20/12/24 Salisbury area disruption

[Kilopylae]

At about half past four today it was announced that the 16:47 to Exeter St Davids (1L45) was delayed due to a passenger being taken ill at Andover.

It has been stuck immobile at Andover since then, with the Yeovil Jn train (1L47) stuck behind it too. Nothing seems to be moving east either, with announcements advising passengers for Grateley and Andover to seek alternative transport, the train at platform 2 unmoving until just now, and Traksy showing
1L54 stuck at Grateley too.

Has anyone got any insight into why the whole operation in both directions seems to have imploded over a passenger being taken ill on one train?

 

[Falcon1200]

Do Traincrew change over at Salisbury, meaning that if Down trains (from Basingstoke) do not arrive there is no-one to work Up trains forward?

 

[Three-Nine]

1L54 developed a fault that couldn’t be rectified, I believe it terminated Grateley and eventually moved empty stock towards Basingstoke. 1L45 eventually departed Andover about 47 minutes late after waiting for an ambulance though I think it was eventually terminated at Honiton. Both events occurred at roughly the same time and took roughly the same amount of time to clear so the lines between Salisbury and Basingstoke were blocked in both directions for some time.

 

[Kilopylae]

though I think it was eventually terminated at Honiton.

Yes, we lost a bit more time waiting for the eastbound London train on Tisbury loop, but we made it to Axminster in time to pass the on-time 1L72 — before everyone was inexplicably dumped out into the freezing cold at Honiton

(This was supposedly to avoid delay contamination as there was no way for us to get into Exeter, though I don't know how this could be so, given that the line was clear through to Exeter).

The guard claimed the delayed 19:17 (1L49) would be along 20 minutes later; it was actually over half an hour. Total disaster.

 

[Three-Nine]

Sadly once delays get past a certain point West of Salisbury its not unusual for services to terminate short of Exeter so that the return working has a chance to be started right time from somewhere, even if technically theres no reason it can’t continue to Exeter. Not saying I agree or disagree with the decision making, just stating what tends to happen.

 

[pompeyfan]

1L45 was over an hour late by the time it got to Honiton, even if the train had a clear run through to Exeter St Davids (unlikely) it would have been 30 minutes late leaving Exeter on the up and caused delay to several services on the single line sections. The crew probably had more services to work on return to Yeovil or Salisbury which would have caused even more delays or cancellations.

The wrong decision in the eyes of those onboard, absolutely the right decision for every other passenger on that line of route.