Landslip between Banbury and Leamington Spa (31.01.2015)

[RPM]

I despair if the the average passenger can't understand that a landslip a couple of metres away from the line needs to be made safe.

Despair away. I speak from long experience

 

[Andrewlong]

I'm not sure it was wise of Chiltern to release those pictures. The average passenger is going to see an apparently clear pair of tracks and wonder why on earth the line is closed.

It's the responsibility of Network Rail to resolve the problem and to communicate why the line cannot be used. As a member of the public, I would ask why this line could not be used with a speed restriction - but I would defer to the experts.

 

[carriageline]

If the earth is unstable enough that it may collapse, a TSR won't help much.

 

[crewmeal]

If NR can fix Dawlish they can fix anything!

 

[dvboy]

Chiltern now saying it will be shut Monday.

 

[southerner2174]

It's had a 50mph tsr there for the last year, obviously wasn't enough

 

[Old Hill Bank]

Chiltern now saying line shut for at least a week. Emergency timetable for Monday will be posted on their website this evening. See attached link: http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/mobile/news/landslip-between-leamington-spa-and-banbury

 

[168lover]

Nowt good for me, I've got 5 days of commuting between Wycombe and Gerrards Cross then on Saturday going up to London to go to loughborough

 

[HSTEd]

Maybe they should just extend the tunnel and thus eliminate the bank. Would be very expensive though if you want to do it properly and not end up with another Tesco falling through the line.

 

[dvboy]

At around 3pm yesterday (Saturday 31 January), there was an extremely significant landslip in the Harbury area between Leamington Spa and Banbury affecting both train lines and the tunnel.

After an initial assessment it is estimated that around 350,000 tonnes of material will need to be removed and the line between Leamington Spa and Banbury will have to remain closed for at least one week to allow for an investigation to determine the scale of the problem.

Engineers are currently monitoring the site today (Sunday 1 February) to see if it continues to move and to know if it’s safe to begin a detailed assessment, which may take several days. This is a known problem area experiencing elevated levels of ground water and engineers continue to work with local landowners to try and rectify and control the situation safely.

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...arbury-tunnel-landslip-update-1-Feb-2263.aspx

 

[LeylandLen]

I see from RTT ,with the nearest location being Fenny Compton to the landslip,that a lot of freight passes the location in any 24hour period(many to/from Southampton)so I presume a lot will be diverted via London with the added problems of finding paths, crews, drivers etc. ,and suitable locomotives .Would freight companies/TOCS be able to claim compensation from Network Rail ? To me it seems a very similar situation to the closure of line between Blackfriars and St Pancras.

 

[edwin_m]

If the earth is unstable enough that it may collapse, a TSR won't help much.

I guess a really low TSR might help in that any approaching train could then stop short, perhaps with someone on site to monitor and stop traffic if it gets any worse. Unless there was a risk of a huge amount coming down while a train was actually passing, enough to endanger people on the train.

However keeping the line open probably makes it difficult or impossible to start making repairs, so might as well take the pain now.

 

[dvboy]

Does anybody know if Chiltern have enough stock north of the slip to operate their full service between Birmingham and Leamington Spa?

Looking to make use of the 2-hourly Lapworth service tomorrow.

According to the Chiltern website:

Q. Does this disruption affect trains between Kidderminster, Solihull and Birmingham?
Yes. We do not have sufficient trains trapped on the north side of the landslip to run our normal Monday train service between Kidderminster and Leamington Spa via Birmingham, therefore there will be a thinned out service. Please check the timetable that will be on our website for details of which trains will run.

 

[TSR :D]

Is there a way for Chiltern to shift some of their trains to West Midlands?

 

[deltic]

Given Chiltern's tickets between London and Birmingham are being accepted by Virgin presumably there is nothing to stop one buying a cheap Chiltern only ticket and using it on Virgin's very expensive peak services when you were not intending to use Chiltern in the first place - not sure if its morally correct to do so but it must be termpting

 

[TSR :D]

Given Chiltern's tickets between London and Birmingham are being accepted by Virgin presumably there is nothing to stop one buying a cheap Chiltern only ticket and using it on Virgin's very expensive peak services when you were not intending to use Chiltern in the first place - not sure if its morally correct to do so but it must be termpting

Chiltern's FAQ section says restrictions still apply although bit relaxed.

Q. Do your ticket restrictions still apply?

Yes, tickets will only be valid at the times they are normally valid. Advance tickets between the West Midlands and London should be used within an hour of the time booked.

Anytime return via High Wycombe is £99, so not exactly cheap.

 

[PermitToTravel]

Is there a way for Chiltern to shift some of their trains to West Midlands?

165s and 168s are a bit wider than most trains, so won't be cleared via many routes. They might not be allowed up the WCML, but are allowed to go to Worcester up the Cotswolds line - I'm not sure about the rules for them then traversing the West Mids

 

[E16 Cyclist]

Latest estimate now is the line will be closed for a week, having seen a picture the damage is pretty extensive, so while its far from ideal let's be thankful it didn't happen during the WCML closure

 

[sprinterguy]

165s and 168s are a bit wider than most trains, so won't be cleared via many routes. They might not be allowed up the WCML, but are allowed to go to Worcester up the Cotswolds line - I'm not sure about the rules for them then traversing the West Mids

168s are exactly the same dimensions as any class 170 Turbostar.

 

[jopsuk]

165s and 168s are a bit wider than most trains, so won't be cleared via many routes.

168s would be fine, they're the same dimensions as a class 170.

 

[PermitToTravel]

Derp, I must have been thinking of 166s

 

[swt_passenger]

...and don't 165/166 get from the GW get to and from Wolverton by rail for overhaul:

http://mark-beal-tmd.smugmug.com/RecentRail/July-2014/i-8hJ7WRh/A

Let's try not to exaggerate the problems of Turbos travelling on the wider railway...

 

[Oxfordblues]

Passengers can be bustituted but something like 48 freight trains a day will all have to be diverted. Quite a challenge!

 

[jimm]

...and don't 165/166 get from the GW get to and from Wolverton by rail for overhaul:

http://mark-beal-tmd.smugmug.com/RecentRail/July-2014/i-8hJ7WRh/A

Let's try not to exaggerate the problems of Turbos travelling on the wider railway...

Well one could point out the obvious one that the 166 is missing its step boards...

 

[Birdbrain]

What's the likelihood of The Buffer Puffer 12 finding a diversion path?

 

[The Planner]

Passengers can be bustituted but something like 48 freight trains a day will all have to be diverted. Quite a challenge!

Especially as you need to find a W10 route.

 

[swt_passenger]

Well one could point out the obvious one that the 166 is missing its step boards...

The original question (in post #44) was about getting stock round the closure, not necessarily in passenger service.

 

[jimm]

The original question was about getting stock round the closure, not necessarily in passenger service.

Well aware of that thanks - simply pointing out the Turbos are still far from 'go anywhere' - and while they may be allowed to Wolverton without stepboards, they aren't necessarily allowed to get to the West Midlands using the WCML in that configuration. And a move using the Cotswold Line would require pilot drivers from somewhere, which would not be straightforward to organise, never mind that the route is blocked today between Oxford and Hanborough for engineering anyway

 

[L&Y Robert]

If the earth is unstable enough that it may collapse, a TSR won't help much.

The problem is the vibration set up in the ground by the passing train. It allows the particles of soil etc. to dis-engage from their neighbours, and if they are at the same time well lubricated by water, then hey-ho here we go again. AND the train's right there in the way. A body of moving earth can not be stopped!

 

[221129]

What have 166s got to do with Chiltern moving 168s?