Network Rail have now set an expectation of no restoration until Monday:
https://twitter.com/NetworkRailWssx/status/1222594030963503104
https://twitter.com/NetworkRailWssx/status/1222594030963503104
Nail.
Head.
Hit.
Pat
Yes sorry I did mean the down fast, got confuddled!
The down fast may reopen first but it currently looks like it'll be plain lined, in other words it'll be standard track with no pointwork, the down slow is more problematic and access to Hedge End looks like it might be a problem. There are conflicting reports at the moment but I think it's safe to say that Monday is the earliest we can expect a service through station.
Have they released your marooned 450 yet?Indeed, that's what Tyrell Check seemed to imply, temporarily replacing the point work with plain track to allow the down fast to reopen. Feel sorry for the passengers on the Botley line, they've had their fair share of problems these last few years.
I do have to wonder if anyone does any training or has the kit (nearer than Leeds) for this sort of thing any more. The issues here do not sound or look that bad. In the big smash at Bridgwater near Taunton in 1974 it was 17 wagons off the road, some smashed, some upside-down, goods strewn across the roadbed, loco demolished both ends, and a fatality. 36 hours to resume running all lines.Wagons #1 & #4 (of the four derailed vehicles) have proven to be quite awkward to remove. Wagon #1 has a severely damaged axle and needs a 'wheel skate' to be removed safely. The nearest one they can source is coming from Leeds, #4 has an eight ton load within it's container and that is the one they expect the most trouble from. It's doesn't help that the track is severely damaged, so all in all it's a tricky operation.
Have they released your marooned 450 yet?
it's not necessarily that people don't have the kit, it's just that the NR contractor carrying out the operation might only have a set in Leeds. Sort of reminds me of the time a 377 derailed outside Brighton causing delays for 2+ days, with the NR contractors reportedly doing a lot of faffing and waiting a lot of the time for resources to come to site, when the Southern kit was 200 yards away but for whatever reason someone(not southern) was saying no to its use!I do have to wonder if anyone does any training or has the kit (nearer than Leeds) for this sort of thing any more. The issues here do not sound or look that bad. In the big smash at Bridgwater near Taunton in 1974 it was 17 wagons off the road, some smashed, some upside-down, goods strewn across the roadbed, and a fatality. 36 hours to resume running all lines.
http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/DoE_Bridgwater1974.pdf
Will it be off the power?No, she is still there! Keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings.
There needs to be reassessment of location of manpower and plant to deal with derailments so much time is lost in todays railway because nothing is on hand anymore. Before anyone says its waste of money i dont buy that - this is costing the industry money (i dont care which part) but more importantly reputationally we don't look good.it's not necessarily that people don't have the kit, it's just that the NR contractor carrying out the operation might only have a set in Leeds. Sort of reminds me of the time a 377 derailed outside Brighton causing delays for 2+ days, with the NR contractors reportedly doing a lot of faffing and waiting a lot of the time for resources to come to site, when the Southern kit was 200 yards away but for whatever reason someone(not southern) was saying no to its use!
Will it be off the power?
Yes, the batteries were well and truly flat when we were relieved yesterday afternoon.
I saw a battery red light (like I see on the last coach of freight trains) had been put on. I wondered why it was still there! Seeing a train at a platform raised my hope this morning
Yes, looked like a white plastic thing (I am sure there is a technical name!), London enddo you mean it’s got a red tail lamp? Where’s the lamp? London end or country end?
I do have to wonder if anyone does any training or has the kit (nearer than Leeds) for this sort of thing any more. The issues here do not sound or look that bad. In the big smash at Bridgwater near Taunton in 1974 it was 17 wagons off the road, some smashed, some upside-down, goods strewn across the roadbed, loco demolished both ends, and a fatality. 36 hours to resume running all lines.
http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/DoE_Bridgwater1974.pdf
Does anyone know if the engineering works necessitating a SWML diversion via Barnes will go ahead on Sunday, or if the resources will all be focused on Eastleigh? In the former case it could add up to some pretty long doubly diverted journeys...
Will it be off the power?
Good luck anyone flying out of Southampton. I half expect some media site to have a sob story about someone missing a flight and blaming Network Rail and Highways Hgland for rail and motorway closures.Unfortunately the weekend closure of the M27 around Southampton is predicted to cause traffic chaos, so any rail replacement buses might find themselves impacted by this as well.
I would have thought modern lifting equipment (at terminals and ports) would be self weighing, or should be.
Anything grossly overloaded should be detected, put back on the ground and not transferred to rail.
Each individual container should be loaded such that the weight is distributed as evenly as possible, particularly laterally. If uniform distribution is not possible, then the second preference is having the heaviest weight arranged along the longitudinal centre line. This is the responsibility of the person/organisation putting the goods in the container. IIRC the freight operator has little to no control over this, beyond the contractual right to reject carriage of containers that are inappropriately packed.Is it possible to evenly load containers bearing in mind how diverse a range of goods and commodities they carry with laden weights and weight distribution varying accordingly?
I do have to wonder if anyone does any training or has the kit (nearer than Leeds) for this sort of thing any more. The issues here do not sound or look that bad. In the big smash at Bridgwater near Taunton in 1974 it was 17 wagons off the road, some smashed, some upside-down, goods strewn across the roadbed, loco demolished both ends, and a fatality. 36 hours to resume running all lines.
There is no doubt that the organisation, resources and necessary experiences to deal with clearing up after a derailment such as this one and return of a normal service, are these days spread very thinly throughout the National railway system. Recovery of derailed and damaged rolling stock and subsequent track and other infrastructure repairs will, besides NR,ROSCOS and TOCS, involve a multitude of Contractors and sub Contractors in the current 'unjoined up' Railway.
Hence why the Bridgewater incident (which I remember) was so efficiently and quickly cleared up to enable the line to reopen so speedily.
However there are of course,fortunately, fewer derailments these days.
Arguably Heritage railways per mile are far better equipped with most possessing rail cranes and a variety of useful open, flat and low floored wagons.
There needs to be reassessment of location of manpower and plant to deal with derailments so much time is lost in todays railway because nothing is on hand anymore. Before anyone says its waste of money i dont buy that - this is costing the industry money (i dont care which part) but more importantly reputationally we don't look good.
This incident raises the question of why Freightliner still stops their down intermodals at Eastleigh for traincrew relief, tying-up the layout for 5 minutes at a time. Have they considered setting-up a traincrew depot at Maritime? By the time trains finally depart Eastleigh after waiting for a new driver they could almost have reached Maritime anyway. It would cost little more than a free taxi ride from Maritime back to Eastleigh for any drivers living there. Could it be that the drivers are already at the very limit of their permitted hours by the time they reach Eastleigh? I wonder if any readers could enlighten us as to why these historic arrangements have been perpetuated for so long.
This incident raises the question of why Freightliner still stops their down intermodals at Eastleigh for traincrew relief, tying-up the layout for 5 minutes at a time. Have they considered setting-up a traincrew depot at Maritime? By the time trains finally depart Eastleigh after waiting for a new driver they could almost have reached Maritime anyway. It would cost little more than a free taxi ride from Maritime back to Eastleigh for any drivers living there. Could it be that the drivers are already at the very limit of their permitted hours by the time they reach Eastleigh? I wonder if any readers could enlighten us as to why these historic arrangements have been perpetuated for so long.
This incident raises the question of why Freightliner still stops their down intermodals at Eastleigh for traincrew relief, tying-up the layout for 5 minutes at a time. Have they considered setting-up a traincrew depot at Maritime? By the time trains finally depart Eastleigh after waiting for a new driver they could almost have reached Maritime anyway. It would cost little more than a free taxi ride from Maritime back to Eastleigh for any drivers living there. Could it be that the drivers are already at the very limit of their permitted hours by the time they reach Eastleigh? I wonder if any readers could enlighten us as to why these historic arrangements have been perpetuated for so long.