The failed freight train and the subsequent operation to get it moving again (using another freight train to shunt) entirely blocked the west end of Reading Station for the best part of an hour.
The train had failed on Reading West Curve, blocking the up and down main and the up and down Westbury lines. The following freight train, also due over Reading West Curve, was sat on the up relief line. This left only the down relief line open. Even that became unusable to passenger services once it was decided to utilise the following freight to shunt the failed one onto the down Basingstoke line so that all lines between Reading & Didcot and Reading & Newbury could reopen.
I was sat at Reading station on the 0730 Paddington - Penzance while all this was going on. Already 15 minutes late at Reading, we were delayed a further 40 minutes waiting for the lines west of Reading to become available again. The train manager (TM) on my service was having some difficulty getting updates regarding the delays as were station staff on the platform. I was able to relay information to the TM about the progress of the operation to clear the freight trains, thanks to texts from a friend with access to industry systems. This information was then relayed to passengers aboard the train over the PA.
First hand experience of the problems about lack of information during disruption. Turns out there was more information available yesterday, it just wasn't getting to the staff at the coal-face. Whilst I was happy to assist, and I received thanks, it really shouldn't be passengers that are providing information to staff.
Didn't end at Reading either. Once on the move, I learnt sometime before the TM that the 0730 was terminating short of its destination. Again the TM thanked me, expressing some frustration that I knew before he did. Initially due to terminate at Bristol, then Taunton, where it changed head code and took the path of the 0906 Paddington-Newquay going on to Newquay instead of Penzance.
One final thing I noted. Automated announcements at stations were saying: "... due to a broken down train." Why not add the word 'freight'? Just a little more information that tells punters it isn't a passenger train causing the problems. May seem inconsequential, but after arriving at Bristol, and after one of these automated announcements, I overheard someone say, "Typical! Great Western trains are always breaking down."
