Heavy Delays Marches Route 26/06

[PHILIPE]

There are heavy delays on the Marches Route today, some trains by up to 90 minutes, and others terminating short due to something which we don't seem to hear so much about lately, fortunately. Cable theft has taken place between Cwmbran and Abergavenny but Nerwork Rail have set up some form (don't know what) of temporary signalling. Problems expected for most of the day, 1800 currently being quoted by NRE site as the expected time for resumption of normal working.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Nerwork Rail have set up some form (don't know what) of temporary signalling.

Would that likely be Temporary Block Working?

 

[The Planner]

Little Mill box has around 7 signals with no aspects.

 

[westv]

Is there such a thing as a "heavy" delay?

 

[D6975]

Is there such a thing as a "heavy" delay?

Not since metrication which divided them all by 2.2

 

[craigybagel]

Would that likely be Temporary Block Working?

It is indeed, TBW between Little Mill and a point a few miles north of Maindee Junction. Holyhead-Cardiffs not running south of Shrewsbury with the Manchester services picking up their stops in order to cope with the reduced capacity.

 

[PHILIPE]

Disruption now expected until end of day according to NRE

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

My daughter was travelling to Cardiff on 15h04 from Bangor, bus from Shrewsbury to Newport.

 

[PHILIPE]

My daughter was travelling to Cardiff on 15h04 from Bangor, bus from Shrewsbury to Newport.

Great. No mention on NRE or by ATW that busses running.

 

[Welshman]

The disruption has caused a knock-on in the usual diagrams on the North Wales Coast.
For example, I spotted a 150 on the 0923 Holyhead-Birmingham International, which usually produces a 158 as it later goes on to the Cambrian. So it must have been swapped again at a later stage.

Also, the cancellation of 1W90 0508 Cardiff-Llandudno at Newport caused the 0945 1H85 Llandudno-Manchester Airport to be started at Chester, as there was no stock at Llandudno.

A complicated railway system we now have. I wonder what local passengers at Llandudno made of their service to Rhyl and Chester being cancelled because of cable thefts at Abergavenny?

 

[PHILIPE]

The disruption has caused a shake-up in the usual diagrams on the North Wales Coast.
For example, I spotted a 150 on the 0923 Holyhead-Birmingham International, which usually produces a 158 as it later goes on to the Cambrian. So it must have been swapped again at a later stage.

The appearance of a 150 on these services is not uncommon at all recently and not just on days of disruption. This results in passengers suffering the inconvenience of having to swap trains at Shrewsbury on the way back from Birmingham.

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

A complicated railway system we now have. I wonder what local passengers at Llandudno made of their service to Rhyl and Chester being cancelled because of cable thefts at Abergavenny?

Indeed, Often issues such as this are forgotten when praise is heaped on todays railway structure. My daughter wasn't impressed as she was heavily laden with baggage as she had a bit of bump in her car on the way up from Cardiff leaving it a write off...and she had loads of stuff to take with her...incidentally, wouldn't the emergency signalling at least have allowed her train to reach Hereford or somewhere closer to the incident - why have a bus from Shrewsbury? I'm afraid I don't understand that! Presumably there is a reason?

 

[PHILIPE]

Indeed, Often issues such as this are forgotten when praise is heaped on todays railway structure. My daughter wasn't impressed as she was heavily laden with baggage as she had a bit of bump in her car on the way up from Cardiff leaving it a write off...and she had loads of stuff to take with her...incidentally, wouldn't the emergency signalling at least have allowed her train to reach Hereford or somewhere closer to the incident - why have a bus from Shrewsbury? I'm afraid I don't understand that! Presumably there is a reason?

Probably more operationally practical. All the Holyhead services were turning back at Shrewsbury which would be more convenient for train crews than Hereford and also not enough units to go down to Hereford bearing in mind that there would be a shortfall due to late running resulting in unable to maintain booked workings due this extended time. For a period of the last Timetable, there was weekend Engineering Work just north of Newport meaning the service had to be thinned out and Holyhead services turned back at Shrewsbury.

 

[Parallel]

I was at Newport earlier and there were no buses advertised. The Holyheads were, of course cancelled with passengers told to catch the next Manchester Picc train and change at Shrewsbury. Not sure why they'd have buses going one direction but not the other? Was it at peak time?

Also, observations were that delayed trains were terminating short at Cardiff, with another unit being sent from Cardiff to resume the service on time. Unfortunate luck if you are travelling from Newport or before and wanted to go to Milford Haven(!!)

 

[craigybagel]

I was at Newport earlier and there were no buses advertised. The Holyheads were, of course cancelled with passengers told to catch the next Manchester Picc train and change at Shrewsbury. Not sure why they'd have buses going one direction but not the other? Was it at peak time?

Also, observations were that delayed trains were terminating short at Cardiff, with another unit being sent from Cardiff to resume the service on time. Unfortunate luck if you are travelling from Newport or before and wanted to go to Milford Haven(!!)

I had a look and there was no mention of busses in any of the emails I received about yesterdays disruption. I assume it was a last minute decision to put one on to help deal with crowds?

And yes it is somewhat unfortunate luck for those travelling through to West Wales but given the numbers of people doing so are usually very low in comparison to the number of people who board at Cardiff and stations west thereof who's train ends up being on-time instead of 20-40 minutes late every hour it seems like a sensible enough decision to me.

 

[Gareth Marston]

I had a look and there was no mention of busses in any of the emails I received about yesterdays disruption. I assume it was a last minute decision to put one on to help deal with crowds?

And yes it is somewhat unfortunate luck for those travelling through to West Wales but given the numbers of people doing so are usually very low in comparison to the number of people who board at Cardiff and stations west thereof who's train ends up being on-time instead of 20-40 minutes late every hour it seems like a sensible enough decision to me.

Looks like its going to continue all day today.

They've got 3 coaches from Lloyds (Machynlleth) on standby at Hereford today.

 

[LAX54]

Indeed, Often issues such as this are forgotten when praise is heaped on todays railway structure. My daughter wasn't impressed as she was heavily laden with baggage as she had a bit of bump in her car on the way up from Cardiff leaving it a write off...and she had loads of stuff to take with her...incidentally, wouldn't the emergency signalling at least have allowed her train to reach Hereford or somewhere closer to the incident - why have a bus from Shrewsbury? I'm afraid I don't understand that! Presumably there is a reason?

A 'bit of a bump' and 'write-off' in same sentence

 

[Cantab26]

A 'bit of a bump' and 'write-off' in same sentence

Quite common for a low speed collision to cause sufficient damage that repair is uneconomical, especially for an older vehicle. I was recently in court dealing with just such a case: glancing blow; no personal injuries; both cars written off.

 

[craigybagel]

Looks like its going to continue all day today.

They've got 3 coaches from Lloyds (Machynlleth) on standby at Hereford today.

Indeed - it should hopefully be slightly smoother than yesterday though as there's been time to plan around it and make sure enough traincrew are in the right place, and also a large amount of the problems yesterday were caused by the wait to get TBW set up causing massive delays to the early morning service.

 

[PHILIPE]

Disruption now expected at least until end of day Wednesday.

 

[Gareth Marston]

looks like were OK again once some unit and crew displacement issues are sorted. Block working finished at 0700.

 

[PHILIPE]

Normal service expected from 1000 to allow service recovery. Network Rail forecast yesterday rather over pessimistic.:cry::cry:

 

[Envoy]

Are they telling people on trains on the N Wales coast to go via Birmingham? Are they telling those heading E across south Wales to go to N Wales via Birmingham?

 

[PHILIPE]

Are they telling people on trains on the N Wales coast to go via Birmingham? Are they telling those heading E across south Wales to go to N Wales via Birmingham?

Not telling them anything now as line fully open. All they have been saying is that ticket acceptance available from other TOCs.