Rail - as I would have expected - to put appropriate safety inspections ahead of rushing to re-open

A sensible thinning out of services this morning - in all cases due to the flooding

Train Cancellations
06:15 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 08:16
07:13 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 09:07
07:13 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 09:11
08:18 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 10:09
08:53 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 10:15
09:15 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 10:36
09:18 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 11:05
09:51 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 11:39
10:41 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 12:40
11:51 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 13:40

[grahame]

Not clear when the direct line via Badminton will re-open;  at this point (middle of the night) the message above is confusing as it's dated today (16th Jan) but refers to 16th Jan as being tomorrow.

Service restored:

Trains now running normally between Swindon and Bristol Parkway
Following heavy rain flooding the railway earlier today between Swindon and Bristol Parkway all lines have now reopened.
Train services running through these stations are now running normally.

Last Updated:16/01/2020 08:23

[grahame]

Gone again ...

Cancellations to services between Bristol Parkway and Swindon
Due to damage to the overhead electric wires between Bristol Parkway and Swindon all lines are blocked.
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until 20:00 16/01.

... if it's not problems underneath, it's problems on top!