Most probably but Heathrow Express do run over those days.
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Is the section of gwml beteen Paddington and reading the worst maintained line in the country?
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Most probably but Heathrow Express do run over those days.
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R
RailUK Forums
Don’t think they have past few years? Definitely not this one due to engineering works.
Lots of people in TOC control work Xmas Day even when there’s no trains!
HEx ran inter-terminal service this Christmas and Boxing Day; as they typically do as a minimum. Skeleton staffing in GWR control to meet safety case requirements it as a result; otherwise it’d be pre-HEx merge staffing in control for GWR, nobody on duty when no trains scheduled to run. NR skeleton staff all the way through regardless as they still have to look after the network even if trains aren’t running.
I was early turn Christmas Day and Boxing Day to do HEx.
It’s moot though; as HEx trains don’t count towards GWR performance statistics, which to my knowledge is where the FOI data referenced comes from.
I was early turn Christmas Day and Boxing Day to do HEx.
It’s moot though; as HEx trains don’t count towards GWR performance statistics, which to my knowledge is where the FOI data referenced comes from.
9H54 stuck at Farringdon westbound since 0726. TfL seem to have given up on the western end of the Lizzie line, not even running to Paddington. Nothing out of Maidenhead since scheduled 0806, which has been stopped at West Drayton since 0830.
Don’t understand why they couldn’t run into Paddington, is that not the contingency in these situations? I was travelling from Heathrow, departed on time at 0806, ended up getting kicked off at Southall at about 9am. Still seeing cancellations now at 1300
Well, quite. It seems that they wanted to run through to destinations -e.g. the 0806 from Heathrow Central (https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P08301/2024-01-22/detailed), or the similarly timed service from Maidenhead (https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P10480/2024-01-22/detailed).
I had been watching Traksy to see if anything was moving as my other half uses these services to get to work, and all that happened was a couple of services that should have run from Reading were cancelled throughout and the stock put away at Maidenhead sidings. Another set was left at Reading, showing as *TBC on Traksy - I didn't see what went on with that one as I had to go to work.
brad465
Established Member
So this afternoon there was a points' failure on the down main in the Slough area that meant the 12:00 PAD-BRI and 12:03 PAD-PNZ were stuck for nearly an hour waiting for a temporary fix to let them through. Other services went around on the relief lines with lesser delays, but these two were unfortunately stopped too close to be able to do the same. The failure appeared to be at Dolphin jct, going by where affected trains waited/were diverted. The Penzance train was terminated at Plymouth as a result of the delay.
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
Realtime Trains | 1C13 1200 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads | 29/01/2024
Real-time train running information for 1C13 1200 departure from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads on 29/01/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
Realtime Trains | 1C80 1203 London Paddington to Plymouth | 29/01/2024
Real-time train running information for 1C80 1203 departure from London Paddington to Plymouth on 29/01/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
With the exception of Monday and the two unfortunate trapped trains, the rest of the week seems to have been fairly reliable.
Interestingly I believe over the next few months there will be extended overnight blocks to allow teams more maintenance time on the Thames Valley route
Interestingly I believe over the next few months there will be extended overnight blocks to allow teams more maintenance time on the Thames Valley route
RJ
Established Member
Another nice journey!
2120 Cardiff to Paddington leaves on time. No driver in place at Bristol Parkway to take the train forward, causing a delay. Then gets stuck behind a CrossCountry train which had problems earlier in its journey and ended up blocking the line near Tilehurst….everything else was routed around that XC train. Then hits a planned closure of the Up Main from Reading so stuck on the relief line. To top it off, there seemed to be some congestion in the Acton area, meaning a cool 85 minute late arrival, only a +48 connection for the last Elizabeth Line train.
Glad a taxi for onward travel was arranged - booked before arrival at Reading but took over 40 minutes to show at Paddington - that plus the extra 30 minutes the taxi takes over the train takes the delay to well over 2 hours. Yet another journey eligible for a full refund
Had bad luck in the past with late night disruption. A few weeks back the wires came down between Reading and Paddington. Nobody on the train had been told at that point but it was obviously going to be a write off so I bailed at Bristol, backtracked to Cardiff, grabbed a bus and drove that to London instead. Would’ve done that tonight if I’d have known in advance about the driver issue
2120 Cardiff to Paddington leaves on time. No driver in place at Bristol Parkway to take the train forward, causing a delay. Then gets stuck behind a CrossCountry train which had problems earlier in its journey and ended up blocking the line near Tilehurst….everything else was routed around that XC train. Then hits a planned closure of the Up Main from Reading so stuck on the relief line. To top it off, there seemed to be some congestion in the Acton area, meaning a cool 85 minute late arrival, only a +48 connection for the last Elizabeth Line train.
Glad a taxi for onward travel was arranged - booked before arrival at Reading but took over 40 minutes to show at Paddington - that plus the extra 30 minutes the taxi takes over the train takes the delay to well over 2 hours. Yet another journey eligible for a full refund
Had bad luck in the past with late night disruption. A few weeks back the wires came down between Reading and Paddington. Nobody on the train had been told at that point but it was obviously going to be a write off so I bailed at Bristol, backtracked to Cardiff, grabbed a bus and drove that to London instead. Would’ve done that tonight if I’d have known in advance about the driver issue
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Severe delays this morning due to a track fault at Heathrow.
What’s worse is that TfL note the delays are only between Hayes and Heathrow, with a good service on the rest of the line - which is a load of rubbish when you see the list of cancellations across the western section.
What’s worse is that TfL note the delays are only between Hayes and Heathrow, with a good service on the rest of the line - which is a load of rubbish when you see the list of cancellations across the western section.
RJ
Established Member
They were preoccupied with making sure the job I was travelling to do in London was covered, so I don’t think they were that bothered really. There are multiple depots, where I work I can take a bus from any one.
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On 1B36, hit something before Swindon and stopped. Started moving again shortly after before stopping at Swindon. Saw the staff looking at the train so asked what did we hit and they said a block of concrete that must have fell from a bridge (don't know if maliciously?). Anyway on the move within a few mins. Just a bit of an odd experience!
Now doing a set swap at Bristol parkway...
Now doing a set swap at Bristol parkway...
Ashley Hill
Established Member
It appears it may have been cable troughing lids.
Interesting. So poor maintenance? I'm pretty startled we could hit something like that. Apparently caused damage to the front of the train but could have been a lot worse.
Ashley Hill
Established Member
Vandalism perhaps?
On any other line that'd be my first thought, less so with this one...
Falcon1200
Established Member
Not clear how poor maintenance would cause troughing lids to become foul of the rails - vandalism seems more likely? It was troughing lids placed on the track by vandals which caused the fatal derailment at Branchton, Scotland in 1994.
Jamiescott1
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The Didcot stoppers are always 2 - 5 minutes late arriving into maidenhead and twyford, often meaning connections onto the branches are missed.
Often on the peak services the delay is leaving Paddington being directed down the reliefs until Ealing.
The off peaks seem to loose time at dolphin junction.
Conjestion issues, not sure if related to less lines in / out of Paddington mentioned previously
Often on the peak services the delay is leaving Paddington being directed down the reliefs until Ealing.
The off peaks seem to loose time at dolphin junction.
Conjestion issues, not sure if related to less lines in / out of Paddington mentioned previously
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Dr Hoo
Established Member
Given that this appears to be ‘always’, it sounds more like a timetable issue than an infrastructure maintenance one.
If they are going down the Relief line they’d be routes as far as Acton West so not quite Ealing and if not there then it’s all the way to Southall.
Yesterday one line in the Paddington throat was out for a few hours due to an axle counter issue which did cause congestion.
Once again the GWML descends into its semi-daily chaos. Admittedly only partly due to the self-demolishing infrastructure this time, as little responsibility can be laid at the door of the railway for people being hit by trains.
However, every time it rains much now the line between Bath and Swindon seems to go aquatic. That's in addition to the age old problem at Chipping Sodbury. What are the odds that Parkway to Swindon will pack up next today for the thousandth time?
Meanwhile, the service recovery (or not) to the South Wales services seems extraordinarily drastic and protracted. Yet another day where the half hourly Cardiff services are more-or-less a work of fiction. The service the S Wales route has been getting in recent months is diabolical with sequences of 5 coach half-trains spiced up with cancellations of afternoon Cardiff terminators so frequent it's becoming normalised.
As it stands the 1427, 1527, 1556 and 1627 services from Parkway to Paddington are all cancelled. The 1653 is (just for a change, recently) still apparently a 5 car excuse all the way from Carmarthen to Paddington. That'll be fun then.
The line from Paddington has been reopened for an hour already as far as I can tell (circa 13:00). Where have all these trains and drivers gone that were presumably either stuck at Paddington or on their way in? It only takes 90 minutes or so to run an empty train fast from Paddington to Cardiff. How can it really be impossible (rather than inconvenient) to run at least one 9 car there and turn it back in the schedule of one of the missing ones?
I'm sure there will be a long long list of reasons, partly relating to the stupid and overconstrained basis on which these trains are provided by Hitachi. This isn't a rant at the controllers who are no doubt doing their best as usual to play 7 dimensional chess in the vice like grip of a ludicrous set of incompatible constraints. It must be like stacking water.
It really does feel though like the S Wales route in particular is being treated like some kind of Cinderella operation latterly. Either that or I must be incredibly unlucky as it seems like every other time I check to see if I can use the train from Parkway to Paddington today, it turns out it's time to urgently fill up the car again. I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't have the option and actually depends on this route.
However, every time it rains much now the line between Bath and Swindon seems to go aquatic. That's in addition to the age old problem at Chipping Sodbury. What are the odds that Parkway to Swindon will pack up next today for the thousandth time?
Meanwhile, the service recovery (or not) to the South Wales services seems extraordinarily drastic and protracted. Yet another day where the half hourly Cardiff services are more-or-less a work of fiction. The service the S Wales route has been getting in recent months is diabolical with sequences of 5 coach half-trains spiced up with cancellations of afternoon Cardiff terminators so frequent it's becoming normalised.
As it stands the 1427, 1527, 1556 and 1627 services from Parkway to Paddington are all cancelled. The 1653 is (just for a change, recently) still apparently a 5 car excuse all the way from Carmarthen to Paddington. That'll be fun then.
The line from Paddington has been reopened for an hour already as far as I can tell (circa 13:00). Where have all these trains and drivers gone that were presumably either stuck at Paddington or on their way in? It only takes 90 minutes or so to run an empty train fast from Paddington to Cardiff. How can it really be impossible (rather than inconvenient) to run at least one 9 car there and turn it back in the schedule of one of the missing ones?
I'm sure there will be a long long list of reasons, partly relating to the stupid and overconstrained basis on which these trains are provided by Hitachi. This isn't a rant at the controllers who are no doubt doing their best as usual to play 7 dimensional chess in the vice like grip of a ludicrous set of incompatible constraints. It must be like stacking water.
It really does feel though like the S Wales route in particular is being treated like some kind of Cinderella operation latterly. Either that or I must be incredibly unlucky as it seems like every other time I check to see if I can use the train from Parkway to Paddington today, it turns out it's time to urgently fill up the car again. I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't have the option and actually depends on this route.
Bear in mind that during such a suspension, train crew are likely to be severely displaced and significantly late for their breaks / book-on/off which causes additional issues for the following few hours. Getting everything back to schedule will certainly take some time and alterations.
The incident train will of course be out of service for the foreseeable which is another unit not available for GWR.
Falcon1200
Established Member
Indeed; Something I learned very early on as a Controller was (try, at least) to keep track of your Traincrew during disruption, and given the number of trains affected by today's tragic incident that will have been a major and extremely challenging task.
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