Major Disruption, Birmingham - South West, 06/10.

Mugby · 7 Oct 2019

According to RTT, there were a large number of cancellations between Birmingham and the South West and Cardiff on Sunday 06/10. due to late running engineering work. The first XC service of the day to Cardiff was the 1730.

Does anyone know where and what the problem was and what alternatives were offered? If RRBs were laid on, it must have been a logistical nightmare sourcing enough capacity.

RailUK Forums

sufian123 · 7 Oct 2019

It happened at Abbotswood junction towards Tewkesbury. Alternative was coaches in place. no other lines can take you to Cheltenham. It’s been a nightmare

Mugby · 7 Oct 2019

Well that's what you call an overrun, from start of service till after 4pm in the afternoon!

It must have been a pretty serious problem!

voyagerdude220 · 7 Oct 2019

I believe some sort of machine broke down whilst replacing a set of points within the possession.

jimm · 7 Oct 2019

Trains still can't run between Worcester and Cheltenham at the moment but looks like might be fixed shortly.

From GWR Journeycheck

Cancellations to services between Cheltenham Spa and Worcester Shrub Hill

Due to a points failure between Cheltenham Spa and Worcester Shrub Hill all lines are blocked.
Train services running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until 08:15 07/10.
Further Information

Last Updated:07/10/2019 07:54

3 Train Cancellations
05:28 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington due 08:07
07:08 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington due 09:40
07:14 Gloucester to Great Malvern due 08:09

4 Other Train Service Updates
06:49 Worcester Shrub Hill to Weymouth due 11:03

08:50 Great Malvern to Westbury due 11:35

Carlisle · 7 Oct 2019

voyagerdude220 said:
I believe some sort of machine broke down whilst replacing a set of points within the possession.

Every overun I can recall in recent years appears to have been due to equipment breakdown and / or the occasional derailment .

Scousemouse · 7 Oct 2019

I was caught in the middle of it. Left home to get the train from Taunton to Warrington at 11am.

Pulled into warrington at 2045.

Knew I should have gone via London despite the extra cost.

Class 170101 · 7 Oct 2019

Scousemouse said:
I was caught in the middle of it. Left home to get the train from Taunton to Warrington at 11am.

Pulled into warrington at 2045.

Knew I should have gone via London despite the extra cost.

Surely it would have been quicker to change at Reading and then New Street?

Its a shame XC don't do diversions between Bristol and Didcot (thence via Banbury and Bordsley).

JN114 · 7 Oct 2019

Class 170101 said:
Its a shame XC don't do diversions between Bristol and Didcot (thence via Banbury and Bordsley).

They do occasionally; but very very few crews sign the route (if any now?) - to have that small pool of train crews in the right place at the right time at that notice would be a virtual impossibility.

Class 170101 · 7 Oct 2019

JN114 said:
They do occasionally; but very very few crews sign the route (if any now?) - to have that small pool of train crews in the right place at the right time at that notice would be a virtual impossibility.

Had many discussions about this and I believe its only Bristol that sign the route.

Perhaps it could become part of the next XC franchise requirements so as to reduce bus operations.

221129 · 8 Oct 2019

Class 170101 said:
Had many discussions about this and I believe its only Bristol that sign the route.

Perhaps it could become part of the next XC franchise requirements so as to reduce bus operations.

Bristol TMs only sign as far as Swindon. No one signs Swindon to Didcot. Some Bristol drivers used to sign to Didcot but doubt they do anymore.

JamesT · 8 Oct 2019

If nobody in XC signs Swindon to Didcot, why do they still send the occasional train via Foxhall Junction? What use is that bit of route going to be?

jawr256 · 8 Oct 2019

JamesT said:
If nobody in XC signs Swindon to Didcot, why do they still send the occasional train via Foxhall Junction? What use is that bit of route going to be?

I don't know the answer but looked this up to illustrate your point as I wasn't sure what you meant:
realtimetrains.co.uk/train/P38358/2019/10/08/advanced

This is a weekday Reading-Birmingham service booked to reverse at Foxhall junction instead of running directly to Oxford. Seems to have only done the reversal two of the last five weekdays though.

221129 · 8 Oct 2019

JamesT said:
If nobody in XC signs Swindon to Didcot, why do they still send the occasional train via Foxhall Junction? What use is that bit of route going to be?

To turn a set if needs be.

Class 170101 · 8 Oct 2019

221129 said:
To turn a set if needs be.

Going via Soho would do that. Perhaps its to neutralise the turn via Soho?

JN114 · 9 Oct 2019

I thought it was for route knowledge retention of both routes.

There are infrastructure failure scenarios where neither the Didcot avoiding lines nor the route through Didcot station are available; but Foxhall Junction (reverse) and Didcot West Curve is. As recently as a few weeks ago all services - GW and XC were ad-hoc diverted that way where route knowledge permitted. I don’t recall a single XC for that couple of hours that didn’t go via Foxhall...

Scousemouse · 9 Oct 2019

Class 170101 said:
Surely it would have been quicker to change at Reading and then New Street?

Its a shame XC don't do diversions between Bristol and Didcot (thence via Banbury and Bordsley).

It would have been but there were no 10 minute seats available in First Class from Reading to NEw Street and I always pay for the upgrade at weekends. There were none in standard either.

I will not go on XC unless I have a reservation as I always end up getting moved out because someone else books it en route.

To be fair, despite the train resembling something from an Indian Train documentary, the TM did keep first as first so with only 10 people in it, it was at least quiet and comfortable - just took a long time.

Mugby · 9 Oct 2019

Scousemouse said:
It would have been but there were no 10 minute seats available in First Class from Reading to NEw Street and I always pay for the upgrade at weekends. There were none in standard either.

I will not go on XC unless I have a reservation as I always end up getting moved out because someone else books it en route.

To be fair, despite the train resembling something from an Indian Train documentary, the TM did keep first as first so with only 10 people in it, it was at least quiet and comfortable - just took a long time.

If the line didn't re-open until around 4pm, your train must have been standing in one spot for a very long time?

Scousemouse · 9 Oct 2019

Mugby said:
If the line didn't re-open until around 4pm, your train must have been standing in one spot for a very long time?

1350 departure from Taunton diverted to BRistol via Westbury - Got into Bristol about 1510 but were not leaving until 1530

Diverted into Gloucester where we sat for ages and then moved up to Cheltenham. Sat on the platform at Cheltenham for a very long while until they needed the platform for something else so we got hoofed up the line to Aschurch.

Sat at Ashcurch behind a train in front of us for about 30 minutes before following a stopper all the way into New Street

Major Disruption, Birmingham - South West, 06/10.

Mugby

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sufian123

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