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Paddington-Reading blocked due to OLE isolation and lineside fire (5/9)
- Thread starter TheLastMinute
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iamthekareem
Member
Left Twyford few mins ago. Now over 3 hour delay. Maybe im on the last one to PAD for today. Cant see anything on tracksy leaving RDG.
Really hoping that isn’t the case!
Been trying to get back to Wargrave from Paddington left 21:10 left to go via Waterloo. Elizabeth Line staff saying go via Waterloo and mainline London Paddington staff say stay as their should be a train. PA announcements for anyone Reading and West, but nothing about between Paddington and Reading although the PA is very garbled. No information on electronic notice boards other than their is disruption. Apologies for the delay but my phone went flat!
CR165022
Established Member
How come this incident has also now taken out the Greenford branch? It was running fine for hours during this but it now hasn't run in over 2 hours. Same with the Henley branch, which hasn't run for over an hour.
Edit: forgot the Greenford is running the 230 today, so presumably it's affected the recharging system used for it?
Edit: forgot the Greenford is running the 230 today, so presumably it's affected the recharging system used for it?
iamthekareem
Member
I definitely got lucky. Arrived into PAD at 2139. 3hr12min late.
I was supposed to get off at RDG as I was using my staff nominee pass for PAD-RDG. The fantastic guard allowed me to stay on. The same guard whi advised everyone to catch Chiltern to London from Oxford. Next time I will listen!
I was supposed to get off at RDG as I was using my staff nominee pass for PAD-RDG. The fantastic guard allowed me to stay on. The same guard whi advised everyone to catch Chiltern to London from Oxford. Next time I will listen!
Nicholas Lewis
Established Member
Thats supplied from the local DNO. Maybe an issue of crew relief being able to get to the stations
As Contactless isn't valid beyond Virginia Water, in strict terms a 'normal' ticket needs to be purchased. When using Contactless, a user has not already committed to their journey in the way they have when they have bought a physical ticket.
GWR are a bit deficient on their journey check page by not making clear what should happen for passengers who wish to use Contactless.
Elizabeth line currently looking at outstabling at all sorts of positions across the network. Having no access to the main depot is obviously a serious operational constraint.
This is going to cause disruption well into tomorrow with the displacement caused.
I also understand buses are trying to be sourced but I imagine it will be very hard on a late night Saturday to find availability.
This is going to cause disruption well into tomorrow with the displacement caused.
I also understand buses are trying to be sourced but I imagine it will be very hard on a late night Saturday to find availability.
Goldfish62
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 14 Feb 2010
- Messages
- 13,161
I doubt if anyone on the railways is going to be bothered. Waterloo to Reading services were so full passengers were unable to board as far west as Ascot and Bracknell so there's zero chance of any ticket checks.
ox_chap
Member
Just to understand, as might need to travel tomorrow. The power supply issue is so serious, it may not be fixed. So tomorrow (Sunday) could be an IET-only operation, all on diesel? (Sorry if asking something obvious to others).
I always wonder why they don't try to spread the demand between London and Reading away from the Staines route via Guildford or Basingstoke when the line via Slough is unavailable (although I note that the capacity between Guildford or Basingstoke and Reading is less).
Nicholas Lewis
Established Member
It maybe that the isolation had to be extensive with all the overhead feeders in this area to allow London Fire Brigade to fight the fire so they couldn't try using an alternative feed from the Reading direction.
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Basingstoke might be reasonable for a fast train to London but via Guildford is quite the diversion. Most people just want go get London as quickly as possible. But obviously SWR can’t soak up all the demand between Reading <> Paddington on a Saturday afternoon.
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It could be. At this point it’s hard to tell until LFB and NR make their assessments.
Reading to Waterloo is 86 minutes direct via Staines, but can be quicker via Basingstoke with a good connection into a fast train, and broadly on a par via Guildford.
My main point is that it’s not direct and when people are taking an alternative and are not savvy, will tend to avoid extra changes when already disrupted. Especially if that’s not what is advertised or what staff tell them. Of course if the alternative can no longer cope then that is worth reconsidering.
The power came back on around 0115, Lizzy life staff were already in position to start moving trains about, GWR ran the last few stoppers with 165, there will be one stopper in the morning that’s runs as a 165 the 0649 Ealing Broadway to Reading, other than the 230 being stabled in the Bay at West Ealing and some 387’s being in the wrong place causing some short forms today (Sun) should be fine
Got caught up in this yesterday afternoon. Delayed at Reading and then just as I was about to get of the driver claimed it was all clear and so I stayed on. Made it to Twyford where it was cancelled.
TfL socials were very helpful and responsive, however couldn’t give much info as apparently even when they rang GTS they only said they had ‘local bus’ acceptance but didn’t know what operators!! Turns out there was no acceptance, which seems to be their normal plan abandoning anyone outside of London Buses reach.
At Reading was actually very impressed, two members of staff asked me where I was headed proactively. Fortunately the stoppers heading west weren’t being affected so once I was at Reading it was relatively easy to make it home to abandon my journey.
TfL socials were very helpful and responsive, however couldn’t give much info as apparently even when they rang GTS they only said they had ‘local bus’ acceptance but didn’t know what operators!! Turns out there was no acceptance, which seems to be their normal plan abandoning anyone outside of London Buses reach.
At Reading was actually very impressed, two members of staff asked me where I was headed proactively. Fortunately the stoppers heading west weren’t being affected so once I was at Reading it was relatively easy to make it home to abandon my journey.
That’s because I removed them. I couldn’t find out how to delete my post completely
Nicholas Lewis
Established Member
NR Western have put up some pictures. Looks pretty extensive damage so done well to get things back up running.
Good god. Is that melted cable in the trunking tend to be signalling and comms cables, or is it also power?NR Western have put up some pictures. Looks pretty extensive damage so done well to get things back up running.
Farnborough
Member
Post mortem: Once again, a single point of electrical-supply failure has caused extended chaos.
This has been exacerbated by the shift to electric-power... it was a touch ironic that only the diesel-powered units could keep running
This has been exacerbated by the shift to electric-power... it was a touch ironic that only the diesel-powered units could keep running
Not exactly a fair or true post mortem though is it...
The track was closed while the fire service dealt with the fire, no diesel services ran until the very late evening, there was only about a gap of 2 hours from about 11 when diesel could run and electric couldn't.
swt_passenger
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 7 Apr 2010
- Messages
- 34,267
The compound where the chaps in orange are standing is the switching area for the main Kensal Green autotransformer feeder station (ATFS) for the east end of the GWML. I wonder how badly the control and communications cabling has been damaged. Also, do they use trackside cabling to distribute the AC to the 25kV system in that area, there seems very little visible overhead?NR Western have put up some pictures. Looks pretty extensive damage so done well to get things back up running.
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edwin_m
Veteran Member
The supply can be configured to feed from somewhere else if a particular supply is lost, which is almost certainly what they have done here.
Presuming it's here: https://www.bing.com/maps/search?style=a&q=kensal+green&cp=51.526086~-0.226039&lvl=19.4