Storm Henk travel disruption 02/01/24

[800001]

Delays from Peterborough northbound due to flooding around Bytham

Normal working has resumed.

 

[Sly Old Fox]

Almost every time it rains that tunnel gets flooded. They usually halve the service and divert via Bath Spa which adds 45 minutes if the train makes it or otherwise gets turned at Reading.

I’ve got to travel from Cardiff to London now to do emergency rail replacement, fingers crossed it doesn’t take all evening

It’s not actually the tunnel that floods, it’s about half a mile west of the tunnel portal. Chipping Sodbury Tunnel is just an easy marker to identify the location.

It’s also been closed for three days straight now.

 

[TrainGeekUK]

https://www.southernrailway.com/travel-information/plan-your-journey/service-updates?uq=638398110498350000#INCB60C416FCE2844F0B5F0B5AD343EA2D3

Do Not Travel on GTR now issued…..

The wind here on the south coast is dreadful. Several bins have now vanished down our road

 

[Wivenswold]

Looks like we're at a standstill between Wickford and Southend Vic now.
EDIT - Southminster branch now closed too.

 

[6Gman]

Flooding reported at Madeley (between Stafford and Crewe)

Appears to have shut the Fast but Slow still open at 1600-ish.

9M55 left Crewe on the Up Fast, stopped between Basford Hall and Betley Road. Then reversed to Crewe and left again (45 minutes late) on the Up Slow.

Slow lines ... busy!

 

[Llanigraham]

Almost every time it rains that tunnel gets flooded. They usually halve the service and divert via Bath Spa which adds 45 minutes if the train makes it or otherwise gets turned at Reading.

I’ve got to travel from Cardiff to London now to do emergency rail replacement, fingers crossed it doesn’t take all evening

It was flooding there 40 years ago when we lived a couple of miles from it.
Various attempts have been made to cure it, but the local geology seems to defeat all attempts.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The wind here on the south coast is dreadful. Several bins have now vanished down our road

Blown away or floated away?

 

[TrainGeekUK]

Blown away or floated away?

Well that’s a good question… we will find out when the tide goes out what remains on the shingle!

 

[Wivenswold]

Southminster line reopened, must have been a small branch. Southend Vic still at a standstill.

 

[MrB]

Issuing "Do Not Travel" warnings after everyone has got to work, and just before they start their evening commutes, often with no alternative routes, is rather farcical.

 

[dangie]

South Western are giving blanket approval for passengers who are stranded to get taxis!

If it’s anything like it is where I live good luck with that. Roads are flooded.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Tree on the line - Worcester Park. Might be on the junction as there's a Chessington not moved from Motspur Park for over an hour.

Another one at Bookham.

Possibly one at Cheam - looks like a Horsham service has been sitting there for nearly two hours now.

 

[Couru]

From what I can tell, there's about seven lines blocked by fallen trees in the Farnham/Farnborough area.

Screw trainspotting, I want to go treespotting!

 

[800001]

Issuing "Do Not Travel" warnings after everyone has got to work, and just before they start their evening commutes, often with no alternative routes, is rather farcical.

It’s more aimed at people who would be starting there journey who could possibly replan.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Have they?
According to the Met Office many areas received twice the amount of rainfall in Dec than is normal, and I think Aberdeen three times. That is not "typical British weather"

It will be typical British weather once you average it out over the course of the whole winter. For example, most reputable weather websites are predicting a dry spell of nearly two weeks once we get today's rain out of the way

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Is it me, or is this turning out far worse a storm than was forecast?

 

[Couru]

Is it me, or is this turning out far worse a storm than was forecast?

Yes, it is. Henk was only named this morning, the intensification was so unexpected. To quote the Beeb, from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67861206:

"The storm, which will track across mid-Wales through to Lincolnshire, was named much later than usual - only hours before the impact was due to be felt.
This was down to its small size and because it was still developing early on Tuesday morning.
Early forecasts were for gusts of around 70mph but some computer models were suggesting a stronger swathe of winds, while others weren't - leading to uncertainty.
But as higher resolution models confirmed the potential for stronger wind gusts, there was greater certainty in the forecast and its potential impact."

 

[Ken H]

Extreme events are more frequent , but this is not an example of an extreme event and the last couple of weeks have been typical British winter weather. Climate Change is not an excuse to defund infrastructure and pretend the inevitable results have got nothing to with the government.

River heights at Worcester. Its be the river gate into the cathedral close. The highest one is 1672.

https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/27/30/4273009_43f946c9_1024x1024.jpg

(Link goes to image of stones set into a wall by River Severn with dates, showing highest flood levels.)

 

[Trainguy34]

Medway Valley is getting somewhere I think, a 1Z99 is appearing on Traksy, along with a 2Z02, annoyingly not in RTT as I've been looking for the unit forming this (375 309). Anyone know what 1Z99 is?

 

[ABDeltic]

No main line departures from Waterloo since around 1500. Currently on 1550 to Salisbury with no prospect of leaving.

 

[Wivenswold]

Issuing "Do Not Travel" warnings after everyone has got to work, and just before they start their evening commutes, often with no alternative routes, is rather farcical.

I agree in principle but sometimes nature throws-up unexpected events. I'm sure the TOCs would have preferred to have issued that warning last night rather than have full trains suck between stations but the Met Office and TOCs would have got even more flack if they'd warned everyone not to travel and this was a non-event.

We've all seen the comments on here over the years complaining that services are cut when the weather isn't that extreme. The TOCs can't win but it's better to put a warning out now so those making evening journeys are prepared.
EDIT: Just checked the BBC lunchtime forecast, winds of 40-60mph mentioned for the South, latest highest gusts approaching 70mph.

 

[Snow1964]

Is it me, or is this turning out far worse a storm than was forecast?

Our recent regional forecasts (Bristol based) had all mentioned it for 2-3 days.

Although all said probably be in channel, but could track nearer M4 corridor and be very windy and disruptive.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Video of the footbridge at Okehampton.

Okehampton

Most of the roof has ended up on the track.

 

[renegademaster]

Video of the footbridge at Okehampton.

Okehampton

Most of the roof has ended up on the track.

Would that bridge have been maintained by Network Rail , or considering the vintage look of the station, by some kind of "Friends of Okehampton" group?

 

[Couru]

Would that bridge have been maintained by Network Rail , or considering the vintage look of the station, by some kind of "Friends of Okehampton" group?

The council. Okehampton was only reopened in 2019, and the council retained responsibility for the two disused platforms and the (unused) footbridge.

Dartmoor Line and Okehampton railway station purchased by Network Rail

At the beginning of this month, Network Rail formally took over ownership of the Dartmoor Line and the railway station at Okehampton.

www.railadvent.co.uk

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Nine stood on the Up Main RDG to PADD Up Relief moving would have been a lottery at Reading which GWR IET to take

 

[ricoblade]

All trains cancelled betwen Sheffield and Lincoln (flooding at Kiveton again?), daughter stuck at Meadowhall, have sent the Thunderbird car, will see if the roads are any better

 

[Omnishambles]

From what I can tell, there's about seven lines blocked by fallen trees in the Farnham/Farnborough area.

Screw trainspotting, I want to go treespotting!

Also on Rdg-Bsk line so no diversionary route to Basingstoke

 

[12LDA28C]

Blanket ESR on Wessex routes, for any trains that are actually able to move...

 

[Wivenswold]

It'll be frozen points in a week's time. No, really.
Confirmation on the signal maps that the line is blocked between Hockley and Rayleigh.
Up Electric Line GEML between Forest Gate and Maryland now also blocked.

If you're heading to Southend, use C2C