Storm Ciaran - 1st and 2nd November 2023

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Dear Graham
 
We are writing ahead of Storm Ciaran which is due to hit the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) tomorrow (Weds 1 Nov) evening and is likely to cause disruption to our services.
 
We are encouraging all passengers to check before they travel at www.gwr.com/check or with their operator as alterations and cancellations are expected Wednesday (1 Nov) evening and throughout Thursday (2 Nov) due to high winds, heavy rain and high tides. As we have experienced quite heavy rain recently, the ground remains sodden, meaning the risk of flooding is increased.
 
Customers are advised to travel earlier in the day tomorrow (Wednesday 1 Nov) and delay their journeys on Thursday 2 Nov. Delay Repay compensation will apply for delays over 15 minutes, and customers who choose not travel can claim a refund – more information is available at www.gwr.com/delayrepay. Passengers with tickets for travel on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services tomorrow (Weds 1 Nov) evening will be able to use their ticket earlier in the day, and tickets for travel on Thursday 2 Nov will be valid tomorrow and Friday 3 November.
 
People who live or work near the railway are asked to be aware of items that could find their way onto the tracks at any time, but particularly during high winds, when trampolines, gazebos and tarpaulin can be blown away.
 
We will also be making customers aware through on train and station announcements, issuing traditional and social media, journey planners will display specific alerts and we will also be contacting affected customers. Anything you can do to help us amplify this message would be much appreciated, and we will be sure to keep you updated.
 
Please do not hesitate to contact us if there is anything we can do to help.
 
Best wishes
 
Tom & Heledd

[a-driver]

No IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) running across the seawall after 8pm as well.

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) will be operating 2+4 HST^▸ (High Speed Train) shuttles instead.

[1st fan]

No IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) running across the seawall after 8pm as well.

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) will be operating 2+4 HST^▸ (High Speed Train) shuttles instead.

Well that’s an improvement on the last storm and the one before that etc. At least now they’ve realised that sending the IETs down through Dawlish when there’s a chance they’ll get hit by some seawater is a bad idea.

[grahame]

Customer Advice

Over the next few days, heavy rain and strong winds are forecast across parts of the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) network as Storm Ciaran passes over the UK^▸ (United Kingdom).

Wednesday 1st November
Due to the weather conditions forecast for the south west on Wednesday evening, we are advising passengers not to travel in Cornwall from 20:00 until at least 12:00 on Thursday 2nd November. No trains or replacement bus services will operate west of St Austell towards Penzance, inclusive of branch lines during this time. To help people make their journey, those with tickets for Wednesday evening will be able to travel earlier in the day.

***

Thursday 2nd November
Additionally, services may be subject to short notice cancellation or alteration across the GWR network on Thursday 2nd November, as Storm Ciaran is forecast to bring more rain and strong winds. Journey times could be significantly longer. Please check your entire journey before setting out. We will update this page with the latest information across the network throughout the day.

The storm will also affect the road network, with poor road conditions and possible closures likely impacting the provision of rail replacement transport.

To help customers make their journey, tickets dated Thursday 2nd November can be used on Wednesday 1st or Friday 3rd November, if you are able to make your journey at another time.

***

Friday 3rd November
It is possible some disruption may continue into Friday morning, as any additional debris is cleared or localised flooding recedes. Check before you travel.

[stuving]

No IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) running across the seawall after 8pm as well.

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) will be operating 2+4 HST^▸ (High Speed Train) shuttles instead.

Well that’s an improvement on the last storm and the one before that etc. At least now they’ve realised that sending the IETs down through Dawlish when there’s a chance they’ll get hit by some seawater is a bad idea.

The wind around Dawlish is forecast to be fairly strong but only around 9-10 pm, when it will have got round to SE. But that last storm, while (from memory) of a similar strength, was a steady easterly for 24 hours. That allowed the full sea state for that wind and fetch to develop, meaning bigger waves than you would usually see with that wind speed. So this looks like a case of over-compensating for under-reacting last time. But we'll have to wait and see - storms don't read forecasts.

[stuving]

As is often the case, Ciaran is forecast to be more severs over France than here. SNCF^▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) have announced the rather drastic measure of stopping all services from tonight and for tomorrow over a large part of five regions:

Preventive traffic stop Storm in northwest France
Ciaran Storm

Preventative stop of certain trains starting Wednesday, November 1 at 10 p.m. and during the day on Thursday, November 2 in Normandie, Bretagne, Pays de Loire, Hauts de France and Centre Val de Loire.

In anticipation of the strong winds that will be blowing across the North-West of France, and in order to guarantee the safety of passengers, many trains will not be running.

INOUI/OUIGO TGVs^▸ (Train a Grande Vitesse) will run between:

    Paris <-> Rennes and Paris <-> Lille but will not serve intermediate stations located off high-speed lines.
    Paris <-> Le Mans, from Thursday 2pm if nothing stands in the way. Journeys to Nantes and La Rochelle will not be operated
    Paris <-> Tours, Poitiers, Angoulême, Bordeaux and southern Aquitaine, without restriction.

Published on 31/10/23   Updated on 31/10/23 at 17:58

[JayMac]

SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) will only be running a two hourly service between Salisbury and Exeter, among other changes.

What's Going On
Storm Ciarán is expected to affect the South of England starting from tonight (Wednesday 1 November) and continuing throughout tomorrow (Thursday 2 November).

The storm is set to bring strong winds and heavy rain in the West Country and along the South Coast and on the Isle of Wight.

These conditions can cause flooding and landslips, reduced adhesion, and debris to fall on the railway tracks, among other issues.

For the safety of customers and colleagues, trains will need to travel at lower speeds and timetables will need to be amended to provide a reliable service.

To keep our services operating safely, we will be running an amended timetable on parts of the South Coast and in the West of England on Thursday 2nd November:

- London Waterloo-Weymouth services will start and terminate at Bournemouth, with an hourly rail shuttle service between Bournemouth and Weymouth

- Services from Portsmouth Harbour to London Waterloo via Basingstoke will be altered after Basingstoke, calling at Woking only, with services in the opposite direction running as normal

- London Waterloo-Salisbury services will run once every hour

- Salisbury-Exeter St Davids services will run once every two hours

- Basingstoke-Salisbury shuttle services will be suspended

- Brockenhurst-Lymington Pier services will be suspended

- Island Line services will run hourly between Shanklin and Ryde St John’s Road, with buses replacing trains between Ryde St John’s Road and Ryde Pier Head. Aside from the rail replacement bus services on the Isle of Wight, we will not be able to provide alternative means of transport.

Journey planners will be fully up to date on Thursday 2 November. You should check before setting off on your journey and double check your return journey.
 
You may wish to consider if your journey on Thursday 2 November is entirely necessary and change your travel plans. If you do decide to travel, please check before you travel and allow extra time for your journey.

If you travel on Thursday morning, you should be aware that short notice changes to services may mean return journeys are delayed or cancelled. If you have a ticket for Thursday, you will be able to use this on Wednesday 1 November or Friday 3 November instead.

[RailCornwall]

All rail replacement buses, to and from Truro were reported on Tiger as being cancelled at 1920 tonight.

[DaveHarries]

No IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) running across the seawall after 8pm as well.

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) will be operating 2+4 HST^▸ (High Speed Train) shuttles instead.

Just had a look on this Dawlish webcam: choppy seas and some decent waves but doesn't look too bad as at 2330 this evening.
https://www.webcamtaxi.com/en/england/devon/dawlish.html

The "Marine Traffic" app on my phone gives forecast maximum windspeeds of 40 knots (46mph) for Exmouth at 0000hrs UTC and the same for Teignmouth at that time but with 43 knots forecast for 0900.

Stay safe all,
Dave

[PhilWakely]

No IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) running across the seawall after 8pm as well.

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) will be operating 2+4 HST^▸ (High Speed Train) shuttles instead.

2Z05 (0655 Exeter St Davids to Plymouth) has been declared a failure at Newton Abbot having been 'hit by a wave earlier in the journey'. Yes, you guessed it - an IET (802021)!

[GBM]

2Z09 (9 car Exeter to Plymouth) used to up line to arrive at Newton on platform 3.
2C07 (5 car Exeter to St Austell) seems to have been stopped outside Newton for an hour (although RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) showing it at platform).
IF 2C07 has also failed, that's 2 platforms out of use.
Maybe 2C07 is the Thunderbird.

[old original]

2Z09 (9 car Exeter to Plymouth) used to up line to arrive at Newton on platform 3.
2C07 (5 car Exeter to St Austell) seems to have been stopped outside Newton for an hour (although RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) showing it at platform).
IF 2C07 has also failed, that's 2 platforms out of use.
Maybe 2C07 is the Thunderbird.

I believe 2C07 shunted behind 2Z05 (also failed 5 car)

Ironically 0743 EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) - PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains) arrived right time......  Operated by ......CrossCountry

[GBM]

Ironically 0743 EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) - PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains) arrived right time......  Operated by ......CrossCountry

And is on time (Plymouth to Exeter) approaching Totnes for the return leg.

[AMLAG]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are advising this morning as at 1140…

“Due to severe weather between Newton Abbot and Penzance all lines are closed.
Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.”

YET  XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) are running an hourly shuttle service between Exeter and Plymouth calling NA and Totnes using Voyagers…which gWR fails to even mention to help passengers…Oh for the joined up railway.

Incidentally as at 1300 today the Okehampton and North Devon lines are having one of their most reliable and punctual train services for a considerable while;  with so far no cancellations and excellent timekeeping.

[DaveHarries]

“Due to severe weather between Newton Abbot and Penzance all lines are closed. Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.”

It would appear that the St. Ives to St. Erth and St. Erth to Penzance services are running: there have been no cancellations on either service since just before 12 noon.

Incidentally as at 1300 today the Okehampton and North Devon lines are having one of their most reliable and punctual train services for a considerable while;  with so far no cancellations and excellent timekeeping.

Chance would be a fine thing: the letters "FLUD BARRIER" are now showing on the TDs at Cowley Bridge Junction so services to Okehampton and Barnstaple may now all be on hold.

Dave