Massive Disruption at Paddington - ALL day Thurs / Fri
 

On Sat, 22 Dec 2012 23:25:15 +0000, Graham Harrison wrote:

I'll be interested to see what they do around Exeter. Apparently the
reason why the line between Taunton and Exeter has been (is still?)
closed today is that some form of defense has been built to stop the
flood waters damaging the track but it means trains can't run.

I think it's the electronics in this hut that's the main concern:

http://goo.gl/maps/wC8m5

As I understand it from the fire service post on the web, the fire
service had 4 crews allocated for 3 hours to help protect signalling
equipment at the junction:

http://www.dsfire.gov.uk/news/newsde...entDetail.cfm?
IncidentID=22885&siteCategoryId=3&T1ID=26&T2ID=35

http://tinyurl.com/ck8zvzo

"Fire crews will be helping to protect the main Plymouth to London train
line at Cowley Bridge, Exeter, from the threat of disruption from
flooding during the early hours of Saturday morning.

The line was closed during a period of adverse weather at the end of last
month after the nearby river overflowed and led to the line being closed.

Following warnings today from the Met Office and Environment Agency, the
rail company has requested the assistance of fire crews to help prevent
floodwater from damaging signalling at the junction, which could lead to
the line closing again.

Four fire crews will construct barriers from around 12midnight to 3am on
Saturday morning to help divert water away from the Cowley Bridge
junction area.

The actions of the fire crews are designed to keep damage to a minimum to
help protect an important part of the south west’s transport
infrastructure."

It also looks as if they've laid some large tubes across the track north
of the bridge that the google link above refers to, I guess they're to
carry water pumped out from an area East of the A396 into the river,
presumably to stop it flowing across the road and perhaps washing out the
ballast. That looks like it could be the reason the lines have been
blocked, but that may be primarily to protect housing East of the A396
rather than the line - I guess they're expecting more water than the
existing culverts into the Exe can cope with - so that bit may be an EA /
LA rather than FRS activity.

http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/VIDEO-...-travel-South-
West/story-17656490-detail/story.html

http://tinyurl.com/bvfufwt

--
Denis McMahon,

Massive Disruption at Paddington - ALL day Thurs / Fri
 

On 22/12/2012 23:25, Graham Harrison wrote:

"ian batten" wrote in message
...
On Dec 22, 10:03 pm, Graham Murray wrote:
The Real Doctor writes:

True, but there is typically only one unbooked carriage, into which
the displaced passengers from several other trains are unlikely to
fit.

Or, as BR did on a number of occasions when there was disruption, cancel
all reservations.

It's interesting that the railways have an extensive pattern of things
to do when they fail to run a service, but put far less effort into
not failing in the first place. It's a fine line between contingency
planning and failure becoming normal.

ian

=============================================

I'll be interested to see what they do around Exeter. Apparently the
reason why the line between Taunton and Exeter has been (is still?)
closed today is that some form of defense has been built to stop the
flood waters damaging the track but it means trains can't run. Given how
long it took them to sort everything out earlier in December that
doesn't see totally unreasonable as a temporary solution - once the
water recedes they'll be able to run again soon after but it's not a
permanent solution. I just hope it doesn't become the default contingency.

The defences consist of two large plastic tubes, presumably filled with
water, laid across the tracks to act as a dam.

--
Graeme Wall
This account not read, substitute trains for rail.
Railway Miscellany at http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail

Massive Disruption at Paddington - ALL day Thurs / Fri
 

"Denis McMahon" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 22 Dec 2012 23:25:15 +0000, Graham Harrison wrote:

I'll be interested to see what they do around Exeter. Apparently the
reason why the line between Taunton and Exeter has been (is still?)
closed today is that some form of defense has been built to stop the
flood waters damaging the track but it means trains can't run.

I think it's the electronics in this hut that's the main concern:

http://goo.gl/maps/wC8m5

As I understand it from the fire service post on the web, the fire
service had 4 crews allocated for 3 hours to help protect signalling
equipment at the junction:

http://www.dsfire.gov.uk/news/newsde...entDetail.cfm?
IncidentID=22885&siteCategoryId=3&T1ID=26&T2ID=35

http://tinyurl.com/ck8zvzo

"Fire crews will be helping to protect the main Plymouth to London train
line at Cowley Bridge, Exeter, from the threat of disruption from
flooding during the early hours of Saturday morning.

The line was closed during a period of adverse weather at the end of last
month after the nearby river overflowed and led to the line being closed.

Following warnings today from the Met Office and Environment Agency, the
rail company has requested the assistance of fire crews to help prevent
floodwater from damaging signalling at the junction, which could lead to
the line closing again.

Four fire crews will construct barriers from around 12midnight to 3am on
Saturday morning to help divert water away from the Cowley Bridge
junction area.

The actions of the fire crews are designed to keep damage to a minimum to
help protect an important part of the south west’s transport
infrastructure."

It also looks as if they've laid some large tubes across the track north
of the bridge that the google link above refers to, I guess they're to
carry water pumped out from an area East of the A396 into the river,
presumably to stop it flowing across the road and perhaps washing out the
ballast. That looks like it could be the reason the lines have been
blocked, but that may be primarily to protect housing East of the A396
rather than the line - I guess they're expecting more water than the
existing culverts into the Exe can cope with - so that bit may be an EA /
LA rather than FRS activity.

http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/VIDEO-...-travel-South-
West/story-17656490-detail/story.html

http://tinyurl.com/bvfufwt

--
Denis McMahon,

Reports this morning (Sunday 23/12) suggest the track has been inundated
again.

Massive Disruption at Paddington - ALL day Thurs / Fri
 

On 12/23/2012 04:59 AM, Denis McMahon wrote:
On Sat, 22 Dec 2012 23:25:15 +0000, Graham Harrison wrote:


It also looks as if they've laid some large tubes across the track north
of the bridge that the google link above refers to, I guess they're to
carry water pumped out from an area East of the A396 into the river,
presumably to stop it flowing across the road and perhaps washing out the
ballast. That looks like it could be the reason the lines have been
blocked, but that may be primarily to protect housing East of the A396
rather than the line - I guess they're expecting more water than the
existing culverts into the Exe can cope with - so that bit may be an EA /
LA rather than FRS activity.

http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/VIDEO-...-travel-South-
West/story-17656490-detail/story.html

http://tinyurl.com/bvfufwt

A journalist described them as water filled tubes to act as barriers to
protect the rest of the track. Presumably that is where the water
enters National Rail property and the barriers prevent the water
flooding adjacent track.

Roger

Massive Disruption at Paddington - ALL day Thurs / Fri
 

In message , at 22:00:56 on Sat, 22 Dec
2012, The Real Doctor remarked:
"And standing" normally means at most one extra passenger per row of
seats, so 25% over capacity.

Mush more than that, you've forgotten the vestibules (although there
have been cases reported of Virgin clearing them) and people standing
next to non-seating areas like toilets and luggage racks. I've also
travelled sat in the luggage racks, and the area outside the disabled
tiolets is quite large.
--
Roland Perry

Massive Disruption at Paddington - ALL day Thurs / Fri
 

Denis McMahon writes:

Following warnings today from the Met Office and Environment Agency, the
rail company has requested the assistance of fire crews to help prevent
floodwater from damaging signalling at the junction, which could lead to
the line closing again.

How often was a line closed because of flooding affecting signalling in
the days of wire, pulley and rod operated semaphore signals and points?

Massive Disruption at Paddington - ALL day Thurs / Fri
 

In message , at 10:05:26 on Sun, 23 Dec
2012, Roland Perry remarked:
"And standing" normally means at most one extra passenger per row of
seats, so 25% over capacity.

Mush more than that, you've forgotten the vestibules (although there
have been cases reported of Virgin clearing them) and people standing
next to non-seating areas like toilets and luggage racks. I've also
travelled sat in the luggage racks, and the area outside the disabled
tiolets is quite large.

This morning at Ely the trains heading for the Midlands were so
over-full that people with reservations on the train were left on the
platform because they literally couldn't get on board at all. I've seen
the same on the first train (late morning on a Sunday) from the Midlands
towards Stansted.

The 170's on that route have 1/3-2/3 doors and quite big vestibules
which can take a couple of dozen each at a pinch, although normally much
of the space is taken up by baggage.
--
Roland Perry

Massive Disruption at Paddington - ALL day Thurs / Fri
 

"roger" wrote in message
...
On 12/23/2012 04:59 AM, Denis McMahon wrote:
On Sat, 22 Dec 2012 23:25:15 +0000, Graham Harrison wrote:


It also looks as if they've laid some large tubes across the track north
of the bridge that the google link above refers to, I guess they're to
carry water pumped out from an area East of the A396 into the river,
presumably to stop it flowing across the road and perhaps washing out the
ballast. That looks like it could be the reason the lines have been
blocked, but that may be primarily to protect housing East of the A396
rather than the line - I guess they're expecting more water than the
existing culverts into the Exe can cope with - so that bit may be an EA /
LA rather than FRS activity.

http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/VIDEO-...-travel-South-
West/story-17656490-detail/story.html

http://tinyurl.com/bvfufwt

A journalist described them as water filled tubes to act as barriers to
protect the rest of the track. Presumably that is where the water enters
National Rail property and the barriers prevent the water flooding
adjacent track.

From what I saw on the BBC news last night, the barriers literally ran
across the track, so nothing could have passed.

IIUC, the purpose was indeed to stop water from entering sensitive
equipment - so probably the signaling.

James

Massive Disruption at Paddington - ALL day Thurs / Fri
 

On Sun, 23 Dec 2012 15:33:18 -0000, "James Heaton"
wrote:


"roger" wrote in message
...
On 12/23/2012 04:59 AM, Denis McMahon wrote:
On Sat, 22 Dec 2012 23:25:15 +0000, Graham Harrison wrote:


It also looks as if they've laid some large tubes across the track north
of the bridge that the google link above refers to, I guess they're to
carry water pumped out from an area East of the A396 into the river,
presumably to stop it flowing across the road and perhaps washing out the
ballast. That looks like it could be the reason the lines have been
blocked, but that may be primarily to protect housing East of the A396
rather than the line - I guess they're expecting more water than the
existing culverts into the Exe can cope with - so that bit may be an EA /
LA rather than FRS activity.

http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/VIDEO-...-travel-South-
West/story-17656490-detail/story.html

http://tinyurl.com/bvfufwt

A journalist described them as water filled tubes to act as barriers to
protect the rest of the track. Presumably that is where the water enters
National Rail property and the barriers prevent the water flooding
adjacent track.

From what I saw on the BBC news last night, the barriers literally ran
across the track, so nothing could have passed.

IIUC, the purpose was indeed to stop water from entering sensitive
equipment - so probably the signaling.

There is presumably more than water in the tubes (sand?) otherwise
there isn't much to stop them being moved by the flowing water.