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GWR Diversions 5-7 May - HST's?

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Anyone know if the diversions via Chiltern lines this weekend will be worked by HST's? Particularly the Sunday trains from Marylebone. I fancy a trip before it's too late...
 
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RichJF

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I'm not an expert on GWR or Chiltern, but do the GWR HSTs now use the Bicester-Oxford chord when the GWML is closed?
 

cactustwirly

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Anyone know if the diversions via Chiltern lines this weekend will be worked by HST's? Particularly the Sunday trains from Marylebone. I fancy a trip before it's too late...

They'll be either HSTs or 800s, you might want to use RTT to work out where each diagram starts.
Old Oak Common, St Phillips Marsh & Laira are all HST depots, and North Pole & Stoke Gifford are the 800 depots.
 

Melancholia

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Should all be HSTs on the Sunday, as apparently IETs will "eat" the platforms at Bicester Village, which also presumably means the other days they should all be HSTs.
 

nat67

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They'll be either HSTs or 800s, you might want to use RTT to work out where each diagram starts.
Old Oak Common, St Phillips Marsh & Laira are all HST depots, and North Pole & Stoke Gifford are the 800 depots.
Also use TigerIris as you can find out the train formations of either 5, 10 or 8 maybe 7.
 

Bungle965

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Correct - Class 800's are not gauge cleared for the Chiltern route.

Key question for Sunday will be how many of these diverts will run due to the driver shortage issue.
Are they planning to get them cleared for the Chiltern route?
Be a shame if GWR are no longer able to use it as a diversionary route when the HST's are withdrawn.
Sam
 

NSEFAN

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Are they planning to get them cleared for the Chiltern route?
Be a shame if GWR are no longer able to use it as a diversionary route when the HST's are withdrawn.
Sam
If the 800s do indeed have real clearance issues at Bicester Town, then getting clearance is less likely since you wouldn't normally modify a platform for occasional diversions. Perhaps up to Banbury with a reversal would still be possible?
 

jimm

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The DfT has given Network Rail funding for clearance work on diversionary routes in the main spheres of operation for 80xs - some routes off the main line in South Wales, Newport-Gloucester, and Peterborough-Lincoln-Doncaster, for example, they are not funding work on the Chiltern Line.

But once remaining Crossrail work is done on the GWML in the Thames Valley, the need for blockades and diversions will be much reduced, so may be hard to justify expenditure between Marylebone and Bicester or Banbury.
 

The Planner

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GWR didn't put any of the Chiltern's in as a diversionary route as part of the initial Class 800 consultation, they only asked for clearance to Banbury. If they want to cough up for it then I've no doubt it could be done.
 

MatthewRead

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Just out of interest why is the Greenford to West Ealing line closed as well? Is there engineering work on that line to?
 

ValleyLines142

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For the far south west, wouldn't it be more practical to go from Waterloo to Reading and then pick up the Reading - Plymouth/Penzance service. Surely it would be quicker and less crowded?

Reading to Waterloo is an hour and a half on a painfully slow stopper. Granted I much prefer that route but the journey times put me off massively.
 

Kite159

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For the far south west, wouldn't it be more practical to go from Waterloo to Reading and then pick up the Reading - Plymouth/Penzance service. Surely it would be quicker and less crowded?

GWR have been running an hourly fast service between Basingstoke & Reading with additional coaches to cater for additional passengers from Reading towards London due to the direct services being slow and extra busy due to the rugby.

(The 07:40 Basingstoke - Reading was a 165+166 although due to it being too big for the bay at Basingstoke I suspect it attached to a 165 working Newbury stoppers)

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However looking at journey check, seems some of the diverts via Bicester has been cancelled today
 

BestWestern

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South Wales starting/finishing at Reading, Bristols too I presume. West country services went through to Pad.
 

CarltonA

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Yesterday saw an HST passing through Bicester Village on the "wrong" side after a passenger was taken ill on the 17:40 Chiltern service from Oxford. The following 168 and then the diverted GWR service passed on the other side as we awaited the arrival of an ambulance. I had already had a substantial delay at Worcester Foregate due to a points failure and ended up taking over five hours to get from Worcester to Gerrards Cross. May do a trip report.
 

MatthewRead

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I had been initially led to believe that the HST's would run via Old Oak junction in both directions but it turned out the country bound trains were using the Greenford branch.
 

General Zod

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For those who are interested I saw 43002 Sir Kenneth Grange ( Intercity 125 Blue/Yellow livery ) on a working through Beaconsfield yesterday (Saturday) , however, I am unsure if it is out on duty today.
 

stevetay3

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Why no electric services Maidenhead to Didcot this weekend.only turbos running two & three car sets,and quite a few cancelled. Surely the GWR must have enough drivers and stock to be able to do better than this absurd excuse for a service
 

CarltonA

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GWR have taken over platform 3 at Marylebone today, I'd be interested to know what the piles of batteries were for.
 

NSEFAN

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It seems that most of today's Swansea diversions are starting at Reading, and not doing the Chiltern line. The Penzance/Plymouth trains are however still running.

Edit: it seems that trains are being delayed leaving Paddington. The staff shortage could be so bad that drivers are having to swap immediately from the up arrivals to the Down departures!
 
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74A

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GWR have taken over platform 3 at Marylebone today, I'd be interested to know what the piles of batteries were for.

They were for the water pumps to pump the water from the containers into the toilet tanks.
 

LordCreed

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Why no electric services Maidenhead to Didcot this weekend.only turbos running two & three car sets,and quite a few cancelled. Surely the GWR must have enough drivers and stock to be able to do better than this absurd excuse for a service

Given that the existing services were being cancelled due to driver shortages, then I'd presume there isn't drivers to run more services .

Also, a Oxford to Didcot turbo changing onto a Didcot to Maidenhead electric both requires more staff and is less passenger friendly, causing passengers to change services at Didcot
 

stevetay3

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Given that the existing services were being cancelled due to driver shortages, then I'd presume there isn't drivers to run more services .

Also, a Oxford to Didcot turbo changing onto a Didcot to Maidenhead electric both requires more staff and is less passenger friendly, causing passengers to change services at Didcot

The services are being replaced due to engineering work.What is running is far below the.normal service level,changing trains at Didcot is now the norm since electrification.I would much prefer to walk across the platform at Didcot than be cramed sardine style in a two car turbo.
 
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