GWML closed (14/10) Newton Abbot - Dawlish

[Robertj21a]

The bus I ended up on came up from Truro so shows how far the call had gone out. But at the current rate of progress it's going to take a while to shift the backlog of passengers. Let's hope things can improve later as drivers sober up and so on.

Unfortunately for me the bus missed 12:51 from Exeter by a few minutes, and then there's a gap of an hour before the next London train. So I'll be looking at a delay of about 2 hours 40 mins.

Could be worse, but yes, let's hope some sort of repairs can be done before peak time tomorrow.

It's probably the legal limits on drivers hours that will cause problems now - most drivers will be scheduled to be out again at 5-6am tomorrow.

 

[HOOVER29]

Another, daylight, picture

Getting bigger?
If it’s repaired by tomorrow then hats off to the lads on the job.
Looking at the photo that’s by the road bridge across the estuary isn’t it. Was on holiday with the family down there only last month & & we travelled that way almost daily.

 

[reddragon]

Getting bigger?
If it’s repaired by tomorrow then hats off to the lads on the job.
Looking at the photo that’s by the road bridge across the estuary isn’t it. Was on holiday with the family down there only last month & & we travelled that way almost daily.

No hope for tomorrow. You need the right people on site for starters, then bridge the sewer, lay dry mix, let it set & the fill the hole, ballast & re-open. Tuesday AM is realistic

 

[HowardGWR]

There are lots of SW culverts under that tracks that are knackered, especially the original brick ones.

Track tamping is the biggest cause of deterioration, followed by poor track drainage. Western have a good drainage team though, so they won't try to just fill the hole with concrete at least!

Well, indeed, that would not do the operation of a culvert much good would it?

I am astonished at the multiple references to drunk bus drivers having to have 'sobered up'. If a driver had to take from midnight Saturday to 0900 (say) Sunday to 'sober up', I would not want such an individual to be employed by my bus company, let alone drive anything today!

 

[reddragon]

Well, indeed, that would not do the operation of a culvert much good would it?

Believe me, another region made just that suggestion and it took some persuading that filling a sinkhole with concrete with a culvert underneath was a bad idea!

 

[30907]

Getting bigger?
If it’s repaired by tomorrow then hats off to the lads on the job.
Looking at the photo that’s by the road bridge across the estuary isn’t it. Was on holiday with the family down there only last month & & we travelled that way almost daily.

Think it's a bit further up the estuary at Bishopsteignton, local press report refers to Wear Farm.

PS BBC news refers to high tides "engulfing" the track.

 

[Robertj21a]

Well, indeed, that would not do the operation of a culvert much good would it?

I am astonished at the multiple references to drunk bus drivers having to have 'sobered up'. If a driver had to take from midnight Saturday to 0900 (say) Sunday to 'sober up', I would not want such an individual to be employed by my bus company, let alone drive anything today!

I don't think there has been an enormous number of postings on the matter. I only brought it up as it's a driving job, at short notice, on a Sunday morning. I daresay a number of bus drivers have only Saturday evenings to relax and that may well include a bit of late night alcohol (if they have no work scheduled on the Sunday). A bus driver should have zero alcohol in his/her system when they start work - that's unlikely if they were still drinking up to a few hours beforehand.
Instead of being concerned, you should be reassured that many professional bus drivers wouldn't volunteer to work this morning if they'd been drinking last night. After all, it's the shortage of drivers that prompted the earlier comments.

 

[gord]

My goodness, just made the mistake of reading Twitter comments about this incident. Suddenly everyone is an expert. Some people are even commenting it'll take 2 to 4 weeks to repair! Network Rail don't even know how long it will take yet! Public Transport disruptions really can bring out the worse of social media.

But conversely, if you can get through the guff, on the Dawlish Beach account has a video of a ballast train on it's way to the site to aid repairs, which is a promising sign. And adds a bit of interest as it's wrong line working.

 

[reddragon]

If they fill it with ballast, they will need a plan for reinstating the culvert & dealing with its flows! Ballast also washes out so alone its not enough. We've used dry-mix in jumbo bags before to solve that.

I wish them luck and if the culvert is only a small pipe under 2' then trains could run at slow speed tomorrow. All depends on the size of this 'culvert'

 

[gord]

If they fill it with ballast, they will need a plan for reinstating the culvert & dealing with its flows! Ballast also washes out so alone its not enough. We've used dry-mix in jumbo bags before to solve that.

I wish them luck and if the culvert is only a small pipe under 2' then trains could run at slow speed tomorrow. All depends on the size of this 'culvert'

Well of course, absolutely can see your point,but I think it's positive to see the ballast being delivered. It seems to suggest that a repair can be attempted to the railway relatively quickly.

I also wish them luck, these engineers are no strangers to these kinds of problems in that part of the World. Whatever happens, the repair works are in good hands.

 

[fgwrich]

Somewhat also of a concern is a number of pictures from one of the Dawlish pages showing a fair amount of damage to the sea wall again. Although the path can be closed off to pedestrians, it does look like the wall has suffered some storm damage again with some of the large coping slabs ripped up and the path wall & sea debris spread across the tracks again.

Good luck to the NR teams and contractors working on it, rather hoping a solution will be found before Thursday when in due to pass through!

 

[gord]

Somewhat also of a concern is a number of pictures from one of the Dawlish pages showing a fair amount of damage to the sea wall again. Although the path can be closed off to pedestrians, it does look like the wall has suffered some storm damage again with some of the large coping slabs ripped up and the path wall & sea debris spread across the tracks again.

Good luck to the NR teams and contractors working on it, rather hoping a solution will be found before Thursday when in due to pass through!

I'm due through on the sleeper Wednesday night which is why I'm also following this with interest. Some things to be positive about. The weather is a lot calmer there now and set to stay that way, and repairs are clearly underway already. I was tempted to do the Cornwall part of my trip tomorrow, glad I'm not now...I think that would end up a bit more of a worry.

 

[221129]

Somewhat also of a concern is a number of pictures from one of the Dawlish pages showing a fair amount of damage to the sea wall again. Although the path can be closed off to pedestrians, it does look like the wall has suffered some storm damage again with some of the large coping slabs ripped up and the path wall & sea debris spread across the tracks again.

Good luck to the NR teams and contractors working on it, rather hoping a solution will be found before Thursday when in due to pass through!

Those pictures are from 2014.

 

[221129]

Well of course, absolutely can see your point,but I think it's positive to see the ballast being delivered. It seems to suggest that a repair can be attempted to the railway relatively quickly.

I also wish them luck, these engineers are no strangers to these kinds of problems in that part of the World. Whatever happens, the repair works are in good hands.

That was only sent as it was already in the area after works near Exeter last night and had spare ballast so saved an extra run to Westbury to get some.

 

[221129]

Anyway line is to reopen tomorrow with an ESR. The local shuttle has been extended to Dawlish.

 

[gord]

That was only sent as it was already in the area after works near Exeter last night and had spare ballast so saved an extra run to Westbury to get some.

Thanks for the information. Good to see some joined up thinking going on.

Anyway line is to reopen tomorrow with an ESR. The local shuttle has been extended to Dawlish.

Let's hope so. I'm sure everyone your way is hoping the Atlantic has blown itself out and it'll be a calmer, more serene winter this time around!

 

[fgwrich]

Those pictures are from 2014.

Ah, that’s good to hear. So thankfully the main damage is the culvert then.

 

[gord]

Anyway line is to reopen tomorrow with an ESR. The local shuttle has been extended to Dawlish.

Been confirmed by Network Rail Western on Twitter, aiming for an opening at 05:00 with an ESR in place. Forecast for Teignmouth tonight is dry, cloudy, breezy and around 10C so hopefully that'll let them get on unhindered.

 

[LAX54]

As this is emergency work, I have no doubt NR will get in, fix it, even on a temp basis, and reopen the line in a very short space of time, when they have their backs against the wall like this, there is no engineering company in the UK, that can do as good a job as Network Rail. Ballast train is 6W02, looks like a possession until 0430, then an ESR, so maybe a temp fix ?

 

[plymothian]

Code Black has been declared due to lack of available replacement coaches for the rest of the night.
(effectively a system shut down, no guarantee that passengers will be able to reach their destination - Do not attempt to travel)

 

[1e10]

What is an ESR?

 

[tiptoptaff]

Emergency Speed Restriction.

It'll actually open with an EROS on the late notices, which is Emergency Restriction of Speed

 

[LAX54]

Line Open at 2335 20mph ESR

Good job done by Net Rail Engineers and Track Staff

 

[tiptoptaff]

Line Open at 2335 20mph ESR

Opens at 0425, currently under a T3

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Line Open at 2335 20mph ESR

Good job done by Net Rail Engineers and Track Staff

That is very good news, so fast by the staff concerned.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

If only somebody had constructed a railway from Exeter to Plymouth via Okehampton.

Agreed and also via the Heathfield route. Maybe they should start to reconsider either or both of those options again. Even if it was single track with passing places. The Heathfield route can't be that long?

 

[yorksrob]

Agreed and also via the Heathfield route. Maybe they should start to reconsider either or both of those options again. Even if it was single track with passing places. The Heathfield route can't be that long?

Although you definitely get a greater overall benefit with the Okehampton route.

Its also perhaps worth reflecting that if we'd started reinstating the Okehampton route after the disruption four years ago, instead of procrastinating at the behest of various self-serving Torbay councillors and MP's, trains might be reaching Plymouth and beyond today.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Although you definitely get a greater overall benefit with the Okehampton route.

Its also perhaps worth reflecting that if we'd started reinstating the Okehampton route after the disruption four years ago, instead of procrastinating at the behest of various self-serving Torbay councillors and MP's, trains might be reaching Plymouth and beyond today.

Sorry for going off thread but surely the point of local councillors and MPs is to represent their local constituents’ interests.
I struggle to understand why a local politician in Newton Abbot should be expected to say “let’s re-open via Okehampton, we’re happy to take one for Cornwall’s sake and queue up in the rain for replacement buses”.
Would Yorksrob be happy if his local members campaigned for investment in the Wisbech area, diverting funds from (say) Skipton-Colne?

 

[irish_rail]

Sorry for going off thread but surely the point of local councillors and MPs is to represent their local constituents’ interests.
I struggle to understand why a local politician in Newton Abbot should be expected to say “let’s re-open via Okehampton, we’re happy to take one for Cornwall’s sake and queue up in the rain for replacement buses”.
Would Yorksrob be happy if his local members campaigned for investment in the Wisbech area, diverting funds from (say) Skipton-Colne?

It's not just about taking one for cornwall. How can a major city like Plymouth be routinely cut off from the rest of the country. Time to start building a diversion NOW

 

[yorksrob]

Sorry for going off thread but surely the point of local councillors and MPs is to represent their local constituents’ interests.
I struggle to understand why a local politician in Newton Abbot should be expected to say “let’s re-open via Okehampton, we’re happy to take one for Cornwall’s sake and queue up in the rain for replacement buses”.
Would Yorksrob be happy if his local members campaigned for investment in the Wisbech area, diverting funds from (say) Skipton-Colne?

As you well know, I believe in a comprehensive approach to reopenings providing funding to the best ones on their own merits (the fact that I'm calling for Okehampton at the other side of the country illustrates this ?).

As a resident on the Hallam line, I would take a dim view if my local MP and councillors suggested putting the regions wellbeing at risk by, for eample, calling for the Moorthorpe route to be starved of investment.