Storm Ciarán: Weather related disruption 1/2 November

[Snow1964]

There is clearly some abuse of the reporting system to blame weather. Eg 2F16 Bristol-Warminster officially cancelled due to severe flooding (X2)

Realtime Trains | 2F16 1647 Bristol Temple Meads to Warminster | 02/11/2023

Real-time train running information for 2F16 1647 departure from Bristol Temple Meads to Warminster on 02/11/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

The Cardiff-Portsmouth train before and after on same route are unaffected. This makes me rather suspicious of deliberate statics fiddling by GWR (unless it is staff incompetence of reporting)

There are other codes (used regularly) for trains where incoming stock, or staff unavailability are reason for cancelling this specific train

 

[800001]

There is clearly some abuse of the reporting system to blame weather. Eg 2F16 Bristol-Warminster officially cancelled due to severe flooding (X2)

Realtime Trains | 2F16 1647 Bristol Temple Meads to Warminster | 02/11/2023

Real-time train running information for 2F16 1647 departure from Bristol Temple Meads to Warminster on 02/11/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

The Cardiff-Portsmouth train before and after on same route are unaffected. This makes me rather suspicious of deliberate statics fiddling by GWR (unless it is staff incompetence of reporting)

Maybe crew or set were displaced by flooding else where on the route?

 

[Trainguy34]

Just got off a train held for 35 mins outside Ashford due to congestion due to crew displacement. Annoyingpy arrived 44 1/2 Mins late so only 50% Delay Repay instead of 75%. Guard was coming through the chance checking we were OK though so not as bad.

 

[trainophile]

Just got off a train held for 35 mins outside Ashford due to congestion due to crew displacement. Annoyingpy arrived 44 1/2 Mins late so only 50% Delay Repay instead of 75%. Guard was coming through the chance checking we were OK though so not as bad.

I didn't know there was such thing as 75% Delay Repay. Is this exclusive to a particular TOC?

 

[Trainguy34]

I didn't know there was such thing as 75% Delay Repay. Is this exclusive to a particular TOC?

Thats what the guard said, but from a look at the website, clearly not.

 

[Bald Rick]

This makes me rather suspicious of deliberate statics fiddling by GWR (unless it is staff incompetence of reporting)

For starters its not GWR who input the delay codes, and they csn’t ‘fiddle’ it.

For main course - please don’t suggest that people doing delay attribution are incompetnent. It may well be correctly attributed due to an earlier incident causing a reaction to this train. Equally, it might be a mistske by the delay attribution team. They have had one hell of a day, and errors do occur. I hope you understand, unless perhaps you are one of those people who have never, ever made a mistake at work.

 

[JD2168]

I noticed today that most Cross Country services were terminated at Bristol Temple Meads although some did run to Taunton. Some we’re running late during the afternoon due to flooding making the railway unsafe. Additional disruption this evening due to the power problems at Edinburgh.

 

[Essexman]

Does anyone know what the prospects of the line between Taunton and Exeter being open tomorrow?
I'm due to travel Paddington to Torquay.

 

[David Burrows]

What is it about all these trampolines? I would have thought that if your back garden adjoins an overhead-electrified railway the last thing you would leave unsecured on the lawn as a storm approaches is a trampoline!

Unfortunately trampolines are quite light and if only held down by a couple of tent pegs (particularly in wet ground) will very easily take off in a strong wind, let alone the conditions in the last few days. The need properly securing to trees or fences to make sure that they don't disappear.

 

[londonbridge]

I've had a fairly tranquil trip and it seems that I've got off really lightly. Two disruptions and neither were to do with the weather!

It was absolutely hammering it down in Newcastle this morning and my first bus didn't show upthankfully the one shortly after did and the driver had his foot down and was on the ball with the various part-flooded roads so I made it to the station in good time.

0743 Newcastle to York ended up stuck on the slows between Northallerton and somewhere like Pilmoor due to an LNER service briefly in distress - that was only about a 15-minute delay. The rain would come and go in vicious spits and spats.

0915 York to Sheffield was fine - guard in good spirits and reminded everyone that travel back later might be trickier with the rain. Sheffield was fine when I reached it but the heavens opened about five minutes later and it was absolutely torrential. There was a river of water flowing past the City Hall.

Midland Mainline was in distress due to broken rail at Market Harborough so I managed to get away early thanks to ticket acceptance via Doncaster to London. Nice easy trip to Doncaster then I made a slightly late 1319 down to King's Cross. Again, the sky would suddenly go black, you'd get a vicious dose of rain then all would be peaceful for another 10 minutes before the process was repeated. Arrival time at King's Cross was 14:58 - versus my scheduled 15:39 (my booked train eventually limped into St Pancras at 16:19).

Central London was very wet and windy. I'm now next to Heathrow and the rain has eased but the wind is blasting. All in all, everything seems to be doing quite well considering. Though it sounds like I used the ECML at the right time...

BIB: At the risk of stating the obvious, I assume it was an Arriva or Stagecoach service you were waiting for and not a Go North East?

 

[rg177]

BIB: At the risk of stating the obvious, I assume it was an Arriva or Stagecoach service you were waiting for and not a Go North East?

It was Stagecoach. The first few buses on that route have a slightly different starting point if they're fresh from the depot (and they're usually sat waiting there for me at the stop) - so evidently one didn't make it out.

 

[al78]

What is it about all these trampolines? I would have thought that if your back garden adjoins an overhead-electrified railway the last thing you would leave unsecured on the lawn as a storm approaches is a trampoline!

That requires people to think. In parts of the world vulnerable to hurricanes the advice given out to prepare for a hurricane always includes securing loose objects or storing them undercover, but doing that seems to be lost on people in the UK in advance of a windstorm.

I would also think that if confonted by a foot of floodwater across the road, hydrolocking your engine by trying to charge through it is a very bad idea unless you relish four figure repair bills, but again some people seem to think it is worth a gamble.

 

[infobleep]

I don't appreciate why they couldn't - no line blockages reported and normal winds for autumn. Some heavy rain yes, but, again, nothing exceptional. It strongly smells of giving up in the face of the excuse of severe weather. The Reading - Gatwick route is about as inland as you can get in GWR's area and the Met Office weather warning in the area was only yellow.

Line blockages were reported, it's just that Great Western Railway decided not to report them and just use the term sever weather.

However, that is only east of Ash. West of Ash I have no idea.

 

[Sun Chariot]

I would also think that if confonted by a foot of floodwater across the road, hydrolocking your engine by trying to charge through it is a very bad idea unless you relish four figure repair bills, but again some people seem to think it is worth a gagamble.

YouTube has a marvellous selection of videos from Rufford Ford (now closed to through traffic), where the gene pool of stupidity excels itself in that capacity...

 

[dangie]

……but again some people seem to think it is worth a gamble.

One would think the depth gauge (3 feet) would give some indication of how deep the water was? As one comment to the video ‘those who failed probably thought it was because they were driving too slow’

I hope the man with the towing vehicle made a killing that day.

 

[infobleep]

I see whatever the issues were preventing GWR from running on the North Downs Line yesterday, they have been fixed. Perhaps even overnight or late yesterday evening, given no trains were able to run at all yesterday but they had planned to.

 

[dk1]

I see whatever the issues were preventing GWR from running on the North Downs Line yesterday, they have been fixed. Perhaps even overnight or late yesterday evening, given no trains were able to run at all yesterday but they had planned to.

Yes a neighbour of mine was travelling Norwich to Plymouth and 15:03 shouldve been the first to run but by the time she arrived at Paddington around 14:30 they were telling everyone for west of Taunton to delay travel until today. Luckily she had family in Northolt so is back on track this morning

 

[infobleep]

Yes a neighbour of mine was travelling Norwich to Plymouth and 15:03 shouldve been the first to run but by the time she arrived at Paddington around 14:30 they were telling everyone for west of Taunton to delay travel until today. Luckily she had family in Northolt so is back on track this morning

That was lucky as some parts of the GWR network are still not open today, due to issues.

However, in these cases they are at least explaining what the issues are. Unlike the North Downs Line yesterday where all they put up on National Rail Enquiries was sever weather.

As they are going to start running 2 trains an hour to Gatwick Airport from December one might have thought they would have added a little more info.

 

[Willie Bee]

I wonder will it last into next week, and affect the North East? Got my final trip of the year to glorious Whitley Bay (waves @Willie Bee) of the year. Just when it's safe not to cancel re. train strikes, the weather goes and throws its oar in .

Thanks for the wave.

Yes, Whitley Bay is a nice place, but certainly better in the summer.

There used to be posters on some stations advertising Whitley Bay. In the Likely Lads episode with the bike race, the two lads are stranded at Berwick Station .. on one of the waiting room walls is such a poster, showing the sandy beach at W/Bay

 

[Siemens Staines]

As they are going to start running 2 trains an hour to Gatwick Airport from December one might have thought they would have added a little more info.

Actually there was a little more info but you had to look at SWR journeycheck page to find it;

"Cancellations to services between Ash and Wanborough
Due to heavy rain flooding the railway between Ash and Wanborough all lines are blocked.
Train services running through these stations will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until 11:00 02/11."

SWR often, but not always, provide more detailed information than GWR where operations overlap, but this is far from obvious.

It looks like the line through this area re-opened as predicted because GWR managed to run an ECS from Guildford to Reading;

Realtime Trains | 5O52 0540 Guildford to Reading Traincare Depot | 02/11/2023

Real-time train running information for 5O52 0540 departure from Guildford to Reading Traincare Depot on 02/11/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

But, GWR passenger trains did not resume for another 7 hours, with the 1820 Reading - Redhill being the first to run.

 

[Sleepy]

Regarding ticket acceptance for journeys deferred from yesterday GTR are advising tickets will be accepted to cross London on Elisabeth line (but not tube as is normal) Could be some interesting conversations at combined tfl gatelines as never seen this in place before ?

 

[infobleep]

Actually there was a little more info but you had to look at SWR journeycheck page to find it;

"Cancellations to services between Ash and Wanborough
Due to heavy rain flooding the railway between Ash and Wanborough all lines are blocked.
Train services running through these stations will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until 11:00 02/11."

SWR often, but not always, provide more detailed information than GWR where operations overlap, but this is far from obvious.

It looks like the line through this area re-opened as predicted because GWR managed to run an ECS from Guildford to Reading;

Realtime Trains | 5O52 0540 Guildford to Reading Traincare Depot | 02/11/2023

Real-time train running information for 5O52 0540 departure from Guildford to Reading Traincare Depot on 02/11/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

But, GWR passenger trains did not resume for another 7 hours, with the 1820 Reading - Redhill being the first to run.

I was aware of the SWR info but would have expected GWR to provide it too.

No passenger trains ran yesterday. If they did, they were cancelled in the journey planner.

Actually it seems they reinstated some from 18:20 but only the stoppers to Redhill and the late night stoppers planned to run to Gatwick Airport still providing a service to Gatwick Airport.

I wonder following the December timetable change will it be that during disruptions such as this that the stoppers that go to Gatwick Airport will continue to do so or will there be a blanket recovery function that states all stoppers to terminate at Redhill, which would include the later night ones that in this current case did go to Gatwick Airport. Just wondering out loud.

 

[Siemens Staines]

I was wondering the same. In general when recovering from disruption, they run the stoppers and cancel the fasts but from December all trains are either fast+stop or stop+fast so that won't work anymore. I am guessing that there will be all station stoppers that terminate short at Redhill? Probably OT for this thread.

 

[al78]

YouTube has a marvellous selection of videos from Rufford Ford (now closed to through traffic), where the gene pool of stupidity excels itself in that capacity...

Yes I have watched a couple of them, and my observation is that slowly slowly gives the greatest chance of negotiating floodwater without incident. There seems to be a parallel with winter conditions and people who think that the way to get moving in snow and ice is to floor the accelerator.

 

[gabrielhj07]

Yes I have watched a couple of them, and my observation is that slowly slowly gives the greatest chance of negotiating floodwater without incident. There seems to be a parallel with winter conditions and people who think that the way to get moving in snow and ice is to floor the accelerator.

I never seem to tire of watching people ruin their engines with massive bow waves

 

[brad465]

How long before the Government passes anti-storm legislation demanding Mother Nature allow a minimum level of service to operate when she decides to throw named storms our way?

 

[GusB]

How long before the Government passes anti-storm legislation demanding Mother Nature allow a minimum level of service to operate when she decides to throw named storms our way?

Please be careful what you wish for!

 

[DelW]

Thames Water are now blaming Storm Ciarán for the complete failure of water supplies across a wide area south of Guildford. It must have gone off yesterday (Saturday) evening as there are complaints online about the emergency bottled water points being inaccessible then, and blocked by traffic queues this morning.

Somewhat annoying when roads are flooded all around but no water in your taps. I suspect the River Wey has flooded Shalford treatment works, so it could be off for a while yet.

(Edit) Now reached the BBC website:

Surrey residents without water due to issue at treatment works - BBC News

Thames Water said a major treatment works had been affected following issues caused by Storm Ciarán.

www.bbc.co.uk

Queues for bottled water as thousands lose supply
Thousands are without water due to a technical issue at Thames Water treatment works

 

[dangie]

Somewhat annoying when roads are flooded all around but no water in your taps.

Not sure I’d want to risk flood water from my taps.

 

[infobleep]

Thames Water are now blaming Storm Ciarán for the complete failure of water supplies across a wide area south of Guildford. It must have gone off yesterday (Saturday) evening as there are complaints online about the emergency bottled water points being inaccessible then, and blocked by traffic queues this morning.

Somewhat annoying when roads are flooded all around but no water in your taps. I suspect the River Wey has flooded Shalford treatment works, so it could be off for a while yet.

(Edit) Now reached the BBC website:

Surrey residents without water due to issue at treatment works - BBC News

Thames Water said a major treatment works had been affected following issues caused by Storm Ciarán.

www.bbc.co.uk

Queues for bottled water as thousands lose supply
Thousands are without water due to a technical issue at Thames Water treatment works

Reports it will be back on tomorrow. They are starting the process as I type.

Sky News have a slightly more detailed report on it.

Thousands of people have been left without water on Sunday due to an issue at a Thames Water treatment works.

Thames Water apologised to residents in Godalming, Surrey, and said it was investigating.

Jeremy Hunt, the MP for the area, said a major incident had been declared. He posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was very concerned and had spoken to the CEO of Thames Water.

It follows issues caused by Storm Ciaran at Shalford water treatment works, Thames Water said.

Major incident declared after issue leaves thousands without water - and more set to lose supply

Bottled water stations have been set up after thousands of people were left without water due to a Thames Water issue.

news.sky.com