Fatalities at Hayes & Harlington - merged topic

[whole diary]

[James Vertigan]

1P51 15:29 service involved (thanks to Ollie).

Thoughts as always with those involved.

Has caused major disruption into and out of Paddington tonight with services either severely delayed or cancelled (I'm already on my third train just trying to go one stop and not even left Paddington yet!)

The 15:29 from where to where?

http://www.uxbridgegazette.co.uk/west-london-news/local-uxbridge-news/2011/07/19/man-killed-by-train-at-hayes-rail-station-113046-29083644/

Judging by this article seems it was the incident that happened around 15:29 - not the time of the train - think someone should be able to work out which service it was from the number Ollie gave me - 1P51.

[JayMac]

1P51:

1431 Oxford - London Paddington 1529

[James Vertigan]

1P51:

1431 Oxford - London Paddington 1529

Haha... turns out Ollie did say it was the 1529 arrival - Sorry Ollie!! 

[johoare]

I only caught the tail end of this disruption but wanted to praise the information desk man at Paddington..

When I got there at approx 18.50 the 18.36 was showing as being at platform 14 so there was a lot of people running that way.. When we all got there there wasn't a train in sight.. Coming back to the concourse I passed the train on platform 12 (which was the 18.57 stopper apparently) there really wasn't any room to get on there.. So I headed back to the concourse.. Only to find the 18.51 departure (first stop Slough) was going from platform 14...

Now..much as I love running up and down platform 12 usually, I have a bad cold  currently and also I could see this could go on all night if I let it,  so I asked the information desk man if he knew if the train would definitely still be at platform 14 if I set off again.

And he was very kind and went off to ask someone on his radio.. He then came back and said it would be going in approx 5 minutes..So.. Although I had to run for a second time.. It meant I knew there would be a train at the end of it...And there was...  

[chineseJohn]

A person has been hit by a train between Hayes & Harlington and West Drayton.
Because of this, the following alterations will apply until approximately 22:00:
Trains between London Paddington and Reading are being delayed by up to 90 minutes
Services to and from Heathrow Airport are currently suspended
Trains are currently unable to call at Hayes & Harlington

2 Lines reopened around 18:35

[LiskeardRich]

My brothers partner is caught up in it returning home from paddington, shes put on her facebook that the train is finally moving with declassified first class.

[Electric train]

I was on the 16:42 from Padd it was capped at about 17:00 Hayes & Harlington.  Met Police were taking statements from a couple of people on the platform, Paramedics were just arriving; the incident could only have happened a few minutes before.   While waiting for an empty 140 bus to Heathrow BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) arrived (at about 17:25).

My journey home 140 bus to Heathrow and then First bus 75 to Maidenhead (painfully slow) via Langley, Slough with a 15 min stopover for a driver PNB^▸ (Personal Needs Break).  Apart from the time hours from Hayes it cost me ^5.50 for the First Bus bit.

[BBM]

I was on the 17:06 Paddington - Bristol TM^‡(resolve) via Bradford on Avon which never departed, the TM imformed us of the fatality soon after the scheduled departure time. I couidn't be bothered with the struggle via Waterloo so I waited it out at Paddington. Trains started running again at about 18:30, before that only Greenford trains had been running, even Heathrow Express was also cancelled (at one time there were 3 HEX trains in Paddington, the third was unusually in Platform 4).

I was hoping to get to Twyford on the 18:47 to Cheltenham which is first stop there but it was cancelled. There were stoppers at 18:25, 18:45 and 19:11 but they were all too full to board. Meanwhile long-distance HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) were also delayed departing due to people trying to crush onto them and I saw BT Police being summoned to the 18:45 to Swansea.

My next hope was the 19:06 semi-fast to Henley but it too was initially cancelled so I tried to board the very delayed 18:57 stopper on Platform 13 but that was also crush-loaded. Just then the Turbo on 14 was announced as the reinstated 19:06, first stop Maidenhead, so I was able to board that. It left at about 19:30, took the relief to Acton, main to Southall West (after a very stop-start journey from West Ealing) and then the relief to Twyford where it was terminated. It arrived there at about 20:20, nearly 3 hours after I should have arrived on the 17:06 (but I probably could have arrived at least 45 minutes earlier if I'd gone via Waterloo and Reading).

[johoare]

I got to Paddington at 17.30 for the 17.51 (having checked Journey check before I left but never mind it couldn't be helped)..

It all seemed quite good natured to be honest.. I decided against Waterloo as no one was sure if when I got to Reading there would be trains to bring me back to Maidenhead or not..

I had a nice stand for an hour or so, then decided to try the bar for half hour.. They were certainly benefitting form the delays as it was packed in there..

I tried for the 19.18 departure first stop Maidenhead but couldn't get on it..Eventually the 19.22 was announced at 19.45 which was first stop Slough so I (and lots of other people got on that).. And then we were left to sit there for 35 minutes without any announcements as to why, which I think was the only negative thing that happened tonight, but there is no excuse for it.. It was a case of not knowing what to do as to get to hear the announcements at the station by getting off I'd have lost my place on the train, yet if I knew how long the delay would be at the start I could have made an informed decision..

I had an nice chat with fellow passengers once we did get going and nearly made lots of new friends when I told them I had a bottle of wine in my bag!

We got back to Slough at about 8.45 only to find it was a 25 minute wait for the next stopping train (!).. At that point people joined up in groups for taxis back to Maidenhead.. So the Slough taxi drivers also did well from it.. The Maidenhead ones were looking a bit bored when we got back mind...

[CLPGMS]

Presumably johoare is referring to the 1922 Hereford service.

I boarded this at Reading, from where it departed about 90 minutes late.  The Train Manager apologised for the delay, explaining that because of the fatality, the original crew members were not at Paddington and replacements had to be found.  The train was further delayed at Didcot East and outside Oxford station, from where it departed 99 minutes late.

Because of this, planned engineering work at Moreton-in-Marsh had to be delayed.  By this time, trains were supposed to be terminating at/starting from Charlbury, with bus replacements to/from Worcester.

The following 2020 from Paddington to Charlbury was cancelled, although, somehow, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) managed to provide a 2207 HST^▸ (High Speed Train) from Charlbury, which should have been the 2020's return working.

[animationmilo]

Very Sorry to all caught up in this, does anyone know what train set it was?

[BerkshireBugsy]

I was caught up in this waiting for the 1736 Bradford on avon service from Reading (to get me to Thatcham). In this respect I was one of the lucky ones because I had the fall back of a local service.

I have to say I think FGW^▸ (First Great Western) actually did a good job  for passengers at Reading n turning some of the some of the London bound services around there. There was some confusion because a lot of services didnt leave from their normal platforms (some GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) services where leaving from P8 which ARAIK doesn;t normally happen). Also I think some passengers were confused by the window stickers which no longer matched the destinations.

BUT I still reckon that FGW (and whoever was involved behind the scenes in terms of scheduling) did a stirling job. It could not have been easy!

In fact I may just compose an email to FGW feedback!

[BBM]

BUT I still reckon that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) (and whoever was involved behind the scenes in terms of scheduling) did a stirling job.

Unfortunately that wasn't the case at Paddington last night. In my experience FGW are normally quite good at resuming services after major disruption but yesterday too many trains were going from 'On Time' to 'Delayed' then 'Cancelled'. It seemed to me that there was no efficient planning to decide in good time whether or not a service could actually run.

[BerkshireBugsy]

BUT I still reckon that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) (and whoever was involved behind the scenes in terms of scheduling) did a stirling job.

Unfortunately that wasn't the case at Paddington last night. In my experience FGW are normally quite good at resuming services after major disruption but yesterday too many trains were going from 'On Time' to 'Delayed' then 'Cancelled'. It seemed to me that there was no efficient planning to decide in good time whether or not a service could actually run.

When I did post I that was aware that passagers at PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) would have suffered worst of all and certainly if I had been at PAD I would have probably waited rather than doing the Waterloo marathon. I think IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion) I would rather be at a station than stuck on a train for 1 or 2 hours going no where. The latter did happen to me last year when a train broke down at Reading west.

[BBM]

I think IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion) I would rather be at a station than stuck on a train for 1 or 2 hours going no where.

Yes exactly, I'd rather sit it out at Paddington where there is food, drink and toilets as well as leg-stretching possibilities. I've heard a rumour that the train involved in last night's incident, the 16:49 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-OXF^» (Oxford - next trains), was stationary for about 3 hours before it could be moved (due to brake pipe damage), that must have been hellish for everyone on board.