South West Travel Disruption - November 2018

[221129]

Hi all,

A heads up that with the expected poor weather due in the next 24-48hours that there will be significant travel disruption in Devon and Cornwall.

Dawlish is blocked to Voyages traction from 1500-2030 tonight and expected to be totally blocked in the Morning.

 

[Puppetfinger]

News reports in the West Country are saying closed from just after midnight, Night Riviera up working being last through. Not likely to reopen until midday Wednesday at earliest.

I've just gone through on 1C84, very close to high water at the time, moderate sea state already, some waves breaking over the wall, although not massive. White horses were visible well up the Exe as well. 1C84 made an additional stop at Ivybridge, whether this is related not sure.

 

[Starmill]

Yellow Warning
Rain
Between 00:15 Wed 7th and 12:00 Wed 7th


Heavy rain is expected to affect south Wales and southwest England early on Wednesday.

What to expect

• Flooding of a few homes and business is likely
• Bus and train services probably affected with journey times taking longer
• Spray and flooding on roads probably making journey times longer

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public...11-07&id=ffdcf1ab-a206-4dac-be8e-2b369fd6ee69

News reports in the West Country are saying closed from just after midnight, Night Riviera up working being last through. Not likely to reopen until midday Wednesday at earliest.

National Rail Enquiries has no service update about this, which is shockingly bad really.

Severe weather morning of Wednesday 07th November
Until sea levels reduce and the railway line can be inspected, Network Rail has advised GWR and CrossCountry that Dawlish sea wall will not be passable from the start of service on Wednesday 07 November due to a Met Office severe weather warning.

The last train on the sea wall will be the Night Riviera Sleeper service Tuesday 05th November 23:45 London Paddington to Penzance. The line is expected to be closed until approximately 12:00.

Impact

From the start of service, GWR and CrossCountry will be unable to operate a train service on the sea wall at Dawlish, until the sea level has reduced, and Network Rail has inspected the line.

• CrossCountry will operate replacement road transport between Tiverton Parkway and Plymouth, please change at Tiverton Parkway for direct buses to Plymouth. Journey time takes approximately 80 minutes.
• GWR will operate replacement road transport between Exeter St David’s and Newton Abbot, calling at Exeter St Thomas, Starcross, Dawlish Warren, Dawlish and Teignmouth. Journey time takes approximately 85 minutes.

GWR will not be operating a train service between Exeter St David’s and Newton Abbot in both directions from the start of service on Wednesday 07th November.

Train services between London Paddington, Plymouth and Penzance
GWR expects to be able to operate train services between London Paddington and Exeter St David’s.
GWR expects to be able to operate train services between Newton Abbot, Plymouth and Penzance.

Train services between Paignton and Exmouth
GWR expects to be able to operate a train service between Paignton and Newton Abbot.
GWR expects to be able to operate a train service between Exeter St David’s and Exmouth.

Where you can use your ticket

• You can use your ticket on both GWR and CrossCountry train services for travel between Bristol Temple Meads, Taunton, Exeter St Davids and Penzance in both directions.
• You can use your ticket on South Western Railway train services between Exeter St David’s and London Waterloo.
• You can use your ticket on London Underground for travel from London Waterloo to London Paddington, however, industrial action is planned on the Central, Waterloo &City and Piccadilly lines on Wednesday 07th November with a very limited service. Please check the Transport for London (TfL) website before travel.
• You can use your ticket on local bus services with First Kernow on the following routes:
  First Kernow route 21: St Austell (Station) - St Columb Road (Glen View) - Quintrell Downs (Quintrell Stores) - Newquay,
  First Kernow route 25: St Austell (Station) - Par (Station), First Kernow route 27: Truro (Bus Station) - St Austell (Station) - Bugle (The Square) - Roche - Bodmin, First Kernow route 87: Truro (Station) - Newquay (Bus Station),
  First Kernow route T1: Penzance (Station) - St Erth (Station) - Hayle - Camborne (Bus Station) - Redruth (Station) - Truro,
  First Kernow routes 90, 92, 93: Truro (Bus Station) - St Columb Road (Glen View) - Quintrell Downs (Quintrell Stores) - Newquay,
  First Kernow route T2: St Ives (Bus Station) - Carbis Bay - Lelant - Hayle - Camborne (Bus Station) - Redruth (Station) – Truro
• You can use your ticket on local bus services with Stagecoach South West on the following routes:
  Stagecoach bus route X38: Exeter (Bus Station) - Ivybridge - Plymouth (Bus Station),
  Stagecoach bus route X64: Exeter (Bus Station) – Newton Abbot (Sherborne Road) – Totnes (Royal Seven Stars),
  Stagecoach bus route 22: Dawlish Warren - Dawlish (The Green) - Teignmouth - Torquay (Strand) - Paignton (Bus Station),
  Stagecoach bus route 155: Exeter (Bus Station) - Tiverton (Bus Station) - Barnstaple (Bus Station), Stagecoach bus route 12: Newton Abbot (Station) - Torre (Station) - Torquay (Grand Hotel) - Paignton (Bus Station),
  Stagecoach bus route 2: Newton Abbot (Sherborne Rd) - Teignmouth - Dawlish (Green) - Starcross (Station) - Exeter (Bus Station).
  Stagecoach GOLD bus route: Torquay (Grand Hotel) - Paignton - Totnes (Station) - Ivybridge - Plymouth (Royal Parade)

Compensation:
If your train service was delayed or cancelled, you could be entitled to a refund or compensation, please check our Refunds and Compensation page for more information.
You may also use your ticket for Wednesday 07th November for travel on Thursday 08th November 2018, but if you choose not to travel, you will be entitled to a refund.

https://www.gwr.com/about-us/media-centre/info

 

[PHILIPE]

News reports in the West Country are saying closed from just after midnight, Night Riviera up working being last through. Not likely to reopen until midday Wednesday at earliest.

I've just gone through on 1C84, very close to high water at the time, moderate sea state already, some waves breaking over the wall, although not massive. White horses were visible well up the Exe as well. 1C84 made an additional stop at Ivybridge, whether this is related not sure.

1C84 called at Ivybridge due cancellation of 2P93 1550 Exeter St Davids to Plymouth, no unit

 

[30907]

National Rail Enquiries has no service update about this, which is shockingly bad really.

Posted at 1534: the heading South West England is vague though.
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/today.aspx

 

[PHILIPE]

Now re-opened, 2C67 0858 Bristol TM to Paignton was the first train through although a 153 tan through earlier testing

 

[Crossover]

It loks like they swept a couple of trains through early last night. A freight (Bescot to St Blazey) that was meant to sit at a yard outside Exeter for 3 hours until 0400 was swept through nearly 200 minutes early and the Down Sleeper was also swept through out of Exeter through Dawlish around 30 minutes early and waited its time at Newton Abbot instead (RTT suggests this used the Up line in the Down direction (landside))

 

[Whistler40145]

No doubt many people will be wishing the line was still open from Meldon Quarry to Tavistock and Gunnislake.

 

[Puppetfinger]

Whilst not wishing to spark a debate on this thread that is going on elsewhere already, I've heard a good few times now the comment along the lines of;

'we are spending billions on HS2 that an awful lot of people don't want / need and there is already a railway between those destinations that works, so why don't we spend some of that money to give Devon and Cornwall the resilience it needs?'

Again, not my own comments, but something I have heard said more and more in the South West, and of course there is an element of geographic bias to that.

 

[PHILIPE]

It loks like they swept a couple of trains through early last night. A freight (Bescot to St Blazey) that was meant to sit at a yard outside Exeter for 3 hours until 0400 was swept through nearly 200 minutes early and the Down Sleeper was also swept through out of Exeter through Dawlish around 30 minutes early and waited its time at Newton Abbot instead (RTT suggests this used the Up line in the Down direction (landside))

1C99, the Down Sleeper, conveyed 57306 on rear to Newton Abbot as "Insurance" in case of having to draw it back. Ran back light Exeter to Reading this morning

 

[Crossover]

1C99, the Down Sleeper, conveyed 57306 on rear to Newton Abbot as "Insurance" in case of having to draw it back. Ran back light Exeter to Reading this morning

Ah cool - I guess that came with it from London? I can't see anywhere where it would have had time for attachment en-route

 

[221129]

The dawlish sea wall has been closed completely again this evening due to flooding.

 

[JN114]

Ah cool - I guess that came with it from London? I can't see anywhere where it would have had time for attachment en-route

Correct, “normally” it would have been chopped off at Reading and either put on the TCD or dumped in one of the West bays, to attach to the Up sleeper as it comes through Reading later in the morning so there’s a loco on the right end from Padd to take the stock back to Reading TCD

 

[AlexNL]

I was watching the Dawlish Beach Blenheim cam yesterday evening, here are some snapshots of what I saw:

At around 21:00 Team Orange were inspecting the line. Marine Parade was completely flooded:

click here for bigger

Later on, they were inspecting the line with a road-rail vehicle:

click here for bigger

Even after midnight, when the sea had gotten less wild and it was raining less hard, Team Orange were still busy walking up and down the line.

 

[fairysdad]

Just noticed this article on the 'Devon Live' website: https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/live-updates-huge-tree-falls-2205158 (Can't see anything myself - for some reason no images on that site are loading up. On the bright side, neither are the auto-loading videos that start as soon as the page opens!)

 

[Chris125]

The last train through...

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Whilst not wishing to spark a debate on this thread that is going on elsewhere already, I've heard a good few times now the comment along the lines of;

'we are spending billions on HS2 that an awful lot of people don't want / need and there is already a railway between those destinations that works, so why don't we spend some of that money to give Devon and Cornwall the resilience it needs?'

Again, not my own comments, but something I have heard said more and more in the South West, and of course there is an element of geographic bias to that.

Agree with that.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

No doubt many people will be wishing the line was still open from Meldon Quarry to Tavistock and Gunnislake.

Yes and or the Heathfield line.

This seems to be happening more often recently.

 

[Whistler40145]

Yes and or the Heathfield line.

This seems to be happening more often recently.

Indeed