Storm Bert Saturday 23rd November

[henryb]

GWR still complete chaos- nothing from London to Bristol or Devon

 

[The exile]

GWR still complete chaos- nothing from London to Bristol or Devon

Yet according to their app “There is a good service operating across our network”. Don’t know who their Director of Communications is but they’re not doing their job properly.

 

[ValleyLines142]

GWR have advise not to travel. Code black on the Stroud Valley. Widespread disruption due to crew shortages yesterday and unit displacement. Only train that has left Gloucester this morning is the 07:08 to Stansted, and even then that started from there vice Bristol.

 

[henryb]

Yet according to their app “There is a good service operating across our network”. Don’t know who their Director of Communications is but they’re not doing their job properly.

Their app says good website but their website disagrees rather strongly with all the warnings

 

[OhNoAPacer]

Northampton station flooded.

 

[The exile]

GWR have advise not to travel. Code black on the Stroud Valley. Widespread disruption due to crew shortages yesterday and unit displacement. Only train that has left Gloucester this morning is the 07:08 to Stansted, and even then that started from there vice Bristol.

So why is their app telling us that there is a good service running? Don’t say it’s a temporary error - it’s been like it for at least an hour and a half.

 

[ValleyLines142]

So why is their app telling us that there is a good service running? Don’t say it’s a temporary error - it’s been like it for at least an hour and a half.

They don't know how to update it apparently....

 

[A S Leib]

So far all four trains from / via Berwick today have got to Newcastle at least fifteen minutes late, although I don't know if that has another cause.

 

[Towers]

GWR have advise not to travel. Code black on the Stroud Valley. Widespread disruption due to crew shortages yesterday and unit displacement. Only train that has left Gloucester this morning is the 07:08 to Stansted, and even then that started from there vice Bristol.

Gloucester to Stansted?! Things really have gone awry!

 

[Horizon22]

It's doubly frustrating that lots of the failures [to run the service] are down simply to the Balkanisation of train services and the "rationalisation" of traincrew depots, stripping out most options to respond flexibly to problems.
They seem to have the wrong (or just not enough) people in the wrong places with the wrong route and traction knowledge!

Most of the delays and cancellations listed in this thread have not been for that reason with multiple routes blocked.

Even with diversions, having crew and stock out of position in multiple places on potentially extended diversions will cause the service to fall apart.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Nov 2024 ==

I don’t think the poster was questioning the seriousness of the flooding more asking what can the railways do to try and deal with the increased likelihood of extreme weather

Well it needs more money to build resilience. If anything, the opposite is happening in some cases. This includes extra staff available (both response, environmental and control resources), better flexibility (diversionary routes retained etc.) physical infrastructure and also monitoring to name but a few.

 

[arb]

Gloucester to Stansted?! Things really have gone awry!

It's a timetabled direct train, via Birmingham, once per day. See e.g. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C48346/2024-11-29 for this Friday.

 

[dk1]

Gloucester to Stansted?! Things really have gone awry!

It’s run for the best part of 15 years. Was extended to start back from Bristol a few years later.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Gloucester to Stansted?! Things really have gone awry!

Booked route, 1L98 0625 Bristol to Stansted Airport (usually).

 

[MadCommuter]

Booked route, 1L98 0625 Bristol to Stansted Airport (usually).

I wonder if this will be one of those services that we'll reminisce about in 20 years.

 

[Towers]

Booked route, 1L98 0625 Bristol to Stansted Airport (usually).

Yikes! What’s that in aid of then?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Yikes! What’s that in aid of then?

It just connects an XC Bristol-Birmingham with an XC Birmingham-Stansted.
Much like there used to be a (then Central) Liverpool-Birmingham-Stansted service for a while, simply by joining the services across Birmingham.

 

[Merle Haggard]

Northampton station flooded.

Which seems to have resulted in all LNw services (apart from Euston - Tring) being cancelled - even the Euston - Crewe ones,..
NRES has the flooding problems on LNwR as 'cleared 02.15, residual delays'

 

[DaveyJones]

Which seems to have resulted in all LNw services (apart from Euston - Tring) being cancelled - even the Euston - Crewe ones,..
NRES has the flooding problems on LNwR as 'cleared 02.15, residual delays'

The 4x 8Cars and 1x Full showing in the signal berths for Northampton Station suggests the residual delays may last a while

 

[65477]

Booked route, 1L98 0625 Bristol to Stansted Airport (usually).

Might not get to it's destination today as no trains can reach Stansted Airport due to the line being blocked between Audley End and Harlow Town.

 

[dk1]

Might not get to it's destination today as no trains can reach Stansted Airport due to the line being blocked between Audley End and Harlow Town.

15:00 is now the very wildest estimate for reopening.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Which seems to have resulted in all LNw services (apart from Euston - Tring) being cancelled - even the Euston - Crewe ones,..
NRES has the flooding problems on LNwR as 'cleared 02.15, residual delays'

Apparently the access to Northampton depot is flooded so all they've got is the units/crews* at Bletchley. Potentially a fair few 730s out?

* Presumably until they put a temporary arrangement in place.

 

[Merle Haggard]

Apparently the access to Northampton depot is flooded so all they've got is the units/crews* at Bletchley. Potentially a fair few 730s out?

* Presumably until they put a temporary arrangement in place.

Thanks. Presumably it's where the line crosses the river just North of the station. The Upper Nene must be really high - this didn't happen in the 1998 flood. If so, the sets stabled in the station area might possible have water damage.


Strange that, as far as I could see an hour or so ago, LNw running no trains at all North of Tring isn't worth mentioning on either NRES or LNw's 'status & disruption' section, only report is a couple of lifts out of order.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Half hourly MKC<->Eus and a bus Wolverton<->MKC is what is running (probably fairly easy for them to set up by using the Marston Vale standby buses), just at very random times and with a lot of disruption. Not just Tring. Anecdotal reports suggest at least some of it is single units.

Fortunately the depot itself is mostly up on a hill but yes there could be damage to the units in the station.

 

[OhNoAPacer]

Picture on London Northwestern website shows the tracks between platforms 1 and 2 looking like a canal.
Flooding on roads around station as well so rail replacement road transport not possible.

 

[Jamiescott1]

GWR have advise not to travel.

Thames valley services all running as per timetable so not sure why a do not travel warning fir the entire network

 

[800001]

So far all four trains from / via Berwick today have got to Newcastle at least fifteen minutes late, although I don't know if that has another cause.

Most likely speeds restrictions caused by high winds.

 

[vlvstvir]

Jumped on a GWR IET at Filton Abbeywood, that stated that it was going to Plymouth, which was then promptly cancelled at Bristol.

Apparently Taunton, Exeter etc are flooded, the only trains going south from Temple Meads in the next 4 hours are the going to be the odd service to Weston-Super-Mare.

A lot of people in same boat - needlessly travelling because of incorrect information!

 

[Magdalia]

Thanks. Presumably it's where the line crosses the river just North of the station. The Upper Nene must be really high - this didn't happen in the 1998 flood. If so, the sets stabled in the station area might possible have water damage.

Report and picture on the BBC website here:

Floods cause 'major incident' in Northamptonshire

There is widespread disruption in Northamptonshire due to flooding from Storm Bert.

www.bbc.co.uk

Several roads in Northamptonshire have been closed and no services are stopping at Northampton railway station due to flooding from Storm Bert.

The Environment Agency has issued a severe flood warning for the River Nene at Billing Aquadrome and nearby business parks.

The warning has been issued due to deep and fast flowing water and a rapid onset of flooding, and there could be danger to life.

I remember the rain that precipitated the 1998 floods, in particular a journey from Birmingham to Euston that took 6 hours.

 

[JKF]

It was blocked from west of Bristol (after Parson St Jn) all the way to Taunton earlier (in fact still showing as blocked on Traksy so unlikely stuff is going to WSM). I know there is a bit near Weston that floods occasionally.

It rained hard for two days in Bristol, continuing after the storm that will have blown a lot of leaves, branches and other debris into drains and drainage channels causing blockages, so it’s not surprising that it is bad.

Seems a nice day now so hopefully they’re cracking on with clearing what they can, but in many places they’ll have to wait for the waters to subside before clearing up.

 

[Magdalia]

15:00 is now the very wildest estimate for reopening.

Current estimate for reopening to Stansted is 1700.

Greater Anglia disruption as fallen trees damage overhead wires

Trains are not expected to run between Harlow Town, Cambridge and Stansted Airport.

www.bbc.co.uk

Train lines have been blocked after strong winds caused multiple trees to fall and damage overhead wires.

Services running between Broxbourne and Audley End have been cancelled, delayed or revised.

A Greater Anglia spokesperson said: "Network Rail engineers are working hard to remove the fallen trees and repair the damaged overhead wires.

"However due to the number of incidents, we do not expect to be able to run trains between Harlow Town and Cambridge, including Stansted Airport, until 17:00 on 25/11/24."