Woking engineering work

[Omnishambles]

With handback expected for Monday running after a long blockade, a few questions if anyone can help:
1. After being closed for 2 weeks and the Woking - Farnborough area susceptible to a bit of slippage a couple of time in the last year are there any route provers planned ?
2. If so, when are the possessions Basingstoke to Woking due to be handed back ?
3….and here’s the key one, anyone know if the blocks are to time ?

 

[greaterwest]

The possession is due (and expected) to be handed back on time tonight. There will be route provers running through the night on all lines between Woking and Farnborough tonight, you can see the schedules for these on Real Time Trains.

Realtime Trains | Departures from Farnborough (Main) between 0000 and 0230 on 06/01/2025

Train information at Farnborough (Main) between 0000 and 0230 on 06/01/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[winks]

A depressing end to the year if you’re a traveller visiting friends and families. It would have been far better to do this in the early weeks of Jan or Feb rather that a two week block over Christmas. Especially when the Reading area was affected too.

 

[Omnishambles]

The possession is due (and expected) to be handed back on time tonight. There will be route provers running through the night on all lines between Woking and Farnborough tonight, you can see the schedules for these on Real Time Trains.

Realtime Trains | Departures from Farnborough (Main) between 0000 and 0230 on 06/01/2025

Train information at Farnborough (Main) between 0000 and 0230 on 06/01/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Ta for that, VSTPs have been put in this afternoon since I last looked

 

[Flange Squeal]

A depressing end to the year if you’re a traveller visiting friends and families. It would have been far better to do this in the early weeks of Jan or Feb rather that a two week block over Christmas. Especially when the Reading area was affected too.

Given the majority of buses and coaches (plus their drivers) used on the rail replacement operation would have been tied up on their usual school/college duties so unavailable for rail replacement work, I'm not sure I see how a two-week closure of a busy commuter mainline that close to London would have been better managed in January/February than over the Christmas & New Year period? Resource wise, I'd imagine you'd need several times more vehicles to provide anywhere near a useful capacity.

 

[winks]

And also, it hasn’t actually been explained to the public why two weeks was needed. As weekend blocks are usually sufficient to do the works. I’m hoping this means less engineering work over the course of the year now.

 

[YorkshireBear]

And also, it hasn’t actually been explained to the public why two weeks was needed. As weekend blocks are usually sufficient to do the works. I’m hoping this means less engineering work over the course of the year now.

This took me about 20 seconds to find.

Extensive track, conductor rail and signalling renewals. Can't speak for Wessex route but I'd imagine this means less disruption during the year and was cheaper to deliver.

https://www.networkrailmediacentre....ain-line-services-over-christmas-and-new-year

 

[Bigfoot]

And also, it hasn’t actually been explained to the public why two weeks was needed. As weekend blocks are usually sufficient to do the works. I’m hoping this means less engineering work over the course of the year now.

Given the amount of track and point work that was stacked on the down slow and in Brookwood carpark for the week/s prior it was obvious that there was a lot of work to be undertaken.

I'd have a guess that what they have done would have taken many months of full weekend closures.

 

[winks]

Looking forward to seeing normality returned to the timetable however it looks like the weekend 11-12th is affected aswell.

 

[The Planner]

Looking forward to seeing normality returned to the timetable however it looks like the weekend 11-12th is affected aswell.

It will be if S&C and track renewal has taken place as it will need follow up tamping.

 

[Class 170101]

It will be if S&C and track renewal has taken place as it will need follow up tamping.

Bit early for a tamp isn't it? I thought that was about 6 to 8 weeks post work?

 

[setdown]

Electrical supply issues this morning between Basingstoke and Woking causing disruption.

 

[embers25]

Given the line remains open to diesel trains, did they not connect the third rail back up correctly after the possession?

 

[quartile]

Given the line remains open to diesel trains, did they not connect the third rail back up correctly after the possession?

last night Network Rail sent a self congratulatory tweet saying they'd completed the work and the signalling was back on. No mention of traction power

 

[Three-Nine]

There’s weather related damage to a substation, I don’t think it’s related to the previous weeks engineering work.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Apparently a tree has fallen between Basingstoke and Winchester so delays potentially longer.

 

[Bald Rick]

Bit early for a tamp isn't it? I thought that was about 6 to 8 weeks post work?

Usually a week later, then again 8 (or 12) weeks later.

But this weekend wont just be for tamping. It will include any final stressing and welding, checking all the pointwork after it has been in use, snagging, as built checks and surveys, site tidy, etc.

 

[quartile]

Is anything going to be improved following this work?, or is it just like for like?

 

[endecotp]

Electrical supply issues this morning between Basingstoke and Woking causing disruption.

Does anyone know the current status of Waterloo-Weymouth trains?

I am hoping to board 1W59 at Poole at 1116, but it has not yet left Waterloo. I'm trying to work out if, for example, it is going to start short from somewhere and then run normally - 1W95 started from Winchester earlier.

Realtime Trains | 1W59 0905 London Waterloo to Wareham | 06/01/2025

Real-time train running information for 1W59 0905 departure from London Waterloo to Wareham on 06/01/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 1W95 0836 Winchester to Weymouth | 06/01/2025

Real-time train running information for 1W95 0836 departure from Winchester to Weymouth on 06/01/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[ewsclass]

Currently no electric traction can get past Woking towards Basingstoke so you're not going to have any luck for the moment. It's an Omnishambles this morning as the OPs username is titled

 

[Omnishambles]

Does anyone know the current status of Waterloo-Weymouth trains?

I am hoping to board 1W59 at Poole at 1116, but it has not yet left Waterloo. I'm trying to work out if, for example, it is going to start short from somewhere and then run normally - 1W95 started from Winchester earlier.

Realtime Trains | 1W59 0905 London Waterloo to Wareham | 06/01/2025

Real-time train running information for 1W59 0905 departure from London Waterloo to Wareham on 06/01/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 1W95 0836 Winchester to Weymouth | 06/01/2025

Real-time train running information for 1W95 0836 departure from Winchester to Weymouth on 06/01/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Currently no electric traction can get past Woking towards Basingstoke so you're not going to have any luck for the moment. It's an Omnishambles this morning as the OPs username is titled

I was suspecting more in the area that had been closed for 2 weeks but the route provers ran okay it seems. This is as @ewsclass says a bit of an omnishambles !
Some south coasts were being diverted but obviously nowhere near timetable

 

[endecotp]

Does anyone know the current status of Waterloo-Weymouth trains?

I am hoping to board 1W59 at Poole at 1116, but it has not yet left Waterloo. I'm trying to work out if, for example, it is going to start short from somewhere and then run normally - 1W95 started from Winchester earlier.

Aaarrgghh, it seems that it has now left Waterloo 48 late.

On paper, the xx49 arrivals at Dorchester South have good connections with the alternate-hours xx58 X51 buses - but in reality I've never made that connection, and missing it means a two hour wait in Dorchester. But hey, at least I'm not trying to go anywhere near Westbury!

 

[ewsclass]

Looks like power is back on to some extent now.

 

[embers25]

Aaarrgghh, it seems that it has now left Waterloo 48 late.

On paper, the xx49 arrivals at Dorchester South have good connections with the alternate-hours xx58 X51 buses - but in reality I've never made that connection, and missing it means a two hour wait in Dorchester. But hey, at least I'm not trying to go anywhere near Westbury!

Is the X53 an option as, if so, just ask the guard to stay on to Weymouth due to the the delay and at least you're only delayed an hour. Obviously this assumes you don't want the X51 only bit of the route.

 

[Cymroglan]

Looking forward to seeing normality returned to the timetable however it looks like the weekend 11-12th is affected aswell.

Admittedly I’m looking at the line from Brockenhurst to Waterloo, rather than just the Woking area of the op, but for us every weekend in January features diversions and significantly extended journey times. I understand that this sort of work is essential, but it’s still a nuisance!

 

[setdown]

I wouldn’t mind if the weekend closures resulted in infrastructure that worked perfect for the rest of the week. But that’s obviously not the case. Track circuit failure for two mornings in a row in Basingstoke. Other signalling issues today on the same line closer to Weymouth.

The ORR were concerned about the reliability of the GWML, it feels like they need to start looking towards the South West lines too.

 

[Harpo]

I wouldn’t mind if the weekend closures resulted in infrastructure that worked perfect for the rest of the week. But that’s obviously not the case.

How could it be unless the whole line is being re-engineered?

If only road engineers could do their major works at weekends only!

 

[Couru]

I wouldn’t mind if the weekend closures resulted in infrastructure that worked perfect for the rest of the week. But that’s obviously not the case. Track circuit failure for two mornings in a row in Basingstoke. Other signalling issues today on the same line closer to Weymouth.

Can't do everything at once. My understanding is that the Christmas closure was primarily to deal with Brookwood and Pirbright Junction, meaning the country-end issues at Basingstoke are coincidental.

It's the first proper cold snap of the winter, so there'll be teething problems (or at least that's my amateur opinion).

 

[greaterwest]

The two week closure was for track renewal work at Brookwood which included the removal of the largely unused ground frame crossover between both fast lines which was located within the platform limits at the station.

The issue at Hook yesterday morning was unrelated to this.

 

[winks]

I wouldn’t mind if the weekend closures resulted in infrastructure that worked perfect for the rest of the week. But that’s obviously not the case. Track circuit failure for two mornings in a row in Basingstoke. Other signalling issues today on the same line closer to Weymouth.

The ORR were concerned about the reliability of the GWML, it feels like they need to start looking towards the South West lines too.

Have to agree with this. It does feel like the SWML is creaking to its limits