Landslip - and what it tells us about what can be done.

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Alterations to services between Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff Central

Due to a landslip between Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff Central fewer trains are able to run on some lines.
Train services running through these stations will be revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Customer Advice

Owing to a landslip between Patchway and Pilning railway stations the line normally used by train services headed through the Severn Tunnel from England to Wales is closed in order that remedial work may be carried out.

The layout of railway lines in that area still permits for the safe passage of trains to operate in both directions over the line which remains in use. However, as train services must be regulated over that section we are unable to operate our full advertised timetable so there will be a reduction in the frequency of train services between Bristol Temple Meads / Filton Abbey Wood / Newport South Wales / Cardiff Central and vice versa. The general pattern of service will be that our Portsmouth Harbour - Cardiff Central - Portsmouth Harbour services will not operate between Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff Central in either direction. At the beginning and towards the end of the day, when fewer services are scheduled to operate certain other individual train service alterations will apply.

Engineering changes and infrastructure problems such as this provide a wonderful demonstration of what can be done if the will is there.

All England to Wales trains via the Severn Tunnel are running wrong line today.  Let's say that just three trains a day were to run "wrong line" in normal operation - around 07:30, 17:45 and 18:45 - and call at Pilning. 3 calls at Pilning on trains that normally use that line anyway - one in the morning and two (an hour or so apart) in the evening from South Wales to Bristol, and you have a useful commuter service in both directions (Filton and Bristol, Newport and Cardiff) with a morning train "in" and a choice of two evening trains "out".

Of course, that's a silly idea with all the coal traffic going through the tunnel and eating paths up.  Oh - wait - hasn't that changed?  And I understand that IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) are now programmed to be able to stop at Pilning.

[Electric train]

Alterations to services between Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff Central

Due to a landslip between Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff Central fewer trains are able to run on some lines.
Train services running through these stations will be revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Customer Advice

Owing to a landslip between Patchway and Pilning railway stations the line normally used by train services headed through the Severn Tunnel from England to Wales is closed in order that remedial work may be carried out.

The layout of railway lines in that area still permits for the safe passage of trains to operate in both directions over the line which remains in use. However, as train services must be regulated over that section we are unable to operate our full advertised timetable so there will be a reduction in the frequency of train services between Bristol Temple Meads / Filton Abbey Wood / Newport South Wales / Cardiff Central and vice versa. The general pattern of service will be that our Portsmouth Harbour - Cardiff Central - Portsmouth Harbour services will not operate between Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff Central in either direction. At the beginning and towards the end of the day, when fewer services are scheduled to operate certain other individual train service alterations will apply.

Engineering changes and infrastructure problems such as this provide a wonderful demonstration of what can be done if the will is there.

All England to Wales trains via the Severn Tunnel are running wrong line today.  Let's say that just three trains a day were to run "wrong line" in normal operation - around 07:30, 17:45 and 18:45 - and call at Pilning. 3 calls at Pilning on trains that normally use that line anyway - one in the morning and two (an hour or so apart) in the evening from South Wales to Bristol, and you have a useful commuter service in both directions (Filton and Bristol, Newport and Cardiff) with a morning train "in" and a choice of two evening trains "out".

Of course, that's a silly idea with all the coal traffic going through the tunnel and eating paths up.  Oh - wait - hasn't that changed?  And I understand that IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) are now programmed to be able to stop at Pilning.

The reason is probably based on the signalling when running wrong road.  Bi-di signalling on the reverse road is not to the same sectioning as the normal running.

This means not only reduced number of paths in the normal direction due to wrong road running the number of trains that can run wrong road is reduced; in other words its not 50/50 more like 70/30

[grahame]

The reason is probably based on the signalling when running wrong road.  Bi-di signalling on the reverse road is not to the same sectioning as the normal running.

This means not only reduced number of paths in the normal direction due to wrong road running the number of trains that can run wrong road is reduced; in other words its not 50/50 more like 70/30

Totally appreciated ... and (yes) I'm aware though many readers may not be.  However, we seem to have a situation where "we have less capacity to do that" has been taken as "we have no capacity at all to do any of that".   I do appreciate too that to make best use of the long single section today, "they" will be sending trains through in a series each way to reduce "turn around" time.

[Red Squirrel]

Some pictures, from X/twitter. Ouch. https://x.com/Bkasparas/status/1761354591986126919?s=20

Could have been very nasty by the look of it.

[Mark A]

Is this the west portal of the down line tunnel, does anyone know?

Mark