Nuneham Viaduct shut - Didcot- Oxford

[bentterz]

I went over it this morning on the early Hereford service (06:40 dept) and the train basically stopped on the bridge for 5 mins. I'm a regular on the route (commute Ledbury - Paddington) and first noticed the speed restriction, then a bump, then a slower speed restriction with a bump, then in a the recent couple of week the trains pretty much stop as they approach the bridge and go over at a snails pace. I'm thinking my commute needs to switch to the Gloucester line now.

 

[mangyiscute]

With everyone saying you can't terminate trains in Oxford due to RRB issues, there's absolutely no reason you can't terminate in Oxford but run the XC RRBs as Didcot to Banbury to avoid this issue, considering that the XC trains heading north out of Oxford are always plenty busy so it's definitely worthwhile running that section.

 

[Mikey C]

In the circumstances it's just as well that Didcot-Oxford hasn't been electrified yet....otherwise it could have been an even more complicated job.

I assume they would have heavily rebuilt the bridge before electrifying it

 

[philthetube]

The only good thing about this is the timing, for the next couple of weeks buses shouldn't be a problem as the schools are off.

 

[Class15]

Surely, if GWR are running less trains and Chiltern are running more, it would make sense for GWR to hire some 165s to Chiltern. Chiltern already have 165s, so driver knowledge isn’t a problem. It would provide the capacity Chiltern needs to run extra London - Oxford trains.

 

[JN114]

Following mods made to GWR 165s to allow them to work in the West, GW and CH 165s can no longer couple to one another (different coupler heights).

Also GWR aren’t really saving many Turbos that can be re-deployed. 2 are needed to run the full service between Oxford and Banbury, plus the train to/from Worcester each morning and evening.

There’ll be plenty of IETs spare though so perhaps something could be done with them with some outside box thinking and political will.

 

[Class15]

Following mods made to GWR 165s to allow them to work in the West, GW and CH 165s can no longer couple to one another (different coupler heights).

Also GWR aren’t really saving many Turbos that can be re-deployed. 2 are needed to run the full service between Oxford and Banbury, plus the train to/from Worcester each morning and evening.

There’ll be plenty of IETs spare though so perhaps something could be done with them with some outside box thinking and political will.

I see, the coupling isn’t a huge issue as GWR and Chiltern fleets could be treated separately and not run together. I’m not sure IETs would be suitable, the Chiltern route to Oxford won’t be 125mph?
Drifting off topic though.

 

[Class158North]

Welcome to the forum - your first post I see. Yes after May Day bank holiday- but yikes there is the Coronation coming up so I assume they want it doing before then for the extra potential traffic perhaps.

Thank you yeah that’s a good point. Loads of people will be trying to get down to London for the Coronation weekend so if they’re still on with that by then, it’s more than likely going to be a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[Snow1964]

National Rail disruption website now updated to until end of Sunday 23rd April

Urgent repairs to a bridge between Didcot Parkway and Oxford are taking place. As a result of this, trains are currently unable to run between these stations.

Disruption between Reading and Oxford is expected until the end of Sunday 23 April.

Also seems the replacement buses will run Didcot - Banbury via Oxford, and thus if not skipping Oxford by running along A34, not sure why they don't just extend some trains from Banbury to Oxford and save need for so many coaches

Replacement road transport is in operation between Didcot Parkway and Banbury via Oxford.

Find details of current incidents | National Rail

A portal into UK rail travel, including information on ticket purchase and promotions, train times and delays, and more.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

I have no idea how 20.5 days to return to normal has been calculated.

.

 

[Class172]

Interestingly a couple of services on the Cotswold line today are showing up as having 14 carriages on RTT, for example this one.

I’d possibly take it with a pinch of salt given what’s going on but perhaps in this case it could be part of moving stock around, with the rear set locked out of use?

 

[CyrusWuff]

Surely, if GWR are running less trains and Chiltern are running more, it would make sense for GWR to hire some 165s to Chiltern. Chiltern already have 165s, so driver knowledge isn’t a problem. It would provide the capacity Chiltern needs to run extra London - Oxford trains.

The GWR 165s aren't fitted with ATP, are rated for 90mph running (75mph for the Chiltern ones) , and have different modifications compared to the Chiltern fleet.

As such, the last time Chiltern borrowed some (which was for the first FA Cup Final after the "new" Wembley Stadium opened) they had to run sandwiched between a pair of Chiltern units.

Whether that would still be the case now, with Chiltern being in the process of decommissioning ATP, I couldn't say.

That said, they're also not route cleared beyond South Ruislip as they were only used for Wembley shuttles, though that should mostly just be a paper exercise.

 

[Class15]

The GWR 165s aren't fitted with ATP, are rated for 90mph running (75mph for the Chiltern ones) , and have different modifications compared to the Chiltern fleet.

As such, the last time Chiltern borrowed some (which was for the first FA Cup Final after the "new" Wembley Stadium opened) they had to run sandwiched between a pair of Chiltern units.

Whether that would still be the case now, with Chiltern being in the process of decommissioning ATP, I couldn't say.

That said, they're also not route cleared beyond South Ruislip as they were only used for Wembley shuttles, though that should mostly just be a paper exercise.

I see. There are obviously problems but it just seemed like a more sensible use of rolling stock to me.

 

[Snow1964]

Cross Country have some movements via Westbury today, but they are diverted trains to South West. Not that big a distance to their shuttles via Southampton. (I don't know if Redbridge-Westbury is passed for voyagers for ECS transfers, although it is cleared for 166s which are physically bigger)

Example from Real Time trains of XC Exeter - Birmingham via Westbury, Cheltenham, Stourbridge Junction

Realtime Trains | 1M80 2021 Exeter St Davids to Birmingham New Street | 04/04/2023

Real-time train running information for 1M80 2021 departure from Exeter St Davids to Birmingham New Street on 04/04/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

In the circumstances it's just as well that Didcot-Oxford hasn't been electrified yet....otherwise it could have been an even more complicated job.

It's a while since I travelled the route, but Didcot-Oxford was extensively piled with mast foundations a decade ago, before the cancellation of the project.
I can't remember if the stretch close to the bridge was done or nor.

 

[zwk500]

It's a while since I travelled the route, but Didcot-Oxford was extensively piled for masts a decade ago, before the cancellation of the project.
I can't remember if the stretch close to the bridge was done or nor.

I think the masts stopped just south of Appledore, from Google Maps it doesn't look like any piling took place close to the bridge.

 

[The Planner]

I have no idea how 20.5 days to return to normal has been calculated.

.

It is just the initial restriction of use/block NR have put on the line, its likely to be extended.

 

[zwk500]

It is just the initial restriction of use/block NR have put on the line, its likely to be extended.

Do you know if the required inspections have managed to be carried out yet or do they need more time to look at underwater parts/ground conditions?

 

[sammyg901]

Short forms on Chiltern Railways Oxford-London this morning with a service reported full and standing .

Can't think of any obvious solution to rolling stock shortage unless they could charter in something hauled or do something drastic like thin out the Met line services and run everything fast from Amersham and cancel some inner London stops. Will be a particularly painful Easter with the WCML closed too

 

[Agent_Squash]

Oxford - Paddington via Chiltern and Greenford, anyone?

 

[DelW]

You do have to wonder what exactly the plan was when the speed restrictions first appeared, if indeed there was one. Just leave it and hope it goes away? Surely as soon as it was apparent that the structure was quite obviously shot to bits, the time to begin remedial works was ASAP?

But closure is, surely, inevitable! If the speed restrictions first appeared late last year and it's now April, that rather suggests a lack of urgency does it not?

Post 89 says that a specialist contractor already had a presence on site, and later posts 109 and 125 show or say that work to give access to the site has begun. It's likely that investigation of the causes was necessary first, in order to design an appropriate fix.

 

[A0wen]

The big car park south oxford station is far more room than Banbury

And the people who usually park there would do what exactly ?

Oxford's not exactly well served with parking.

 

[Class15]

All intermodals either cancelled or running via Wembley.

 

[yorksrob]

With everyone saying you can't terminate trains in Oxford due to RRB issues, there's absolutely no reason you can't terminate in Oxford but run the XC RRBs as Didcot to Banbury to avoid this issue, considering that the XC trains heading north out of Oxford are always plenty busy so it's definitely worthwhile running that section.

This is a very good point.

 

[fgwrich]

The GWR 165s aren't fitted with ATP, are rated for 90mph running (75mph for the Chiltern ones) , and have different modifications compared to the Chiltern fleet.

As such, the last time Chiltern borrowed some (which was for the first FA Cup Final after the "new" Wembley Stadium opened) they had to run sandwiched between a pair of Chiltern units.

Whether that would still be the case now, with Chiltern being in the process of decommissioning ATP, I couldn't say.

That said, they're also not route cleared beyond South Ruislip as they were only used for Wembley shuttles, though that should mostly just be a paper exercise.

I thought the GW units had ATP (Our HSTs certainly did) but it was the lack of LU style tripcocks that resulted in them having to run sandwiched inbetween Chiltern’s native units?

 

[Sly Old Fox]

I thought the GW units had ATP (Our HSTs certainly did) but it was the lack of LU style tripcocks that resulted in them having to run sandwiched inbetween Chiltern’s native units?

They don’t.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Plus the GW and Chiltern ATP systems are different. BR was trialling two separate options ahead of a proposed national implementation which was overtaken by privatisation events (and subsequently TPWS.)

 

[Mikey C]

In a word, no. Chiltern are severely restricted as to the number of Class 68 arrivals / departures at London Marylebone per day.

They could try and release some units from elsewhere possibly but that would involve rewriting the train plan.

These aren't normal circumstances though.

 

[zwk500]

These aren't normal circumstances though.

But they're limited by Platform Capacity at Marylebone. The only way to get more capacity for Oxfords would be to pull other trains out.

 

[Mathew S]

Has it been especially wet in Oxfordshire this winter?

Just for context, we've had flood warnings in Abingdon for some weeks. The Thames and Ock have been higher than I have seen at any time since I moved down here two years ago. Tesco was closed the last two days because it was flooded. In short, yes, it's been very, very, very wet indeed.

Not my photo, but should give you some impression of the state of things locally. This was taken on Saturday, after approx. 36 hours of absolutely continuous, heavy rain...

 

[Mikey C]

But they're limited by Platform Capacity at Marylebone. The only way to get more capacity for Oxfords would be to pull other trains out.

I was suggesting lengthening the Oxford trains rather than running more services. Surely there are enough "long" platforms at Marylebone to do this