FGW Sleepers: hmm.......

[DaveHarries]

OK so First GW have got the sleeper services running again now that the floods are nearly dealt with. Which is great.

But this item, taken from the "JourneyCheck" website, doesn't bode well if you have to get from Reading to Penzance and arrive in Penzance by 8am on Wednesday morning.....!

23:45 London Paddington to Penzance due 07:53
This train will be delayed by up to 175 minutes and is expected to run as shown below.
This train will be diverted between Reading and Exeter St Davids.
This train will call additionally at Taunton.
This is due to flooding

Also I would have thought it would go through Taunton anyway so perhaps the 175 minutes is being taken at Taunton? Otherwise, what would be its normal route from Reading to Exeter St. Davids?

Dave

 

[Captain Chaos]

I have it showing as going via Bristol Temple Meads which would explain the extra time as I think normally the Down sleeper goes via the B&H and the Up sleeper via Bristol Temple Meads.

It has left Paddington about 10 late as far as I can tell.

EDIT - Make that SOME of the time. Can't see it picking up 175 minutes going via BTM, surely? Unless they have lumped the whole delay of running via BTM and expected delays due to the Temporary Block Working between Tiverton Parkway and Exeter St Davids together and sent it out as one whole delay. I guess then it would make a bit more sense. Still, quite a delay it must be said...

 

[ainsworth74]

I have it showing as going via Bristol Temple Meads which would explain the extra time as I think normally the Down sleeper goes via the B&H and the Up sleeper via Bristol Temple Meads.

I think both avoid Bristol. Obviously they can use it during disruption but I don't think either are booked that way any more.

 

[Temple Meads]

1C99 has passed Slough 18 minutes down, my source says it's scheduled to stand at Exerter St Davids from 03:28 to 06:24, which seems an excessively long time, so there must be some serious padding in there..

 

[_ollie_]

Originally due to the disruption this service had been booked to go via Honiton. It is now going via Taunton. Due to the ongoing works near Exeter to fix signalling following the damage caused by floods it is having to wait around until it is allowed through the area.

 

[Temple Meads]

Originally due to the disruption this service had been booked to go via Honiton. It is not going via Taunton. Due to the ongoing works near Exeter to fix signalling following the damage caused by floods it is having to wait around until it is allowed through the area.

Thanks for the info

 

[_ollie_]

Made a typo. Meant it is now* going via Taunton. Sorry.

 

[TEW]

The down sleeper is booked to stop at Tiverton Parkway from 0251 to 0550 this morning awaiting the reopening of the line, hence the heavy delay.

 

[barrykas]

Looking at TRUST, 1C99 arrived at Tiverton Parkway at 03:19 and sat there 'til the booked 05:50. It's now showing as 1 minute late passing Ivybridge (07:15). Due to arrive at Penzance at 09:50.

 

[Zoe]

I think both avoid Bristol. Obviously they can use it during disruption but I don't think either are booked that way any more.

According to the Working Timetable the up service is booked via Bristol.

 

[richw]

For this week it is scheduled via Honiton, but the honiton line is closed overnight.
The Up sleeper left almost 2 hours early last night and then spent a few hours in Taunton, to be clear of Tiverton before the line was closed, and the down had to wait until the line reopened.
A sprinter ran Penzance to Exeter in place of the normal Up timings last night.

 

[Temple Meads]

The Up sleeper left almost 2 hours early last night and then spent a few hours in Taunton

Damn, I was in Taunton at 22:30 last night, would've hung around if I'd known about that

 

[richw]

The up is stabling for 3 hours at Swindon tonight. Temple meads, she is due at taunton at 0037 tonight

 

[TheWalrus]

How does it reverse at Exeter if travelling via Honiton?

 

[richw]

How does it reverse at Exeter if travelling via Honiton?

loco runs round

 

[fgwrich]

loco runs round

Very rarely can be top n tailed too, but a run round seems more common.

 

[richw]

Very rarely can be top n tailed too, but a run round seems more common.

don't think first have enough locos to spare 2 (or 4 if both sleepers needed them) as part of a top and tail.

 

[daikilo]

loco runs round

.. and driver tells loco that he is not cleared for that route, and anyway they'll have to drop a few vehichles to get up the bank to Central.

Normal practice is to plan such changes in advance. And it can be done!

 

[TEW]

Not normally a problem running via Honiton with load 8 on a Sunday night which does occasionally happen. Route knowledge shouldn't be a problem either, FGW Exeter crews sign the route via Honiton and work the sleeper. Sending HSTs via Honiton in times of disruption does happen as well.

 

[richw]

.. and driver tells loco that he is not cleared for that route, and anyway they'll have to drop a few vehichles to get up the bank to Central.

Normal practice is to plan such changes in advance. And it can be done!

just get all the passengers off and get them to give the rake a push up the bank. Shedding all the passengerss should reduce the weight enough as well.

 

[Temple Meads]

don't think first have enough locos to spare 2 (or 4 if both sleepers needed them) as part of a top and tail.

They have got them, they just haven't got them working

 

[fgwrich]

They have got them, they just haven't got them working

To be fair to FGW though, quite a few of the reductions in the 57 fleet this year have been due to incidents outside FGWs control - such as 57603 Hitting a tree this year in the Largin valley.

 

[455driver]

Very rarely can be top n tailed too, but a run round seems more common.

When was the last time it was top and tailed with both locos going to be used, it has had a failed loco on the back hitching a lift back to Old Oak Common a few times but I have never known it to be top and tailed.

 

[TEW]

I can't remember it being top and tailed except in connection with some failure of another. Of interest tonight 1C99 is taking the path of the 0702 Plymouth-Penzance vice an HST, the HST running in the sleeper path at 0628. This means the sleeper will be calling at Devonport, Saltash and St.Germans.

 

[455driver]

Of interest tonight 1C99 is taking the path of the 0702 Plymouth-Penzance vice an HST, the HST running in the sleeper path at 0628. This means the sleeper will be calling at Devonport, Saltash and St.Germans.

No it isnt it is leaving Plymouth at 0628 after it sits at Exeter for nearly 2 hours (0240-0435) and Plymouth nearly an hour (0535-0628)!

 

[TEW]

The path being shown in journey planners isn't the path it's running in. It sits at Taunton 02:12 to 05:12 because of the line closure through Cowley Bridge Junction. Exeter 05:55 to 06:00, Plymouth 07:00 to 07:05, Devonport 07:10 to 07:12, Saltash 07:18 to 07:19, St Germans 07:25 to 07:27 and Penzance 09:33. Should be an extra seated carriage in the formation because the 07:02 from Plymouth is a busy service, and usually has a lot more capacity than the sleeper can provide. http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/disruption has the details.

 

[crewmeal]

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/disruption

Confusing. According to that timetable it takes 1.05 to get to Exeter, then has 5 hours there before moving on!

 

[richw]

Fgw yesterday advertised the sleeper in both directions as cancelled. They then showed an additional train using the sleeper stock at completely different timings, due the Cowley bridge closure overnight.

 

[455driver]

Sleeper passed Cogload 6 early at 0202 and (passed) taunton 3 hours late at 0513 so it does indeed look like it sat there for a little while.


To be fair they do need all the time they can get to fix the signalling at Cowley Bridge and these sleepers going through are a right PITA so it makes sense to re-time them to give a longer possession.

edit-
Up sleepers were indeed cancelled.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Sleeper passed Cogload 6 early at 0202 and (passed) taunton 3 hours late at 0513 so it does indeed look like it sat there for a little while.


To be fair they do need all the time they can get to fix the signalling at Cowley Bridge and these sleepers going through are a right PITA so it makes sense to re-time them to give a longer possession.

edit-
Up sleepers were indeed cancelled.

What happens to the passengers when a sleeper is cancelled? Over night coach or hotel room and first train of the day?