Slippery rails, flooding, landslips and other issues - November 2016 (merged topic)

[whole diary]

[broadgage]

just 2 days heavy rain.....more drainage work needed methinks

Yup, just had a quick look at the current road status and the primary routes through the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) region - A303, A30, A38, M3, M4 & M5 - all currently unaffected by the weather. Couple of minor congestion issues and single lane closures due to accidents (M4 & M5), but that's it.

If Highways England can cope with poor weather conditions, Network Rail really should pull their fingers out and sort basic infrastructure issues like draining and flood protection.

edit - to clarify my point

Agree, whilst of course there are some road closures, these are mainly minor or local routes.
Most motorways and other major through routes in the south west are open whilst most rail routes are closed or very severely disrupted.

[JayMac]

Left JohnR at BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) who get the 1827 stopper to NLS^▸ (Nailsea & Backwell station) (left 20 late). I pondered the following stopper to TAU^» (Taunton - next trains) (1855) but saw there was a late running CrossCountry service due to head west. Still sat on that train waiting a driver. Severely regretting not getting the Taunton stopper now.

[John R]

Flooding in Chipping Sodbury Tunnel is a predictable occurrence when there’s a lot of rain, but I can’t recall Box Tunnel being similarly affected.  I hope the lowering of the track last year for electrification isn’t a contributory factor…. 

Except that there was a lot of work done three or four years ago to try and improve the position, and we were promised that it would be a much less frequent occurrence.

[grahame]

From my mailbox:

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have been saying since 2pm not to travel but that's not much help if you are making the return part of the journey.

... how true.

And from an email from Mark Hopwood's team - a good technical snapshot

[LiskeardRich]

I'm on the same train as JohnR. We've joined forces to use all the tools at our disposal to see how we will get to our destinations. Said tools are useless when you have neither WiFi or mobile data. Just passing through Sodden Chipbury tunnel.

I'm trying to get to Taunton and, as I write, both routes from Bristol TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) (via Yatton and via Westbury/Castle Cary) are closed.

Falcon? - https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s3.amazonaws.com/Timetables/South%20West/falcon%20web%20revised%20Sept%2016.pdf

I used the falcon last Monday and is something I would recommend. Bristol to Taunton is £6.50 single and it will ditch you at blackbrook by the holiday inn.

[Chris from Nailsea]

I used the falcon last Monday and is something I would recommend ...

Han and Chewie to the rescue, eh? 

[JayMac]

Update at 2000. Still at BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) waiting a driver. The following XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) is also held here for staff reasons. Who gets the tip first? Who knows? I've just let another GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) local go.

[John R]

Update at 2000. Still at BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) waiting a driver. The following XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) is also held here for staff reasons. Who gets the tip first? Who knows? I've just let another GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) local go.

Sorry to hear that. What was wrong with the 1915 HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) that ran?  Surely a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush on such a night?

[bobm]

Both Up and Down sleepers cancelled tonight.

[TaplowGreen]

Any news on how GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) plan to get their customers to/from the Westcountry this evening and/or cater for those stranded? Virtually everything long distance cancelled.....is it going to be road transport, hotel accommodation or a combination of both?

[JayMac]

Update at 2000. Still at BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) waiting a driver. The following XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) is also held here for staff reasons. Who gets the tip first? Who knows? I've just let another GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) local go.

Sorry to hear that. What was wrong with the 1915 HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) that ran?  Surely a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush on such a night?

I was comfortably accommodated in XC 1st awaiting a driver who was always 20 mins away. Yes I could have bailed and got a stopper or that 1915,  but when you have a TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) telling you you're on your way soon you tend to stick with the known unknown. Until the 1915 got the tip no one knew it was going west of BRI.

[ellendune]

Flooding in Chipping Sodbury Tunnel is a predictable occurrence when there’s a lot of rain, but I can’t recall Box Tunnel being similarly affected.  I hope the lowering of the track last year for electrification isn’t a contributory factor…. 

You would certainly hope not now the wires won't be going through the tunnel for the foreseeable future.

Regarding Chipping Sodbury IIRC^▸ ('if I recall/remember/read correctly') the issue was water from the rock in the cutting entering the tunnel and the drainage not being able to cope. Unfortunately to prevent flooding downstream, the Environment Agency limit the rate of discharge out of the drainage system NR^» (Network Rail - home page) built a pond to store water in havy rain but that is limited by the land available. So not a very satisfactory solution, but all they were allowed to do.  Short of the EA allowing a higher discharge or building a tank to seal the cutting, not sure what else can be done.

Regarding Box tunnel IIRC there is a gradient all the way through the tunnel so it should not flood.  I know Corsham sation site has flooded int he past is it there?

[JayMac]

Update 2100.

All Devon and Cornwall bound passengers on the three XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) services held at BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) (1744, 1844, 1944) were, at around 2030, directed to buses.

Said buses were not yet available. bignosemac, knowing how these things pan out, spoke with an XC TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) and got a taxi docket for Taunton. A fellow passenger overheard this conversation and is now with me in said taxi on the M5.

My ETA at Taunton should have been 1714. I left Stroud (agreeable lunch and gin or 3 with bobm) at 1514. I will now be around 4.5 hours late into Taunton. I have no qualms about blagging a taxi ahead of those who were shepherded onto buses. Yes, many won't know that they can at least ask. I asked. I got. As I got the cab I'll probably not submit a delay claim to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway). They might well say no any way. Weather being outwith their charter.  

[LiskeardRich]

XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) delay repay on the other hand does pay out for the weather. Although as you opted not to take the stoppers there weee options to get you sooner?
Seen on Facebook now, was going to ask which one you are on!

[TonyK]

I'm currently up inn Lancashire, where things are pretty much the same. My niece got a train from Blackpool North heading for Hull. She got stuck at Leeds for a while, but found her way via Doncaster. It hasn't been First's day at all - Transpennine has been badly hit.