Dawlish sea wall collapse

[yorksrob]

Very sensible posts.

The current line will be repaired and in due course better defenses put in place. That will be all. No new lines, unless the government comes up with more cash and pays for the route entirely. NR sure as hell dont have the money after the CP5 settlement has been worked out!

The current line, no doubt with degraded working, will be repaired and reopened ASAP.

Well, it would certainly be a wasted opportunity if when the dust settles, the opportunity to improve transport in the region isn't taken. I hope the locals turn the screw on their marginal MP's and Councillors and force something to happen.

With regard to costs, I suppose you can only really look at the comparable projects that have taken place in Scotland.

 

[DarloRich]

Well, it would certainly be a wasted opportunity if when the dust settles, the opportunity to improve transport in the region isn't taken. I hope the locals turn the screw on their marginal MP's and Councillors and force something to happen.

With regard to costs, I suppose you can only really look at the comparable projects that have taken place in Scotland.

Unless the government fronts up the cash nothing will happen. It certainly isn't in the NR CP5 business plan!

Do the local authorities have the spare cash to help? I doubt it.

 

[yorksrob]

Unless the government fronts up the cash nothing will happen. It certainly isn't in the NR CP5 business plan!

Do the local authorities have the spare cash to help? I doubt it.

Government should.

It's a lot of money, but not a ridiculous amount compared to other projects. Government's just been banging on about how it wants to spend on infrastructure projects (and "surprise surprise" come up with a list of mainly road widening schemes). Spend on this. This will lead to a step change in local connectivity and bring more of an immediate improvement to the local economy (and voters lives) than electrification.

 

[Rapidash]

I know that Torbay council has no money whatsoever to do any projec, rail or otherwise. Maybe there's an EU fund for such things? There usually is.

 

[mwmbwls]

I know that Torbay council has no money whatsoever to do any projec, rail or otherwise. Maybe there's an EU fund for such things? There usually is.

http://www.heartofswlep.co.uk/sites/default/files/Transition brief Dec 2012.pdf

The local LEP may have better access to funding than the council. The EU already regards Devon and in particular Cornwall as areas that need support.

 

[sbt]

The EU already regards Devon and in particular Cornwall as areas that need support.

Well obviously it needs support if parts of it keep falling into the sea!

 

[fsmr]

Only just released by NWR shows the temporary sea containers being used filled with stone to protect the site from waves

[youtube]JCQykSLMhKU[/youtube]

 

[sbt]

The affected stretch in an earlier storm (2008).

[youtube]wEPEfNQO3nY[/youtube]

 

[Chrisgr31]

Only just released by NWR shows the temporary sea containers being used filled with stone to protect the site from waves

[youtube]JCQykSLMhKU[/youtube]

Wonder how they plan to get those back out again

 

[swt_passenger]

Wonder how they plan to get those back out again

I think from an earlier photo the inward route was off the end of the trackbed and down an earth ramp between the inner and outer walls.

Photo 9 of the set on Network Rail's page on the problem:

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/improvements/dawlish/

 

[455driver]

Wonder how they plan to get those back out again

Open the end doors and use a JCB rear arm, when its empty lift it out and move onto the next one!

 

[yorksrob]

Quite ingenious the way the track is being used to form a barrier against the sea. Presumably these will end up inside the new structure.

 

[fsmr]

And some 1989 vintage BR loco hauled traction in better times
Check out the minima PPE on the Pway survey lads at 18 seconds in


I think whatever happened, there has to be a diversionary plan B for times when the sea is that bad that even with a decent wall, the swell is too much to run but railway or no railway, there still needs to be some sort of structure there
Happy memories there in the 60s and early 70s on family holidays watching the Westerns and Warships in the sunshine eating ice-cream. Now that was a holiday

[youtube]aRic7cpwI7A[/youtube]

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Only just released by NWR shows the temporary sea containers being used filled with stone to protect the site from waves

[youtube]JCQykSLMhKU[/youtube]

How temporary is "temporary" in time terms ?

 

[Oliver]

How temporary is "temporary" in time terms ?

Why did I think "Thameslink 2000" when I read the above?

 

[Chrisgr31]

How temporary is "temporary" in time terms ?

It is quite a clever solution. I wonder who came up with it. Owners of the redunant containers myust be pleased as they were probably wondering what to do with themm and how to dispose of them. They have now solved their problem by flogging them to Network Rail, who can either leave them there until the sea destroys them or have the problem of dusposing of them later. I assume they'll be coming in by lorry, getting them out might be more difficult as it would not be a surprise if the fixings in the bottom get damaged by the sea.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

XC have managed to delete most of the trains they are not running (Though some are still there, I guess the 15:24 Plymouth to Leeds is going to fly over the gap which is why they've left it in but taken all the others out) so why are the FGW ones still there? If they must remain why are they not marked as CANCELLED, as they quite obviously are cancelled?

re bold.

Quite possible. When I had a model railway, you could place a piece of paper over the track, run the loco straight at it and it would glide over and pick up power once across the paper, with no derailment. Perhaps a HST at full speed......
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The problem for Network Rail, like all public sector bodies, is it's close to financial year end so capital reserves will be minimal to spend on infrastructure.

They'll likely patch things up as best they can, then bid for capital to Treasury in FY14/15 and do a proper repair in the summer when weather conditions are favourable.

No, the capital budget may be nearly spent up, but the reserves should still be there. That's what reserves are for - unexpected / unplanned / emergencies. On a business the size of Network Rail, the reserves ought to be substantial. Regardless, the money could be borrowed and classed as an 'investment' rather than a repair, everything else seems to be so classed nowadays.

Just off to invest in a sandwich for lunch. It's not revenue expenditure to feed my hunger but an investment in my future wellbeing with long term benefits i.e. I don't starve to death!

 

[Lockwood]

who can either leave them there until the sea destroys them or have the problem of dusposing of them later.

New tourist attraction: Dawlish artificial reef.

 

[JB25]

That has got to be so weird driving along that sea wall in a raging storm like that. hock:

 

[AndyNLondon]

No, the capital budget may be nearly spent up, but the reserves should still be there. That's what reserves are for - unexpected / unplanned / emergencies.

Given the battering that the network has taken from the weather this winter, I imagine that NR must have dipped into their reserve/contingency/"ohh poo" fund rather more than usual - probably keeping their earthworks contractors books looking healthy in the process.

 

[oversteer]

I think the government will have to allocate extra funds to NR for this really, the political ramifications would be too great otherwise.

 

[eastdyke]

Not to mention the few bob paid out to rebuild the line at Hatfield earlier this year. OK so others will hopefully be paying the greater part in due course but in the meantime NR will have funded the works.

 

[eman_resu]

It is quite a clever solution. I wonder who came up with it. Owners of the redunant containers myust be pleased as they were probably wondering what to do with themm and how to dispose of them. They have now solved their problem by flogging them to Network Rail, who can either leave them there until the sea destroys them or have the problem of dusposing of them later. I assume they'll be coming in by lorry, getting them out might be more difficult as it would not be a surprise if the fixings in the bottom get damaged by the sea.

Using shipping containers in this manner is actually quite common. Christchurch NZ has plenty of them stacked up protecting houses from crumbling cliff edges;


http://www.jethrocarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/IMG_20120709_141816.jpg

 

[crewmeal]

Looks like 2104 was not the only time part of the wall collasped

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-26125244

 

[Goatboy]

NRES have revised the timetables AGAIN for today. Instead of showing a half hourly direct bus from Plymouth to Bristol Parkway, it now shows one bus every 1 hour and 10 minutes to Tiverton Parkway, where it connects with a Cancelled XC service.

Very useful.

 

[ian959]

Looks like 2104 was not the only time part of the wall collasped

Ah a time traveller!

 

[Smethwickian]

NRES have revised the timetables AGAIN for today. Instead of showing a half hourly direct bus from Plymouth to Bristol Parkway, it now shows one bus every 1 hour and 10 minutes to Tiverton Parkway, where it connects with a Cancelled XC service.

Very useful.

Things seem very confusing this morning. NRE website details of flooding (and 'manual' announcements ar Birmingham New Street this morning) suggested there are still no trains between Bristol and Taunton. But the New Street CRS screens (and automatic announcements) and now NRE 'live arrivals' and RealTimeTrains both suggest the the 0815 from Birmingham New Sreet, which I got off at Cheltenham, is heading that way, due Exeter St David's 46 mins late...

 

[cambsy]

have looked at real time trains and showing XC have been sending some trains from Bristol to Exeter via Bath and Westbury in order to get around Bridgwater flood, may well be sending your train on that way.

 

[455driver]

Things seem very confusing this morning. NRE website details of flooding (and 'manual' announcements ar Birmingham New Street this morning) suggested there are still no trains between Bristol and Taunton. But the New Street CRS screens (and automatic announcements) and now NRE 'live arrivals' and RealTimeTrains both suggest the the 0815 from Birmingham New Sreet, which I got off at Cheltenham, is heading that way, due Exeter St David's 46 mins late...

It did indeed run through to Exeter St Davids, arriving at 1136, 51 minutes late.

 

[Zoe]

Things seem very confusing this morning. NRE website details of flooding (and 'manual' announcements ar Birmingham New Street this morning) suggested there are still no trains between Bristol and Taunton. But the New Street CRS screens (and automatic announcements) and now NRE 'live arrivals' and RealTimeTrains both suggest the the 0815 from Birmingham New Sreet, which I got off at Cheltenham, is heading that way, due Exeter St David's 46 mins late...

The CrossCountry website says that a limited number of trains are planned to run through to Exeter St Davids today with further updates posted on the website if there are any changes to the plan. http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/travel-updates/all-travel-updates/service-alterations-south-west

Flood waters have not risen significantly overnight, so we plan to operate a limited number of trains between Bristol Temple Meads, Taunton, Tiverton Parkway, Exeter St Davids via a diversionary route, today, Tuesday 11 February. These trains will depart from Bristol Temple Meads to Exeter St David's at 06.40,09.44,12.47,15.45; and from Exeter St Davids to Bristol Temple Meads at 09.32,12.23,15.23,18.25.