Oh dear! That sounds like Cowley Bridge Jct is still vulnerable...
I think it’s fingers crossed time. There’s heavy rain/hail due on Exmoor for the rest of the day so it could get a lot worse. That said though the river still has a little way to go before it gets to the point of going over the track and I think that new culvert is helping to empty the pinch point which used to cause the main problems.Disappointing if true since a massive new culvert has gone in there. from the pictures above it looks like the culvert fails to remedy the flood threat.
Disappointing if true since a new culvert has gone in there. from the pictures above it looks like the culvert fails to remedy the flood threat.
Indeed, and the very end of the Rail Engineer article, linked in post #122, does explain that the intention is only to reduce the frequency of threat:The new culvert and the other measures, such as putting electrical kit in the area up on raised platforms, were meant to mitigate the flooding threat to the railway, not eliminate it.
Had things been left as they were, then the odds are the line would have been under water some time ago.
Ironically, one of the reasons the Conwy Valley line is so prone to flooding is due to the railway itself. Conwy Cob (the causeway carrying the railway and road between Llandudno Junction and Conwy) massively restricts the mouth of the river from what it naturally would be. It pre-dates the railway of course, but its permanent existence was set in stone when the railway came along and joined the road.
Yes, people think "it wont happen to me".
Conditions dependent buses can run. The question must be should they run. I can see exactly why TOC's decide the answer is no!
The Conwy valley line really isn't very robust. Granted it may be a bit of a Cinderella route. If it is to be kept open and developed it needs some sort of major works to keep it in service.
IOW an excuse. As a passenger I say yes, they should run.
Yes that's what I thought. As long as it mitigates the serious damage, then closing the line on/off every now and then is a very small price to pay.The new culvert and the other measures, such as putting electrical kit in the area up on raised platforms, were meant to mitigate the flooding threat to the railway, not eliminate it.
Had things been left as they were, then the odds are the line would have been under water some time ago.
Currently on a slight detour trying to get up to Stoke from Brum, going via Coventry and Nuneaton, going to be a bit annoyed if the LNWR effort that should leave 20 after this one did actually does get through and isn't cancelled like everything before it
Currently on a slight detour trying to get up to Stoke from Brum, going via Coventry and Nuneaton, going to be a bit annoyed if the LNWR effort that should leave 20 after this one did actually does get through and isn't cancelled like everything before it
I'm afraid that once again there are problems at Penkridge.
I’m not surprised, there’s flood warnings in place all around that part of the world. I was though on the WCML a couple of hours ago and the countryside was underwater pretty much everywhere from Rugeley to Norton Bridge.
Poor old Penkridge. Trees on the OHL caused major disruption when I was there last week.There is overhead wire damage between Stafford and Penkridge. Whether it is weather related I do not know.
It's called the Trent Valley line for a reason! (although it is usually well above river level...)I’m not surprised, there’s flood warnings in place all around that part of the world. I was though on the WCML a couple of hours ago and the countryside was underwater pretty much everywhere from Rugeley to Norton Bridge.
I saw that on a local FB page, did not realise that it was the railwayExtensive flooding at Sway in New Forest with up and down line under water. Looks like mainline to Bournemouth and weymouth will stay closed tomorrow at least .
View attachment 74021
And plans to divert via Yeovil have had to be abandoned owing to flooding that way as well.I think it’s fingers crossed time. There’s heavy rain/hail due on Exmoor for the rest of the day so it could get a lot worse. That said though the river still has a little way to go before it gets to the point of going over the track and I think that new culvert is helping to empty the pinch point which used to cause the main problems.
The Cowley Bridge sausage has been readied:
View attachment 73979
The river is high at the moment and still rising.
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It’ll take a while for the water to work its way down from Exmoor and other high ground, it’s still raining here too.
I mean I don’t know to be honest, and I’m struggling to get beyond the phrase ‘Deploy the sausage’ today...Whilst its premptive isn't this a bit too much so? The line is dry at the moment shouldn't the Orange Army be 'waiting' to deploy the 'sausage' not having already deployed it and 'run' away?
I am on a Liverpool bound Avanti and we have stopped just before Runcorn as the wires are down ahead of us. Nearly made it!!! Very annoying!!!
Confusingly, the Liverpool to London has just thundered past us. Is it possible for the wires to be down on one track and the other track be open on a two track section? I would have thought both would need to be isolated/closed.
It's called the Trent Valley line for a reason! (although it is usually well above river level...)
Whilst its premptive isn't this a bit too much so? The line is dry at the moment shouldn't the Orange Army be 'waiting' to deploy the 'sausage' not having already deployed it and 'run' away?
And Doxey Marsh (north of Stafford) and, to a lesser extent, the Sow Meadows (south of Stafford) are part of the flood defences for the area.
There is often a 24 hour delay when the water / flooding on Exmoor and Dartmoor flows down - much like what falls in Mid-Wales - gets to the lower / mid Severn Valley later on , Worcester etc area . Being proactive is very ,very sensible. A long standing policy.
(Unprecedented flooding off the Brecon Beacons is causing havoc further down in the Upper Swansea Valley - alas there are no longer any railways to be affected)