XC Dawlish problems 13 September 2015.

[Master29]

Same thing happened in February this year. I was scheduled on the 07:37 Bodmin Parkway XC Voyager to Bristol which was cancelled for this very reason. I got the 08:06 GWR HST instead which had no problems. I think a few XC Voyager services suffered the same fate that day.

 

[ExRes]

For anyone interested I'd suggest a visit to the Dawlish Trains website where there is a nice set of photos showing the sunday weather and GWR submarines in service .....

 

[Skipness]

Is this an opportunity to repost the picture I took in January this year from an eastbound HST (on the landward track obviously) shortly after a wave had broken over the train. That's sea water on the window, not rain.
We had been held at signals to allow westbound Voyagers to pass "wrong line", wonder what would have happened if one of them had succumbed to spray!
During the wait the on board train crew had made sure that all the vestibule Windows on the seaward side had been closed.

 

[Cliveblackpool]

Many years ago, a wave went over the top of the train, and you could hear the thumping of water on the roof. No one took much notice!

After all the spouting from Cameron PM (BBC 30 January 2015 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-31042325 ), a diversion line seems to have gone well and truly back on the back burner.

 

[plymothian]

People are now calling it unsafe to run any trains along Dawlish during extreme weather and that there will be deaths soon. GWR, XC and BR (sic) should suspend all trains as it is too 'terrifying'. Other comments on Facebook include BR (sic) being too tight and money orientated to build a diversion line.

http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/VID...-smash-train/story-29085064-detail/story.html

 

[yorksrob]

Many years ago, a wave went over the top of the train, and you could hear the thumping of water on the roof. No one took much notice!

After all the spouting from Cameron PM (BBC 30 January 2015 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-31042325 ), a diversion line seems to have gone well and truly back on the back burner.

Indeed. After building up public support for increased resilience, the peninsular task force seem to have allowed themselves to become side-tracked by electrification and new trains. In their latest report there seemed to be little mention of diversionary routes or anything that would build resilience.

I lay the blame firmly at those South Devon politicians and Plymouth Chambers of Commerce who so effectively moved to sabotage the reopening of the Tavistock-Plymouth route. They have a lot to answer for.

 

[Busaholic]

The bit that was rebuilt will still be there when the rest of Devon has eroded!

A Parry Peoplemover to shuttle between Dawlish and the Warren?! I wasn't sniping at the excellent job done at Dawlish by NR, just to point out that King Canute is renowned for one reason, which still pertains centuries later. Actually, I believe Penzance to Long Rock/Marazion is more likely to be lost to the elements. Cornwall Council seem to have given up on a permanent repair job to the footpath/cycle path right next to the railway line which suffered extensive damage LAST winter i.e. as well as in 2014. Press coverage seems to have been confined to our local rag.

 

[Master29]

People are now calling it unsafe to run any trains along Dawlish during extreme weather and that there will be deaths soon. GWR, XC and BR (sic) should suspend all trains as it is too 'terrifying'. Other comments on Facebook include BR (sic) being too tight and money orientated to build a diversion line.

http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/VID...-smash-train/story-29085064-detail/story.html

BR? A bit behind the times there I think. Who is calling it unsafe? I think that`s just scaremongering. Too many organisations putting the frighteners on people just for the sake of a story or 2. Yes, it may be unsafe in extreme weather but so are other parts of that line, and no doubt many more places around the country.

 

[randyrippley]

How well will the overhead wires cope once its electrified?

 

[Bungle965]

How well will the overhead wires cope once its electrified?

I imagine a blanket ban would come in for electric trains when the storms get bad, but then again trains have ran on the Ayrshire Coast around Saltcoats when there was heavy storms. So i could be proven wrong.
Sam

 

[Crossover]

I imagine a blanket ban would come in for electric trains when the storms get bad, but then again trains have ran on the Inverclyde line (I think it was) when there was heavy storms. So i could be proven wrong.
Sam

Ayrshire Coast - around Saltcoats is electrified and gets battered by the storms, but hasn't lost its knitting just yet!

 

[Bungle965]

Ayrshire Coast - around Saltcoats is electrified and gets battered by the storms, but hasn't lost its knitting just yet!

Cheers edited my post.
Sam

 

[Johnuk123]

Many years ago, a wave went over the top of the train, and you could hear the thumping of water on the roof. No one took much notice!

After all the spouting from Cameron PM (BBC 30 January 2015 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-31042325 ), a diversion line seems to have gone well and truly back on the back burner.

I don't think anybody really ever thought that there was the remotest chance of a diversion line being built, it will never happen.

 

[Philip Phlopp]

How well will the overhead wires cope once its electrified?

Dawlish is a long way down the list of lines to be electrified. There's Bristol/Newbury to Exeter to electrify first, plus the West of England line from Basingstoke to Exeter via Salisbury which realistically needs to be done in time for the replacement of the Class 158/159 fleet when they're life expired.

But yeah, as everybody else has said, not a problem. You use the correct components, with appropriate mast spacing, protection grids for debris and to break up larger volumes of spray, and increased tensioning for wind deflection if that's a major issue.