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Banbury disruption 4th and 5th July

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Anyone got any idea what's going on in the Banbury area this week? Yesterday (4th July), it was reported that signalling problems at Aynho junction meant no trains were running - looks like nothing moved for about an hour and 40 minutes from 0720ish, with the XC Birmingham-Southampton being stuck there and eventually cancelled beyond Reading by which time it was 99 late. Now today there's 'a fault with the signalling system between Leamington Spa and Banbury' which has blocked the line since the start of the day with everything cancelled until about 0800.

Unusual to have problems on successive days in two close but separate places.
 
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The Planner

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This morning was OL3150 failing. Multiple track circuits showing occupied when clear (SOWC). Datalink related according to the magic box of tricks.
 
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Thanks. Probably unrelated incidents then. Forgot there were problems on Tuesday too - funny how you wait ages for a signal failure then three come along together!
 
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LordFlashheart

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Yesterdays problems were power supply related, according to the announcements. I was on the 07:13 Princes Risborough to Stratford, terminated at Bicester North. An optimistic announcement of replacement coaches made. I gave up and returned back to Princes Risborough, no sign of any coaches.... Farce at Haddenham as the train I was on was showing as cancelled, so everyone was in the coffee shop and tried to leg it over to catch it.
Fair play to the drivers who managed to relay what was going on effectively, although they were the only staff to be seen
 
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Mitchell Hurd

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Me and my brother, Michael, were gonna go to Banbury from Oxford today for a look round. However, as suggested last night by me, we're going to Reading as it's easier than standing in a potentially hot and packed Voyager, albeit about 15-20 minutes.

Good job too - the 10:14 from Oxford to Banbury would have been cancelled. However, the 09:39 was around 30 minutes late according to JourneyCheck, probably full.

Instead we're in an 8-coach Class 387 on the 10:32 from Didcot to Reading (an IET we'll get around 13:40). Working air-conditioning too!
 
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John Webb

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Mag_seven said:
What in terms of signalling is the "datalink"?
Click to expand...
In older days, signal repeaters, telephones and the block instruments had their individual wires running on the 'Pole Route' alongside the railway line, once a familiar sight.
With the introduction of modern MAS (Multiple aspect signals) and electrification of lines, such pole routes were no longer suitable, and screened multicore cables were laid at trackside. Developing electronics meant that you could cut down on the number of cable cores required by "multiplexing" - sending commands and feedback to/from multiple items and separating them at each end of the link. Modern systems work similarly by using digital signals over fibre-optic cables; this is the 'Datalink'. Clearly such a link needs power at each end to send or decode the signals - lose the power at one end or another and you've lost the 'datalink'.
 
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Mag_seven

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John Webb said:
In older days, signal repeaters, telephones and the block instruments had their individual wires running on the 'Pole Route' alongside the railway line, once a familiar sight.
With the introduction of modern MAS (Multiple aspect signals) and electrification of lines, such pole routes were no longer suitable, and screened multicore cables were laid at trackside. Developing electronics meant that you could cut down on the number of cable cores required by "multiplexing" - sending commands and feedback to/from multiple items and separating them at each end of the link. Modern systems work similarly by using digital signals over fibre-optic cables; this is the 'Datalink'. Clearly such a link needs power at each end to send or decode the signals - lose the power at one end or another and you've lost the 'datalink'.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the explanation. :)
 
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Mitchell Hurd

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Platform 8 at Reading was occupied by 2 4-coach Voyagers (not coupled together) with their engines off. Is this because of the disruption?
 
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BanburyBlue

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Interesting how different operators communicate delays to customers. If you looked at the Crosscountry website, you wouldn't have been aware of any problems (didn't look first thing though). Just has a link to NRE.

Chiltern has a strap across the top of the page informing of delays.
 
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LordFlashheart said:
Yesterdays problems were power supply related, according to the announcements. I was on the 07:13 Princes Risborough to Stratford, terminated at Bicester North. An optimistic announcement of replacement coaches made. I gave up and returned back to Princes Risborough, no sign of any coaches.... Farce at Haddenham as the train I was on was showing as cancelled, so everyone was in the coffee shop and tried to leg it over to catch it.
Fair play to the drivers who managed to relay what was going on effectively, although they were the only staff to be seen
Click to expand...

Good effort by Chiltern to terminate that Stratford train, turn it round and run is as the 0807 to Marylebone - at least it meant that a lot of people got into London although being a 2 car set it was quite cosy by High Wycombe. I guess you were on the same train, the problem at Haddenham being that the 0807 doesn't usually call there but they added the stop to clear the crowds.
 
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Jamiescott1

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I've got 2 delay repays processing from chiltern this week.
I'm currently on a short formed packed (due to previous service being cancelled) train. So issues this evening.

My biggest issue is that theres 2 bikes on the train and I pointed this out to the driver and dispatcher,making them aware that bikes aren't allowed after 1630. But they did nothing and said they'd be back.
 
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