Fairly major disruption 'Across the West' this evening - 13 January 2011

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From FGW^▸ (First Great Western) live updates:

Line incidents

Line problem between Exeter St Davids and Tiverton Parkway.
Train services are being disrupted due to poor weather conditions between Exeter St Davids and Tiverton Parkway. Delays of up to 15 minutes can be expected.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:47

Line problem between Neath and Swansea.
Train services are being disrupted due to signalling problems between Neath and Swansea. Engineers are working as fast as possible to restore services to normal. Delays of up to 20 minutes can be expected.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:46

Line problem between Slough and Maidenhead.
Train services have been disrupted due to a person hit by a train earlier between Slough and Maidenhead. Short notice alterations and delays of up to 30 minutes may still occur.
London Underground, South West Trains, Virgin West Coast, Chiltern Railways and London Midland are accepting First Great Western tickets via any reasonable route.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:43

Line problem between Swindon and Bristol Parkway.
Train services are being disrupted due to flooding between Swindon and Bristol Parkway.Engineers are working as fast as possible to restore services to normal. Short notice alterations, cancellations and delays of up to 45 minutes can be expected.
London Paddington to Swansea and Swansea to London Paddington services are currently not calling at Bristol Parkway but are calling additionally at Filton Abbey Wood. Customers to & from Bristol Parkway should change at Filton Abbey Wood for alternative services.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:45

Line problem between Truro and Falmouth Docks.
Train services are being disrupted due to a train fault between Truro and Falmouth Docks. Engineers are working as fast as possible to restore services to normal. Short notice cancellations and delays can be expected.
An hourly service will be in operation, services will depart from Truro at 20 minutes past the hour and services will depart from Falmouth Docks at 50 minutes past the hour. Supplementary road transport will be in operation.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:45

Service incidents

14:28 Swansea to London Paddington due 17:30
This train has been revised. It will call additionally at: Filton Abbey Wood. It will no longer call at: Bristol Parkway. This is due to flooding.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 13:58

14:30 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare due 16:50
This train will be terminated at Bristol Temple Meads. It will no longer call at: Nailsea & Backwell, Yatton, Worle and Weston-Super-Mare. This is due to a person hit by a train.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:18

14:45 London Paddington to Swansea due 17:43
This train has been revised. It will call additionally at: Didcot Parkway and Filton Abbey Wood. It will no longer call at: Bristol Parkway. This is due to flooding.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 15:56

14:55 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 17:09
This train has been cancelled. This is due to flooding.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 12:15

14:59 Reading to Weston-Super-Mare due 16:52
An additional train service has been planned to operate as shown 14:59 Reading to Weston-Super-Mare due 16:52 run on 13/01/11.
Calling at Didcot Parkway, Swindon, Chippenham, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Nailsea & Backwell, Yatton and Worle.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 15:14

15:00 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington due 16:44
This train has been cancelled. This is due to a person hit by a train.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 15:15

15:06 London Paddington to Penzance due 20:39
This train will be started from Reading. It will no longer call at: London Paddington. This is due to a person hit by a train.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 15:10

15:15 London Paddington to Cardiff Central due 17:22
This train has been cancelled. This is due to flooding.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 14:42

15:28 Swansea to London Paddington due 18:24
This train has been revised. It will call additionally at: Filton Abbey Wood. It will no longer call at: Bristol Parkway. This is due to flooding.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:26

15:45 London Paddington to Swansea due 18:48
This train has been revised. It will call additionally at: Filton Abbey Wood. It will no longer call at: Bristol Parkway. This is due to flooding.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 15:33

15:48 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 18:01
This train will be started from Swindon. It will no longer call at: London Paddington, Reading and Didcot Parkway. This is due to a person hit by a train.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 15:47

15:51 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill due 18:07
This train has been revised. It will no longer call at: Slough. This is due to a person hit by a train.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:23

15:55 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 18:02
This train has been cancelled. This is due to flooding.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 15:34

16:01 Oxford to London Paddington due 17:00
This train has been cancelled. This is due to a person hit by a train.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 15:35

16:06 London Paddington to Penzance due 21:31
This train has been revised. It will call additionally at: Pewsey, Westbury and Castle Cary. This is due to a person hit by a train.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:08

16:12 London Paddington to Reading due 17:12
This train has been cancelled. This is due to a person hit by a train earlier.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:24

16:14 Moreton-In-Marsh to Didcot Parkway due 17:04
This train will be started from Oxford. It will no longer call at: Moreton-In-Marsh, Kingham and Charlbury. This is due to a person hit by a train earlier.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:28

16:15 London Paddington to Swansea due 19:19
This train has been revised. It will call additionally at: Filton Abbey Wood. It will no longer call at: Bristol Parkway. This is due to flooding.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 15:34

16:18 London Paddington to Bedwyn due 17:45
This train will be started from Reading. It will no longer call at: London Paddington. This is due to a person hit by a train.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:19

16:20 Falmouth Docks to Truro due 16:48
This train has been cancelled. This is due to a train fault.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:01

16:27 London Paddington to Oxford due 18:11
This train will be started from Reading. It will no longer call at: London Paddington, Ealing Broadway, Southall, Hayes & Harlington, Iver, Langley, Slough, Maidenhead and Twyford. This is due to a person hit by a train.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 15:55

16:28 Swansea to London Paddington due 19:32
This train has been revised. It will call additionally at: Filton Abbey Wood. It will no longer call at: Bristol Parkway. This is due to flooding.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:32

16:43 Slough to Windsor & Eton Central due 16:49
This train has been cancelled. This is due to a person hit by a train earlier.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:35

16:45 London Paddington to Swansea due 19:45
This train has been reinstated.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:37

16:46 Greenford to London Paddington due 17:12
This train has been cancelled. This is due to a person hit by a train earlier.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:47

16:51 Truro to Falmouth Docks due 17:15
This train has been cancelled. This is due to a train fault.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:25

16:52 Windsor & Eton Central to Slough due 16:58
This train has been cancelled. This is due to a person hit by a train earlier.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:36

16:55 Cardiff Central to London Paddington due 19:02
This train has been cancelled. This is due to flooding.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:26

17:00 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads due 18:44
This train has been cancelled. This is due to a person hit by a train earlier.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:24

17:10 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington due 19:14
This train will be started from Bristol Temple Meads. It will no longer call at: Weston-Super-Mare. This is due to a person hit by a train earlier.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:18

17:15 London Paddington to Swansea due 20:23
This train has been revised. It will call additionally at: Chippenham, Bath Spa and Filton Abbey Wood. It will no longer call at: Bristol Parkway. This is due to flooding.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:38

17:27 Falmouth Docks to Truro due 17:55
This train has been cancelled. This is due to a train fault.
Last Updated: 13/01/2011 16:25

[Timmer]

from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website:

Due to flooding in the Chipping Sodbury area train services are being disrupted between London Paddington and Cardiff  / Swansea. Services will be diverted with extended journey times of up to 45 minutes.

Not the tunnel again is it?

[Chris from Nailsea]

Apparently so. The Flax Bourton tunnel (between Nailsea and Parson Street) was closed this morning, too, causing delays of 90 minutes ... 

[Timmer]

Hmmm so much for the work Network Rail/Railtrack carried out a few years ago to try prevent this from happening. Though to be fair it has taken a few days of quite persistent rain before the tunnel had to be closed so a bit of improvement there.

[SDS]

Was also a ESR^▸ (Emergency Speed Restriction ) / TSR^▸ (Temporary Speed Restriction) (which one is it when NR^» (Network Rail - home page) order it?) between Weston and Bristol of 5mph in certain areas due to that wet liquidly stuff.

Train trapped in the Hayes area due to "issues with points".

The person hit by a train at Slough.

Flooded tunnel and diverting services via Filton Abbey Wood.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Was also a ESR^▸ (Emergency Speed Restriction ) / TSR^▸ (Temporary Speed Restriction) (which one is it when NR^» (Network Rail - home page) order it?)

My understanding is that both are imposed by Network Rail: a planned Temporary Speed Restriction is imposed while ongoing work is carried out, to reduce the speed of trains from the normal line speed over that section; an Emergency Speed Restriction is imposed where a specific local problem (such as flooding) is identified and trains need to be slowed down immediately.

[johoare]

I am so glad I worked at home today.. kind of... my friend and I did have the idea of trying out the new Champagne bar at Paddington next time there were delays 

[clevedonian]

it was awful this morning with the flooding at Flax Bourton - thansk to crosss country stopping their edinburgh train at yatton this morning, although it was rammed.

and then this evening on the way home the 18.20 was 30mins late leaving Bristol temple meads and then we were delayed further twice by a problem with the emergency brake that was applied twice.

all in all not a good day.

sympathy with all involved with the suicide in Slough, hope the driver is ok.

[welshman]

I had fun with this today as well.  Went from Cardiff to the Midlands and back.  I thought I'd do Cardiff -BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains) and then the Penzance-Edinburgh rather than the slow direct Cardiff-Nottingham.    Got to BPW OK and then the X-Country was about 30 minutes late.  Going the other way, at 8am people were being told to take anything to BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) and then change to go further west.

Came back this evening and had the direct train on one Derby platform and the Penzance on the other.  The Penzance service looked crowded so I went on the direct one.  Just as well because BPW has been almost out of commission this afternoon and evening for Paddington-South Wales services.

Staff at Cardiff said it was taking upwards of 4 hours to get from London and trains were being terminated short and sent back or cancelled.

[eightf48544]

I am so glad I worked at home today.. kind of... my friend and I did have the idea of trying out the new Champagne bar at Paddington next time there were delays 

Where is this at Padd?

Do they do oysters?

Pretty bad day on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) yesterday especialy  in TV. Taplow lost the 10:21 Reading (9:45 ex Padd?) completely, think it was train trapped by points then 3 hour stoppage at Slough.

[IndustryInsider]

Was also a ESR^▸ (Emergency Speed Restriction ) / TSR^▸ (Temporary Speed Restriction) (which one is it when NR^» (Network Rail - home page) order it?)

My understanding is that both are imposed by Network Rail: a planned Temporary Speed Restriction is imposed while ongoing work is carried out, to reduce the speed of trains from the normal line speed over that section; an Emergency Speed Restriction is imposed where a specific local problem (such as flooding) is identified and trains need to be slowed down immediately.

Chris is pretty much correct, but for the sake of accuracy an ESR is any restriction of speed that's not been advertised in the Weekly Operating Notice, so usually it applies in the circumstances Chris has described above, but can also happen if a planned TSR carries on beyond its expected termination date, or in a few other instances such as it not being submitted to the WON^▸ (Weekly Operating Notice ) in time, or it is a more restrictive speed than that advertised in the WON.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Maidenhead Advertiser:

Inquest hears security guard took his own life

An airport security guard struck by a train at Slough Railway Station took his own life.

Ismail Shabaz Khan, 29, of Tall Trees, Colnbrook, died from multiple injuries after jumping in front of the First Great Western train on January 13.

An inquest at Windsor Guildhall today heard Ismail had no history of mental illness or suicide attempts.

Berkshire coroner Peter Bedford told how he had sent a text message to his wife Melissa, who he was living apart from at the time, one or two minutes before jumping.

Extracts from the text said he was 'not doing this because I can't live without you, I can't live with me.' It also said: 'Give my half to the family'.

Mr Bedford read statements from two witnesses who had seen events unfold on platform two as well as train driver, Christopher Boyce. Mr Boyce, a train driver for 28 years, said the train was travelling at 88 mph.

His statement said he saw Mr Khan look at the train and then look at it again before he 'took two to three steps towards the platform edge and leapt off the platform with arms above his head into the path of the train'.

Mr Bedford's verdict was that he 'took his own life'.

A loving son and brother, the former Slough and Eton School pupil had five sisters and two brothers. He was a security guard for Virgin Atlantic at Heathrow Airport.